“IT IS FOR YOUR FAITH” (Part 2)
Deep within our hearts, we know God has won. He has overcome the world, and that even in the dark and we are undone, we should still believe in Him. Let’s live by faith and not by sight because sometimes miracles take time. While we wait, let’s worship and trust God for He is all the same. He is faithful every day and His promises remain. Though we may not understand our situation, let’s decide to worship with our pain because He is God and He is worthy, and He is with us all the way. Pastor George resolved that no matter what happens he will always trust God even when he doesn't have all the answers, he would fully trust Him. This is the continuation of Pastor George’s story…
Ten months later after Zoey, their premature baby, became stable, Pastor George and his family returned to Cambodia. However, at that time there was no direct flight from the Philippines to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Their flight had a layover in Singapore for a day. If it was just him and his wife, they would be okay to stay at the airport for a night, but Zoey was still very little. The environment won’t be good for Zoey if they would stay overnight at the airport. An exchange student from Singapore whom he met a long time ago found out that Pastor George and his family are in Singapore for a day. She gladly offered them a place to stay for a day. Despite having little money, they decided to take a taxi for Zoey’s convenience. They met a Christian taxi driver, and the driver was very kind to not charge them the taxi fare. He even offered to pick them up the next day and take them to the airport. As payment, the driver just asked them to pray for him. It was one of those moments when Pastor George felt that God was taking care of them. God has touched people’s hearts to help them, so his family didn’t have to endure any discomfort.
Pastor George and his family flew to Cambodia and life in Cambodia wasn't easy. They had no financial support from the church, but God had blessed his wife to be a teacher in an International School, so it got them through for more than 2 years while they were in Cambodia. However, they had to go back to the Philippines because Zoey got sick often. They would be at the hospital every week and because of the lack of medical equipment and hospital facilities, Zoey’s condition couldn’t be diagnosed accurately. There were times when they had to sleep on the hospital floor waiting for their turn so Zoey could get the proper treatment she needed. Putting their daughter’s welfare first, they went back home and decided to stay in the Philippines for four years and Pastor George started a ministry in the hospital. He remembered what he wrote in his journal back then “Lord, when will you send a pastor to the hospital?” God molded him and he became the answer to that question. He did the hospital ministry for three years in the Philippine General Hospital. He had served the patients and ministered to them. He became the beacon of light and hope as God’s servant at the Philippine General Hospital.
Then in 2015, he got an invitation to go to Japan. He and his family went there but it was less than a month. When he was in Japan, he felt that there was something he and his family should do, and it left a great impression on his heart. After their short trip to Japan, they went home and stayed a few more years in the Philippines. Hoping they could go again they prayed and asked God “Lord, when are we going back to the mission field?”. Looking back on their experience in Japan, they were hopeful that God would send them back there but if not then they would want to know for sure that Japan is not the place that God has called them to go to. It was 2018, when they were seeking God’s will in their lives they prayed and negotiated with God, “If it’s not Japan, please close the doors of Japan”.
After a year of waiting, they thought that Japan is not for them. Then in 2019 when they least expected it, a Japanese Pastor contacted them. The Japanese Pastor talked about the ministry in Japan that Pastor George could be a part of and as a family, they applied for a missionary visa. Before they pass their visa application, Pastor George prayed “If this is Your will, we can get our visa but if not, I believe You will open other doors for us”. With no difficulty, their visa got approved and they managed to get housing in Japan and their children received free education, free health check-up, and an allowance from the Japanese government as they arrived in Japan. His wife also got a job as an English teacher while Pastor George is leading a church that offers an English Japanese Sunday Worship Service. They also have been helping the homeless and God has truly blessed their kind hearts so they could give more to others who are in need.
Pastor George will forever give praise to the Lord for the things He had done in his family but most especially Him being with them was more than enough. He knew that God was all he needed. God saved his daughter when she was born prematurely. He provided for their needs when they had no money and along the way as they went to other countries God touched the people’s hearts to help them to ease the burden they had. He is our Abba Father. He is the One who can be fully trusted, the One we can lean on, the One who cares about all that concerns us.
The One who made the promise will be the One who will make it happen. God kept all his promises to His faithful children, so we have nothing to worry about because God always keeps His word. Trials may happen in our lives, but He will always be there for us to help us get through them. Sometimes the greatest storms in life bring out the greatest beauty. Sometimes God allows some storms in our lives. Because when you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about. And we know that we would rely more on God’s strength and not on our own which brings us closer to Him and all the glory goes to Him. For in our weakness, He is strong. Glory to God!
2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(Written by: Venus Jablo)