THE JOURNEY OF A GODDESS

In college, I had a roommate named Venus. Her name meaning "Goddess of beauty," she literally is a beautiful person inside and out. She is a year younger than me, and we met at Room 310 in UPLB New Dormitory, year 2007. We had fun times together, sharing and learning in class, in school, and in life.

A year after, we moved to a new apartment, together with our dear friend Monic, and there we still managed to live happily together. Being younger than me, I was surprised how this lady taught me many lessons I needed to learn back in college. At that point, I was beginning to grow in my Christian faith as a young leader at church, and there were times we talked about spirituality.

She struggled several times and asked so many questions about the Christian faith and I've seen how she sought to find answers to her questions. In my capacity at that time, I tried to also find answers to her questions and prayed for her spiritual journey. I sincerely prayed that she will find the answers to her questions, and that God will reveal himself to her.

I finished college a year earlier than she did. We only kept in touch very seldom through social media. She eventually got her degree, passed her board exam, and came to know Christ. I was surprised and excited to learn her story, six years after we first met.


***

When she was reviewing for her board exams, she prayed to God in an empty appeal, that if God allows her to pass her board exams, she will begin to seek and know Him. It was a half-meant, self-centered prayer of a person who wanted to pass a board exam and fulfill her career aspirations in Manila.

She passed her board exams, but she forgot about her prayer and was busy looking for a job in Manila. Unfortunately she cannot find a job that will support her and her family financially. Job opportunities in Manila for her field - Nutrition - does not promise good wage vis a vis her expenses. She decided to go back to her province where she could find a job that will support her family and will require only minimal expenses for her.

She worked at a hospital with another co-worker who was also a Christian. She stayed at an apartment and all her roommates happened to be also Christians. She remembered her prayer from before she took her board exams, and realized that God made a way for her to come to know Him more. She was surrounded by people who follow the Lord. So she started attending church services from time to time, until she finally wanted to seek the Lord and know Him better.

Since then, God has revealed Himself to her and never failed to amaze her. She never thought she would work in that  place, and that in exchange for her aspirations to work in Manila, God has prepared for her something far more wonderful and meaningful. She has come to know the Lord in a different way.

Right now, she is still on a journey towards pursuing career and family aspirations, but everything never felt the same again after she has come to know the Lord deeply. She trusts God in all her decisions, and she dreams of marrying a godly man and building a godly family of her own, someday. :)

Venus is one of the many people who have inspired my journey, and her journey towards knowing Christ has touched my heart so deeply. By the time she shared me her story, I knew it is worth including in the radical journeyist's page:)

This photo was from year 2008. We visited the UPLB Botanical Garden for the first time together. Looking back at our old photos refresh the great memories we shared back in college :)

Venus and I. Some years ago :)

The ROOMMATES from UPLB NEW DORM. Room 310. L-R Monic, Me, Venus, Corine, Nikki (Missing ate Yaos here)

WHAT IS A PEACE CHURCH?

Since I was born, I have been in a church. Being born and raised by a pastor and a family that is devoted to Christ and active in the church has been both exciting and challenging. I had my own share of frustrations, confusions, and heartaches because of the fact that being raised in a Christian family is not that easy. Don't misunderstand this, but being raised in a Christian family is really not easy. It is not what most people would assume it would be if your whole family is a Christian.

But my point of writing this is getting myself clear about the "church." Church, for me, has always meant family. Church has been a place where my whole family is, and everyone else who is part of the church is also part of my family. It is a place where everyone can share their lives - celebrations, grief, and conflict. Yes, conflict. It is part of every organic being getting together. Yet, the church has been a place where conflict is seen as a point of learning, growing, and transforming the life of the individuals involved in it.

I grew up in a traditional church setting where we meet every Sunday for worship service, we meet for mid-week service or prayer meetings on Wednesdays, support group or Bible study on Saturdays, and a whole lot of activities especially meant for men, women, youth, and children. This church experience has spiced up my life in that I've been prepared for the kind of work I am doing right now. Church activities are like programs, church leaders like bosses, youth members are like my co-workers, and the whole organizational dynamics that are always challenging. Church and work have been very similar for me.

So, if church and work seemed similar for me, what then, is the distinction of a church? And what does it mean to become a peace church?

For more than a year now, I am part of a budding community we call Peace Church. We meet every Wednesday nights to study the scripture, share and reflect, and eat together. We meet some Saturdays to get together with each other's families, eat, play, reflect, and dream! We are a church. Not the traditional church setting people would expect us to be, but we are a church. We are a peace church because we all follow Jesus Christ and embrace his teachings of peace and nonviolence, and we strive to live in obedience to this teaching. Would it be sufficient description of a church? If not, then what are we?

