The unmistakable smell of Manila's humid air greeted us as we walked out of the old Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal. It had been thirteen years since my first encounter with that smell, five years since I first moved to the Philippines to teach for two years, and a year and a half since my last encounter with Manila's notorious humidity, pollution and traffic congestion.
And despite it all, I found myself surprised by my excitement to this much-sooner-than-initially-expected return to the Philippines.
For two years, I had lived near the heart of Manila's financial district, along a busy street where Jeepneys, taxis, and tricycles were often stuck in grid-locked traffic. For two years, I taught at a small Christian school campus, which ultimately closed down and moved to another location. For two years, I walked through boutique malls and squatter villages, through flooded streets and along sandy beaches, through neighborhoods where dank smells festered and through fancy outdoor malls where eager store workers sprayed you with nostril-scintillating perfumed concoctions.
And suddenly, the smell of the Manila air brought two years’ of memories flooding back.
It’s always interesting when you return to a place that you once were. Some things are bound to have changed: favorite stores may have moved, new McDonald’s or Jollibee’s (the Filipino equivalent to McD’s) may have sprung up, people you used to spend time with may have moved to new locations; but for the most part, the greater changes are usually those that have taken place within you.
As we drove from the airport to Kid’s International Ministries’ guest house, I was surprised by how much I recognized along the streets. I saw my old apartment building in the distance, as well as some of the supermarkets where I used to go grocery shopping. And yet I also felt like a completely different person, suddenly recognizing all that the Lord has done in my life since I left Manila three and a half years ago.
I had struggled with intense loneliness during my two years in Manila, often feeling disconnected and disjointed from any sense of community. I had also often struggled with the perpetual comments that I was “So big” or “So fat,” because, while well-intentioned comments within this culture, I was already feeling self-conscious about the fact that I was a head taller and a body and a half wider than most everyone else.
It was because of my two years in the Philippines that I realized my desperate need and hunger for God’s presence. It was through those two years that I learned the value of solitude, and it was through those two years that I began to realize how little I understood my identity in Christ. God is truly a wonder worker, and I am grateful that He has taken me from where I was then to where I am now, and I know He will continue to walk with me to where I will be in the future.
During our three days in Manila, I was able to reconnect with Aida, the wonderful woman who helped to raise my brother and me when we were growing up in Singapore and Japan. Since her return to the Philippines, she has been actively involved in her church’s feeding program ministry, as well as serving as a teacher in one of the squatter villages on the outskirts of Manila. It was truly a blessing to be able to see her, though briefly, and to catch up with her during our short transition in Manila.
Although we are not in Manila this month (more on our ministry in Malay Balay soon!), I am grateful for the few days we were able to spend in Manila, if only to come face to face with the reality of God’s faithfulness and grace in my life over the past few years.
It’s true that in life, we go through good seasons and stretching seasons, fulfilling moments and trying times, and yet through it all, God works all things together for good for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Sometimes it takes a backward glance for us to realize what He has done, but it’s then that we can praise Him for His faithfulness in walking us through those dark days into His marvelous light. Thank You Lord, for Your ever-amazing faithfulness. You are SO good!
