Trusting God in Times of Transition

By Danny & Josie Francisco

At the same time that Central Church was undergoing an enormous building project, our church and community in Balic-Balic, in the slums of Manila, was being torn apart because of a government project to improve infrastructure. Central Church expectantly prays for God to fill the new building and use the members in new ways of outreach. Balic-Balic church fervently prays that the scattering of the believers will lead to new house church movements. Both challenging transitions, but both under God’s sovereign plan. Indeed, in God’s ways there are often periods of tearing down and building anew. Both may seem a bit scary, but each a blessed opportunity to draw nearer to our Lord—a God we can trust!

Trust God’s Molding Hands. Transition can be a humbling experience. In our urban poor communities in Manila, the fact that we had a beat-up motorcycle and iced tea in the refrigerator (instead of water) already made us very privileged. Here in America, people seem to be surprised why we don’t eat at restaurants and have our own car to drive. Since we have been in America praying about our next steps, we are doing quite a bit more waiting and persevering than we had hoped. We have come from leading a large ministry which we loved, to now doing humbler work and needing to be served by others. But does God have something to teach us in all of this? Most certainly. We are learning that God has something beautiful to teach us in every phase of our lives, if only we will let Him.

Trust God’s Provision. People have often marveled at how we managed to live in the Manila slums among some of the poorest of the poor. But in the end the blessings were far greater than the challenges because you really learn to be thankful for every small thing and be dependant on Him alone. The Israelites were given manna in the desert and didn’t know what it was. Indeed, many times God provides for our needs perfectly, but we don't recognize it because we are looking for something else. For example, we want jobs and a home right away, but instead God blesses us with a period of quietly waiting before Him and spending time in the homes of family in Christ. We are learning that when we expect from God, He always provides above and beyond what we deserve at just the right way, and just the right time.

Trust God’s Plans. Since we have been back, we have been asked many typical questions such as, “What will you do here?,” “Where will you live?,” “When will you go back to Asia?” All great questions to which all our answers are “We don’t know!” It seems we pretty much don’t know anything about what God has planned for us, but HE certainly does. We are hoping to use this time in the United States to strategically develop partnerships for the ministry among the poor and to minister in the American workplace. We have many things we would like to do, but are surrendered to His ways. We are learning that a time of unknowns is a precious time to grow in our faith and wait expectantly for the exciting plans God has in store!