The word church as we now know it has been originally written in the Bible as ecclesia, which meant "a body of Christians CALLED OUT of the Roman and Judean system to come together into a separate civil community." The early Christians have been an ecclesia in that they proclaimed no other king but Jesus. They were called out and were turning the world system upside down. They dethroned kings and rulers in the  minds of the people, and those whose hearts responded became citizens of God's kingdom and joined the community of believers called ecclesia.

Now, let's look at the other way around. Suppose there is a community of people following Jesus and seeking to actively and obediently respond to his nonviolent radical teachings. Suppose they work together to read the scripture and actively pursue peace in their everyday life - career, business, family, hobbies, manners. Isn't that already an ecclesia? Isn't that a church? A church is not defined by the building where they meet or the regularity of worship services and the order of worship. A church, for me, has been and always will be a family. It is a community of shared lives seeking to actively follow the teachings of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our daily living.

What else do you see a peace church to be? You can share me your experiences and opinions.

CREATIVITY AMIDST CONFUSION (STORIES FROM THE GROUND 2)

Meet Pastor Paul Villamor. Upon arriving in Ormoc City, we were at lost as to how we will go about the team's mission in finding evangelical pastors in the area. We had this person's contact number, and tried to reach him. On our second day there, he visited us at our team base, the City Tennis Court where we pitched our tents. He invited us to attend the Ormoc City Evangelical Ministerial Association (OCEMA), which happened to be set on that same morning.

We introduced the team to the pastors and each one of them recounted their stories of the typhoon experience. Pastor Paul was one of those who had the most emotional story.

The typhoon damaged his whole house and even his church. His family is now living under the rubbles. All their properties were destroyed. By the time we saw him, he said that he had only received 2 kilograms of rice and 2 cans of sardines. That was the only thing he received.

He emotionally shared to us how he saw that many of his church members and even his neighbors have far worse condition than he has. He was so hurt and devastated seeing them that way, and then he himself could not afford to help. He did not even have his own food to offer. He did not have a house to open to anybody. Being in that kind of situation breaks his heart. He said that he has survived the Cold War in Saudi Arabia a couple of years ago, but this disaster has made him feel more miserable than that.

In the succeeding days that we were there, Pastor Paul has shown to us so much creativity and helped the team in a lot of ways. He embraced the vision of justice and fairness in relief distribution during disaster response, and has since passionately lived this out while he deals with many different organizations in the province (aside from being a pastor, he is also the Provincial Coordinator of Values Formation in Leyte).

He has spent time with the team and basically became part of the family. He showed and taught us useful techniques such as opening canned goods with a spoon, and opening soda bottles with another bottle. His presence causes delight and joy to the team as he also shares his humor.

Pastor Paul is also so much dedicated to disaster response, that whenever we ask him to help us look for anything, he would right aways exhaust his resources and connections to be able to come up with results. Nobody forces him to do it, but he has an inner compassion for others that drives us all the more passionate to serve their community.

Pastor Paul is an active carrier of the gospel. He lives it out from day to day, and it has become evident for us during the short time we have interacted with him. I am pretty sure there are more people like him who, in their little ways, create a great impact to the larger community. God bless his heart!

Pastor Paul, wearing red shirt with a white vest - was taking notes of the disaster response plan during a meeting with the pastors of OCEMA

He passionately prays for God's comfort for him and his family, as well as all the other pastors in Ormoc that are also being led to comfort others.

GENEROSITY THAT SURPASSES THE STORMS (STORIES ON THE GROUND 1)

Meet Pastor Erly Garces. He is the pastor of New Harvest Turning Point. He is a member of the Ormoc Evangelical Disaster Response Network (OEDRN). The first time we met him at the meeting of the Ormoc City Evangelical Ministerial Association (OCEMA), his hand was wrapped with a handkerchief because it got injured during the typhoon.

In this photo, Pastor Erly was introducing himself to Bishop Tendero on the phone.

During that first meeting, he humorously recounts to us his own experience. Before the typhoon, he just finished building his dream house. He has saved up for it for many many years before he was able to build a nice house on top of the hill, overlooking the city. Beside his house is the church building, which is just also on its way to final construction - a nice concrete church building. Upon hearing typhoon warnings, he felt a little confident that their place on top of the hill, will be spared from extreme devastation and flooding, which he expected would be the worst effect of the typhoon.

That morning, however, when the strong typhoon landed, they were surprised to realize that the typhoon is actually in their place! The strong winds saying hello to their roof and to the walls of the church building. He and some of his church members gathered inside their church building, as they felt it was a safe spot. He joined them as the strong winds lifted the roof, slowly damaged the walls, leaving the whole church bare. He looked around and realized, "I have no more house!" He couldn't believe they were not spared by the typhoon. It wasn't flood that hit them, but the strong winds that totally devastated the church building and his own dream house. He got injured on his right hand due to debris falling on them.

The Sunday after we met him, he picked up the whole team to attend their worship service. The team felt really welcome and overwhelmed by the joyful spirit of the church as they sang praise and worship songs to the Lord, in their own language. Our team leader, kuya Dann, gave a short inspiring message to the church and everyone felt hope, felt God's presence, and a sense of peace within.

