Purposive Traveler

I wanted to back out few weeks before the flight, someone already sponsored my plane ticket but I didn't have enough money for extra expenses. I didn't know what to do. At night, I lay in bed thinking of how beautiful the place I'll be setting my foot upon in a few days is and the thought of financial incapability will just burst the bubble. I was discouraged but God is a God of surprises. He touched someone's heart to give me just enough money for personal necessities.

On the flight day, I was nervous. I was around 7 years old when I first took off on a plane. It feels like the first time. We checked-in early so we could get the best seats because we were cutting down on expenses so we didn't pay for seat reservation and again, God worked miracle right before my eyes, our 9 PM flight was rescheduled four hours earlier! I was really excited. When I boarded the plane, getting ready for take off, I prayed. I prayed for safe travel and for the surprises I'll see in this beautiful place called Davao. Filipinos fear Mindanao because of its chaotic image but I can now confidently say that Mindanao is a place of love, of joy and of warm welcoming people who would make you want to stay there longer than you should. I enjoyed the air turbulence and I don't know why.

Arriving in Davao, I never have forgotten my purpose. I was there to share the love of the Lord to many hungry souls seeking for peace and joy. I was there to reflect who Christ is and what He has done for us. Before our few days stay in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, we enjoyed the powder like white sand and clear blue waters of Samal Island. The hot sun kissed my skin thirsting to be tanned.
I loved Davao, I loved Mindanao.

What made me love the place more is when we got to the place of the Manobo tribe. Think about sleeping in boxes and showering in water closets with not enough water supply, no doors or roofs. That is the life I lived for three days, that is the life the kids there will live for a lifetime. These children, they were sweet and very welcoming. Language then didn't became a barrier for us not to share and bask in the love of the Lord. They talked Visayan and I talked Tagalog. It was our differences that made us similar. It was our differences that made us enjoy each other more and know each other better. These differences are the differences that surprised us. I thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity, a story worth sharing to my kids and their kid's kids in the future.