Travel Blessings As I Left Dallas

Saturday, February 27
Left home at around 8:30 am. Maybelle took me to the airport. My flight was going to be 10:10 am, and I was late for the 2 hour check-in time. However when I got there, I found out that I was just in time. Here’s my story as I shared it to my fellow choir members.

You see, from last Sunday, I received blessings from the Mabuhay fellowship Sunday when they prayed over me and my journey, from Wednesday night's Chapel service and the choir rehearsal when again our body of Christ prayed for me. I feel the blessings, and the path opening in front of me, and I could hardly wait to see what else each day will unfold. So far, I have to share with you my experience yesterday.

My ride to the airport was late Saturday morning, but as always I was still on time. When I arrived at the AA desk, the lady asked me if I could "please" volunteer for a later flight, which would not affect my connection at Narita. In exchange, she said she would give me a $500 voucher for future AA flights, would not charge me for the $100 excess baggage and even gave me a $10 meal voucher. So I ate a hearty McDonald's breakfast, and still had a $5 voucher left over, which I used to purchase a bagel with cheese (was not hungry anymore, but the voucher had to be used by the end of the day, and I thought I could eat it on the plane later.)

I went ahead and called my daughter in the Philippines to tell her that my flight changed leaving Dallas, but that it would not affect my arrival. Then I heard my name paged to go to a gate, followed by a smattering of Spanish. They thought I was a Latina because of my name, hence the Spanish. When I got to the gate, there was this stern looking Korean lady, who never smiled nor made conversation with me. Instead she pushed another voucher towards me, for me to sign. It was an additional $300 voucher. In total, AA gave me $800, plus $100 free for excess luggage plus my $10 breakfast. (I wanted to go to an Asian American Women's Presbyterian Conference in Los Angeles in April, but did not have travel money, so now that prayer is answered.)

Now I was standing in line for boarding. There were three people standing beside me, and I could not help but overhear their conversation. One of the ladies was complaining that she was very hungry but that since they came from Mexico, they did not have any money to buy food. She was speaking in Filipino, so I just barged in, and said, "she has her breakfast" as I gave her my bagel and cheese bag. She just stared at me with tears in her eyes, saying they left Mexico at 5 in the morning, and they did not have any currency to purchase food and that she was very hungry. I told her, I bought the food, not really needing it, and now I know why I did that. It was providence. It was really for her. I could have been standing elsewhere and not hearing her need.

The miracle did not finish there. When we got to Narita, I lost my glasses, and I could not read the board to see what gate to go to. As I was thinking of how I could solve that problem, behind me, a gentleman spoke, and asked me if I was going to Manila. He read the board and together we went to the gate. I lost him later as we used separate lines for security. But at the gate, when the line started to get very long for boarding, and I was walking to the end of the line, I heard someone call me..... "Here", he said, "I saved your place." So I did not have to walk far. But I never saw him again after that. God was just looking out for me.

When the plane landed in Manila, as I got out of the plane, there was someone holding my name written in a cardboard sign. I approached him, and he said, my daughter sent him to help me. He got me through immigration and customs and even carried my heavy baggage. When we got out of the terminal, my daughter was just driving up with the car right in front of us. Everything was timely, like it was meant to be.

So how is that for God bearing me on eagle's wings.....

Thank you all, for your prayers and good thoughts ..... and keep holding me up, together with my missions. Tomorrow I go to Palawan, by Friday I go to Iloilo to work medically with patients in the leprosarium, and then take the ferry to Bacolod to work with the juveniles in trouble There will be no time wasted, and I will do in 2 weeks what others take more than a year to do. but I will find time to enjoy myself as I always do in all circumstances.

So thank you again, for all the prayers for blessings. God go with you and bless you, as he continuously works in our lives daily.