Hands to Heaven

My Encounter with Jehovah Rapha in Israel Even now, as I sit and reflect on everything that happened during my time in Israel, one truth remains clear and deeply amplified in my heart: He is seated powerfully on His throne, and nothing, absolutely nothing catches Him by surprise. With the loving gaze of the Lord, I came to Israel ready  physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  In the months leading up to the trip, I committed to setting aside days of prayer and fasting . Along with that, I also formed a prayer circle of women close to my heart-  sisters in the faith whom I trusted. I kept them updated and asked them to be my prayer shield while I was on the mission field. Their intercession covered me in ways I would only fully realize once I was there, facing unexpected challenges and breakthroughs.  I packed comfortable clothes, took vitamins, got my flu booster shots. I thought I had prepared myself well for the rigors of ministry, travel, and long d...

  While zipping up my luggage in the morning of Saturday (Oct 7), prepping for my evening flight back to Manila, we're all waiting for breakfast, and before we jump in the bus for that  one last BBQ fellowship with all the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) Feast volunteers, a sudden sound of wailing sirens and bombing from afar stopped us, then a loud cry requesting us to run to the nearest bomb shelter! All of us in the hotel felt perplexed and surprised thinking what’s really happening!  But what surely amazes me was despite of that announcement, I NEVER felt fear, what was on my mind was the safety of everybody, I powerfully sensed the comfort of the Holy Spirit as He gave me presence of mind and the will to worship with those who are with me no matter what's going on.  As everyone inside the bomb shelter started praying & singing, we could somehow hear the raging helicopters and rockets flying above us, then we learned that Israel was caught co...

Me at the Prayer Mountain   I felt guilty because before I read my Bible, I grabbed my phone to check e-mails and messages. Honestly, I will never do this again in the morning all I want is God’s word that came in first to my head. Since yesterday, I felt so worried with a lot of things, anxious about what is happening around. But when I opened chapter 14 of John, Jesus said  “Do not be worried & upset, believe in God & also believe in Me.”  After speaking these words silently, I felt sudden comfort like he immediately pacified my wandering heart. Then after, a thought of assurance in my spirit says, “ I will come back to take you with me where there will be no sorrow and pain, you and all things new .” Jesus even said the word  prepare  in verse 2; I became curious how does Jesus prepares room  for us  there? The disciples sensed both peace and power when Jesus stated verse 10, “ I am the Way the Truth and & the Life, no one ...

Top of Cebu When it comes to tourist spots in the Philippines, nothing is as diverse as Cebu , also known as the Queen City of the South, situated in the western Pacific Ocean and surrounded by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Due to its central location in the middle of Visayas and its importance in the country, its almost inevitable that you’ll pass through Cebu at some point. Cebu would only take an hour flight from Manila. While in Cebu I always stayed either in Crown Regency Cebu or Parklane Hotel Cebu , but when I am alone, I even tried basic hotels like the Red Planet Hotel in Cebu (which is conveniently 1 15-minute walk away from some department stores and terminals. Come and take a look all my travel experiences in one of the oldest cities in the country. I’ve been to Cebu many times because of work, travel, work, travel and of course WORK and TRAVEL. 😄 I am grateful that I got to see Cebu again this year, it seemed that every year I’ve been visiting t...

Photo Credit Philstar Heavy ash from Taal continues to fall on nearby municipalities and a total of 212 volcanic earthquakes have taken place so far up until last week. Taal is a tiny volcano, but it has been deadly before according to one of the tour guides during our trip. It is located about 50 kilo meters  (31 mi) south of Manila. The main crater of Taal Volcano originally had a lake until the explosive happened last week. Flash back two months ago before this very dangerous state, I even visited this baby volcano together with my friends. I never thought that it was already not in good status when we came last November 2019, since no warning signs or any news shared to the public.  The plan going to Taal Crater just came up while we are in the car heading to Tagaytay, Batangas. The original plan was only going for a road trip, plus food trip around Tagaytay, but since the weather was beautiful that day and the planner  in 'me' wake sudd...

