Old Home - wprachel

Here on Earth

March 19, 2025

Why are days flying so fast? I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I posted my last podcast episode. My train of thoughts looks like this “I missed yesterday’s episode.” “Oh no, I can’t do it today.” “Maybe tomorrow” “Promise, tomorrow I’ll record.” “My listeners would understand” “I have to prepare to go back to the Philippines.” “I can’t gather the energy to record.” “What will I record?” “Oh Lord, I’m not faithful in following you in this ministry.” “Lord, I miss my podcast and my listeners.” “Lord, should I continue to do my podcast?” If you’ve been listening to my podcast, or if you know me personally, you know that I like to do a lot of things. I like to travel, I like to write, I like to do videos, I like to do podcasts, I study a lot of things, and I dream of doing a lot of things. I read, I make art, I workout, I run, I hike. So much so that when I arrived here in the Philippines, I’m overwhelmed what to do first, or next. After I cleaned my (sister’s) room, I feel like I’ve been sucked by a blackhole either sleeping all day or staring at the window. Not able to do anything I like to do. I’m not productive in my (sister’s) room and I’m not productive outside. To make things worse, I read an old blog of mine that makes me question again all my current decisions now. I wrote this blog to express this: Here on earth, I can only do so much. I can only express my devotion to God with my limited time, resources, and energy. In heaven, I can worship Him without any constraint. I can reflect all that He is, having endured the tests here on earth, finally not needing anything anymore.

Time in Karuizawa

March 13, 2025

Note: Long blog 🙂 “For the moment, just let me know your willingness”, Janet wrote in her email as she asks for volunteers to clean OMF’s guest house in Karuizawa. We are located in Chiba, that is about 2-3 hours drive to Karuizawa. I was more than willing! To help and to go. So and so that I said “Yes” even if the planned dates to go at that time is beyond what my visa allows me. My visa expires at March 7th (extension request got denied) and the invite is to clean from March 19-23. Good thing that the cleaning schedule was moved to the last week of February because the OMF van won’t be available for the first requested dates. And so we went. We spent 4 days in Karuizawa. The time was spent with cleaning, fellowship, silence, and rest. This is the best part of my Serve Asia trip. Thank you Lord Jesus for this experience. Even now that I’m back in the Philippines, I look back at our short trip to Karuizawa with warmth and gladness. We were tired because of all the hard work from cleaning but even that didn’t feel like work. Special Experiences That I clearly want to highlight and never forget— My Corner Room Janet led me straight to my room when Kangsan and I arrived at the guesthouse. The house smells of old cabinets and has a subtle hint of kerosene from the heater. They say smell has a very strong impact in keeping memories so I’m really thankful for this. No sarcasm. Karuizawa felt (and smelled for that matter) like a warm and beloved home. So, we entered my little corner. It’s a fairly small room. One single bed, one chair, one clothe rack, one heater, and a keyboard on the corner. What makes it special are the trees that surround the room. The gentle sunlight passing through the curtains are magical for me. And I don’t want to forget the mornings I spent reading the Bible while the birds were singing so loud and clear. It’s also cozy at night! It has a little lamp so I read before I go to sleep during the 3 nights we stayed here. Jogging Surrounded by Nature No regrets in bracing the cold morning (~2°C) and packing heavier bags to jog for 2 days in Karuizawa. It was worth it. If ever the Lord allows me to go back to Karuizawa someday, I will run in this beautiful place again. This morning exercise is special to me not just because of the nature but also because it reminded me of my childhood. I grew up in a similar place. Our house (then) was also surrounded by nature. We would wake up to rooster’s crow. And we would also hear the birds so very clearly. We could also run around, pick some flowers, and go home to a warm home with a warm breakfast. Ahhh, the power of memories. Going back to Karuizawa — Fellowship and Games Our mornings are spent working, our late afternoons are spent travelling, our evenings are spent playing 7 wonders 😂 This is Jessy and Harry’s games and this is why I adore Jessy so much. Haha. She introduced a lot of games to us and she’s so patient to teach all of us! As a person who’s really bad at games (hence why I don’t play as much), I found out that it’s a good way to spend time with people. Writing this now with 8 family games in my Shopee cart. Thanks for the influence, Jessy! We also spent a lot of time talking about meaningful, fun, and funny things ^o^ Midnight Snacks! You would think that jogging early in the morning would knock me off to bed early. Wrong. Haha! For 2 nights, Micha, Kangsan, and I chattered, laughed, and played til past midnight. And yes, also ate! We ate so much to the point that on our 3rd day, there’s not a lot of food to indulge during our lunch. Our bad. It was really funny because we have to be veeeery quiet as little noise can be heard all over the floor. We did our best to stay quiet. On our last night, we played games in Kangsan’s room until 2:00 am (i think). Ahh, only fun memories. I really thank God for my youth. A Rest House How I wish I can write about every little details. I want to write more about Janet and Peter’s sweetness and wisdom. I want to write more about all the learnings from this place, or the advises I got from these missionaries while lounging on the heated blanket, or just the quiet and restful time I spent with everyone. But, as I am well aware of, I can only express so much. Our time in this rest house in Karuizawa will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you, Father, for this experience. Thank you, Father, for the people I spent this time with. It didn’t even feel like we worked. But we did. It was hard work to clean the house but also yokatta that there’s 6 of us. We were the biggest cleaning team so far. Thank you God that You provided a place where Your children can rest and find peace. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 ESV Cameras Used: Canon 600D & Sony Alpha 7CPhotos by: Rachel, Kangsan, Harry, and Janet

