Where are you going?

Lamao.

That's what the sign on the jeepney read. That's also what was painted on it's side.

In 1994, I was on a one-day mission to Lamao, a sea-side community located in Limay in the province of Bataan. I was to conduct a Singles Weekend Retreat (1) for the SFC Community there. Accompanying me were very good friends of mine: Lea Garcia (now Lea Garcia-Suratos), Edward "Bochoc" Gonda, Paolo Banzon and Jerty Sapnu (now Paolo's wife). It had already been a long travel by bus from Manila, and the jeepney ride to Lamao was almost just as long. We had already been travelling at almost top-speed (and everyone knows how fast "top speed" could actually be for a jeepney driver traversing a provincial high way with almost nary a vehicle in sight) for over half an hour, and all the other passengers have gotten off kilometers ago.

We were all giggling - half-worried actually - about whether or not we were on the right jeep, going in the right direction or still in the right province. We didn't want to ask the driver any of these questions (why? I don't actually remember now). So we just enjoyed the fast, sometimes hair-raising (and bumpy) ride kidding each other about ending up in some remote part of the Philippines. At one time we even kidded that maybe the driver was heading home already and had forgotten that there were still five passengers on board his jeep. When we saw the shoreline, we really started to worry if we were still on the right road.

Then I glanced at the signboard on the jeepney - and stuck my head out to have a look at the jeepney's side to confirm.

The signboard - and the jeepney's side - said the same thing: Lamao.

I asked my mission partners: "If a jeepney's sign reads 'Baclaran', where does it stop?" "Baclaran" they replied in unison.

"Well, the signboard on this jeepney says 'Lamao' - so I'm sure the last stop will be Lamao"

A few more minutes later, the jeepney took a turn and headed for what appeared to be the shoreline, and stopped right in front of a chapel - the exact chapel where the weekend retreat was just about to start.

We had arrived in Lamao. And the driver brought us there as his signboard said he would.

God has given us His signboard. In John 14:6, Jesus says that He is "...the way, the truth and the life..." and that "no one comes to the Father except through Me". All we have to do is get on His teaching, trust His driving, and leave it all up to him. He'll get us there.

I conducted the retreat.

And my partners?

They enjoyed the ride.