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“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” {Philippians 1:21}
On November 16, 2021, my mom went home to be with the Lord. She had succumbed to a terrible pneumonia and her cancer had come back. She also tested positive for Covid. But it wasn’t Covid that took her, it was the pneumonia and her cancer. The doctor said that with her cancer she had no chance of getting out. Some said this and some said that. Others said it was the Covid. They said if the Covid was treated properly, then her pneumonia would get better. And they say if the pneumonia was better then they could treat the cancer. Yet the doctor said because of her cancer and her pneumonia, she had no chance of getting out.
But I know personally that this sickness was just an instrument God had used to take her home to be with Him. There was nothing the doctors could do to make her better. The Lord was taking her. On Friday, October 22, 2021, at around seven o’clock in the morning the Lord woke me up. He said to me, “Get up and pray, your mom is sick.” Then He told me, “It is time. I want to take her.” And I said, “Okay, Lord.”
It was an arduous process for me from the time my brother Juven and I convinced her to go back to the hospital to get a check up, to the time we learned on November 4, that her cancer had come back and she had fluid in her lungs, to the time the doctors had said there was no more hope for her. That first week she was in the hospital was really hard for me. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to give her up to the Lord. But the Lord carried me through and He told me that He will strengthen me in the coming days so that I would be able to give her up to Him.
No one wanted to believe she was going. I was hoping many times someone would change the Lord’s mind. We would go back and forth, the Lord and I. I didn’t want to change the Lord’s mind. He said He wanted to take her and He showed me that it was for the best. My husband Evan was talking to the Lord a few nights after my mom had checked in to the hospital and the Lord said to him, “I want her to rest. I want to give her My rest.” Evan said the Lord was saying He wanted to reward her for all her labors for Him all these years. It was time. At first it looked like my sister Chic had convinced Him, and He had told me that He will lengthen my mom’s life. But then when I checked with the Lord later, because my mom’s condition was getting worse, He told me He had decided to take my mom. He was dealing with her and at first she seemed willing to agree with the condition for staying that He was asking from her. But in the end she changed her mind. So the Lord told me He will just take her to be with Him and give her rest.
I say all this to encourage those that have been praying for my mom and let you know that you did not do anything wrong or failed at something. The Lord heard all the prayers, it’s just that it wasn’t what He wanted to happen. Just because He can do anything doesn’t mean He is obligated to heal. Sometimes we have to let Him have His way and give Him His heart’s desire, even if it’s not easy. As He said to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was betrayed, “Nevertheless not My will but Thine be done.” {Luke 22:42}
Being the oldest and her first-born I was slated to say something at my mother’s memorial service. It was going to take place after the burial service. Being Jewish her internment had to take place as soon as possible – twenty four to forty eight hours after her passing. I worried about what I was going to say at the service the night before. I asked the Lord what to say. There was so much that she’s done for me in this life I didn’t know where to begin. That morning of her burial service, around four o’clock in the morning, the Lord sent her to me. I saw her so clearly as if in a dream, and yet I was half awake. She was so real and so alive, so happy! She talked to me and told me, “Chinny, talk about the goodness of the Lord in my life. Talk about the goodness of the Lord.” I told her, “Okay, Mommy.”
So, on this blog post I want to highlight a couple of things that the Lord did for her in her life. I want to recall the wonderful things that the Lord did for her.
One of the things she loved to repeat and testify to people is how the Lord brought her to America. I was very young then in the Philippines when she started dreaming about it and praying about it. I might have been only eleven or twelve years old. She and her older sister, my auntie Nene, would sit by the kitchen table and talk about going to America. Their parents were already in America by this time with two younger sisters Ivanka and Princessita. They were able to come to America because they were single. My grandparents were allowed to petition them to come. But because my mom and my aunt were already married and had children, there would have to be another way of them coming to America. It wasn’t an easy thing to come to America. You had to apply for a visa and convince the US consul about coming. If you didn’t qualify for any of the criteria they have of entering the US, there was no way you were going to get a visa. My uncle Charlo was also in America already and had wanted my auntie Nene to come, and he came up with the idea that she could come as a tourist. The only problem with that was that she had to look like she was rich. He said they would have to pad her bank account and she would have to dress up like a rich woman, decked with all expensive jewels to the American embassy. In the end, this scheme failed because there was no one rich enough that could pad my aunt’s bank account.
But my mom had great faith in the Lord and knew how to spend time in prayer with Him. She asked the Lord to show her how to come to America and the Lord did. One day she heard that she could get a visa if a missionary from America petitioned her to come. He would have to send her a letter of invitation, requesting for her to come speak at his church. Because my mom pastored a church with my Dad, this was possible. This was her only way.
The next process now was to find that missionary or that American pastor that will write the letter. So she prayed that the Lord will bring that missionary to her. One day a pastor friend, pastor Tayao came to our place and spoke to my mom asking her if he could borrow our van. My mom said sure, but wanted to know why. When he said because there is a missionary service and a missionary from America was going to be speaking at the event, my mom jumped up excitedly and told him, he could borrow the van but she’s coming with him! Well, to make a long story short, she met the missionary and she told him with great faith and enthusiasm, “Pastor Howell, I believe the Lord is going to use you to petition me to come to America.” Pastor Howell didn’t skip a beat and replied, “I will Sister Venus. As soon as I get to America I will write you the letter and send it to you.”
Well, weeks went by and the letter did not come. My mom started to wonder if this man was truly a man of God. How can he say something like that and lie? Where was the letter? Then she thought he’s probably forgotten all about her. But she knew who to go to for any problems she was facing, so she would ask the Lord everyday about sending that letter to her. One day, my mom was praying in the church, having her head down on the top of the pew in front of her when she had a vision: She saw a mailman with his carrier bag holding a letter. She saw this man hand the letter to her and say to her, “This is what you’ve been waiting for.” My mom jumped up and told everyone that she could see and talk to, “The letter is coming! The letter is coming! The letter is coming!” Well, sure enough that week the letter did come and few months later, not only was my mom able to come to America but also my Dad and my auntie Nene. My Dad came first actually to pave the way for them all, and then both my mom and my aunt came together to be with my Dad. They travelled all over America visiting churches and encouraging people about the goodness of the Lord. They ended up meeting so many people and having a great time. Eventually they decided they wanted to stay in America and bring their children to be with their parents and their sisters. So another pastor petitioned them to come and stay. Long, long story short, the rest of us and auntie Nene’s children also were able to come and immigrate to America. If it wasn’t for my mom’s tenacity to hold on to her faith in God that He is able to do exceedingly what we ask or even think of, I don’t think any of us would be here in America today.
To be continued with more testimonies next week.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. {2 Timothy 1:7}
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. {Ephesians 3:20}
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. {Hebrews 11:6}
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. {Psalm 37:4}
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I love You so much! I am so glad that You are not a respector of persons that those who believe in You can call upon You and find help. I thank You that nothing is too hard with You. I thank You, Father that You love me until the end. I love You, Lord Jesus!
I pray Father, for more faith in You in my life. Please Lord Jesus, give me more faith in Your love for me and in Your ability to hear and answer my prayers. Help me to keep coming to You and and keep talking to You. Help me to trust in You always and love You until the end. I pray this, in Your most wonderful name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
