One sunday after church in the morning we went to the mall and got internet for a few hours. Later after that Drew, Nathan, Robby and I went and just walked to explore.Robby is someone outside of the race but knew Kids international ministries from his time with the World Race.
Now we kept walking till we reached the ocean where there was a community swimming area, a cement dock that was partially destroyed from the typhoon, and another building that looked like a large indoor gym that was destroyed by the storm.
There was this 18 year old guy sitting on part of the partially destroyed section of the bridge. We were all just talking and hanging out, I was taking pictures and just with the group admiring Gods creation.
For some reason after that I just felt the spirit leading me to talk to this guy. I walked up to this man and introduced myself. We made small conversation, he told me he was in college, I informed him I was taking a Gap year off of school.
I asked him if he was there during Yolanda, he told me he wasn’t but he was at the island of Cebu at that time in school. His family was there though, he told me that after the storm his father told him not to come home. His father didn’t want him to have to smell the stench of the dead bodies. In his family no one died, praise God.
I then talked to him about all of the westerners that come in to help, I tried to look at it from his perspective it must be weird I said to have so many white people come in to help. He told me it was weird but most of the people including himself are very grateful for all of the help they are receiving to rebuild.
I asked him if he believed in the gospel and if he was a Christian, he said he was catholic. I wanted to make sure he had the most important point down, and he knew that going to mass wouldn’t get him to heaven. I told him some people can really get the message confused. Jesus is the only way to heaven I told him and good works won’t get you there. If you don’t have christ in you, then you won’t get to heaven, you also will miss out on the greatest relationship of your entire life.
I then told him why I came, why I was in the Philippines. I told him that God called me to this trip to share his gospel with people like him. I then decided to tell Nino what God did for me, I told him God raised $12,500 for me to go on this trip in just three short months. How? He asked me. I answered him honestly I don’t actually know, through people and donations. I told him God provides and if you trust him and take a chance out into the unknown with God he will bring you to some amazing places and crazy situations.
Earlier that day, I took out 1,500 peso’s as I was planning to buy a guitar. However when I went to buy the guitar, the shop was closed. In that moment, once I told nino that God provides, God placed it on my heart to give him the money for my guitar. I handed the money to him and his eyes watered. We hugged it out like real men do, and after a quick picture, we parted ways. Nino is my friend and a brother in Christ.
Sometimes your plans in life won’t work out, but rest assured God’s plan always works out. Even when you have to sacrifice a little more than you expected.
