January 2008

I thought I was the furthest person from becoming a missionary, but God had a different plan. It was less than a month since I had decided to follow Christ.

   One Sunday morning, I asked my pastor, Patrick Hobbs, a missionary who had spent 17 years in the Philippines, and at this time was heading up short-term mission stints there, "When are you going back?"

    "In June," he replied. "You should come with me."

    This could have been a typical Sunday morning conversation which I would've forgotten by the time I reached home. But not this time. It stuck. I kept asking myself, "Why do I want to go? Why does this idea keep coming back to me?"

    About two weeks later, I told Patrick I was interested, but gave no commitment. Many thoughts swirled around in my mind. Was I missionary material? Whereas I was a student, I'd need a summer job to earn next year's tuition money. What employer would allow me to take off the whole month of June?

How could I get a job for the rest of the summer, when I got home?

    A few months passed, and I signed up for the mission just before the deadline. I had turned over all my worries to God.

    How he worked it out was incredible. I had employment until I left for the Philippines and a job for when I returned. Support for the trip poured in. Then I realized that even though I'd had limited faith, I really wanted to go. That desire had come from God; it was His plan, not mine.

    Most of my time was spent with the urban poor youth in Welfareville, a large slum of Manila. God blew my socks off! The power of Christ evidenced in these people was like nothing I ever saw before. This short-term mission trip changed my life.

    Often I am asked, "Will you go back?" I wait on God to let me know. It's a dangerous thing to ignore God's will. If He calls me, then, yes. Proverbs 3:5 says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.