GOD MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE!
Before leaving the Philippines, Pastor Andro Baller, one of our IT missionaries in Europe, made a promise to his godmother, who asked for a favor to look for her son whom she hasn’t seen for more than 10 years, to look for him once he and his wife gets to Athens, Greece. It was the last known location of his godmother’s son named Eugene who was a seaman back then.
After the couple’s mission trip to Albania, they are about to embark on a new adventure where it seemed so impossible in any way you try to look at it. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. The odds of finding someone who was off the grid for more than 10 years with no social media, no exact address, no phone number, and in a country where you don’t know anyone is really low. They are also pressed in time because they only have a week to find him. It sounds like a ‘mission impossible’ but our God is the One who can make the impossible possible if we put our faith in Him.
Their mission in Albania was a great blessing to the locals there and they met an Albanian woman through their coffee fellowship and became their good friend. They planned to go to Greece by faith, which means they didn’t have the money or any acquaintances in Greece and a place to stay but Pastor Andro and Sister Ruth decided to move forward. Then one day, their Albanian friend insisted on providing for their ticket and even told them they can contact her sister who is in Greece once they arrive there. You see, God can use anyone and anything for His children who are confident to take that step of faith. They managed to exchange messages with their friend’s sister who is going to pick them up at exactly 5 pm when they arrive the next day in Athens. It was the 20th of March last year when they had to travel for the entire day and the landmark that was given to them as a meeting point was a coffee shop, but they couldn’t find it and they got so worried they wouldn't make it in time because they were told to meet at exactly 5 pm. They have been in circles looking for the coffee shop which was agreed to be the meeting point and they were running out of time. . . it was almost 5 pm. “Will we find her?” they asked themselves. The reason why they couldn’t find the coffee shop was the name was written in Greek letters and what was given to them was in English. Pastor Andro was worried that if they failed to find the coffee shop the sister of their Albanian friend might leave. He started to feel discouraged by the thought that they only have 150 euros “If we can’t find her, where are we going to sleep? The hotel would cost 50 euros just for a night and how will we find my godmother’s son on our own?” Millions of questions started popping into his thoughts. Then suddenly he glanced and saw that a woman was approaching him who just left from where she was standing, “Are you the one I’m waiting for? She inquired. At last, they met! A split second and they would have missed each other.
They traveled to another city named Glyfada which is 30 minutes away from Athens by train. When they arrived in Glyfada they stayed in a church. In the church they were staying they mentioned that they only have a week in Greece to find his godmother’s son but they only have the name. The pastor offered to help them look for him the next day, they kept looking for him, and every time they went out Pastor Andro kept looking for Filipinos thinking one of them might be Eugene. They are pressed for time but as they walk on the coast of Glyfada every morning they pray to God and ask for His directions on where they should go, then one morning they pray “We don’t know where he is but I trust you will bring him to us”. Finding the person who could be anywhere in Greece is a really long shot. Google and the internet weren’t able to help a bit. A few days have passed already, and they kept searching. Then one day, they had a prayer meeting in the church and all the members gathered. Pastor Andro and Sister Ruth told them about the reason why they are in Greece and asked the members if anyone has heard the name “Eugene Decena”. One member spoke, “I think I know Eugene! Isn’t he the one who jumped from the ship? He attended a few times in our church several years ago”. Pastor Andro showed him his picture to confirm they are referring to the same person. And all the members had goosebumps as they heard that it was indeed Eugene. “We can’t do what you are doing” they astonishingly remarked as they heard the whole story of their mission.
The next day the Pastor accompanied them to the city where Eugene was. They talked to him about the desire of his parents and relatives to know that he is alive and safe and even had the opportunity to counsel him and share the love of Jesus with him. They left still in awe at the divine meeting. It’s amazing how God orchestrated everything! They got the chance to meet him before they had to leave!
Everyone in the church was so amazed by their testimonies and they found Pastor Andro and Sister Ruth’s missions astounding and even offered to support them. There’s nothing like our God who can make the impossible possible!
Luke 18:27
But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
(Written by: Venus Jablo)