Cue Veggie Tales music:
And so what what we have learned applies to our lives today
And God has a lot to say, in His Book...
You see we know that God's Word is for everyone
And now that our song is done
We'll take a look

Haha...
Conference is over and I am once again in my Limbo, este Bangkok Airport. Waiting.
Yes, I am perpetually waiting... <Sigh!>
Enough angst.

COFM08 was so much fun and I've learned so much. Actually, everything I asked God to teach/show me, He has. I came to the conference knowing only 2 people and now I think I've been able to have a conversation with at least 3/4 of the people there. I think it's really only in multicultural Christian crowds where I can let my neon light shine. I'm more careful around everyone else, they're so easy to offend.

Anyway, I don't know how much I can elaborate about what I've learned: a lot about my compassion (and extreme need of more!), but I don't really know how to explain that... He's confirmed my call to faraway lands, just wonder when that's gonna be.

And as I've been saying, he's confirmed my feminine side. Let's just say twitterpation is getting harder to hold at bay, and I'm trying to keep my walls lowered. The moat is drained. But the dragon is still inside. She's a bit too hard to tame right now.

I finally made it to on the plane to Chiang Rai. After checking in (super bangag mode) went to my assigned gate. Tried to get settled, dozed off, then got woken up by airport personnel and evicted. Apparently, you have to go to the gate right before boarding, which kinda sucks.

So relocated to the benches just outside the gate and tried to snooze... not very successfully. When I woke up, a English senior was sitting next to me reading a paper. He spoke Thai and helped me figure out where I was supposed to be. Turns out there's a reason I was evicted. My flight ended up being assigned another gate... which also happened with my Cebu Pacific flight. Anyway, because I'm me,  I struck up a conversation.

Ooohboy. Didn't take us long to establish that I'm a Christian and into missions, and he was violently against any missionary attempts to convert Thai buddhists, and especially against American evangelical charismatic groups. As our discusson progressed, I kept my cool (partly because I was so sleepy) and just tried graciously to explain why I as a Christian actually practice the Great Comission.
I actually agree with him about a lot of things, about how "weird" some sects really are, and about how annoying it is that a lot of "Christians" are rnothing more than posers talk the talk and think they're so holy, but really they're not. As I like to say: just because you sit in a garage and wear a ferrari sticker on your forehead doesn't make you a car.

But that's a whole other blog post about why I can be a Christian and still wear my spikes and be a happy emo!

Again, my twits said it all:
"On plane, spoke w/ an old Brit expat environmental chemistry professor antpathic against evangelistic missionaries. I discussed graciously. And this was me trying to be gentle, gracious and a good testimony on bangag mode. Talk about being thrown into the deep end. God is funny.. "

And God really does have a sense of humor, and that meeting with the 69-year old British academic was my first REAL experience to DO apologetics, one of my long-term passions and obsessions. When you ask God to use you, you better be sure you know what you're doing!

When the plane landed, we parted ways. Nothing was resolved, but we didn't really expect it to be. Before my mangling and restoration experience, this conversation would have left me discouraged and even more cynical. But from where I stand now, it's funny that an encounter with a skepic has reminded me of how real God has shown Himself to be in my life. It's just a pity that this man was so closed that anything I would say (very diplomatically and politely!) about authentic Christianity was met with a condescending "Sure, sure."

I was reminded of why I'm here in Chiang Rai. It's not about imposing a religion (which I think is wrong). It's not even about transforming a culture. As I kept telling that professor, it's all about encountering Jesus Christ.

I resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1Cor2:2)
The truth is that Jesus, the Son of God, gave up Heaven to live on earth as one of us. Lived a perfect life and lifted it up to God as an offering on the cross. He gave up his life to pay the penalty of our sin. And death could not hold him, He rose again. The good news of the Cross gives me and all others who receive it power to live lives of freedom and victory.

That's all I need to know. That's all there is to know.

As promised, this next update is being blogged from Bangkok Airport, where it turns out i WON'T be spending 11 hours. Because of Cebu Pacific's infamous lateness, that time will be shorter.

Oh well, at least I was able to meet new people from YWAM. As I was speaking to these much more mature workers, and listening to how God has worked in very different, but nonetheless very powerful ways in their lives, I realized how this trip could really be a turning point for me. I mean, I'm living the dream, baybeh. Independent woman, dream job, dream bachelorette pad, I really can't imagine it can get better than this.

But it can! (And no, I don't mean I need a man, because I don't.)
Because God is the God of the INFINITE! Meaning it just keeps getting better!
From glory to glory, from strength to strength, to infinity and beyond!!!

So I was pondering these things in my seat on the plane when we finally boarded. We even had to relocate from Gate 3 to Gate 15... Haaay NAIA. Good thing my ADHD tendencies prevent me from ever getting bored. Weird noh?

The girl in front of me in the line as we were boarding was my seatmate (I saw her seat was 22E, I was 22F. Yes, Leo's Byakugan and Allen's Sharingan are somehow rubbing off on me) so I said "Hi!" Once we got settled in our seats, turns out she, Sheila, was with Hot Legs, a Filipino dance company I actually knew about because one of the women in my small group is also a dancer. Turns out that our common dancer friend (Twinkle) was actually subbing for Sheila while she was going on holiday in Bangkok.
God does not play dice, and we DID pray for divine appointements, so !pt to God!

Ayun, because we left late, most of the othe passengers were trying to sleep so I tried to nap as well. No such luck. So instead I prayed about the trip and committed to the work I know by faith God is going to work in me.

And as I was having my own worship service in my seat thanks to my beloved walkman and looking out the window (I got a window seat!!!) at the clear night sky, I saw a falling star. It fell exactly in front of me, and I just knew.

I've been praying for a very critical something to be planted in my heart, and I believe He's going to bring Breakthrough this week. (And again, no, it's not a man.)

So expect more exciting updates!

In the meantime, I have to refine my talk, prepare my slides and maybe even handouts. I'm in Starbucks, and my twit says it all:
"I'm in Starbucks BKK Airport. My chipipay estudiante d'Katipunan technique works here too! I go a quiche, hot water & used my baon Tazo tea!"
Harang naman kasi talaga ang mga airport prices, but I will keep ordering "real" stuff because I'd feel guilty otherwise. LoL.

<--- She looks soooo tired.

It's been a LONG day, a long week even, but thankfully it's almost done. For the first time in so long, I am able to sit down and blog.

I am someone who can't sit still. I probably had undiagnosed ADHD, but by God's grace, I still turned out "ok". Not normal (perish the thought!) but... functional.

Anyway, I'm off to Thailand for a YWAM conference, and I'm so excited to be energized to be a bringer of the Evangelion!!! (Did any of you understand that?)

Basta...

So I'm in the Naia lounge, waiting for my plane to start boarding.

        FREE WIFI IN NAIA!!!
                    WHO'D HAVE THUNK!?

And to meet up with some new friends from YWAM, who I've never met before, but who are on the same flight as me from Manila to Bangkok.

Will be boarding any minute now.

My next post will be from Bangkok Airport, where I will be spending 11 glorious hours, hopefully solitary. ^______^

I can only rock the planet because I stand on the Rock of ages. ROAR!!!