Pastor Erly and his family, standing in front of their dream house that was devastated by the typhoon in a span of a few hours (on the leftmost side of the photo is the location of the church building).

The church building where some members gathered together to seek safety because it was made of concrete. It was not spared by the strong winds, however.

Standing from where the church building is located, the whole City of Ormoc can be seen. On the morning of the typhoon, they witnessed how the whole city turned from an organized city into a devastated place.

Pastor Erly while introducing PBCI team to his church family

He could still barely move his right hand due to an injury he acquired during the onslaught of the typhoon.

That noon right after the church service, we rushed to the port to catch our noon ferry ride to Cebu City. He brought the team there and bid us a safe trip. While we were sitting on the ship waiting for it to leave, we realized we haven't eaten lunch so one of our teammates went out to buy lunch. Just right outside the ship, they saw Pastor Erly walking towards the ship ready to hand us bags of rice, chicken, and oranges. He knew we hadn't eaten lunch and he said he couldn't help but think of us so he bought lunch and went back to hand us our lunch. There we were, stunned at this pastor's thoughtfulness and generosity. None of us ever thought of buying our own lunch, but this pastor, whom we sought to comfort during this time of disaster, showed us a great deal of generosity and compassion. His genuine act of concern and care for the team moved us greatly.

A couple of days later, we were expecting thousands of relief packs from Manila and Cebu. At our new base, the roof was damaged so we had to look for tarps that we can use to cover the goods and protect them from rain. We tried to contact all the pastors from OEDRN to see if they could lead to someone who can lend us some. 

To our amazement, Pastor Erly once again offered a great deal of help. He lent us tarps that we can use to protect the goods. He was planning to give away those plastic tarps to his church members, to be used as temporary shelters. He did not hesitate to lend it to us for a couple of days because he knew it would be very useful.

Those were simple acts of generosity and genuine care, yet this pastor demonstrated to us that those values do not stop flowing even in the midst of disaster. Especially after  a disaster. His faith in God, love for his neighbors, hospitality, and generosity, are effective witness of how one can respond to a disaster. This one life has impacted many others, including mine. I am sure there are many more around us that can give life-changing witnesses. Open our eyes to them. :)

A SERENDIPITOUS JOURNEY

For many months, radical journeyist had no updates! For months I felt like there was really nothing worth writing about on my journey. Or maybe I felt dry. Or maybe I just felt lazy. Recently, however, I was inspired to write again. Here's an update on my serendipitous journey!

On the 8th of November this year, the strongest typhoon ever recorded in world history made a landfall in the Visayas region of the Philippines. We didn't have work that day due to threats of the typhoon, to ensure that everyone in the office will be with their families when the strong typhoon hits the country. Fortunately for us in Manila, the typhoon did not affect us very much. That day, I went out with friends, made new friends, and had a fun windy evening. 

Having fun with new friends in Manila on the evening before the strong typhoon hit Visayas region

The day after the typhoon, I saw news and video footage about the typhoon's effect. At first, I thought it was the same as the effect of typhoon Sendong that hit Northern Mindanao two years ago. I was there with the Disaster Response team in Cagayan de Oro in early 2012. I thought that maybe this time I could be part of a disaster response team again. On one video, I saw a clip where news anchor Ted Failon was helping a young boy pull his father's corpse out of the debris. That scene gripped my heart. I was moved. I cried. I was itched to do something. In my little capacity, I knew I could do more than pray while sitting on my office desk, sending a little amount of money, or volunteer in re-packing goods that will be sent there. 

I saw Peacebuilders Community preparing for a trip there, as they have been tested several times in disaster response in Mindanao. I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to put my Disaster Response training into good use, because I cannot help just sitting and watching videos or reading the news. I have to go there, but I had no means. I asked God to provide for what I would need: budget, physical endurance, emotional strength, and spiritual readiness. I asked the team if I could join them, and they welcomed Peace Church to join, as long as we could have our own budget for the duration of our stay there. Peace Church immediately responded and was willing to send two more people to be part of the disaster response team. The day after, we flew to Cebu and met the PBCI team from Davao... and the journey began.

Fread, Taki, and I had dinner with the Barkmans and Kuya Bryan Paler before we were sent off for this mission that would change our lives forever...

November 12th evening, we arrived in Cebu City and met PBCI team from Davao. We had a short briefing about our roles and the mission of the team on that trip. Everyone knew we only rely on God's guidance getting there and making connections. 

