“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established” (Proverbs 16:21). The Lord’s Flock (TLF) Mission Team, composed of Sis. Techie “Soar” Rodriguez (Elder-Founder), Bro. Froilan Hong (Co-founder), and Judith Almendrala (Head Steward of Serve Ministry) left Manila on April 16, 2024, on their way to Madrid via Dubai for their four (4) week mission in Europe (Spain, Rome, and Bonn) when a force of nature struck. Due to the extreme weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), their flight to Madrid, along with over 400 other flights was canceled. Thus, they were stuck in transit at Dubai Emirates Airport for 40+ hours along with thousands of other passengers. All the community leaders involved in the mission (Manila, Madrid) and the local Dubai Chapter on the ground were very anxious about the situation of the Mission team. Soar shared that as the hours and days of uncertainty unfolded, the Lord revealed His plan: “Mission Europe” became “Mission UAE.”
The Ordeal in the Dubai Emirates Terminal
Soar, Bro. Froi and Judith arrived at Emirates Airport Terminal 1 on Apr. 16 around 5:00 pm in transit for Madrid, Spain. At the airport, their flight schedules were delayed due to heavy rainfall (1-year worth of rain fell in 24 hours) which caused unprecedented flooding all over the city, including the airport runway. The situation was distressing as no one on the ground could tell them when their flight could resume. By Wednesday, April 17, there were still no flights, and they had not been able to sleep for more than 24 hours. Lourdes Inong (Head Steward, Pastor International), Joy-Ann Macoco (UAE Member), Genebeth Advincula (Team Travel Agent), and Erlinda Baclayen (Steward, Palma De Mallorca) were in constant contact with Soar & team via Zoom to check their status and explore options. The TLF Execom suggested that they stay temporarily in the UAE but Soar still did not want to lose hope since the itinerary and travel arrangements in Europe were all set.
April 16-17, Travel Coordination Zoom Calls
On April 18, Thursday, there were still no flights departing the UAE Airport; moreover, they could not retrieve their luggage. They had been uncomfortable and sleep-deprived for 40 hours! They were exhausted and the health condition of the two elders, Soar and Bro. Froi, had become worrisome. They finally decided to go to a hotel to recover from the gruelling hours of waiting.
Immediately, the Dubai team headed by Lourdes Inong (Steward), and welcome party – Remegio Sagarino (Steward, International Scribes), Bon Salazar (Technical Team), and Jessie Pilapil (Jebel Ali coordinator) worked hard to get them out of the airport, procure the necessary visa/documents for Bro. Froi and Judith as Soar did not want to leave her team inside the airport. By God’s grace, they were all able to proceed to the hotel accommodation faster than expected. The Dubai Team was relieved to see that Soar, Bro Froi, and Judith remained enthusiastic despite their ordeal. The airline provided them with the rebooked flights for the next day and a 5-star full-board accommodation at NH Collection Dubai the Palm; however, their checked-in luggage could not be unloaded. They were rebooked on separate flights to Madrid since seats were limited: Apr. 19, Friday for Bro Froi at 7:00 am and for Soar and Judith at 2:00 pm. Knowing that the luggage could not be retrieved, Soar went to Nakheel Mall to buy some clothes and essentials for her Mission Team.
Bro Froilan’s early flight was canceled
After a few hours of rest, and with only a paper bag in his hand, Bro. Froi left early at 4:00 am on Friday, 18 April for the airport accompanied by Bon, Jessie, and Rem. The airport was still jampacked with transit passengers as the airlines were still busy rescheduling flights. Unexpectedly, the boarding schedule of Bro. Froi was canceled, and he was offered an alternative 7:00 am trip with a 10-hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal! Bro. Froi accepted the schedule as he was hoping for a chance to change to an earlier flight once he gets there. The Dubai Team was a little anxious about his decision. As they were about to hand over Bro. Froi to the airline staff for immigration and boarding, Soar called in the nick of time advising him not to proceed. When she woke up and came to know about Bro Froi’s re-routed travel with a 10-hour layover, she was concerned about his welfare while alone in Lisbon; furthermore, there was no certainty that her and Judith’s flight in the afternoon would proceed on schedule. They were all relieved with this decision, and they went back to the hotel.