Fluffy view -shot by yours truly It has the temperature rising to just 25˚C on a typical summer day. If you want to enjoy outdoor activities in the Philippines during the summer season without the sweltering heat, then Baguio is the place for you. Baguio is known as the "City of Pines" and is famous for its green park spaces, and of course, hillsides teeming with gigantic pine trees. Even back in the day, the city has always been filled with greeneries.  Ethnic Group Ifugao Tourist spots in Baguio grew in number over the years, and several of its parks started offering other activities. Nowadays, you can chill out in one of these parks and spend a whole day just trying out everything that it has to offer.  We tend not to bring a car because they said that cab is cheaper in Baguio compare to Manila. Moreover, you can appreciate the view with a wonderful  landscape flourishing  with roses, orchids and different flowers, vast spaces around in a mo...

Samal Island If it is that time when you begin to yearn for your feet in the sand, remember Davao City is just an hour and a half travel by plane from Manila. You can pack a bag for a day or two and come enjoy its eye-catching beaches. The City will make it worth your while with their water activities. It is also called the city of Durian - the notorious fruit. It's smell could be far different on it's taste. Some might disagree, but I personally like Durian Shake! How to Get to Samal Island There’s no direct flight going to Samal Island. Hence, it is accessible via  Francisco Bangoy International Airport  also known as Davao Int’l Airport. 1 hr & 30 mins travel time if you are coming from Manila, and 1 hr & 55 mins from Clark airport. From Davao Int’l. airport, you have two options on how to go to Sasa Ferry Wharf: one (1) ride a cab which is available in the departure area, or two (2) walk your way out of the airport and look for public vehicles (jeep...

Doha Gold Shop Eight hours flight from  Dallas/Forth Worth to Doha Qatar, then  another eight hours stopover in Doha, plus six hours going Manila!  What are we going to do with our golden time with having so many privilege to maximize this trip. One of our officemates has a family who is based in Qatar.  He had a plan to go out to spend those few hours with his family there, but then because he do not want to leave his team behind 💗 he invited those of us who's with him on that flight. We paid almost if I'm not mistaken more or less 52 QAR so roughly round P600-700 for the exit fee in Doha. From the airport, a van that pick us up from the arrivals and the we're all surprised because the relative of our officemate even prepared a printed itinerary for us!  Souq Waqif We started our evening with a delightful dinner at a Persian restaurant nestled within the charming lanes of Souq Waqif—though, unfortunately, I can’t recall t...

credit to best of Puerto Galera site Puerto Galera is a soothing vision of shimmering seas surrounded by lush mountains. It is considered one of the most beautiful and developed beach resort community in the country. Summer in December 1st Starting from “backyard tourism” wherein local residents accept local and foreign tourist as stay-in guest, the island’s tourism has flourished. In the course of time, several hotels, resorts, inns and restaurants have mushroomed within the area. But water is certainly the main attraction of the island. Crystal clear and shimmering especially during the hot summer months, the sea framing Puerto Galera is ideal for swimming, sailing, surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving. In fact one doesn’t have to go by boat to get to a dive site. Scuba and Snorkeling  Puerto Galera is only 3 to 4 hours away from Manila by land and sea transport. The travel time from Manila to Batangas by land is around 2 hours and then the ferry b...

Zamboanga City , is located  in the western part of Mindanao. The immediate coastal lowlands are narrow, with low, rugged hills located a short distance inland.  Zamboanga’s Spanish-style architecture, fine beaches, and mountainous backdrop combine with a climate that is cooler and less humid than that of Manila  to make it a favourite tourist spot. I left the house at 3 o' clock AM to catch the 5:00 AM flight. I was the first who arrived at NAIA, then after few minutes two of teammates came in. Walking in the airport with one small luggage on one hand and a cup of Starbucks coffee on the other while sharing our whole day itinerary to my boss. That's what basically my role for this trip. But to make it clear, this  is not a vacation, but a massive planning to combat trafficking and help the youth of this nation. I might only be a person behind the scenes, but I will never trade the time I step into this role I currently play.  The sky is still dark...