Waiting for our "first ferry ride to Ormoc City" on November 13th

Upon setting foot in Ormoc City, we made a courtesy call with the Local Government Unit Spokesperson and the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Officer. We also tried to contact the evangelical pastors in the city, as we were mandated by the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches to reach out to the pastors and churches in the area. In the first five days, we have been able to gather the pastors and they established the Ormoc Evangelical Disaster Response Network (OEDRN). We recommended to the CSWD a general data system to make a more efficient monitoring of the affected barangays in the city, and a relief distribution system that would also effectively monitor transparent relief distribution. The pastors were also trained with this kind of system, and we have tried to connect the local government and the evangelical network to work together in disaster response efforts throughout the whole city.

During the whole trip, the team recognized the many many lessons and surprises that God unfolds each day. He showed us many things we wouldn't have imagined, and protected us from harm as we humbly followed His direction every step of the way.

Today, I am back in Manila to fulfill my responsibilities as a working citizen. My heart, however, is back there in Visayas, crying, praying, empathizing with the thousands of people affected by the typhoon, and yet another thousands of disaster response workers who sacrifice (big or small) to be able to respond to fellow human beings who are in great need.

The 12-day journey of serendipitous incidences is up for now, but the impact it has carved in my being is lifelong, and would forever be a significant landmark in my life's journey.

I continue to pray for my teammates who are still there, for the pastors and friends I have left behind, and for the many more people who will collaborate to work justly, peacefully, while restoring the dignity of the survivors of the world's strongest typhoon.

God is in Ormoc City. God is in Tacloban City. God is in the Philippines! 

In the next few days, I will write simple stories and lessons I gathered, that maybe, somehow, might inspire others as much as it did to me. 

"My Lord definitely won't reject forever. Although He has caused grief, He will show compassion in measure with His covenant loyalty. He definitely doesn't enjoy affliction, making humans suffer." 

- Lamentations 3:31-33

HINAING

Minsa'y di mabigkas ng bibig, ang sa dibdib ay nag-aalab na damdamin.
Minsa'y di aakalain na ang kirot ay di kayang panatilihin
Maramot ang tadhana sa maralita't dukha
Masalimuot ang pag-asa sa lubhang kaawa awa

Mainam harinawa kung puro ligaya at saya
Ngunit ang lakbayin ay masukal, mapanganib at mahiwaga.
Hindi maabot ng balintanaw ang aking patutunguhan
At minsa'y napapagod, naghahanap ng masisilungan

Isang hangarin sa kasalukuyan ay makatagpo ng manlalakbay
Na ang landas na dinaraanan ay kapwa dalisay
Isang taong sa lakbayin na iyong makakapanayam
At sa patutunguhan, kapwa malinaw ang pananaw.

Minsa'y poot ang nangingibabaw sapagkat may mga kaaway
Mga panlabas na kaanyuan ay tila tupang maamo
Ngunit ang katotohana'y mga osong kumakain ng tao
Walang ibang gagawin kundi ika'y habulin

Birthday-month Blast AND AN EXPLOSION!

Last month, I have been very blessed to celebrate a month-long birthday! I spent my special day with family and friends, and had an awesome celebration with my home church.

My birthday outfit :)

Swimming treat with my Home church family :)

A few days after, I had a surprise party with Peace Church.

Peace Church/EYSA party!

The following day, we had a staff development trip in the office, and I enjoyed a three-day vacation in the beach with a lot of food and fun. On our last day was a delicious treat with my officemates at a fantastic seafood restaurant. On the last day of May, we had a super awesome treat with pizza and fun. Kaye (my officemate whose birthday was a week before mine) and I decided to end the month-long birthday celebration with a treat.

Bonding with office mates and their families :)

Last month was also full of blessing as my eldest sister, Remilyn, finished her Master's degree from the University of the Philippines-Open University.

With my sister :)

A week after that, my older brother finished his Bachelor's Degree in Ministerial Studies from the Word of Life Bible Institute. Mother's Day celebration also fell on the same day as my birthday, I couldn't ask for more!

On my brother's graduation day (missing my other sister and younger brother)

With my brother!

Also part of the blessed month is a time with my bestfriends and some youth leaders from the Mennonite church in Manila. We spent over night at the Barkman residence in Two Serendra. There we celebrated my birthday, updated each other, dreamt together, chatted, and laughed a lot!

A fun-filled overnight experience! 

Because the end of the month was awesome, I thought it's going to be a great welcome for the month of June too. On 31st of May, around 8:15PM, I was chatting with Christina and Ate Kriz at Unit 509 B, Two Serendra. Ate Kriz and I were supposed to go to the mall and shop, but then we chatted a bit, sat down for a while and enjoyed our conversation. Just seconds after we thought we should leave, we heard a loud explosion and felt the whole building shook. I literally felt that the couch I was sitting on bounced. I saw the main door flew open and I glimpsed a flash of red, which I thought was fire. The door flew shut again, and it took us around five seconds to react.

