Better than Amazing Race

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Today, "The Amazing Race" is one of the best watched reality TV shows, all over the world. For our family, we had our own Amazing Race experience. However, our race lasted for about two full years to complete! Listen to our story...

Last June 2007, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of the Global Proclamation Academy (GPA), which is a once in a lifetime experience given among selected young pastoral leaders to attend a short-term, in-depth pastoral training. With the initiative of the Ramesh Richard Evangelism and Church Health (RREACH), 26 of us (pastors coming from 26 different countries) attended the 3 weeks intensive training. GPA delegates were blessed with classes taught by top seminary professors from all across the USA (Robert Coleman, Howard Hendricks, Norman Geisler, Charles Ryrie and so much more)! GPA classes were held in the campus of the Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS).

When I returned to the Philippines July of 2007, I felt refreshed with the training and sensed that I had renewed vigor to serve the Lord. I realized that it was about time for me to take further studies (as I finished my Master of Divinity last 1998). After much discussion with my wife, we began praying for God's leading to study in DTS. By September of 2007, I took the step of faith in applying on-line to be a student of DTS. The following year, sometime April of 2008, I received news that DTS has accepted me into the Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) program.

However, because I was not given scholarship, my wife and I decided to postpone our plans for further studies by another year. On December 2008, I reapplied for scholarship at DTS. With much prayers, personally and from friends and church mates, and by the grace and goodness of our Heavenly Father, I was granted full scholarship last March 2009, through the International Leaders Scholarship Program (ILSP) of DTS.

Our next step as a family was to apply for US Student Visa. There were two challenges that we faced. First, when we scheduled our Visa Interview at the US Embassy in Manila, our I-20 Forms, papers confirming that I am a student of DTS, was still on its way through air mail. Second, my wife's birth certificate was still on hold by the National Statistics Office. The reason for the delay of release is a bit complicated. My wife was born in Cebu, about 350 miles away from Manila. Aileen's family decided to change their surname when Aileen was growing up. NSO needed the Cebu Judge's letter of finality that her surname has already been changed. As we waited for the Judge's letter from Cebu and also the I-20 forms from DTS, we realized that we needed God's grace once again.

I went to the Quezon City Postal Office about noon time of April 24, 2009. A staff gave me several listings of all the letters that arrived in their office for the past few weeks. I checked out the list one by one, but could not find the letter from DTS. The staff then informed me that if I want, I can go up to the second floor and look for the postman assigned to send letters to my home. I quickly went up and by God's providence, I ran across the mailman who was assigned to our street! He said that he just arrived from sending letters in another area and was about to leave the building to go to our area. I asked if he had a letter for me. He opened up his locker and lo and behold, he handed to me the package containing the I-20 Forms from DTS!

On May 11, two days before our scheduled interview at the US Embassy, Aileen's mom sent the Cebu Judge's letter through their church's pastor's wife, who incidentally was travelling to Manila that day. We met her halfway from the airport amidst heavy rain, got the letter, crossed through flooded areas of Manila and rushed all the way to the National Statistics Office. Praise be to God, by 6pm, Aileen got her Birth Certificate, printed on NSO security paper, which was one of the major requirements asked by the US Embassy.

Finally, on May 13, 2009, my family and I went to the US Embassy in Manila. We prayed and asked for God's grace once again that He would lead us to the right consulate and that He would bless us with US Student Visas for the entire family. As we conversed with the consulate, we praise God for the favor from Him as we were all granted US Student Visas! Lord willing, we intend to leave for Dallas by July 21, 2009 and start a new phase in our life as a family. We invite you to be our Prayer and Ministry Partner as we continue to trust in His grace.

As I look back at what we as a family have gone through to be able to study in DTS, the experience indeed was much better than the game show "The Amazing Race". All throughout our race, as a family, we learned what "trusting in the Lord" means. We also learned what "depending on God in prayer" means. Finally, we learned what "waiting on the Lord to accomplish His work" means! Indeed, this passage from God's Word has become a reality to us as a family, "... He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
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