God Knows Best

When my brother was getting married in Manila, Philippines - I wanted to fly there with my parents, but I had to sit an exam.

So I asked a travel agent to find me a flight to Manila after my exam on Saturday - but the agent said there was no possible way I could arrive in time for the wedding.

I prayed about it, and in my spirit I had a sense about a flight-path going straight up north from Australia. I looked at a map, and thought to myself, "That must be Guam, USA".

So I phoned the agent back, and said, "What about going via Guam?"

He hadn't thought of it, but he checked it out - and it was possible, with Continental Airlines!

I also mentioned it to my boss at the time, and he happened to know someone who was an official with Continental Airlines, and was able to get me cheap tickets. The travel agent could hardly believe it!

I got there in time for the wedding!

The roundtrip involved a layover in Guam - so I stayed at a YWAM base.

I let the base-leader know I was keen to reach out during my short time there, so she took me to a prison.

One of the inmates, who seemed to be feared by his fellow-prisoners as the top rooster, snarled at me:

"I suppose you're going to tell us how bad you were, and then you got converted - we've heard it all before!"

I've seen rough-looking guys with open hearts before - but I can tell you, I didn't feel any welcome from these guys at all. The atmosphere felt charged - and I was locked inside with them!

I answered that I'd never really been in trouble with the law.

In fact, I became a Christian when I was only 12 years old, I said.

That seemed to totally disarm him. It made him wonder why I was even there then, and what I was going to say.

His whole face lightened up, as he listened with his heart. When the other men saw his openness towards me, they all let down their guard.

They welcomed the Word, and me - with open hearts. We all felt the love of JESUS, and prayed together. 

Sometimes, looking like them is not what they need.