We were shocked and clueless of what happened. Darnell and Cody were in the basement watching a basketball game, and Makai was sound asleep in his room. Christina immediately thought of getting out of the house.  I tried to open the door to figure out what's going on, but I couldn't open it. The pressure from the explosion was too much, and the door frames in the building shifted. We went outside to the balcony but realized we didn't have an emergency way out from the balcony [too bad :( ] Christina was in panic, thinking of Darnell and Cody, and how they were doing in the basement. We were crying out for help, but it seemed that even the guards were shocked and didn't know what to do.

Smoke was coming inside the house through the windows, and I was already coughing and my eyes hurt. I tried to open the door again and it finally did! There were shattered glasses at the door entrance (clueless where they came from), so we remembered to wear shoes before getting out of the house. Christina already got Makai and remembered to wear shoes. I grabbed my bag which I was supposed to bring with me to the mall (luckily with my phone and wallet). Ate Kriz, the analytical thinker, thought of grabbing her laptop bag, and so she got her computer, phone, and wallet.

We ran out of the house, took the stairs, and immediately ran to the basement, where we found Darnell and Cody who had no idea what happened outside. They only heard the loud explosion. Then there was commotion, everybody wondering what happened and the after a few small conversations with people, we decided to stay at Fully Booked, where we could sit down and think of what to do.

After a couple of minutes, we went back to Serendra and some good friends led us to another friend's unit where we could safely spend the night together. Sarah and Steve's hospitality helped us have a good night rest, despite of the trauma and a bunch of people sending text messages and calling us.

In about an hour, the news has already spread on Facebook, Twitter, and TV. My family heard of it on TV news, but I immediately informed them of what happened and how we were doing.

The following day, Saturday, I had to go to work for a meeting, which is also good because I could get clothes from the office (where I live). Telling the story to my officemates also helped me in a way to release the trauma we experienced the previous night.

The Barkmans and Ate Kriz didn't have anything to with them, except what they were wearing. Luckily, friends lent some clothes and they went shopping for some basic needs.

Yesterday (four days after the explosion), they were able to get inside their unit for a couple of minutes to grab everything they wanted from inside the house. The whole building is still restricted, and only a few people could get in, with strict supervision.

So now, I have my computer back with me, and some clothes that I left there when the explosion happened. The Barkmans are doing well and feeling great with the love and care they feel from the people around them. Ate Kriz is working as usual, and all of us are analyzing and realizing the huge difference of what a crisis means to the rich and the poor in this country.

This explosion, though inconvenient and traumatic, has opened doors for ministry and witnessing as followers of Jesus in this high-end part of the country. We hope and pray that in the coming days, we would effectively show the love of Christ, the comfort and peace, as we also struggle in how we would make decisions from day to day.

I am pretty sure that this month, which started with an explosion, would be a blast!

Thanks for the prayers, everyone!

My Faith in You

Not a little sorrow will kick away my joy;
Not a little fear will take away my strength;
Not a little grief will cause me to give up;
Cause all I ever need, is know You cheer me up.

Not a million teardrops will stop me from believing;
Not a thousand criticisms will ever keep me from hoping;
Not a hundred persecutions will drain my faith in You;
Cause it only takes one God, to journey and hold on to.

1 LIFE, LIVE IT WELL (Countdown to 23)

Only one day to go! Last year, I shared about: 1 PRAYER ANSWERED. Today, I could only share about my one life, and how I choose, with all the power I have, to live it well.

1 Life
Living life well is a choice you have to make from day to day. You can choose to do good, or do evil. Hurt people, or love them. Linger in your pains, or move on. In my life, I have messed up a couple times, but I always choose to learn and grow. I may have hurt people along the way, but I choose to ask forgiveness and  to learn to understand what I did to hurt them. I have made so many mistakes, but I choose to learn from them, and try to not make the same kinds of mistakes I did before.

In my life, I have also been hurt and devastated a lot of times, but I choose to become stronger and learn. I choose to give forgiveness, even though it is hard. I have been through many ups and downs and I choose to make the best out of every situation.

In my life, I believe I still have a long journey ahead. I would probably still mess up, make mistakes, and hurt people, but I will use them to learn and to grow.

In my life, I am vulnerable to being even more hurt and devastated, but I will add them to experiences to make me even more stronger, braver, and ready to face any obstacles in my journey.

There is only one life to live, and I choose to make the best out of it. :)

Life is what you make it!

2 LITTLE JOYS

Last year, I wrote about: 2 DREAMS. Today, I have already established a few days ago that I would write about two little boys that give joy. They debrief me when I come back from a stressful trip, they teach so many things in a lot of ways, one of which is how to become a good mom.