A New Beginning

March 12, 2025

Blog slightly taken from my personal quiet time. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. John 15:26-28 I rummaged through my Bible this morning to find where I should read next. With my head clouded and heart distracted, I realized maybe it’s time for a new Bible Plan. Interestingly, there’s a Bible Plan saved on my phone that I haven’t started yet. The title is “A New Beginning”. I closed the app and argued with the Lord how I don’t want a new beginning. If I get a new beginning, that would mean the 3-month mission trip is finally closed! But I have so many things yet to do: finish all my videos for OMF, write blogs, post content. I argued that accepting this “New Beginning” would mean that that chapter will be gone with the clouds. I was wrong though. Yokatta. Here’s everything I wrote: A New Beginning I actually do not want a new beginning *o* but yes, I have to let go of those 3 months. That is nothing compared to the 3 years the disciples experienced with Jesus. I’m worried about not remembering, especially that I have work left to do but v.26 promised that the Holy Spirit is with me to teach me and bring in remembrance (what a beautiful phrase) all the lessons Jesus taught me while I was on my mission trip. So that worry is answered and solved. [[Another realization: Remember when the disciples went back to fishing after Jesus died on the cross? I felt that way as I started to design for my clients again. It felt like gosh I’m back to my old life again. BUT! But that’s not how I should be anymore. God made me a new person for the past 3 months I did the ministry. So I may go back to my “old” work but it’s no longer the “old” Rachel. I’m the new Rachel He formed, taught, and ministered to while I was in Japan. I can now boldly preach Christ because I’ve experienced Him and His miracles for the past 3 months.]] Promise of Peace Lord, I will always have your peace. This reminded me of 평화 and 강산 with the former’s name meaning “Peace” in Korean. Your peace is much greater though. It is Your peace that holds everything together in order. It is Your peace that shuts chaos out of our hearts and out of this world. Your peace is within me. This is why I don’t have to panic or worry… or be afraid. Your peace will hold me together. ♥︎ Promise of His Spirit Lord, Your ascension meant that the Holy Spirit will come. Your going away meant that You will be with our Father, your #1. You are so good that You didn’t leave us as orphans. We have your Spirit. And that Spirit will always be in us until we see you face to face. Moving Forward After writing this devotional, I felt at peace, free, and joyful again. As Meg shared with me earlier today: Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert…to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myselfthat they might declare my praise. Isaiah 43:19,20c-21 If I keep dwelling on the past (in my case, missing all the people), I would never be able to move forward. I would edit and write with sadness in my heart instead of joy and gratefulness. I thank God that He knows us and our needs. I thank God that He corrected my heart. I thank God for His Spirit that richly dwell in our hearts. Indeed, we lack nothing because we have Him.

