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Travel in a Time of Terror

By Elaine J. Kennedy

AirplaneProverbs 26:13 describes the sluggard who says "There is a lion in the road!" staying within his house, rather than confronting the imaginary terrors of the world outside. As we prepared for a trip to the Southern Philippines to teach at a small Bible college, we were shaken by the bombings which began all over the country. Contemplating the "lions," the possible dangers that lay before us, we were full of questions. How does this time of terror affect missionaries? How can a missionary continue to serve while obeying precautions and yet without being so fearful of a lion that he never ventures out of his home?

Missionaries in Davao assured us that their region was always safe. But then, Palawan had always been considered the safest of locations, until the Burnhams were taken hostage there. Another of our Filipino friends warned us not to pursue our schedule. Although we did not totally agree with him, we wanted God's confirmation that we should travel. That following Sunday, my husband spoke at a church an hour south of Manila. God placed a woman named Minda there, who had a business in Tagum City--the exact city of our destination. When we shared our concerns with her, He used her to reassure us, and confirm His will for our ministry.

Next, we questioned where we should stay in Tagum. The Bible school had offered us their air-conditioned computer room, but one missionary who had traveled there the month before said that the air conditioner had broken and the windows lacked screens and could not be opened. Unattracted by the prospect of a sealed, hot room, we contacted Minda. She advised us to stay in the room regardless, for it was wiser to endure the heat and stay on campus, away from the public eye, than to risk the small motel alongside the main highway. She cautioned us not to use the public bus, lest anyone discover that foreigners--Americans--were staying at the campus site.

We decided to fly to Tagum, rather than take the bus. As we were preparing for the air flight, more bombings took place in isolated areas of the Philippines. A pastor from Davao City met us at the airport and became our "secret angel." Minda drove us to and from Tagum. Everywhere we went, we were shepherded by Filipinos. We were grateful that believers had surrounded us to protect us in their territory. We thought back to our earlier ministry in Palawan during the days of communist rebels, when one pastor told us, "We would give our lives for you." Once again, we were humbled by their love. We were not afraid.

On the night that we returned to Manila, we read the horrible news about the Bali bombing. It struck home, because we had recently vacationed in Bali, celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in that Hindu land. Of course, we would not have frequented that disco anyway! But it reminded us that we needed to be careful to eat in local restaurants (as opposed to the American ones) and to keep a low profile. When we arrived home, we turned on the news only to hear of a bus bombing just north of Manila. We realized both the blessing of God's protection on us, and the extent to which arranging our own transportation had eliminated some possibilities of danger.

God's protection for missionaries can work in many ways, just as it did for us. He provided a guide to the city in Minda, whose generosity in driving and wise advice aided us greatly. He used the very believers to whom we were bringing our ministry to surround and protect us. He used our obedience-obedience to His will for our travel, and obedience to the sensible advice and precautions we received-to further protect us. It is sense, not fear, that we need; courage and wisdom to know when the lion is real, and when it is imagined. Finally, He maintained sovereign control over timing and events to keep us safe.

Someone once asked us why we live overseas when there are so many possible dangers. I answered, "I would rather live in the center of the Lord's will than in a place that others might think safer."