Cody
When you ask Cody who his best friend is, he would say, "Ate Reg, best friend!" That was a few months ago, before he turned two. Now that he is growing older, I wouldn't always get the same answer anymore. It is a joy to see him grow before me, and if being an older sister means being there for him to teach him, and to learn with him, I have always loved that idea. But more than the idea, I love learning things with Cody. I appreciate how most of the time, he reminds me how simple life is, and that it depends on us how we make things complicated. He teaches me that we can find joy in everything we do, we can make friends even with the strangest strangers, and that sometimes it is good to cry when you feel bad and that doesn't make you any less of a person. I look forward to watching him grow into a fine young boy someday. :)

Makai
Makai was two months when they came here, so I feel like I literally watched him grow since he was an infant. I watched how he started to crawl, stand, and then walk. I heard his first few sounds, and I am claiming that his first word is "Ate," :) This little cutie is growing before my eyes and I also look forward to discovering what kind of personality he has, though he obviously is a cheerful guy.

These two boys bring me a lot of joy and teach me in a lot of ways :)

3 MENTORS I SPENT THE DAY WITH

Today, I honestly couldn't think of anything to write for number three. Last year, I wrote about: 3 BEST FRIENDS. I spent most of the day with my Barkman family and watched as they did language lessons. Eventually, while they were doing language, I realized I should write about these three people.

Christina
Tina is my mentor in a lot of ways. She inspires me in a lot of ways by the way she is: a great mom, a good friend, and a loving wife. She also shows me that being yourself and defending what you know is right, does not harm. Spending time with her is never without a fruitful reflection afterwards. I love how she triggers my mind into reflecting a lot, especially about my culture, my family, my church, and my work. By Filipino standards, she is an "Ate" that anyone would be thankful for having. And I am blessed to share the same journey with her in this lifetime.

Darnell
A loving husband to Tina, and an awesome dad to their two sons, Cody and Makai. Darnell is my pastor and mentor. I get more interested reading heavy stuff on theology when I know he has an easier-to-understand explanation. He's a "Kuya" that's pretty much my own brother in a lot of ways. I am so blessed to be on the same journey with him, learning a lot of things from him that shape who I am today and who I will become as a leader, and as a follower of Christ.

Bryan
Kuya Bryan's passion in serving the community inspires me to become more passionate in what I do. His dreams and desires for his community, and what he currently does to address his community's needs are some things I always see as an example. It is a blessing for me to have met him on this journey.

4 THINGS I DISLIKE THE MOST (Countdown to 23)

Yesterday, I shared you five things I love doing. Today I am going to share about four things I dislike the most! If you want to see what I posted last year, here it is: 4 FAVORITE FOOD AND DRINKS (Countdown to 22)

Greed
Greed is the inordinate desire to possess wealth, goods, or objects of abstract value with the intention to keep it for one's self, far beyond the dictates of basic survival and comfort. 

I do not like greed and what it does to the human heart. I do not like how greed transforms humans into monsters that attack other human beings for the sake of their desire - mostly for power, money, and attention. I dislike greed and how it dictates the lives of people, how it destroys harmony in relationships, and how it wrecks God's wonderful creation. 

Injustice 
Lack of fairness or justice; An unjust act or occurrence.

I do not like injustice simply because I hate it when people are treated unfairly. I have been, and am still experiencing small acts of injustice from time to time, and I do not like how it makes me feel. I hate it even more, when I imagine how many people suffer injustice because of some other people's greed. They are interconnected. And I do not like it.


Apathy
Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference; Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness.

It makes me feel bad when other people seem to not care about others. It's worse when they see people in poor situations but they tend to ignore them just because they cannot relate to how they feel. Somehow, I still can't get it. I still can't imagine how apathy could be possible to the human heart.


Foolishness
resulting from or showing a lack of sense; ill-considered; unwise:a foolish action, a foolish speech; lacking forethought or caution; trifling, insignificant, or paltry.

Foolishness annoys me. I do not like it and I do not like how foolishness can actually cause a lot of trouble and chaos. I hate how foolishness makes a person do something that can have a great impact on other people, yet not doing precautionary measures.


Put all these four together, it causes chaos, disorder,...war. These are things we deal with from day to day, in small scale or large-scale. These four things can ruin relationships, harmony, and order. I deal with these all the time, and I struggle in trying to keep them away from my system. It is not easy. 

5 THINGS I LOVE DOING (Countdown to 23)

Last year, I shared about five countries I dream visiting. Here is the link: 5 Dream Countries (Countdown to 22). Today, we're down to five and I'm sharing five things I love doing and why.

Reading
Reading takes me  to places. Reading challenges my imagination. Reading relaxes my mind. And when I am tired, reading makes me fall asleep fast. I enjoy reading novels especially when I travel, because they're light readings that surely trickle the imagination. I love reading books about theology, peacebuilding, and other dense stuff when I am alone at the office or at home, concentrating. I am not a bookworm nor a book addict. I just love reading because it reminds me that my mind is working, and it also shows me windows to other people's imaginations that is incomparable to when you only talk to them.