First Day at Home

March 8, 2025

I had a vivid dream after a long time. It was about something simple and funny — I went to an event in Japan without a proper attire. When I woke up, I realized I was back home in Manila. My mom’s house, in my sister’s room, my niece waking up at the same time, greeting me a good morning. I think I didn’t want to face it yet. I kissed my niece good morning and went back to sleep. I woke up again a few hours after, now with my niece scrolling through my mom’s phone, I slept again. A few hours after, my niece woke me up gently to tell me it’s time to eat lunch. I went down with her but didn’t eat lunch. I’m writing this blog while my 2nd cat is leaning close to me and my 1st cat sleeping in front of me. This is my home. For many reasons though, I only cried for most hours I was awake today. Going Back Yesterday’s lighter. From morning to night, my heart’s full of love and joy. I looked back at the past 3 months, remembering my friend’s faces, it was nothing but bliss. Before I went home to the Philippines, I asked my friends in Japan to write me an advice/message in a mini notebook. I read all of them in the airplane, and the ones written by the people close to me over and over again. Holding each of their words close to my heart. “Joyful tears from our GOD are the best tears.” my seatmate on the flight home said as I couldn’t stop tearing up because of gratefulness. Interestingly, God also displayed a rainbow when we arrived to the airport which I should write more on a different blog. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before. The Pull I’ve been warned though. That it would be hard when I go back to the Philippines. That I’ll probably face many oppositions or rejection from people I love. That it would be hard to feel at home again and have a feeling that I don’t belong at home anymore. But nobody warned me about what I’m feeling now. Nobody warned me that I’ll yearn for the people I spent so closely for the past 3 months. I miss all of my friends in Japan so much. I had the pleasure to be loved and to love wholly. Now that I’m away from them, I can only miss them. I can now only hold on to the photos, videos, and letters I have of them. There’s no way I can look forward to the day I’ll see them or visit them in our workplace or their sharehouse. I wrote earlier, “I can always go back to Japan. It will be the same as it ever been. But it will never be the same again for me without the people that made me love staying in such a lonely place.” And for some of them, I literally might never see again. It hurts to think of that now. I texted my friend earlier as I couldn’t stop crying “What will I do with all these emotions? How will I process this? I miss all of them so much.” The worst thing is that we didn’t build our friendship in chats so we don’t communicate online aside from work-related topics. Let Go One advice given to me by a close friend is to “let go”. His words have been in my head since last week. I didn’t know that they are the first ones I have to let go. How do I let go of such beautiful memories and people? How do I let go my glimpse of heaven? I will learn to let go eventually. At some point, I have no choice but to do it. But not today, not tomorrow, not this week. I made up my mind to only start letting go after I write about everything, completed all my personal vlogs, and finish my work for OMF social media. Today, or more specifically tonight, I will go back to sleep with a heavy heart while missing all the people I love from 2,992 km away.

DisneySea 2025

February 18, 2025

I met Ate Cristina through our church’s online meeting. She sent a prayer request for “Destiny Japan”. That’s a huge prayer request, almost like an impossible thing to happen in our generation (lol joke as of writing this i feel like it’s totally possible but at that time, it felt like it wasn’t okay). Anyways, long story short, she’s been praying for me, she said. Haha. She’s been praying to meet someone like me, she said. Haha. And so we planned a day to meet. We did an itinerary that would cover most of my ministry and join some fellowships. Then, in the middle of our conversation, she invited me to go to Disneyland, her treat. I didn’t reply to that message knowing that I really can’t afford to go to Disneyland and we haven’t even met so I don’t want to be thick-faced to accept the treat. But she mentioned it again a few days after. Long story short, we agreed to do the DisneySea which is her favorite place in Japan and where I’ve wanted to go to. The best. The day was filled with pure love, joy, and peace. Before we went to Disney, we joined Homeless ministry, Yoyogi fellowship, had lunch outside, and lost Ate Cristina’s phone. Praise God somebody surrendered it to the station. Anyways, I made a video and here are my favorite photos @wprachel First time in DisneySea 🥹 This is more than what I prayed for! Literally the happiest place in the world 💙🤍💛 #tokyodisneysea #disneysea #japan #dailyvlog #dailyvlogger ♬ original sound – wprachel <3

We belong to God

February 12, 2025

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies Song of Songs 6:3 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. Song of Songs 2:16 My beloved is mine and his desire is for me; Song of Songs 7:10 For the past week, I have been studying Song of Solomon and sharing my insights with Sunrise Podcast. It is the love month and I think it’s just fitting that we indulge in the purest form of love, which is Jesus, and His original design of love. This verse, at least its idea, was repeated 3x times in the book of Song of Songs. iv. In Song of Songs 2:16 the maiden said: My beloved is mine, and I am his. Here she says, I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. Some people note that in the first the emphasis is on what belongs to her; in the second the emphasis is on whom she belongs to. Perhaps she found it was a more wonderful thing for her to belong to him than for her to “have” him. -Enduring Word Anyways, we are not here to do bible study haha. We are here to talk about our belongingness to God. My Prayer Lord, I belong to You. I am secured in the loveyou have for me. Father, you love me so muchand you’ve shown it a million timesthat I no longer have to question your love for me. And now I know where you are.I now know where to find you.You are in the garden…Our place, our secret placeand I can always meet you there.Thank you God Oh also, Lord You are mine.You are also mine~ My Lord,My Savior,My Lover,My God,My Source,My Everything, Father, You are my portion. To be loved like God is like dancing among the lilies in the midst of a battlefield. He fills me with peace, assurance, and strength. Every step of my foot is held by His hands. It is like that.

