A good night

Man, tonight was one of those unforgettable nights that you look back on and think, "did that really just happen?" David and Lorna Joannes from Ako ay Pilipino Movement came and shared with some Filipino friends and family at my church today. It was somewhat of a culmination of about a month of crazy divine appointments since the day after Thanksgiving. I'm kinda tired and sickly right now, so I can't fully process everything, but all I can say that it was truly incredible.

Everything fell into place in exactly God's timing and way. It was amazing to see my family so passionate and excited about serving David and Lorna and facilitating their time here in Phoenix. My parents went out of their way to prepare food, clean the house, and make phone calls all day to tell friends and family about tonight's get together. It was really strange to me because my parents had never met David and Lorna. All they saw was the book the helped put together and my short little spiel about God doing stuff in the Filipino community. All I can say is that it had nothing to do with me. It was definitely all God.

I look back at all the things that have happened, and its like a crazy fairytale that I feel I don't belong in. I've had the craziest stretch of my life in the past semester and struggled with so many sin issues. Suffered from people-pleasing, performance issues and so much more. I look at all the good things I have done in my life, and I am reminded that my righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. But that's the beauty of it I suppose. It's all about grace. God has given us a good thing that we dont deserve. Man, I thought I understood it before. I thought I had it all figured. I remember reciting the definition of grace in AWANA: "Grace is a free gift that we don't deserve." If I only knew what it really meant back then, I probably wouldn't use the word so flippantly. But I realize that I still don't get it. God is soooo good. I don't even understand.

Anyway, it was so amazing to see my family so excited and so passionate for rediscovering their Filipino roots. You could sense the presence of God really stirring people as David and Lorna spoke at church tonight. Even before that, it was great to have them over at our house and chat over some delicious Filipino food. It was their first time meeting and eating with Filipinos in Arizona.

It has been so cool meeting them. It's like we have known each for so long because our hearts have been knit together with the same passions from rediscovering Filipino roots to planting churches amongst unreached people groups. I think one of the craziest moments was having everyone at my house gathered around the table to watch some of their videos about planting underground churches in East Asia. The stories are incredible. The favor of God and is hand is definitely over them, and it was such an honor to have them in my home.

It was just a really crazy night - down to the fact that Sara and Donna from Hawaii missed their flights and ended stranded here (which is the third time now for Sara). Good things always seem to happen when they get stuck here though haha. Anyhoo, it's so cool to see what God is doing. How he uses me and all of us in spite of our weaknesses and inadequacies. I'm also excited that David and Lorna will be coming to speak at our church again. I pray for more divine appointments; for more hearts to be stirred; and more encounters with the presence of God.

Ahhh....so crazy. God what are you up to? What a crazy adventure!