If there’s one thing that could summarise my trip to the Philippines it would be:
‘never doubt your faith.’
Out of all the things besides picking up a little bit of the language and dialects, noticing the change in morales by just strolling through the shops, even enduring through both the wet and dry seasons, that is the one thing that had stuck out to me the most.
I am more than fortunate and incredibly privileged to have grown up and been raised by amazing, God-fearing individuals. These are not just my parents, but it is my grandparents as well. The most I’ve learnt have been from them. They have elevated the standard of what it means to be a follower of Christ, elevated what is looks like to replicate Jesus in their lives, through their testimonies it unveiled just how much they really mean to me and how much I love them.
For the first two weeks of our trip, we stayed in Pangasinan. It is up north in the Luzon region of the Philippines, province. If you’ve ever visited the province you get a real taste of what the Philippines is like and the struggling lifestyle that many have to endure. It is not the cleanest of places, neither is it that safe. However in these places you find the most joyful people. The little they have does not waver them, they are grateful for simply being able to breathe. Amongst these people are my Lolo and Lola (grandpa and grandma- dad’s parents). They don’t live to the extreme level of poverty that we encountered during our stay but they are incredibly rich.
Rich in joy, love, faithfulness. Not in finances but I bet you if you looked at their bank account in the heavenlies, they have a whole lot packed away! After the several visits to their house, simply talking to them, hearing their stories, being in their presence, I felt more security in who I am and who I am becoming. I was challenged and convicted, that although they have experienced more years here on earth full of wisdom and knowledge, they have caused me push forward and not look back. They are an embodiment of lives in it for the long run with Jesus. And that is reflected through their marriage as well (Golden Anniversary!).
Lola Carmelita has set a new standard for me personally of what it means to be a Godly woman. As I have coincidently followed in her foot steps, she is also a teacher. A master teacher in fact. Her faithfulness to her career even moved her to use her retirement money to build a school in their community, a Christian school. Through her lifetime so far, she has read through six different versions of the Bible, cover-to-cover, with markings on each verse and chapter to show her study of it. She raised up seven children, including my father, who are all in excellent fields of work and have astounding faith in God. For the new generation, myself included, she continues to meditate on the Word and to pray for us each day. She embodies what it means to really pray for your family. And boy, I can pinpoint the numerous times in my life that God has pulled through for me and see that it was covered in prayer by her. How do I know this? Check out the pages below.
These are a few photos from her ‘Grandmother’s Bible.’ The more I flipped through, the fuller my eyes became with tears. I was astounded, blown-away, in absolute awe of the love and faithfulness my Lola has. She was and has always been thinking of us, loving us even though we are literally countries apart. She covered topics such as salvation, talents, courage, character, self-image, even future spouse! What an amazing individual of Christ. I can only hope to attain to a standard like that, even more so like Christ. Besides my mother, I now have a new found respect and love for my grandmother.
From this experience, I have learnt to never doubt the impact of your faith in God. Never doubt and dare to think that nothing is working because God is. Who I am today, the experiences that I've learnt from, the hard times I've endured, have been covered because of not just my faith but because of my Lola's as well (and parents too, thank you!). The faith she has, has had a ripple effect in my life and I never knew that until our trip to the Philippines. I gained something eternally fulfilling, there's nothing more that I could ask for from trip like this.