Song of Songs

February 11, 2025

It’s February! It’s the love month and Valentines is just around the corner. For the last days of “new season” series from January, I’ve been praying to God what Sunrise Podcast’s next series would be. I got His answer while reading a book on the way to my ministry work. About love! It’s in the air and just fitting for all my listeners. Please listen to the series with the following topics: How God loves us How we can love God Biblical Relationship with John Francis Reyes How to Prepare For Marriage with Marie and Niklas Share your comment about the series below!

7 Things I Learned in the Mission Field

February 11, 2025

I only have a few weeks remaining to finish my mission trip in Japan. There are more than 7 things, of course, that I learned in this journey of following God and serving His kingdom. I’ll make sure to write more when I get back to the Philippines. Godly families are God’s design Growing up with a broken family, being surrounded by separated married people, and witnessed abusive parents (both mental and physical) both in my close environments and the people I know, so having a godly family is more than just a fantasy. I thought it was impossible! I’ve always been afraid to marry because they might just cheat on me and leave me alone in the end. I thought it was the norm. Men, doing whatever the heck they want. And women, suffering for it. Coming to Japan, God showed me families who love Him, love each other, and serve one another. It was mind blowing. I’m usually the expressive one but as I observe these families, I couldn’t say anything. I was left speechless! Not just one family, two families, or three families, but a lot! It was a sight for me to behold. For the past decade that I’ve been a Christian, God is slooowly healing me of my childhood trauma and wrong perception about men and marriage. But in this trip, I think, finally, God has fully healed me. I can trust Him with my future marriage and with my future family. Kindness culture “A person doesn’t become kind by telling them to be kind. A person learn to be kind by experiencing kindness.” Christians are normally kind. I’ve heard nonbeliever friends who say that we are so kind, loving, and peaceful to be around. I think I’m used to this kindness because of church 🙂 and I thought that was the depth of it. But wow, there’s a deeper and flowing kindness I haven’t encountered before. It’s the OMF Japan field’s kindness (I had a glimpse of this during my birthday last year in OMF Philippines but I’ve only been with them for a day). They are kind by character. All the missionaries here are! And I remember thinking, they must be this kind because of the humility in them. All missionaries are supported. No missionaries here earn like most people do. We are all supported financially by our family and friends. I think that’s the reason why there’s no hint of pride to the OMF Missionaries here. [[after a few weeks edit: Another reason, I think, is that they do not take pride in the work they do because of full awareness that God is the one at work, not them]] God’s calling is true When people hears that you have a calling, they won’t always support and encourage you. Some would doubt you. Some would give you looks. And some, even, would stop you. I’ve always doubted if the calling to do cross-cultural missions was for me. I don’t know anyone from my church who did it. And the only one cross-cultural missionary friend that I have is doing it with his family. Being called to do what people around you haven’t done yet seems daunting. At least it was for me. I didn’t get a full understanding and acceptance of God’s call until I actually followed and stepped on Japan. The call stops ringing when you answer. And answering means that we step in faith. When I talked to the other OMF Missionaries and learned about how God called them to go to Japan, I felt so validated, heard, and understood! Different people from different countries with different stories had the same call. We’re all here! Contributing in His work, no matter how little it may seem. God’s calling is real. The power of rest boundaries There were several boundaries set for Japan Serve Asia Workers (or OMF short termers) like no dating, no working, no drinking alcohol or partying, etc. This might seem “strict” for others but as I continue to work here, I understand why they gave these guidelines for us. It’s so easy to slip in to distractions. It’s easy to forget what we came here for. Among these guidelines, I learned the boundary between work and rest. OMF Missionaries are great at this. Making sure there’s a day off, I sleep well, and that work and rest do not overlap. The other day, as I was assessing why I always want to be busy and productive each hour, I think it’s because my first work experiences were in customer service- every minute must be productive. The real life doesn’t have to be like that. Sometimes working takes more mental load than it looks in the physical. So every hour cannot be full of tasks. We have to allow our heart, body, and mind to rest. God really provides After countless times of God’s provision over my life and my family’s, I don’t know why I still questioned this. My first mission trip (although I think it is also God’s will) is short because the budget for a long term was too high for me. I didn’t have any concept of prayer partners, mission partners, and raise support. I chose the 3-6 month route because that was the budget my mind could comprehend of offering to the Lord. I came to Japan without a full budget (this is a special case and most of the time, they don’t give financial clearance without it) and went almost crazy on December because nobody knew except my coordinator the Lord. Hahaha. I eventually shared with my prayer partners, they prayed for me, and the Lord provided. Writing this 2 months after those crazy days. Earlier as I was singing to God in worship, I prayed Lord, You really did it. You provided. You didn’t fail me. I can go home to the Philippines! Hahaha. I was so afraid of being jailed or shamed because I wouldn’t be able to go back or go homeless because the accommodation is so expensive! But wow, the Lord provided for those 3 months in sooo many ways <3 Ahh but that isn’t the main point! Haha. I’m only here for a short time right? Other missionaries are here for 4 years, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, or more. All supported by church, family, and friends. Some of them even have children of their own. God truly provides for His people. As Hudson also says “Depend on it. God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. He is too wise a God to frustrate His purposes for lack of funds, and He can just as easily supply them ahead of time as afterwards, and He much prefers doing so.” Hudson Taylor And as Meg told me in my first week here, “God will provide. That’s a 200% assurance.” If you have a dream or calling in your heart. If it’s from the Lord, He will provide for you. God is at work Is the Lord doing something in unreached countries like Japan? Yes. As much as He is at work in reached nations. God is at work everywhere. In million of ways we cannot see. God is at work in every person, every nation, and every tribe. He is always present. Wherever the Lord calls you to serve, whether it be in your home church, your community, your workplace, or even to a totally exotic place or unreached nations, God is at work there. If you will pray and ask Him to show you how He works, He will show you. At the same time, God is also calling people to work with Him. Alongside Him. These are some of the lessons that I’ve learned while working as a full time missionary. I recorded an episode, very raw, about this a month ago. If you want to listen, please click the Spotify or Apple Podcast icon.

