One Day Mission Trip and Six Days of ‘Gala’ in the Philippines

June 2, in the super early morning, my friend Beth and I traveled to the Philippines with the purpose of joining a medical mission and, of course, traveling around my country. It has always been my dream to do something special on my birthday (June 12). Though the medical mission was on June 3, I still grabbed the chance to serve some people in my birth month. I also contributed to feeding the children there and supported a Vacation Bible School (VBS) in another community. It felt so right to be a blessing to others. Everything I have right now is from God, something I should not keep but share because these are not mine but His. When Jose messaged me, I immediately said yes without hesitation and thought of donating for the children.

 

After the medical mission in the afternoon, we went to a river near where we stayed. It was a beautiful place to relax and bond with friends, a perfect way to end the day.

The next day, early morning again, we traveled to Tarlac with plans to hike Mount Pinatubo. It was incredibly hot and tiring because we had not had enough sleep, but it was worth it. Watching the sunrise while riding a 4x4 truck was memorable. It was also my first time seeing the Aeta/Ita, an indigenous group in Zambales. 

I wish we could do something for them, maybe next time they will be our target group for an outreach program. After hiking and seeing the crater in Mount Pinatubo, we headed back to our hostel. We rested, and the guys cooked for us, joking that we were Disney princesses for the day (though more like Fiona from Shrek, haha). After a good dinner, we went to a "perya" (fair) to check out the activities. We tried a shooting game to win a prize for our friend Beth as a souvenir and tasted some local street foods. It was a tiring yet super fun day. 

The next day, we traveled to Pangasinan. The original plan was to go surfing in San Juan, La Union, but since I was the only one who wanted to surf, we decided to visit the Hundred Islands instead. We took a boat to different islands and tried the banana boat. Although we didn’t visit all the islands, we enjoyed seeing them from a distance and took some great photos. 

Afterward, we traveled to Baguio City, my hometown. I wanted to show Beth around. We arrived late, so we rested and slept. The next day, we explored the city, visiting the Botanical Garden, Wright Park, and the "White House." We tried on Igorot attire and took amazing photos. In the afternoon, since it was raining, we went to a museum. I had wanted to visit another museum, but it was too far, so we decided to stay in the city. Then we headed back to MPM, where we were staying, and the guys played basketball.

Oh, and Zuhair was with us. He came to meet me, and we had some deep talks about life and everything. It was nice to see him again after more than 10 years. Our catch-up was brief but meaningful. 

The next day, we traveled super early to Atok to catch the sunrise. It was beautiful, and even though there weren’t many flowers at the Northern Blossom, the view was still breathtaking. Check out the photos on my IG—I will post them soon, haha. After that, we traveled back to Cavite, but first, we stopped at NLAC to meet two of my students who are currently working there. As usual, we arrived late at night again. 

  

In Cavite, I stayed at Angel's place. She truly is an angel, and I am so thankful for her hospitality, letting me stay for three nights at her house. She's so sweet and kind. We had some lovely conversations, and I'm glad I stayed there and got to know her better. I hope and pray that she will finish all her academic requirements and graduate soon.

The next day, we went to church, and in the afternoon, we headed to AMCM because Zen, my former student, asked me to give a sermon during their AY program. So, we went to Manila, met Zen, and I delivered a short sermon to the PGIs. We also met Julia, another former student. We had some good chats and laughter. It was so inspiring to see my students excelling in their chosen careers and being used by God in the ministry. 

On Sunday, Beth and I went to SM Sta. Rosa in Laguna to buy some stuff to bring back to Taiwan. I made sure she experienced our public transportations. Afterward, we went to see Taal Volcano in Tagaytay, then visited SSD and AIIAS. That was our last day. The next day, we returned to Taiwan.

When we came back, we went straight to the riverside to watch how the Taiwanese observe the Dragon Boat Festival. It was our first time watching a boat race. We stayed there for a while, then after eating some snacks and drinks, we went home to rest because it had been a tiring week-long trip. It was a very memorable and fun experience, and I’m glad to have shared it with my friend Beth.

I felt so emotional on plane. First, because I had really fun days during that short trip in my country; I felt like a tourist as well. Second, I miss the guys; I had so much fun with them and was blessed with morning and evening devotionals. Third, knowing that in a week, Beth would be leaving Taiwan for good. I wanted her to stay longer, but she wanted to return to the US and see where God would lead her next. She left yesterday (June 17, 2024), and yes, I miss her already.

By Ruchel Gagarin Oasan (歐善璐)