Writing
Though I love reading, I love writing more. If reading shows me windows to other people's imaginations, writing makes me imagine, swim beyond the visible, the real, and the immediate. Writing is my addiction. I write mostly to reflect, and my best written pieces were created during times I am at a height of a certain emotion. Writing is an extension of my being. It is how I express. I do not write to impress other people, as I know for sure not a lot of people read my blog in the first place. :) Writing relieves me from depression. It is also one of my biggest challenges, though. Writing depends on my mood but when I need to write and my mind does not cooperate, it reminds me that my whole body is not in harmony, so I have to deal with myself first. I write so many things for people to see, but I believe that my best written reflections are those only my eyes can read.

Reflecting
Yes, I write most of my reflections but sometimes I love spending time reflecting without writing. Reflecting, for me, is an art. It is the art of detaching yourself from your body and reflecting on what you have done, what you have said, or what just occurred to you. When I become emotional, I tend to reflect. I reflect on what has been done to me, what has been said to me, and what I just made happen. Reflecting makes me realize the mistakes I do, and the extraordinary good things I can do. Reflecting also allows me to understand people who may have offended me, or people that I offend in some ways. Reflecting is my way of trying to maintain the balance between good and evil, justice and injustice, sanity and insanity, and chaos and peace within me. When I spend many hours on the road traveling, I reflect a lot.

Eating
Oh how I love eating! Somehow, it creates a sense of excitement that I cannot explain. When I eat, especially natural produce, I feel connected to the world. When I eat alone, I savor the taste and texture of the food while chewing it until I digest it. When I eat with someone else, I enjoy the moment of sharing the life-giving substance we are all enjoying! Every time I eat, I am reminded that I am blessed for what is before me. My only problem is that, I tend to overeat. So right now, I need to work on controlling my appetite in consuming a life-giving nutrition over weight-gaining satisfactions.

Traveling
Aside from going places through reading, I literally love going to different places! I've traveled by land, by sea, and by air, and all of them just make me enjoy looking at and feeling the world. Every time I travel, I always get affirmed that this world is our home, and that God has created everything beautiful. He has created everything for everybody, and we need not fight over what's for us.
Traveling makes me realize so many things: that I am limited, my experiences are limited, and going to different places and meeting different people are ways for me to learn more; that living life to the fullest requires recognizing and acknowledging what you have, and be contented with it, and share it to others; and that there are many things in life that are free, like love, joy, excitement, companion, and goodwill.
Traveling has opened my eyes to see so many things, and it continues to do so.

6 LIVES THAT INSPIRE ME (cont'd... Countdown to 23)

Today, I'll continue talking about lives that inspire me! If yesterday I talked about the team we visited who are on their discipleship training, I'll talk about the other team today. here are six lives that also serve as my inspiration wherever I go...

Nimrod
He is the current youth president at church. He proves to be growing and transforming into a great leader. His own skills and passion inspire many. Though he is younger than me, he shows maturity in a lot of ways, and a willingness to learn and to grow.

Arwin
Arwin, also known as "Toto" is one of the promising young leaders. He exemplifies a life of simplicity, love, and joy. He shows genuine concern to others, and initiative in his duties. He has a long journey ahead, and I'm pretty sure he is also being shaped into becoming a good and great leader.

Glydel
This pretty lady is transforming into a beautiful, strong, kind-hearted woman. Her journey in life is tough, and she manages to tough it out. However, one of the things she also learns is how be gentle in every situation. She has a passion that no one can take away from her.

Thea
A playful girl, very talented and gifted. She is a promising gentle person that creates conversations instantly and make friends with anybody easily. Her cheerful attitude somehow hides the serious journey she has in life.

Randy
A handsome gentleman with a handsome attitude and a gentle heart. He has a passion in serving and leading. His dreams for himself and for his community are great, and everybody knows he has the capacity to achieve his goals in life.

Maan
Her quiet personality somehow shouts out a great power inside her. She has a great potential and her gifts are unique. She has a promising future as a mentor and leader to the ones following her.

These lives inspire me. This community reminds me that shared-power is possible. They are a symbol of faith, of answered prayer, and of  loving community that can never be taken away from me. We love each other and we journey together sharing our faith with transparency, mutual learning and accountability, trust, and confidence with each other.

To check out last year's number 6, here it is: 6 MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY (Countdown to 22)

7 LIVES THAT INSPIRE ME (Countdown to 23)

When I was young, our church used to have a youth discipleship training during the summer where the trainees also experience immersing in different communities and living with different families. I attended this training when I was 18 and until now, I consider it one of my first few steps towards the kind of mission work I am doing right now. Wherever I am and whatever I do, I always look back to the days we had a discipleship training where we also learned to build relationships with people, serve in humility, and become disciplined and responsible leaders. That training we had in 2008 was the last, and this year it was revived. Most of our youth went through the training, and they are now deployed to different areas. This afternoon, we visited one of the teams, and it was special to be able to share with them and hear how God is calling them. But before I share to you the seven people in the team we visited, here is what I wrote last year for my number 7: 7 EXCITING ADVENTURES (Countdown to 22)

Loriecell

She is one of the newest members of our youth, and she is the only person in her family who attends the church. She cries whenever she shares how her cousins make fun of her. She has an extreme love for her family, especially for her mom. It was special for me to get to know her and learn from her own experiences in life. Today, she shared to us that she feels that somehow, her cousins who used to make fun of her, are now also interested in going to church because they saw how happy she is being with the church and serving and learning. She has a long road ahead of her journey, and it is my pleasure to be her ate, learning with her.

