A Close Encounter

My mom came down last week and shared with me something about the explosion in Manila a few weeks ago...

It all started when my very talented and artistic but not very financially-aware sister wanted to deposit a check into someone's bank account. She didn't know that a check could be deposited at any bank branch and thought that she had to go all the way to the branch where the person opened the account; so, she borrowed the family driver and my dad had to drive.

My parents headed to Ayala Mall where my mom got off to buy some groceries. For some reason, she did not feel like going to the grocery because there was too little on her list (you must understand that my mom likes to grocery shop for fun and does so every other day, so this in itself is very unusual).

My mom went to the mall area thinking that she would shop for some shoes instead but she again decided against it--another very unusual thing. She then called my dad who was driving around the area and told him to hurry up and pick her up. My sister then called to say that she was done with her banking and would drop the driver off at the mall area. The driver came followed by my dad.

Both my parents were looking for a toilet, but the only one that was nearby was in this small restaurant called Luk Yuen. My mom, being the ultra-hygienic person that she is didn't want to go so only my dad went in for a quick trip to the john. The guard on duty told the driver that he couldn't park there, but he bargained to say that it was only for a short while. Sure enough, after a few minutes my dad came and my parents left the vicinity.

Just a few seconds after the car turned the corner (which was surprisingly free of cars that day) a loud explosion sounded from the area where they had come from and a tower of smoke billowed in the air above the mall. My parents would later learn that the explosion had come from just beside the restaurant where the car was parked just a few seconds before. The car that was just behind ours was completely destroyed. The parking space where the driver would have parked the car if my sister did not use him that day was destroyed as was the bridge that led to the shopping mall. At least 7 people died that day, many more were injured; but my family was safe.

My mom says she felt a prompting in her heart to quickly leave that place that day. It was definitely the Holy Spirit.

How can people say there is no God?