DRAMA AT THE EMBASSY, LIFE IN MANILA, and MISSIONS

The consular officer handed her a box of Kleenex and said, "Now, dear, don't cry anymore. You'll see your mom very very soon."

So goes my niece, Ruth's interview at the United States Embassy in downtown Manila this morning. Her immigration application is approved, so is her younger brother's. It was probably a dramatic time for a child to sharewith the consular officer the utter misery of not having seen her mother for nearly a decade. I would have cried if I were there. Receiving the news by text message made me a bit teary-eyed even as I shared it with the team I was meeting with tonight.

It's been nearly 9 years since they last saw their mom- my sister. She had to stay abroad that long without having any chance to even visit her kids just so her application for citizenship will be approved by the USCIS. It did, about two years ago, making her eligible to file a petition for her two younger kids (18 and 14). Her older son, Raymond (24) will have to apply on his own since he is no longer a minor.

Last night, I had coffee with Strong (yes, that's his name), one of the newere guys in our worship band. His dad is a self-confessed hippie, a radical activist, a product of the hippie culture of the 60s and 70s. He said his dad has had long hair since before the time his eldest brother was born, so he was told. Even now as a fifty-something seminary student, he never ceases to think in the hippie way. Someone once asked his dad when he intends to have his hair cut; his dad answered, "'Pag nag-bago na ang buhay Pilipinas!" (lit. when life in the Philippines changes).

Ortigas Center

I somewhat disagreed with the absent hippie and took on his son for a friendly debate. I told him that life has in fact changed. Malls are full, restaurants, coffee shops and other establishments are hardly empty, roads are full of cars, kids get to go to good schools, a good number get to go on foreign vacations. I remember in the mid-80s as a kid when apples, grapes, oranges and pears were found only the on tables of the rich. Middle class folks like us had no choice but enjoy local fruits! But nowadays, I go to the grocery and get as much of those fruits as I want. I remember having the opportunity to travel with my family-- something not all kids in my school had the privilege of doing. Now, anyone can go to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.!

But I must admit, the hippie dad has a point. While it is true that the Philippines has changed in many ways, some aspects of the Filipino way of life remain the same. Thousands of Filipinos are leaving their country each day that keep the current number of 11 million Filipinos who have chosen to live overseas to swell all the more. Virtually every Filipino has a relative living abroad-- people who have chosen to break free from the chains of poverty and hopelessness. In a country where the total sum of wealth is controlled by a handful of families, where the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, it is easy to lose hope, pack bags and leave.

The exodus includes an increasing number of skilled workers resulting in what has been referred to as brain drain, particularly in the health and education sectors. Filipinos are some of the best workers (and English-speakers) there are- whether in hospitals or hotels, musicians or university professors.

A caregiver in Canada, a nurse in New York

My pastor recently preached a powerful sermon on the Filipino diaspora. In his sermon, Scattered As Planned based on the persecution story of the disciples in Acts, he mentioned that the scattering of Filipinos around the world may have God's signature written all over it. God may be using the hopelessness in the Philippines to spread His message just as He used Israel's scattering to make His name known across the known world. The missional purpose of God scattering "Christianized" Filipinos all over the world (even in countries where Christianity is illegal) can never be overlooked. In some house basement in Qatar, Filipinos gather for worship. A nurse working in secular Europe gets to share her faith with an old irreligious patient. A Tagalog-speaking pastor responds to a mission call to lead a predominantly Anglo-American congregation in a secular suburb. A nanny teaching Bible stories to a kid she cares for in Bahrain. These are all a part of God's plan.

My niece and my nephew will soon leave the Philippines, and that is God's will, for their good, and for His glory. The same will be true should the Lord send me or you out of our country.