After a period of what seemed like never-ending hardship and questioning the Lord's actions, motives, and purposes, I finally came to terms with being in a season of not knowing. I didn't know why God allowed my eyes to become the way they were and I definitely didn't know why He was allowing them to stay that way. (click here to read a blog about what He taught me through that). I didn't know why He was allowing me to miss out on so much ministry, team bonding, and fun experiences. I didn't even know why He had me in the Philippines at all.
But I knew that He knew. That was going to have to be enough.
Then, on our last day of ministry, the Lord brought everything I had been struggling with that month full circle and showed me exactly why He had brought me to Malaybalay. Remember my friend Bernadette, the lady who worked at the banana stand, that I mentioned here? It turns out that God brought me there for her.
The first day I met Bernadette I knew there was something special about her. She was so joyful and I could visibly see the love of the Lord in her. The next day, when Mel and I gave her earrings and her note of encouragement, she overflowed with thanksgiving and was almost moved to tears. After that, I began visiting Bernadette as often as I could, sometimes more than once a day and, on most occasions, brought friends who wanted to buy friend bananas. So not only was she being fed spiritually, but she was feeding hungry bellies and a whole lot of sweet tooth. It's what we like to call a win-win situation.
The last day before we left Malaybalay, we decided to take all the clothes and supplies that we wanted to get rid of downtown, have a "free table", and pray for people as the Lord provided for them through us. I had dropped off my laundry to get cleaned the day before, including three shirts I wanted to give away, so as soon as we got to town Ashley, Ben–two people from team Yebo, who we were paired with–and I went to pick it up. By the time we made it back to the spot in front of the BSU campus where our free table was supposed to be, no one was there. Everything from the free table had been taken in about 10 minutes, so Liz and Abby had gone on to do other things. The other things I wanted to give away had been taken. Good. But I still had these three shirts.
I had already been to visit Bernadette that afternoon to say good-bye and to encourage her and pray over her one last time, but the Lord immediately told me to go back to her and offer her the clothes. So I did. When I walked back over to her and asked her if she or anyone she knew would like to have them, she looked at me with tear-rimmed eyes and said, "I would love to have." "Well, they're all yours," I told her with a hug. She asked me if I could come back again in the morning because she had something to give me as well. I wasn't sure if I could because I hadn't heard anything about our travel arrangements, but I told her I would do my best.
Thankfully, Will, our contact, said that we could make a quick stop by before leaving the city. Angela and I hopped out of the car and ran across the street to an ecstatic Bernadette. Out of her purse, she pulled four sets of earrings-one for me, one for Imelda, one for Angela, and one for Ashley. She also wrote Mel and me a note:
Dearest Erin & Imelda,
I believe the way to preach to me, I'm so much thankful to our LORD JESUS CHRIST that you always sacrifice for people's sake. I want to entertain whole-heartedly (word I couldn't read) but I cannot do it because I'm just only a worker there. In my heart aches and pains, I know the Holy Spirit of God comfort me. I'm a broken family mam, almost 8 years I suffered. We are abandoned by my husband because he has another family now, but I never lost faith, I call always the name of JESUS, I stand w/my kids, I always whisper the name of JESUS because I know He cares. He knows the troubles and my weaknesses, my failures and for my being unkind. In my situation I know the Spirit of God is always with me and never abandoned my family. God bless both of you Erin & Imelda. I will pray always that the angel of God are here to protect you. And for precious blood of JESUS will cover all of you that no enemy can touch and disturb wherever you are. GOD is good all the time. My prayer requests: 1-I can find stable job 2-our safety and my kids salvation 3-My eldest at his work. Thanks so much, I miss you. I love you in the love of the LORD.
To Bernadette, I needed to not be just another missionary and she needed to not be just another person I prayed for on the street. God called me to the Philippines to build her up, to encourage her, to love her, to show her that she had worth and she was worthy of being poured into, to pray for her, to care for her, and to remind her that Jesus cares for her too, that He will never leave her or forsake her. He will never abandon her.
Please take the time to say a prayer for Bernadette.
