Hello from the Philippines!!
My team and I have finally arrived at our new home. It is called ‘The Lighthouse’ and it is the coziest little place ran by the sweetest host family. They have a little bulldog named Stogie and even though he likes to poop everywhere, I love him.
So much has happened and I have only been with my team for a week. We spent the first few days at training camp back in Georgia and it was there that the Holy Spirit confirmed for me how present He is and will be with me here in the Philippines. We then had some long and tough travel days, but we made it safely (praise!!) and almost without a hitch. Let me set the scene.
We are hanging out at the Manila, Philippines airport waiting for our final flight into Tacloban. We had a few hours to wait so we all scattered through the airport and grabbed some food, took naps, exchanged money – really anything to pass the time. With about one hour before we boarded the flight, my leader, Courtney, jumped up and said she couldn’t find her wallet. Let me inform you now that this wallet had her passport, her boarding pass, money, ID’s, and more, SO if it was lost…she couldn’t board the flight with us. Not good. She ripped through every pocket and then took off running. So what do we do? Also take off running. We run to every place she had been in the past few hours, with no luck. All the while, Courtney saying, “Just pray someone turns it in. Just pray.” The likelihood of this is slim to none, but y’all I am praying some of the boldest prayers ever, literally calling on the Lord to deliver it. With our contacts back in the states already making plans on how Courtney will get a new passport and looking for a later flight for her, a security guard runs up to Courtney saying that they found it, that someone had turned it in. WHAT? A few minutes later Courtney returns back with her wallet in hand and finally takes a breath for the first time in 15 minutes.
So here’s what happened. At some point, a man walked up behind Courtney, unzipped her backpack, took the wallet out, and walked away. Then for some reason, he felt guilty and turned himself in with the wallet to security. Y’all, not a thing was taken from this wallet, not even a dollar. And we got it back in time so that Courtney could fly with us.
Spiritual warfare is real. The enemy did not want us to go on this trip, to board that flight, to make it to Tacloban, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus. The enemy works hard no doubt, but he is already defeated. So in a situation that the enemy wanted to use to stop us or slow us down or instill doubt in us, the Lord had plans to bring glory to His name and that is exactly what happened. (Also, for clarification, I am in no way saying this random man at the airport is the enemy. But I believe the enemy got a hold of his heart and led him astray, but the Lord holds all power and used this situation for good and glory.)
Courtney has been joking that her co-leader for this trip is the Holy Spirit. With a group this large (14 girls), we should have two leaders, but we only ended up with one. But Courtney is not alone. The Holy Spirit has been so evident – through our training camp, through our travel days – our safety and peace have no explanation other than from the Lord.
So, let me introduce you to my trip leaders. First, there is Courtney. She is wise and patient. She is hilarious and is already teaching me how to me more free-spirited. She is so fun and awesome, and some of her stories have me laughing so hard that I have tears running down my face. She leads with confidence and leads well, all the while knowing it is not with her own power or wisdom, but that it is all from God.
And then there is the Holy Spirit. He is also patient and always has wisdom to give. He is comforting and always present. He has already so evidently showed up and I can’t wait to share more about the ways I experience him.
To my friends and family, I miss you, but I am doing GREAT. I am already so at home here in Tacloban. Be on the lookout for more blogs! If you want, you can sign up to get alerts every time I post a new blog. I hope to post some pictures soon so that you can see my team and my new home and little Stogie.
All my love,
Sam
