Team: Philippines 2007

A large team of six, consisting of Bill & Cathy Hoffman, Debby Davis, Tim Wright (Cathy's son, the soon-to-be widely renown musician and worship leader!), Emily Ingole, and of course ME! But in the middle of that team was another team God wove into a tight knit unit of young people; Tim, Emily, and I were not coincidently thrown together nor did we "just happen to be" the same ages (all within three months), but God brought us together. And from it--you guessed it--I got two wonderful friends!

God not only made a team for the Philippines 2006 trip, but He graciously wove two friends and gave me three close (sometimes too close) weeks with them to get to know them better and grow in a stronger, more clear, friendship (if I had thought I had known Tim before that, it was just an image of who I thought he was--he, like Emily, really began to show his "True colors" in the Philippines.)

Of course, God did a lot of work in each of us in the Philippines (I learned to trust God to a newer level, which had me either on the floor or drunk with the Holy Spirit, almost as much as I wasn't!). Emily and Tim also fell under the power of the Holy Spirit. And we all saw miraculous signs and wonders, through us and/or around us! One young lady was delivered from lesbianism, although not a word was spoken or even prayed on that issue! And many others were touched in other ways. At the end of the first week in the remote island in the Palawan District of islands in a little town called Chey (pronounced Chew-y), we heard several testimonies of people who had come to the meetings (some just for the free food we provided) intent on not falling out under the power of the HS (if they even had heard about it, before!) crawling out of the church long after the service was over! Since we have been back in the States, we have heard from our guide, friend, and interpreter, Pastor Jun (who has to be one of the funniest people you will ever meet!) that the pastor of that church has said, since we left there, they have been having meetings every night at the church and they're still feeling the Power of God moving in their midst!

We also saw many awesome things happen back at the largest island of Palawan (where we had been the year before). Had an awesome, and spontaneous, long dancing services for one of our last meetings at a Bible School; during it one of the girls jumped so far and back she ripped a Christmas banner!

On the way to and from Chey, and to and from the Philippines, we met with several oppositions and delays. But we also saw miracles and had the opportunity to pray for several people! One lady got on the bus-truck we took to Chey with Mastitis that had left her so weak she could not hold her head up and needed help to climb into the vehicle. We prayed for her and Emily gave her some medication. By the time she got off at her home, she was proudly holding her head up as she smiled and waved at us till we were out of site--there is no doubt God had healed her already!)

So, God heard me and gave me another friend. He heard Deb, and provided a wonderful addition to our team. And He kept the birthing of the revival kindled in a small group of people's hearts during a long road trip in the middle of a highway on the way to a meeting--where we usually think God-things start: a building--and kept it overflowing and growing. Into OH, NY, NH, and then all the way to, there, and from the Philippines! (I can't say how many times we had revelations and God-times on the airplanes and in the airports! I even got drunk with laughter on an airplane for about half-hour!)

And yet, like I said a couple posts back, He wasn't done yet! Not with the team (which had more to come, still!) and not with our hearts! Praise God! He's still moving on this earth today. And He's still using us, ordinary human beings, to do His extraordinary work! It's like John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) Why else would God use us? Unless we were willing to die to our flesh, to be simple human beings limited by our means, But to allow Him to work beyond our limitations and, therefore, we will become instruments to bring glory to His Name!