- God is a present help in trouble. -
My friend Ruby went to Vietnam as a missionary. She heard a direct call from God and obeyed by faith. After she took out just about all the spare cash from her bank and brought along all the love gifts given from those near and dear to her, which was just enough for about half a year's expenses, she simply trusted that somehow God will supply the rest.
Here I will record one particular incident of extra ordinary providence. Right after she collected her air-ticket to return to her home country (after one year in the field), she went to apply for a returning permit. She was very low in cash. In order to keep her bank account in Vietnam active, she could not take out everything she has. Here she was in a catch twenty two situation. Should she return to her home without the permit, she would have difficulty reentering. But how was she going to find enough money to obtain that important piece of document? Whispering a quick prayer to commit the entire situation to God, she took the crowded public transport back to the missionary base.
When she entered her base, the administrator handed her a tissue paper wrapped item to her. When she asked what it was, the latter said probably money. It is common that the giver wishes to remain anonymous. Therefore the latter merely said, "Don't ask me who gave you this. I cannot reveal the name." After thanking the 'post man', Ruby mounted the stairs to her second floor bedroom. After she closed the door and sat on her bed, she opened the tissue and counted the money. It was the exact amount she needed plus the transportation cost to go to town to get the permit. She was so overwhelmed that she knelt down and cried for quite a while.
When she related the incident to me, it was Chinese New Year. I went for many lavish celebrations that cost far more than what Ruby needed that day. Since I could not ask those generous friends and relatives to give me cash instead, I thought and thought about ideas of fund raising. By March I started a drive to collect all kinds of recyclable items: you name it, I collect it. Newspaper, glass, plastic, metal, aluminium, ... My neighbours, two care groups, church friends, personal friends ... Between March and December my children and I sold slightly above one thousand dollars worth of materials.
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