I am just one of the myriad of Filipino teachers who despite of the uncertainty of what lies in the foreign land still persist to take flight in search for better opportunities. Each of us has our own story to tell. My story is about how God made everything went smoothly from my coming to Thailand, applying for a job and putting me in a place where I can continue serving HIM in my own little way.
Career
Right after graduation from college, I was blessed to land a job in a prestigious learning center at the heart of Caraga region- Butuan City. For years, I have gained the trust of my superiors, earned respect from the parents and bestowed with the love of my students. What more can a teacher ask for when all his lesson objectives are achieved. What else can a teacher want more when his students learn and digest everything he has taught? Perhaps, no more. Yet again, perhaps a little bit more. Like a tree deeply rooted to a solid ground, uprooting is very hard. For six years I had a created for me a little place under the big bright sun in that institution. More than anything else, I had established friendship more precious than glittering gold. To simply put it, I have loved my stay in that school.
Dilemma
However, I felt I needed to let go to look for a better place under the sun. I needed to make that very significant decision. For one whole year, I prayed for guidance. I prayed for wisdom. I asked for one significant sign whether it was really time for me to go and God answered me clearly with that. But then, still I had doubts. Once, I even thought, it was only a coincidence. What a little faith I had.
March drew near and it was time to make the decision. I continued to ask God’s divine intervention with the resolution that I had to make. Finally, I decided to bid goodbye to my school for six good years. Then came in front of me, crossroads that got me bewildered as to which was the right path to take. My heart desired for a job overseas but still I have opened myself for all the other possibilities. With that desire in my heart, I prayed for HIS provision considering the amount that I have to raise for my ticket (domestic and overseas which I have to book earlier) then personal pocket money and I was empty handed.
My prayer: “Lord, if YOU want me to go, YOU will just provide for everything.” God is great because He did use people to bless me with the exact amount that I really have to have before I can fly to Thailand. I was instructed to bring not less than $300 in my pocket and with God’s amazing greatness I had more than that. And the most noteworthy: I got that $300 for FREE.
Thailand
April 12, 2010, 11:30 P.M. I was welcomed to the Land of Smiles with a phone call from my host friend that he could not pick me up at the airport due to health reasons. Panic and fear seized my whole being with the thought of traveling alone in an unknown destination armed with not even a single Thai word to speak or to comprehend. If there is one major problem of a first timer in this land – that is not being able to communicate properly due to LANGUAGE BARRIER. With pounding heart, I stayed in the airport until morning getting no sleep at all. And in all those times I was wide awake, I just entrusted my whole trip to the Almighty God. At the break of dawn, I prepared myself for the journey that I had to embark. From the airport, I took a cab going to Mochit Bus Station where I had to secure a ticket to Mae Sot Province, which has an estimated travel time of totally 8 to ten hours from Bangkok.
Getting the right ticket and getting to the right bus was never easy but again I claimed for God’s protection and guidance. Throughout the whole trip going to Mae Sot, I was never alone, I was accompanied by the constant call of my host friend and of course, my unseen yet my very present help – my God and my provider.
- To be continued… _
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