Last year (October 12, 2017), I embarked on a journey toward the Land of the Rising Sun. This trip was not planned at all. But it was a demonstration of God's amazing grace. A week after my thesis defense, my parents told me that I would be joining them. They helped me book my flight in Jetstar through Traveloka. A month after, I was sitting on one of the most comfortable plane seats I've ever had: A1. Talk about convenience! I had lots of leg room, close proximity to the toilet, and primary access to enter and leave the plane. My carry on luggage and check-in luggage were also overweight. But the lady at the counter permitted me. I didn't deserve this at all. God worked in every detail.

Our trip to Japan was a Faith Goal that I have been praying for years. I faithfully prayed for it this year and believed that God would make it happen. He did at the right time and season. We were able to find tickets last May to witness an early fall. The amazing thing was that we got very cheap airline tickets! We just needed to add a few hundred pesos for our luggage. We instantly knew that it was a gift from God to our family. A box was ticked off my bucket list. Moreover, I knew that it was an early birthday gift from God: A time for a new season and a new beginning.

Japan has been very close to my family's heart. We even called it home for a few years when we visited my Daddy twice in 1989 and 1990-1991. He was still studying at Tokyo University at that time.

Somewhere in time (1980s)

Aside from visiting my friends, we even met one of Dad's disciples, Tito Joel Cuellar, who became a missionary in Japan with his family.

At Shibuya (October, 2013)

Fortunately, Dad and I had another opportunity to return with Mommy, Paul, and Luke. Instead of three or four, there's five of us now. We even met the whole family of Tito Joel this time. We all clicked right away!

At Setagaya-ku (October 2015) From UL to R: Dad, Paul, Luke, Tim, Nathan, Tito Joel; From LL to R: Me, Tita Cynthia, Mom, & Johana

I sought God during our whole trip because I knew He would be revealing to us many things. Here are five Bible verses that made me fall deeper for God and for Japan during our 6 days and 5 nights stay in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Though these are not exactly touristy, I want to share the Word of God that I received during our time in this country.

1) 2 Thessalonians 3


The message of the Lord will spread rapidly. It will not just spread. It is not slow but rapid, like a fire that consumes almost everything it passes. The line in the verse in which I felt God's protection over us is: "We are delivered from wicked and evil men for not everyone has faith." God was with us throughout the trip. Even though we already know that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, we remained strong and protected throughout the trip and even on our way home. More importantly, God honed us a family and made us prepared for the struggles that we would face back home.


One thing also reminded me about our family. Despite our differences, our hearts will be directed into God's love and His perseverance. Therefore, we are able to love one another unconditionally because He has loved us. I also want to claim this verse as a promise of God in our family. May He continue to use us mightily to advance His Kingdom, to transform our hearts and minds, and to bring us out of our comfort zones in order to boldly share the Gospel.


2) Mark 5:34



A few months ago, I received this verse from God when I realized how grave my feelings for someone were. I immediately knew that I was losing focus on God and that I needed answers if I was investing the right feelings on the right person. It was a perfect time because the pain became bearable. But this time, reading about the story behind this verse made my understanding deeper. God healed my heart and restored my emotional state, like the Woman with an Issue of Blood, because I came at his feet, I trembled with fear, and I told Him the whole truth (Mark 5:21-34). Because of those, I received the power of God and I was freed from my suffering. It did not occur all at once but the process was easier.



However, I could not say that the process of letting go and letting God was not hard either. I was still crying my heart out at times. But I claimed God's healing and reminded myself about His greater plans for me. My family was a great blessing because I could replace the past with new and joyful memories. I am even excited for the future that will unfold before my eyes soon.



When I arrived in Manila, I felt that my heart was new and transformed like bread tossed in flames and came out baked. There was no other way to get healed. One can attain restoration and healing through God alone.
3) Exodus 34:6-7


I believe that His love for all of us fills His infinite being with limitless capacity for compassion. He is a compassionate God. His unfailing love for us, His agape love, is performed on behalf of us. We are the object of His love. In His eyes, true compassion is strength that is shared.


As a person who desperately needs compassion from God, I must also know that His compassion is greater than my vision for myself. Like me, most people insist on what they want from God. And at times, He will force His own vision in order to overrule the visions that we think we need. In other words, He can even give us more than what we need. He does not only give sympathy but He also shows His compassion for us by allowing certain hardships in order to give way to greater miracles in our lives. This is His great act of compassion.




4) John 11:33


During the plane ride to Manila, the story of Jesus weeping made me weep. Jesus is a man of sorrows. I found myself thinking why did the Bible use weep instead of cry? To weep is to shed tears with deeper and stronger emotions. He did not even cry. He wept. The reason why He wept was because He absolutely knew what the woman was going through. Actually, the Word says he was deeply moved. It is the same with you and me when we experience grief. He is moved by our weeping. He weeps for us because He knows our grief. He will turn our weeping into shouts (or songs and dances!) of joy. But why?? Actually, he does not need to weep for you or me but He weeps anyway because He loves us so much. Now, ask yourself "Are we worth weeping for?" To Jesus, yes! But everything makes much more sense when we have come to know that Jesus is worth weeping for.


5) Psalm 30:5


God turns my mourning into dancing. I can dance because of His presence. Joy can be found in Him alone. As a source of our joy, we are able to find pieces of Him everywhere. These pieces can bring us joy: Family, life partner, children, calling, passion, and the simple and mundane things around us. They are not the ultimate sources of joy but we can find joy in them because we are filled with His abundant joy first.


The five beautiful verses strengthened my bond with God. He dated us there as a family. He dated me during our solo moments together. As much as I want to share all of our travel stories in Japan here in this blog, I will allow the pictures posted here and in Facebook to do so. Because no picture can justify His goodness, I will just keep on praising Him for what He has done not only to me and my family and to our beloved friends in Japan but to the people of all nations living in it. I am also excited about what He is about to do in the near future. Change is happening. We are coming into a shift.

October is always a time for new beginnings. Our trip was already a pre-celebration of what is about to come. I can say that this was the best birthday yet because of the greater faith that He has planted within me. More than that, I am receiving a deeper revelation of who He really is. My year was not only filled with joy. It was also filled with pain and suffering. But I am experiencing everything with the Lord. The beauty of living in joy and sadness made this year even more beautiful. I needed the darkness in order to remain in the Light. This year, I welcome both. (:

God has promised. My mourning ends here. This is when dancing begins for greater things are coming.

In Him, I fall deeper with joy.