to love and be loved

June 25, 2025

I used to be the person that longed deeply for love. Not that I didn’t get it but more so, I didn’t feel it. I remember my life group leader once told me, “You can’t expect people to love you the same way you love them. We all express love differently.” That stayed with me. Looking back, during those times when I was craving connection and affection, I also realize now — I was being selfish. I gave love expecting the same (or even more) in return. When that didn’t happen, I felt frustrated, drained, and invisible. It made people feel either indebted to me or distant from me. But God…He never left. It was His love that quietly and faithfully filled my empty cup. I believe that the first years of a young Christian are the hardest years to survive. At least for me. God allowed all sorts of problem in my life and in our family. We went through A LOT. Finances. Health. Separation. Divisions. Ungodly relationships. Sins. Add to that the struggle to walk closely with the Lord. As a young Christian, it took me years to give up all that I had to give up. Good thing, the Lord is patient with us. And good news, the story didn’t end there. My life completely turned around for the better when I paused studying and donate my liver to my nephew. I didn’t know then that it would lead me to the most beautiful path. I was only assured by God that it’s Him who’s calling me to step out of the boat and walk on water. I’ve been walking on water and living in miracles with Him since then. During the course of that dark, heavy season of our lives — preparing for liver transplant, I met Ate Nica who later became my life group leader. Then through her life group, I met Ate Rose and Shaira. They became my best friends years later. After the transplant, I decided to work while waiting to return to school (I had to wait 1.5 years before I could continue). In that work, I met Marvin, Ella, Edison, Gab, Jecoy, and Ate Jon. That was 2019, one of the best years of my life. I believe it was God who formed our little group — me, Edison, Ella, and Marvin. Only Ella and I have the same job. Marvs was in a different role and Ed’s in a different department. We ate side by side one lunch time and Ed (despite coming from a different dept) stuck with us. He and Marvs became best of friends. We would bond together after work. We would eat, pray, talk, sing and dance, play games, and everything you can think of. Because of these people, along with my other workmates and churchmates, my heart that was longing for affection suddenly overflowed with so much joy and love. It’s been 6 years since we met but we still keep in touch. Ed’s already married and I’m close friends with his wife, Ate Grazie. Ever since I met them, along of course with my best friends Ate Nica, Shai, Ate Rose, + Angge, I’ve never again questioned if people ever loved me. I got the confidence and assurance that I was loved. I was celebrated. I was in the right place. These people became the light in my dark life. God used them to transform bitter Rachel to bright Rachel. And through these best friends of mine, I’ve come to understand the beauty and fulfillment of godly friendships. To truly love and be loved. Thank You, Jesus — for the gift of friendship.

