"My troubles became the gateway to my much awaited breakthrough!"

YOUR FATHER KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU ASK HIM (Part 2)

There might be times when we couldn’t understand why God allows certain things to happen, but one thing remains; God is always good. No matter how difficult your situation is, God can turn it into good. And through that difficulty, we could see God’s glory.

As the story of Sister Badette Bagalso continues, you can see how God changed her situation every time she poured out her desires and requests to her Father in Heaven, the God Almighty, and all-knowing.

Sis Badette had stayed for 5 months in Cambodia when she received a job offer to teach in Vietnam. As she sought the Lord, she decided to take on the job, flew to Vietnam, and met her new employer. However, it didn’t turn out to be as good as she expected. Her new employer planned to trick her. Since there was no accommodation provided for her, she was asked to book a hotel first while she was in Vietnam. But it was too costly. A few days have passed but her employer hasn’t given her any students. Sis Badette called him to get an update. As they spoke, he wanted to lower the initial rate he had offered to her during the interview. Sis Badette could feel that something is dubious, but she kept an open mind.

On her first day at work, she met a Vietnamese lady and asked whether she knew a place she could rent. As each day passes, the hotel bill is mounting up and her new employer had no plans of paying it for her. The following day, the Vietnamese lady messaged her and offered that Sis Badette could stay with her in her fancy condominium since she lives alone. They have only met twice, yet she let Sis Badette live with her. Also, every time she leaves for work, she would make sure that the fridge is full of food. Her generosity was so astonishing towards Sis Badette. It was truly the Lord who used her to provide for Sis Badette’s needs.

Sis Badette’s new employer didn’t want to pay for her visa, so she had to exit after her 21 days in Vietnam to avoid overstaying. She told the school that she must exit, therefore, she needs her salary. Her boss threatened her that if she took her salary she would be out of school. Sis Badette decided to quit and made her way to Laos.

She had to travel alone to a place where she’s never been, has no acquaintances, and with very little money. From Vietnam, she went to Laos and back to Vietnam. Along the way, she met a Filipino who later on helped her get a job. She felt that God was with her and made her trip very memorable. When she arrived in Hanoi, she got a job and some part-time jobs which made a way for her children to come to Vietnam as well. She also met some Filipinos and started to have weekly fellowships with them. Some of the Filipinos she met were lost so she adopted and cared for them. Her place wasn’t big enough and her salary wasn’t that much for her to care for others, but they all experienced how God sustained them.

In December 2017, an Australian acquaintance contacted her and offered her a job. The company paid for her home office, utilities, and everything she needs. They got her a home office in one of the condominiums Sis Badette desired. She and her children moved to a new place. She was working online and teaching in the afternoon. The Lord has truly blessed her.

She’s got two jobs and doesn't have to pay for any of the expenses. Her Filipino friends continued to stay in her previous place which was also free because it was provided by the school. Everything went smoothly, and Sis Badette was truly grateful for what the Lord had done. However, she felt that it was time for her to leave her teaching job. In addition, the Australian company that hired her asked her to move to Ho Chi Minh City for the expansion of the business. After making sure her Filipino friends have settled down, she and her children flew to Ho Chi Minh City, and once again, the company she works for provided a bigger home office for her and paid for all her living expenses.

In August 2018, Sis Badette was in Ho Chi Minh City with her children. It was actually her son’s desire that they would all stay in Ho Chi Minh for his studies. She saw that the Lord granted her son’s desire. She was glad to see that her children, at a young age, are also growing their faith in God.

The place they are staying in is so amazing. It has nice amenities and it’s spacious. That’s why it is so expensive. It would roughly cost 30,000 pesos per month. If it wasn’t for the Australian company, there’s no way Sis Badette could pay for it. She was working full-time in the online company since she left her teaching job. The cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City is also high which means they would have to just depend on God on how He would sustain them.

Then in November, Sis Badette received unexpected news. The company suddenly ended the contract with her. She was caught off guard and thought of the expenses she would have to pay. However, she immediately turned to God. “Lord, I know if you want us to live here, you will be the one to pay for our rent and living expenses” Sis Badette prayed to the Lord.

She had another small online project which she didn’t really take notice of before because it didn’t earn much. Surprisingly, that company is starting to take off. It is a passive income and she earned triple the amount of her previous salary in the Australian company. After working for them for two years, she quit her job despite the current pandemic. Sis Badette met a new business partner and her family moved to a bigger house as well. They are expectant of what the Lord has for her and her family. She continues to live by faith and trusts her Father in Heaven who knows all her needs before she even asks.

The crucial thing for us to remember is that all that God does for us as His children are for our good. We are blessed in both the giving and the taking away because both are for the sake of our joy. So, no matter what environments, setbacks, tribulations, or sufferings we face, we believe that all things are in God’s hands. As long as we pray to and rely on Him and have real obedience to and hold fast to our faith in Him, we can gain His guidance and see His marvelous deeds. No one is like Him. He’s the One true God.

Job 1:21

And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

(Written by: Venus Jablo)