My first short-term exposure trip almost turned out to be my first mountain accident. My team mate could have suffered with me, too, and not preached his first sermon. Now I know what missionaries mean by divine protection in the field. That's the only explanation I have for escaping a near-fatal fall.
We were supposed to have arrived in the missionary pastor's place with the team's food supplies before noon. But the bus to Kibungan had arrived two hours behind schedule. So we had to cook and serve supper right away upon arrival. The orientation for the entire team of 23 was to be held in the church building down, down the steep hill after supper. The house where we stayed was atop a hill overlooking the community. Night had already set in by the time we left the house to go to the orientation.
Mikko, our tallest team member, and I boldly felt our way in the dark with his pen flashlight. The church's pastor, Ptr Jun, had already gone ahead and we wanted to catch up with him. All we knew at that time was that we would be descending some rocky steps after trekking a foot path past another house. I was the more aggressive partner as I gently pulled Mikko faster towards the end of what I thought was where the incline towards the road began.
Just in the distance, headlights of an oncoming truck revealed our otherwise costly mistake! The fence that indicated where the steps began was farther to our left. No fence blocked the 10-foot deep cliff. When we realized where we should turn, the truck was gone. Our faulty sense of direction almost caused us to fall over the sudden drop of earth that would have led to, at least, some broken bones!
Jokingly, I said out loud to my other teammates trailing after us that if ever I died during our trip,I would have wanted it to be due to my faith and not due to my stupidity! It was also too soon to get hurt! Our feet had barely acquainted themselves with Kibungan soil!
As we cautiously walked down the sloping terrain with our flashlights for the next 10 minutes, I began to seriously evaluate what just happened to us. Vehicles in Kibungan were scarce, much more at night. Where had that truck come from? For it to pass at that very moment when Mikko and I were about to reach the edge of the cliff was an act of salvation as far as I'm concerned! That truck was God's angel sent to warn us of danger up ahead. Praise God who daily saves us!
"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11-12).
God is the Author of reality and time. He knows what's real and what's not. You can know what's real and what's not by reading His Word, the Bible. Share what you learn from it and how you can live it out in the real world.
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2 comments:
What an experience! I hope ur ok now te...I have a different experience. Before we left for Palawan, i had a dream. I dreamt of a tsunami near the internet cafe and it flooded half of the cafe while i was running from the big waves.
On our 3rd day in the Batak tribe, while having an afternoon nap, i suddenly felt an irregularity of my heartbeat and i remembered my family in cebu and the business. THe next day, our host pastor brought us at the top of the highest mountain there to find a signal for us to communicate our loved ones. I chose to call my mom, and then she told me that my cousin was swindled inside the cafe by someone who introduced himself as a PLDT employee.HE got 10 hard disc and memory from our computers.
Then i remembered my dream...it was God reminding me that a great problem will happen while im on my mission trip. Satan is trying his best to pull me down...I was disturbed for 2 nights coz i cant sleep well. But i told God that I will not let the enemy attack me.
I know the enemy is not happy with what we are doing in Nanabu (Batak tribe). These people group are already growing in their faith and their pastor is doing some finishing touches and . THe natives can already manage the church there.
Words are not enough to say everything i learned from the two tribes (batak and badjao). Two different cultures from mine.
I am very excited for more opportunities available for me in the future.
Si Ampu it magtubag! (Put God first) BInatak dialect
Wow! God warned you through a dream! For two nights at that! In my case, a crisis in church came to my attention before I went to Cebu. The exposure trip was after our conference in Cebu. Our outreach VBS was also happening while I was in Benguet. When I came back, the crisis had worsened. I knew all along it was a Satanic attack on the church. I am not surprised but I am sad, just the same. Satan plays dirty. - Ate Joy
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