New Season

June 14, 2025

My journey as a Christian began in my teens, and throughout every stage of my life – school, work, and beyond – I’ve been blessed with incredible sisters in Christ. In every season and transition, we walked together and pulled each other closer to Jesus. Now, we’re welcoming on a new, exciting chapter. These are the sisters in Christ I stayed all night with to review for exams and endured through hell weeks. They are the ones who I spent days thriving through struggles and hardships. Still, they are whom I celebrated with when I graduated and had career successes. But something’s shifted. Our conversations, once dominated by academics, careers, and church life, are now sprinkled with discussions of crushes, relationship standards, and dreams of future families. It’s a beautiful, albeit slightly surprising, transition. To be honest, I wish I can write more about this blooming chapter. But as I mentioned earlier, this new season is just about to bloom. Regardless, I am excited to see the plans of the Lord unfold for each one of us.. Disclaimer: Some of my sisters have already passed through this season. And some of us know that we have to wait longer than others. Either way, I am profoundly grateful. For all the lessons we learned— yes, including our mistakes and wrong decisions, because it’s prepared us for this beautiful season of romance and courtship. “There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭ERV‬‬

The Joy of Saying Yes

May 29, 2025

1 month and 2 weeks of not posting a blog. Yikes! I fell out of my routine again, but as I read earlier in Proverbs 24:16 “Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up.” This blog is an attempt to get back up and start creating again. I meant to write about saying “Yes” to filming in Singapore. I’ll show you some photos so you can visualize what I’m writing. This is Tomos. We met while serving in Japan. I don’t particularly remember the first time we talked but I just know we clicked. Like instant friends! Us being the most talkative people in the group must be a factor, but yes, you get the point. When I arrived home in the Philippines, Tomos sent me a prayer request from a friend he met in Thailand. He said he thinks that I’m a good fit, and that I would get along with this friend of his. That’s Corrie. She’s praying for 2 hosts for a video series she’s making: A Journey Guide to Cross-Cultural Trips. I think it’s just perfect. I’ve just been to one. So, I said Yes to God. Days after, I chatted Corrie that I’m interested to help. The next cool thing happened: Tomos will be the 2nd host. I still find it funny that Tomos sent me the prayer request saying I’m a good fit without knowing that we’ll do the project together. Who Are You Saying Yes To? For the three of us, it’s easier to say No to this project. We were going through a lot of challenges and doing other projects. I was still in the process of my cross-cultural trip to Japan, add to that taking care of my family, catching up on projects, and feeling physical and emotional heaviness. Tomos was organizing a big event that’s scheduled the day after our filming schedule. And Corrie’s sick and facing a big trial in her life. But how did we all say Yes to this? Why did we say Yes to this? Because we know it was God who’s inviting us to take part in this good project. And you know what? It was also Him who enabled us to go through and complete the project. Despite the craziness of our goals, despite the weather, despite our busyness, despite not having enough energy, despite everything. We couldn’t have done it without Him and His steadfast love. When we learn the value of who we’re saying Yes to, and what it is for, the easier it is to say Yes. And easier to say No to things that matter less. Rewards from Heaven Here’s the thing with saying Yes to God— He rewards His people in the process. For the three of us, He knew how to make our hearts glad and filled. We were only together for 5 days but God showed us His hands and favor over our journey. 1. Crazy Ability and Talent Did I say that we’re supposed to film 10 videos in just 4 days? And also in different locations. Did you know that we have to take at least 3 angles for most of our script? Ultra crazy how we were able to pull it off. Aside from the fact that that goal alone is crazy, there were other problems that arise like filming location rejections, weather changes, and more. Corrie only gave us the script the day of filming that script. I still wonder how Tomos and I memorized all those pages. We only memorized the script literally minutes before we filmed. Although there were hundreds of takes because I keep messing up and forgetting my lines. I say it’s God’s hand who gave us this talent because Tomos and I were never filmed in a formal setting like this. Technically, this was our first time acting. Thank you God! 2.⁠ ⁠Favor From People We received huge favors from people we met in Singapore. Locals said they almost never experience Singaporeans being as nice as we talk about different favors we received! Receiving favor looked like being treated ice cream by a stranger, getting the largest chicken when I ordered (this is funny haha the vendor pointed out she gave me the large one instead of the small ones. The chicken will only be used for props but I couldn’t refuse lol!), coffee shop owner allowing us to film last minute in their crowded cafe, MRT guards not kicking us out even when we filmed for almost 2 hours in the subway, auntie helping us when a teammate fell in a little swamp, and many more! It’s fun receiving favor from both Christians and non-Christians. 3.