Soar’s Spiritual Dilemma
That afternoon, Soar and Dhes went to the Emirates Airlines airport to request for visa extension and accommodation in Dubai. As the negotiation was ongoing, Emirates Airlines suddenly offered Soar and companions a direct flight back to Manila within a few hours. This would have been welcome, except that Soar had been told that all the UAE chapter members had learned of their presence in the city and were excited to meet them on Saturday for the weekly Praise and Worship. Moreover, the members of the growing chapter in Abu Dhabi had already booked a bus to go to Dubai and listen to her teachings. At that moment, she was faced with two choices, but she realized that meeting the UAE Chapters was part of God’s plan. Despite the potential uncertainties of getting new flights and hotel accommodation, her confidence in God’s plan simplified her decision-making to stay a few more days. Hence, she accepted a much later flight to Manila on April 23, 2:00 pm. Their original Mission Europe had now switched to Mission UAE!
Praise and Worship, Dubai
Saturday was filled with joy and a festive atmosphere, a refreshing change from the wrath of the typhoon. The Lord’s Flock Abu Dhabi and Dubai members filed into a room in St. Mary’s Church. Soar was pleased to see that the UAE chapter is growing and new members keep coming. In her message, Soar reminded them to remain committed to the Lord; unlike Israel in the Book of Numbers, they must not lose sight of God’s vision. Jesus Christ commissions Christians to share the good news and lead more people to him; therefore, every person is a mission field. Bro. Froi also exhorted the members to tithe faithfully to ensure a continuous cycle of blessings.
One of the highlights of the praise and worship was the testimonies on healing by some members. During Soar’s Mission last February 2024, she conducted healing prayers for members and guests; some of them had been diagnosed with stage-3 cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and a hole in one ear. They eagerly came back to testify about the Lord’s miracles! Subsequent testings and Doctor’s diagnoses showed that their illnesses had been healed. They were so grateful to Soar and to the community for the prayers. Soar was quick to give praise to the Lord for these miracles. The other members were moved to tears, and the whole congregation felt jubilant. After the praise and worship, everyone, especially the visiting Abu Dhabi Chapter, was given time to meet and greet the Mission Team. God’s ever-caring presence was felt by the community that night and all praised Him for His indescribable gift.
Equipping the UAE members
On Sunday, April 21, the Dubai leaders and members were once again graced by Soar with her teachings. Soar reminded them to always to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, while Bro. Froi taught enjoyable ways to memorize the books of the Bible.
When the topic of evangelization started, a strange turn of events happened. Soar suddenly instructed Bro. Froi on-the-spot to train and assign new Heralds and Worship Leaders for the UAE Chapter. She requested all to prepare and present an exposition on Bible verses of their choice. Everyone was surprised by her request but they stepped-up to the task. Thus, there was an impromptu training for both the Herald and P&W leaders. She instructed further that they must teach face-to-face, define proper exhortations, and re-work certain P&W tasks. She also reminded that all appointed to these roles must intensify their spiritual lives. Since the UAE Chapter is growing in membership, all who serve in the community must also grow spiritually. There were eight (8) presenters and at the end of the review, Soar and Bro Froi were satisfied with all presentations. In the meantime, three were assigned as Heralds for the existing three chapters: Andrew Cabardo (Dubai Steward), Reimar Labial (Jebel Ali Steward), and Remegio Sagarino (International Scribes Steward).
God’s divine intervention
On Monday, April 22, the Mission team requested for a late check-out since their departure flight was on Tuesday at 2:00 am. The hotel, however, refused since it was operating at full capacity. Because of this, they decided to go to the airport for an early check-in and stay somewhere outside the airport until the departure. To their surprise, the airline offered them an earlier 4:00 pm flight cutting their waiting time by 10 hours. It is as if God rewarded the team for their well-done mission!
Indeed, this unique and unplanned 6-day Mission, triggered by unfortunate weather, was an amazing blessing for the UAE Chapter as they witnessed first-hand the unfolding of God’s awesome plan.
To God be the glory!
Written by: Rem Sagarino
(Steward, Scribes International)
