The Story of God and a Neighborhood Cutie Competition

This is a story from my time in the Philippines in 2012.

The work of a Catholic volunteer is not the same as a social worker. We want to help people in not just temporary ways, but in ways that will last for eternity. We want to introduce them to the One who will stay even when we are gone. But is this God we believe in just a fantasy, an illusion? How can anyone know He is real?

Like the early Christians we pray, “Lord, grant to thy servants to speak your word with all boldness, while YOU stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4: 29) The burden of proof is on Him, not on us.

We tell people “If you seek God’s kingdom first, He will give you everything else you need. (Matt 6:33)” And the next thing you know... He does!

This is the story of a young man named Ramon from the Philippines. Ramon was a 20 year old who lived with his girlfriend Kring Kring, and their one year old son. They were expecting their second baby when they met a bunch of Catholic volunteers who invited them to join a bible study.

Ramon had never read a bible before. He had lived a wild youth, part of a dance group and local gangs, drinking too much, often involved in drug use and gang violence, and far from God. But with that bible study and the ones that followed every week, things began to change. In the course of the next six months, Ramon and Kring Kring decided to give God a chance. They experienced the overwhelming grace of God as they received the sacraments of Reconciliation and Matrimony (pic above).

Ramon and his family, like many in the Philippines, led a hand to mouth existence. With a two young children, trying to complete his education, and an unreliable job killing and roasting pigs for fiestas, finances were even tighter than usual.

One day they had no rice, no diapers and no milk for the babies. “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” a worried Kring Kring said to Ramon. But Ramon had heard of a new way of responding to trials. “Have you no faith?” he asked her.

Then He turned to God. “God, You PROMISED You would provide for us. You are the Provider! I challenge you to provide us with rice for my family! If you can do this, THEN I will really believe You are all that they say You are!” It was a fleece Ramon was putting before God (as in Judges 6:36-40). Perhaps not the ideal way to relate to God, and yet God is patient with us, and meets us where we are.

The same day Ramon received a call from a friend. “Ramon, do you want to participate in the Barangay Gwapo compeitition?” (A barangay is the smallest unit of local government in the Philippines, similar to a neighbourhood. Gwapo means someone who is attractive or good-looking. So 'Neighbourhood Cutie'?) Apparently someone had dropped out suddenly from the competition, and they needed someone to fill in.

Ramon was astounded. “I don’t have any time to prepare. I don’t have any clothes to wear.” But he decided to do it. He borrowed clothes from Sammy, the only male volunteer on our team. His talent was dancing, but he had no music to dance to. He came to S, another volunteer, and she went through the music on her computer. The only music she could find that he could dance to was a song called ‘Used To Do It Too’ by Christian rap artist Lecrae, the lyrics saying 'I used to do it, used to do it, used to do it too/ But I'm changed, now I'm something different.' (Sounds staged, huh? God is the Master Playwright, after all.)

He got up on stage, said a prayer and gave it his best. Kring Kring said, “Before when Ramon used to dance, it was like he had a devil in him. Now when I saw him dance, he was totally different. He was smiling!” In the question round, Ramon told the judges that what set him apart from the other contestants was that he was a religious man and that he feared God. And yes... He WON! The judges commented on how humble he was, and said that that helped him to make their decision. His prize was 3000 pesos- enough to buy plenty of rice, milk and diapers, and even share with his extended family.

God was the One who proved to Ramon that His Word is true; that He really is a Father who cares about our daily needs; and that He longs for us to trust Him, and come to Him with childlike faith.

Ramon and his family are now full-time Catholic volunteers too, engaged in serving the poor and sharing with anyone and everyone about a real God who loves and cares for them.

My Heavenly Dad Shows Up at a Filipino Bus Station

I was just re-reading my old journal from 2012, and found this little story from my second year as a volunteer in the Philippines.

April 9, 2012

I was at the bus station at 4 pm to get my bus to Cagayan de Oro. Unfortunately, being Easter Monday, the buses were all full, and there were a bunch of people also waiting for the same bus.

Me still being pretty unassertive, and uncomfortable with the idea of pushing myself forward, I hung back as people pressed forward every time a bus stopped. I am also unsure about how Christian it is to get my way at the expense of others.

I stationed myself fairly close to where the bus would stop, but people don’t let a little thing like an Indian girl stop them from getting what they need. They stepped directly in front of me, to the point where they were practically standing on my feet, and I was leaning backward to avoid contact.

After waiting for 45 minutes, with pretty similar results every time, I was getting pretty desperate. I saw one man rushing around trying to get his family on to a bus (and getting in my way to do it). I am not used to having to fend for myself in these kind of situations, even though I have been a volunteer away from my family (in particular my dad and my brothers) for almost two years now.

So I said “Father, I need You to be my Dad who makes sure I get on the bus, and looks after me the way those women are being looked after. I am obviously out of control of this situation.”

It was getting later, every bus had standing place only, and many didn’t even have that. I was not looking forward to standing for the three hour bus ride.

Then a bus pulled in. I was desperate enough that I was willing to stand. I got in after a bunch of guys who of course rushed ahead of me. Chivalry doesn’t exist when people have a bus to catch. But as I stood at the front of the bus, all the guys filed out sadly. Obviously the conductor had told them there was no place.

As people pushed past me to get back out, I was like “Lord, please let me leave on this bus. And I know it is highly unlikely, but it would be awesome if You could get me a seat.”

I decided to ask if I could stand. I hate admitting that I can’t speak Visaya, so I try to use minimum words so people don’t realize I’m a foreigner and totally clueless. I try to read people’s actions and expressions to figure out what is going on and what they are saying. So I asked, and the conductor seemed uncertain.

But then he said something about a seat extension... the little seat that pulls out into the middle of the aisle. And there was one free! I don’t know why those guys didn’t get it. But I guess my Dad was looking out for me.

Re-reading this five years later is a good reminder for someone as forgetful as I am. Journaling has been such a great way to record the patterns and events and insights that have brought me to where I am today, and see the fingerprints of God all over my life. Do you journal?