TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME (Part 2)
One of the IT missionaries, Sister Gigie Osorio Caraan decided to follow the Lord and her life has completely changed. She experienced miracles and events in her life that she never dreamt of and God is not done showing what He can do in her life. God continues to mold her into His image, and she has to go through some tough times. However, she’s not alone in the storms of this life and God has never left her side.
As Sister Gigie returned to the Philippines from her mission trip to Europe, she made a huge decision to resign from her work. She gave up what was comfortable when the Bless Canada Program was open for the IT missionaries. She decided to sign up as the Lord leads her. She started saving up money and she had 10,000 pesos saved at that time.
ITeams Philippines had announced that there would be an International Conference in Pattaya, Thailand. Sis Gigie had no plans of joining because she was trying to save up her money for the Bless Canada Mission Trip. Then, the Global Intercessor Leader, Pastor Rossana Sadogio told Sis Gigie to join the conference for the Lord said she should join. Sis Gigie was unsure at first whether it was a good idea to go to Thailand.
They had to leave on Thursday and the airfare ticket was around 14,000 pesos as Sis Gigie checked online for flights to Thailand. It was Tuesday when Sis Gigie prayed about it. When she got confirmation from God that she should go, she had to book her ticket right away because the ticket prices keep increasing. The money she tucked in was only 10,000 pesos and it was not even enough to book a flight to Thailand. However, the Lord gave her wisdom on what to do. She booked her ticket on Wednesday which was only worth 4,000 pesos with the help of her brother who works in an Airline Company. It was unexpected! She never thought she could get an affordable ticket. It was God who moved on her behalf.
Sis Gigie’s schedule was very tight because she had to fly to Thailand the following day. After booking her ticket, she called her husband. Sadly, she received the bad news that her nephew passed away. She went to visit her relatives right away. It was already 10 p.m. and she needed to pack her things for her flight the next day. So many things had happened, but nothing could stop God’s will. Sis Gigie flew to Thailand and arrived safely. All her troubles were worth it as she arrived in Pattaya, Thailand. She had learned a lot about vision and prayer. She also didn’t have to spend her pocket money on food and lodging for God used some people to provide for her needs. Her experiences in Thailand and the things she learned from the Global Intercessors would play a major factor in her next destination which is Canada. That’s why she had to be in Thailand.
Sis Gigie returned to the Philippines after the conference. Since she resigned from her work, she had no means to pay for the expenses of going to Canada. However, she had this belief “If there’s a mission, there’s a provision”. That was when Sis Gigie saw how God moved everything and everyone around her so she would have the money for her plane ticket, insurance, and expenses as she prepared for her trip to Canada.
Sis Gigie flew to Canada as the Lord provided everything for her. She didn’t even have to worry about the food and the place to stay in Canada for the Lord had prepared it in advance for her. But something she didn’t anticipate happened to her in Canada. One of the people she met in Canada tested her devotion to God. She met someone who criticized her, and it was an unpleasant memory. Sis Gigie felt so miserable to be treated as an enemy when she did nothing wrong towards that person.
Because of that unpleasant experience, she wanted to cut short her mission trip to Canada and just wanted to return to the Philippines. However, God reassured her that He was with her. God spoke to her through the weather. One snowy morning after her devotion when the clouds in the sky formed an image of a cross. “Take up your cross, you can do it” God whispered to her. Then the following day, she saw the sun shining brightly and it was like God was telling her that like the sun she would shine brightly after the storm. Sis Gigie also recalled that the vision and prayer she learned from the Global Intercessors when she was in Thailand helped her a lot in those darkest times of her life. God had trained her for this trial.
What she saw during her quiet time with the Lord came to pass. Soon after those moments, she met some new people who encouraged her and toured her around Canada. She was able to unwind from her stressful situation and she was led to be trained to do Bible Studies. She was so blessed and got her peace back. Sis Gigie thanked the Lord for teaching her and for training her to be used mightily by Him for His work.
It was already time for her to return to the Philippines, however, some of the pastors she met requested if she could extend her stay to help with the ministry. She kept an open mind about it and consulted the Lord. However, Sis Gigie had to go back to the Philippines first to be with her family.
She returned to the Philippines and God’s promise that she will go on a long-term mission with her family will happen any time soon. She received affirmation from the Lord that she was going to return to Canada, not alone, but with her family. She and her family are already aligning their plans and lives to God’s plan – that they are going to Canada!
At God’s commands, amazing things happen, wonderful things that we can’t understand. Let’s praise the Lord and extol His name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom!
Psalm 145:3
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
(Written by: Venus Jablo)
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