My Adventure with my God - Part 3

When I left the hospital, I felt weak, but healed. I wasn't 100%, but I was a strong 90%.

I started working at my new job as Vice-President of Sales & Marketing for a Software Developer based in the Midwest. I worked from home, for a good salary and commission. I got right back in the saddle as far as ministry and was making plans for a trip that was going to prove to be another changing point in my life and the life of my family.

Several months prior, I was asked by my Missions Pastor to co-lead a team of 21 missionaries to the island of Maui to help spiritually build into a local church there, Living Way Church Maui, which was pioneered and led by my brother Pastor Greg Dela Cruz.

I continued to plan and develop the trip with Pastor Mark Blum and everything was in place. I went to my Doctor, who was hesitant at first to give her OK for me to go, but with assurance from Pastor Blum, to ensure that I didn't "over do it", she gave her approval.

The day before we left for Maui, I felt good, except for a slight, occasional cough. My wife asked if I really believed I was well enough to make the trip. I thought it over, and truthfully felt more thank good enough to go.

So, on June 15th, 2007, at 5:45 am, a team of twenty-one people, from the age of fourteen to fifty-something, departed for San Diego International Airport, heading toward a tiny, little town in Maui, called Wailuku.

As we were on the plane, I began to run the trip and our planning through my mind:
1. We had held several team meetings, building team unity, learning about Maui, its history, culture, social issues and customs.
2. We all had our special assignments and had practiced to no end. The people involved with worship had practiced tirelessly, and planned everything from top to bottom, including communicating with the Maui church to ensure smoothness.
3. We all had people that were praying for us frequently before, during and after the trip.
4. We had already developed a closeness within ourselves and were all eager to get started in doing what God had called us to do.
5. Each team member had been hand-selected by God himself.
6. We had a schedule, confirmed and reconfirmed.
7. We had lodging for the entire team. Confirmed and reconfirmed.
8. We had three vehicles for twenty-one people. Confirmed and reconfirmed.
9. With all of the plans confirmed. I still believed that "blessed are the flexible, so we can't get bent out of shape".
10. We were still ready for unscheduled changes and interruptions, believing that God's hand was in everything!

Next stop, Kahalui, Maui!

My Adventure with my God - Part 2

Every morning, one of my prayer requests was, "Lord, please continue to prepare me to do your work. I also ask, according to your timing, to launch me into full time ministry. Please direct me to do what you want me to do. Please make the changes necessary to fulfill your plan in my life and my family's life."

One Thursday, early in March of 2007, was no different. And, as usual, after praying, I spent some time listening for a response from God... and there it was, the Lord clearly said, "I am about to answer your prayer and make a big change in your life."

Wow! Finally, I thought to myself. I was excited, I told my wife, Lisa... What could it be? I knew that what God considered "good" for us, wasn't always seen that way by man. So I welcomed any change, realizing that it was God's hand making the change.

I also knew that time to God is not what time is to us.... that sometimes we have to wait for sometime before we see God's change. But not this time. The very next day, two major things happened: I was fired from my job, and... I was admitted into the hospital with pneumonia and Asthma.

But you know what? I was ecstatic! I was happy and excited... because God was truly at work in my life, and I couldn't wait to see what was next. I didn't know the extent of what these two things meant, but I knew it was God.

My mistake was in thinking that these were to be temporary "detours" for me. I "spiritually speculated" that this was a direction change and that I was to persevere and move forward. So I went into the hospital with an open mind and assurance that God would heal me and I wuld keep on going.

I spent a week in the hospital as the pneumonia was cleared up and they did tests and gave me several medications to treat the Asthmatic conditions I was displaying.

While in the hospital, I made a phone call to an aquaintance I had met over the past year. When I told him I was unemployed, he immediately offered me a job and by the time I left the hospital, my first check was already in my mail box. God provides.

So, I was healed. I had a new, better job and things were looking great again. Or so I thought...

My Adventure with my God - Part 1

INTRODUCTION

My adventure started with me being a "healthy" 200 lbs and 5'8"; not the picture of fitness, but healthy nonetheless.

I have been married to my wife Lisa for six years and we had a beautiful son, Caleb. Most of you were at our wedding and saw Caleb when we brought him to the LWC church picnic upon his release from the hospital.

I had been licensed as a Minister the previous November, and had been praying for a change in my life to allow me to go into full-time ministry. I had been privileged to be the Pastor to the American inmates at the Federal Prison in Tijuana, Mexico. In addition to the prison ministry, I was the Chaplain Coordinator at Pomerado Hospital, a Chaplain Supervisor for the SD American Red Cross, Chaplain at UCSD Medical Center and a Chaplain for Horizon Hospice in Poway. I had also served as the Missions Pastor for M.O.T.E. (Ministry On The Edge).

I also was working with Pastor Mark Blum at Living Way Church overseeing the Outreach Ministries, which included the San Diego Rescue Mission (both women's and men's services), Jail Ministries, Rest Home Ministries, San Diego Medical Examiner Bereavement teams and also responsible for the growth, implementation and direction of new outreach ministries.

I'm mentioning all of my involvement to show how full my ministry life was and how God had been opening doors for (what I thought) full-time ministry.

In addition to the above activities, I was also working full time as a Vice-President for a software development firm.

I had a beautiful family, a good job and a fulfilling ministry. We were happy and looking forward to more as we served God.