⁠ ⁠⁠Divine Connections I think the Lord allows “last minute” things to show His power. If not for the crazy connections we had, the three of us wouldn’t pull off a good film, or have an excellent filming location. Shout out to Ling (OMF Singapore SA Coordinator), En Hui (Corrie’s close friend in SG), Belly (Tomos’ friend from his Thailand trip), and Paul (Media person of OMF International). We also were blessed to meet Christians during our grab rides which I’ll share more in the next section. Going to Singapore also helped me A LOT to process my trip to Japan because apparently I found it very hard to move on and let go. Having Tomos as my co-host was the greatest blessing because I could just yap about the people I miss in Japan. My friends listen to my stories and empathize with me but it just hits different when you tell it to someone who knows ALL the people you talk about. We also met Stella who worked in Japan for a year. She shared her journey with us, along with her notebook of letters (which I also have!) and photos from her trip. Meeting her, I think, ended my yearning for my friends I met in Japan. (Side story: While Corrie, Tomos, and I are cooling down in Starbucks, I asked them “How do I stop missing my friends during my trip?” to which Corrie answered, “Why do you have to stop missing them? It’s amazing that you miss them. That means you have good memories with them. You don’t have to stop.”) 4.⁠ ⁠⁠Grab Rides We rode Grab over 20 times during our 5-day trip. That’s insane. Haha! And every Grab have their own stories. My favorites are: Thank you, God! 5.⁠ ⁠⁠Weather Our devotion focused on God’s steadfast love. God prepared our hearts to trust in Him and His steadfast love. God showed us that we can trust Him with the things we can’t control. Like the weather. God moved awesomely with Singapore’s crazy weather. This is actually my favorite reward. Seeing God’s hand control the weather. The weather was favorable when it’s time to film and unfavorable when we have to rest. I mentioned earlier that during one of our grab rides the rain was pouring heavily. Like cats and dogs level. But we just prayed and trusted that God will stop the rain when we arrive in our location. It didn’t stop. Instead, the Lord moved the clouds away from our filming location. When we arrived in the location (Corrie said at this time, raining or not, we will film), we can see the clouds from the other side very dark and the other side with clear sky blue! Insane. The Lord also moved the clouds to cover our filming location when it was too sunny to film. Too sunny that it was giving me intense headache (and I’m from the Philippines which is just as hot). (Corrie said at this time, we will film, then boom the clouds covered the area!). We also thank God for the days it was supposed to rain but it didn’t until we got home. And also for the time that it rained a few hours before we went out to film so the temp’s a bit cooler. We thank God for the amazing rain in Chinatown that forced us to rest and enjoy chatting with Belly. It was also adventurous to run away from rain because we were already so soaked! How “harsh” the lighting was and “hot” the location was (nobody jogging/playing) During film hours + God gave a family to play (we need for background) for the entirety of our rolling time The weather before going to the location The sky when we arrived to the filming location 6.⁠ ⁠⁠Favor in Locations There were last minute changes to our locations because we couldn’t get a permit or because of time constraints. Amazingly though, the locations God led us to were a lot better than what was planned. If Tomos wasn’t invited to co-host, we wouldn’t know Belly who told us about the Seletar Airport because we couldn’t get a permit to film in Changi airport. The location was 10x better than filming in Changi, in my opinion. We also couldn’t get a permit to film in the planned coffee shop location, God gave us a better one. The coffee shop is called the Ritual. And thank God for saving us a couch to film the scene! When Corrie visited the coffee shop after our film schedule, the two couches were occupied. There’s a section that we have to film about “Re-entering”. Corrie planned to film in a church, like going back to a familiar place. Fortunately, we didn’t get a filming permit in the church we wanted. We filmed it in a house with stairs in our accommodation instead. MUCH MUCH better and more fitting to the script. We didn’t have the time to go to Marina Bay to get an overlooking view of the last part of the film. En Hui shared Henderson Waves with overlooking view of greeneries and buildings. This is also my favorite location 🙂 Why it’s better for me? The background of Henderson Waves looks identical to the Journey Guide’s booklet cover. Last but not least, I’m not sure if I should write this too but we were also able to film in Changi airport without a permit (haha!). We had to stay very quiet and film the whole scene in just one shot. Thank God nobody approached us and asked us to delete the footages. Thank you God for these amazing places and showing us how awesome You are! 7. God Our Strength Tomos said, “…the fact our busy schedules opened up for this period, and we were so busy before and after and also ill, but God kept us from collapsing until it was finished!“ It was God who sustained us and gave us energy. Crazy me ran 26km 2 days before our filming schedule, spent that night celebrating with my friends, then there’s church next day, and then a 3-hour flight. It was as crazy busy/heavy for Corrie and Tomos who were going through harder phases in their lives. There were days and nights we didn’t know and feel if we can actually do it. Good thing that God doesn’t depend on us. He gave us His Spirit to give us strength, energy, and joy as we filmed. I didn’t know that filming was taxing mentally, physically, and emotionally. My initial plan to vlog each day gone with the wind because there’s just no way I can. Haha! But through God we got through and finished all the 10 videos in just 4.5 days, even with little sleep, little rest, and little preparation. Thank you, God, for sustaining us. We all had our much needed rest a few days after arriving back home. We thank God for rewarding us with an adventure we’ll never forget. For His Glory I remember saying to Corrie “I hope that the Lord reward you greatly for this project.” I said that with the knowledge of what she’s going through, and of course for the hard work she’s putting in. She just answered “I just hope that the Lord will use this video series for His glory.” (non verbatim) Our Yes to God and No to the world are active participation in giving Him glory. Isn’t it the greatest thing to live hand-in-hand with our loving Creator?

