How long is 24 hours—or for that matter, one week? I think to measure time we have to know first what we can do and what we can accomplish after a day, a week, or even on longer days.

This is because there are times that a single day of 24 hours seems so long to wait, especially when you are not doing anything but are expecting someone or something of great interest.

On the other hand, a day or a week seems to go by so quickly that you would hardly notice that it had already gone, especially if you are busy in what you are doing and are striving to accomplish more.

There are times that I find myself in this situation, particularly the last four weeks starting with the last two weeks of last month, when we bought our ticket for our trip to Sabah via Zamboanga. A few days after we secured our ticket, I was informed that the Good News exhibit at SM Bacolod was approved and can no longer be postponed but will go on July 29 ahead of the previous schedule in Cebu.

We left Bacolod for Cebu and Zamboanga on July 25. Arriving Zamboanga that afternoon, we bought our boat ticket for Sabah via Wessam Fast Craft that was to leave early the following morning. Also we took advantage of the opportunity that there’s now an Asian Spirit flight from Zamboanga to Sandakan, Sabah on Mondays and Fridays. So we bought our return trip ticket for Asian Spirit, to leave on Monday July 30.

We arrived Semporna on the afternoon of Friday after an overnight stay at Nak Hotel in Sandakan, and after a six-hour land trip the following morning. We had a pleasant fellowship and discussion with some of the brethren who came earlier, eager to see us. We discussed the developments in the Church and the progress of the work. But with our tight schedule, we couldn’t stay longer with them on this trip.

The following day, we had Sabbath services that went on until the evening. We encouraged the brethren to be strong in their resolve to live as God’s true children. We found in them an example of living faith and determination in spite of having no minister to personally guide them.

The following day Sunday, July 29 we left Semporna for another six-hour trip to Sandakan, arriving at 2 p.m. Since our flight back to Zamboanga is still on Monday afternoon, we stayed overnight at Nak Hotel. Monday afternoon, July 30 at 2:40 p.m. we boarded Asian Spirit Airlines that flew us to Zamboanga.

In Zamboanga we were forced to stay another night since there was no flight available for Bacolod or even to Cebu. We flew out of Zamboanga the following day, August 1. However, there was no available flight from Cebu to Bacolod. So we stayed another night in Cebu. Finally, we arrived Bacolod at 8:30 a.m. on August 2. After a few hours rest, we proceeded to SM City where the GN exhibit was in progress, served by some of the youths from the Bacolod congregation. After SM closed that evening, the youths and a number of adults helped in taking down the booth, which will be brought to Cebu the following day. We were happy to learn we had 1,179 new subscribers from the Bacolod exhibit.

Early the next morning, August 3, my wife and I boarded the Ceres Liner bus for our trip to Cebu for the Sabbath service the following day and also for another GN exhibit at SM Cebu. A number of prospective members in Cebu helped out in setting up the booth on Saturday evening. The GN exhibit in Cebu bore positive results when 1,108 people filled up forms to subscribe.

We feel that time is short and the five-day exhibit in Cebu was not enough. But since the contract came to its end on Thursday evening, we folded up the booth and counted the blessings of God in that five-day exhibit at SM Cebu.

© 2007 United Church of God, AIA - Pilipinas