The Final Farewell...

It's hard to imagine that this afternoon we actually said our final goodbye to the Philippines. Our plane flew out of Manila at 5:oo p.m. (Friday 31st) and took us to Hong Kong, where we are now waiting to board our next flight.

Our family has had quite an emotional week, as we bid our Filipino family farewell. We were so touched because on Sunday (the 26th) our church gave us a Despidida party (farewell party) after the evening service. It was hard to hold back the tears as we watched them give of themselves and their time to throw us a party before we left.

Wednesday night was the hardest night for us, because it was our last time to attend our church and see all the church members. We Feenys each had the opportunity to share in front of the church what God has done in our life while here in the Philippines. It was hard not to cry at that point, but by the time we were all finished our eyes were filled with tears.

Yes, they were tears of sadness as we realized we may never see some of these precious people again; however, they were also tears of joy and gladness as we rejoiced in what God has done in our lives while a part of this church. The other night we were all talking and we agreed that this opportunity of living in the Philippines has been a life-changing and unforgettable experience. Seeing the exotic and beautiful places of this country and experiencing a different culture has been exciting, but honestly, that thrill is uncomparable to the joy and fulfillment that our family received from being a part of this church (Mountain View Bible Baptsist Church).

Anyways, at the end of the evening, we faced the hardest moment of all...saying the final goodbye. We spent the next few hours crying and sobbing as we exchanged our last hugs and handshakes with our Filipino family. When we Feenys returned to the hotel room, we contunied talking about the night, which brought out more tears! Needless to say, our bodies were emotionally drained and our eyes were extremely swollen by the time morning arrived.

Goodbyes are never easy, but the comforting truth is that for us as Christians.....goodbye is not forever. We have an assurance of our home in heaven. And until Christ calls us home, we can trust that He has a specific plan and purpose for our lives. So as we part ways with our Filipino Christian family, we know that we will one day see them again in heaven, if not again here on this earth. Our prayer is that we each may be faithful in serving the Lord no matter where He takes us.