Down Time

This morning, Saturday, mom and I went out with Pastor Benji and his wife Joan to do more discipleship and follow-up. God has been doing SO many great things in these Bible studies I wish I could share every detail. We decided to take the afternoon off and just relax. Mom and I decided to walk to the beach and go through a short cut that I knew of when I lived here in the Philippines last year. As we started walking to the beach there was a big group of young people walking in the same direction. When we got to the shortcut, there was a lock on the gate so we could not get through, so we proceeded to walk the same direction as the group. They noticed us and several of the girls asked who we were and why we were in the Philippines. We asked them where they were going & they said to the beach as well. Come to find out it was a class of high school students who surprised their teacher, who I met last year Jenn, who is also a Christian, to take her to the beach for her birthday. The young people wanted to stay at the same area we were at the beach so we swam with them and had several conversations. Several of the discussions involved what we were doing in the Philippines, what religion we are, and how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. They had a limited time at the beach because the students traveled far to get there and they said they only had 15 more minutes. I asked my friend Jenn, who is also their English teacher, if it was ok to share with them. She said of course, so she gathered all her students together and God allowed us to share the gospel with 25 high school students. After we shared Jenn, told us that sharing with her students the gospel was the best birthday present ever. She told her students that she accepted Jesus when she was in the 6th grade and continued to say "take note- your good works will not take you to heaven but only the fact that you have accepted Jesus".

Mom and I walked back to where we are staying and I looked over at the gate and saw that the gate was open to my shortcut and the lock was no longer on there. I thought to myself we could've gone through that shortcut, but God quickly reminded me if the lock was not on that gate we would have never had the opportunity to share! So thankful that even in our " down time" to relax God gives us opportunities to be used of Him! Sometimes when our plans go wrong, for example not being able to use the shortcut, God uses for His glory- the gospel.