taxi!

We were laughing the other day about the kids never having ridden in a taxi before we arrived in Davao. Now a taxi ride is a common occurrence. Taxis are everywhere, and we often ride in one when a jeepney route won't take us where we need to go.

The taxi drivers are not usually English speaking. And since our Cebuano is pitiful, the only communication going on is our telling them the name of the neighborhood to head toward, and then indicating left and right turns.

Things were different today. Ricky, our driver, was a spunky young man who looked about 20 years old, but really is 30. He has a wife and two young children. He was semi-fluent in English and was very eager to talk. He introduced himself, and began to tell us about how he was saved through a local pastor 10 years ago. I wondered at first what his motives were, but it was quickly apparent that he was a true believer, delighted to tell his testimony, and to praise the Lord for what He had done in his life.

We asked Ricky about the taxi system. He rents his taxi by the day from the taxi company for 500 pesos. (Just over $10) He drives it from 6 a.m. until midnight. He pays for the gas, and keeps the rest of his fares. Our ride took just over 20 minutes, and cost 80 pesos - about $1.75. He's not making a fortune.

I asked how he knew English, was it through school? No, he had asked his pastor to teach him. His parents were divorced, and not believers, but he told us how he prays for them both to know the Lord. He was a cheerful, energetic young man, unashamed to talk of Christ and of His goodness.

He shared that he has a Cebuano Bible, but wished that he could read God's Word in English, too, if he only had an English Bible. I felt a prompting to share with him one of our Bibles, an extra, inexpensive paperback version. Michael ran into the house to get it when we arrived home, and Ricky was so happy to receive it. "How much does this cost?" he asked. "Nothing," I replied, "it's God's gift to you."

I don't know if he'll use it, or if having an English Bible will really help him to understand any more of God's Word. But I wanted Ricky to be motivated to continue studying, to continue learning; and I wanted him to know the encouragement of having the Lord supply, in an unexpected way, a desire of his heart for God's Word.

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,"
Colossians 3:16

"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
1 John 3:17