South Batanes

Last Friday was a difficult day. I was disappointed, but I kept reminding myself to stay calm because some things are simply beyond our control. My flight was rebooked from July 25 to July 28, and my South Batanes tour was canceled as well. When I checked the weather forecast, it looked terrible—more than a week of bad weather ahead. I prayed to God that Tropical Depression Kiyapo would move away from the Philippines as quickly as possible. I searched for other available flights, but there weren’t any. I was stuck in my hotel, and I was starting to run low on cash. My bank card only works with certain ATMs, and unfortunately, none of the ATMs in Batanes accepted it. Most businesses also don’t accept credit or debit cards, so almost everything has to be paid in cash or through GCash. I had to use Xoom just to send money to GCash, which was quite a hassle for even the smallest purchases. To make matters worse, there were no rental cars available for me to explore the island on my own. My room didn’t even have a window, so I couldn’t sit and watch the rain. Instead, I went downstairs to the common area just to enjoy the view of the rain from there. The next day, I decided to upgrade my room because I couldn’t sacrifice my comfort any longer. 😂 Then, hope arrived. God answered my prayer. Although there still wasn’t a flight on the day I was originally supposed to return to Clark, my hotel owner informed me that flights would resume on July 26. That option hadn’t been available the day before, so I immediately booked it. I crossed my fingers and prayed that it wouldn’t be canceled again. I kept checking the weather app, watching as Tropical Depression Kiyapo slowly moved farther away. I even found myself praying that it would move away just a little faster. That morning, I waited to hear from my tour operator. As the weather gradually improved, they finally contacted me around noon. There were still a few rain showers, but the strong winds had eased. Best of all, I was finally able to enjoy my South Batanes tour. The dramatic coastline, the wild ocean, and the breathtaking scenery made the wait completely worth it. And today, I am so grateful to God. 🙏😭 I arrived safely at my hotel, safe and sound, and just in time to catch a glimpse of AHOF—a group I’ve only watched on YouTube back in the United States. 😅 Everything worked out in the end, even though it didn’t happen the way I had planned. Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayers, keeping me safe throughout this journey, and reminding me once again that Your timing is always better than mine. Looking back, every delay had a purpose, and today my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude. ❤️🙏