In The Middle of Two Big Things

April 15, 2025

When we look back on our lives, it’s usually the big moments we remember most. The highs that made us feel alive, or the lows that broke us. It’s completely natural to think that way. In the Bible, we also got a glimpse of these big moments in the characters’ lives. We saw Joseph’s rollercoaster life being the most favorite to being sold to slavery to being promoted, to being prisoned, then to being 2nd to Pharaoh. We also saw Jesus in His big moments— humble birth, extraordinary childhood, performing miracles, preaching the Kingdom of God, dying on the cross, and resurrecting. What else? 40+ kings’ chronicles of major events, Jonah’s calling, Queen Esther’s favors, Joshua generation’s wars, Mary and Joseph’s calling and transitions, the apostles’ obedience and persecution, and so much more. However, even if we try hard to always have those big, impactful, and life changing moments in our lives, we can’t. And we shouldn’t. When you hike a mountain, you’ll notice that it’s not always uphill or downhill. There are stretches where the path is just steady, ordinary, and quiet. That’s how the Lord designed our lives too. What About the Middle? I’m in it now— in the middle of two big things. I just finished serving in Japan with OMF for three months—an unforgettable, life-defining experience. And ahead of me? Lord willing, three years of studying for a master’s degree. Yes, you read that right. The Lord firmly prompted me to study and get my master’s. In the middle of serving in Japan, the thought of “Bible School” wouldn’t leave my brain. I reached out to my pastors and leaders for prayer and guidance. Before I left Japan, I already received several confirmations from His word, my friends, and colleagues that taking a master’s degree is the next step in my journey. There were several friends and important figures that didn’t support this decision though. I’ll tell more about the story when the school I applied to accepts me (please pray for me). The middle is an awkward place for me. Maybe because I’m used to extremes of life. Heartbreaks, abandonment, hustle, sufferings, etc. As well as immense joy, best friendships, travelling, rewards of obedience, etc. So when I applied for my master’s, I counted the months I have to wait before I start studying. 5 months. 5 long months. Waiting. Preparing. Living in the middle. If you consider the years or decades the characters in the Bible had to wait, you can judge and tell me that I am an impatient woman. Lessons and Joy in the Middle But you know? The middle is not just a straight line. The middle also has its twists and turns. It also has its own shine and glimmers to it. Thinking about it now, even the middle has its own ups and downs. In fact, I think it’s where most of the work happens. The middle are sometimes hidden and sometimes in plain sight. Think about it. We read Paul’s letters for several churches about their middles. We also know of Israelite’s journey in the middle of wilderness. We heard of Job and his friends’ conversations in the middle of Job’s loss and suffering. What are some of the middles in the Bible that are hidden? Jesus’ middle life from ~13 to ~30 years old. Jacob’s hard work for 14 years. The normal days of Solomon as a king. Or maybe even the days when Joshua had to wait outside Moses’ tent in the middle of the wilderness— what did those look like? My wild guess is this: Their middle looks a whole lot like our middle. The Invisible Work of the Middle I’m reminded of that quote by Jacob Riis: “Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” Jacob Riis The first strike is important, as well as the hundredth-and-first. The starting point and the breakthrough. But who would want to endure the sweaty, achy, and tiresome 2nd to 100th strikes? Even in running— The first and last kilometer are usually the hardest and have the most “pressure”. It is very important to start and end a run. But who would say that the 2nd km and the middle kms are less important? Each phase of the journey is equally important. The uphill, the straight paths, and the downhill. The first strike, the strikes in between, and the last strike. The first kilometer, the middle of the run, and the last kilometer. The middle is long. It’s steady. It’s often unseen. And yet—so much happens there. Including joy and fun, as well as misery and hardship. Live Your Middle We can only wish to have a steady highs in our lives but unfortunately, that can never be the case. Even downhills can be tough. I’ve found them harder than the climbs, especially with tired, shaky legs. I think a lot of us are going through our middles. Waiting. Transitioning. Preparing for the next thing. I hope, my friend, that you can see the Lord working in you and through you in such a precious season like this. We shouldn’t shake, rush, or despise the quiet middles. Why? God made sure that there’s also beauty, grace, strength, and lessons in it.