We're Flying!

Saturday, 21July2007
“We’re Flying!” My son Z shouted when the plane took off. The amused passengers laughed with us seeing the delight in the small boy’s voice. Indeed we were flying, the first big step in this Faith Walk that we had boldly taken.

It all started with listing faith goals for the year 2007. One of my faith wish is a US Book Tour of ‘Facing My Storms’ with my family...with a matching happy face beside it just to show how impossible this goal was. I sent the list in one of my e-groups.

On the second week of January, I got an email from a friend who is part of the e-group challenging me to make that step of faith and pursue that dream of talking in front of an american audience.

It was a sunday when I received that mail and with a smile in my face, I together with my family attended church. The opening reading was read and suddenly these words came out so loud and clear --- ‘TELL THE NATIONS THAT THE LORD REIGNS!’ --- and so i inquired --- ‘Lord are You telling me that you want me to go to the nations to testify about your goodness and faithfulness in my life?’

That evening as I was sharing these events to Richie, my hubby ---- he got a text message from his friend Benjie, inviting him to a Living Waters conference in Kansas. IMAGINE! From my point of view---it looks like a confirmation!

And so I started the work on this US Book Tour. Not surprising --- I was met with blank stares and shock whenever I share this vision to friends and family. But that didn't stop me because I started talking and talking and trying to bring people behind this vision. I started knocking and knocking and knocking at sponsors doors --- until June 20 came --- the date I set for myself to fly out to US of A but ... I was still far from realizing that dream ... I didn’t even have the funds to get the visa forms from the bank --- and that to me was the death of my US dream --- and mourn I did for a promised unfulfilled.

Yet, God kept on telling me that He is in the business of resurrection ---- and so I told Him that I will not move a finger at all to make this dream a reality because I really believed that I did my part already. I told God that He has to make things move already without help from my part.

And so I mourned for over a week ---- until I got a text message that said, ‘I have the money already to get 4 US visa forms!’----My first WOW and Hallelu YAH! That was June 28, 2007, when my sister-in-law, Rhea, got the 4 US visa forms from the bank.

Yet so many detractors said that it is impossible to get an early interview because it takes 2 months or so to get an appointment and the Living Water Conference of Richie is set on Aug 2-4. All doom sayers said that the earliest slot will be on September.

Unfazed I continued to believe and asked God to let an early interview be the rainbow for this promise. You see the rainbow represents God's confirming His promise to Noah.

With fear and trembling, I made a call to the embassy on July 5, 2007 and requested for an early interview --- I was granted the following week slot for our group of 5! WOW and Hallelu YAH again!

The week past and we found ourselves in front of the consul --- and to our pleasant surprise, the consul just asked about the book I wrote without requiring us to show any papers because we had no paper to show and in less than 10 minutes we were all granted 10 years multiple entry with the exception of Z (who got 5 years). Our third WOW and Hallely YAH!

The next challenge was our tickets --- I was continuously knocking at Philippine AirLines’s door for 5 round-trip tickets without batting an eyelash. To their consternation, I did not accept NO for an answer---at all. So my request was transfered from one department to another until I ended in the PAL’s Foundation office. The lady firmly said NO to my request ---- and so I asked her what project can we do together? To my surprise --- she challenged me to a project and told me that if I deliver --- she will sign a partnership with me! More WOW and Hallelu YAH!

But the final challenge were still the tickets that we need to go to USA --- and so two days before our confirmed scheduled departure, I went to the travel agent and shared to my friend how the Lord led me to this direction citing all the doors that the Lord has opened for me --- and she replied to me ---- I will walk in faith with you and immediately issued all the 5 tickets for my party! WOW WOW WOW and HALLELU YAH!

At take-off, all the fatigue that accumulated the last six months of planning for this faith walk paid off when I saw the excitement of Z as he shouted on top of his voice with sooo much gusto! :D

Indeed The Lord is Faithful! We landed safely at Los Angeles Airport on the night of July 21, 2007 at 9:50pm.

Isn’t God Great and Awesome? Truly ‘No eye has seen and no ear has heard and no mind has ever conceived the glorious things that He has prepared for everyone who has believed!’