Judith

She is one of the kids when I was younger, and I saw how she transformed into a beautiful lady. She has a very supportive family, and she wants to explore teaching now because she realized she has passion for children and a heart in serving. It is especially awesome to be with her and to share the same journey with her.

Rio

My bestfriend. We grew up together and shared our journey together while growing up. We've seen the worst of each other and we've been through the toughest times, but we still chose to be friends. We've seen the best of each other and we choose to uplift each other every time. It is special to hear her share about her journey and how she feels that God is leading her into another challenge, as she just finished her Bachelor's degree. We still have a long way to share our friendship. :)

Eben

My brother and bestfriend. He is on a stage where he is still figuring out what God wants him to do at the moment. What he is sure of is that he wants to serve. Wherever God leads him, we are just right beside him to support. It is a blessing that we are journeying together as biological and spiritual brothers. It is priceless.

Emmanuel

Three years ago, he was a new youth member who just wants to play the guitar. He is a gifted musician and has a big heart in serving others and sharing the gospel. Right now, he is one of the most responsible youth leaders who dreams of continually serving God and the community through the tons of gifts he has.

Emman with his girlfriend, ate Leah

Archie 

A young, smiling person who has a serious journey in life. His warm heart and noble attitude will bring him a long way. It is awesome to witness how he is slowly transforming from an apathetic kid to an appreciative young leader. 

Marklex 

One of the coolest brothers and matured in his own way. He is also sweet and caring, and loves sharing stories. I love learning with him and watching him grow as a responsible and disciplined leader.

These are seven of the many people who are part of my journey. This is my church. They keep me alive and remind me to keep going. They affirm my existence and encourage me when I'm distressed. I love these people, and I wouldn't get tired listening to them when they share their stories. I wouldn't get tired sharing them my own stories as well. :)

8 NEW PROVINCES IN A YEAR (Countdown to 23)

Because this journeyist is a traveler, I'm sharing you today 8 new provinces I visited in a year! It is a blessing for me to have gone to new places for my work, because I get to explore more, learn more, and see more of what is in our country. I used to do a lot of traveling around Luzon and Mindanao, and until now, I still get awed by the beauty I see in the new places I visit. These new provinces are all work-related travels, but still the joy of absorbing their richness lies within me. If you want to see first what I wrote last year, here it is: 8 People Who Influenced Me (Countdown to 22)

Ifugao
During my first week at work, I got to travel to one of the most beautiful provinces in the country, Ifugao. It lies within the Cordillera mountains, and it is filled with awesome rice terraces that continues to amaze me every time I see them.

Agusan
I get to travel alone to the City of Butuan, and I was first afraid to be in a new city, on my own. God never lets me alone, though, because I still enjoyed exploring around the city and seeing its beauty. Now that I've been there a couple of times, I still won't forget the first time I went there on my own. A gentle and mighty hand guided and protected me when I was there.

Surigao del Sur
I traveled to a small town in this province for a training, and heard their stories, got to know awesome people, and savored the beauty of its rich nature. The beach and the mountains are awesome!

Leyte
Flew to Leyte, and then had to travel two hours by land to Samar. It was good to drive around Tacloban, Leyte. I know I'm going back there someday to enjoy more of its richness but for now, seeing it is enough to know it's got a lot of surprises in store for me!

Samar
I crossed San Juanico bridge, the longest bridge in the country, to get here from Leyte. It was a precious experience to have one of our psychosocial healing workshops there, to get to drink by the beach, and enjoy loads of crabs, shrimps, and lansones! I'll definitely get back here!

Sorsogon
Traveled here by land for around 12 hours, and it was soooo tiring! The following day, I got to visit the beach and all the tiresome memories of the travel were washed away.

Camarines Sur
The place of surprises! I came here for meetings, and it was special to get to reunite with my college friend who is from here. Her parents took me to the Camarines Sur Water Sports Complex, and I had some time hanging out at her house. It was special as we reminisce some memories together, and catch up with each other, and get to know her family :)

Mindoro Oriental
This was one of the provinces I always wanted to visit. I came here for a meeting that lasted for only a day. My total travel time was longer than the meeting, but it was all worth it. The small town I visited was so peaceful and rich, and I'll get to travel here more often in the next few months.

9 EXCITING THINGS I DID IN A YEAR (Countdown to 23)

Today, I honestly cannot think of "nine" things I could share for the day, so I thought I'll let you know nine things that I think are exciting breakthroughs for me on my 22nd year. But first, if you want to see my post last year, check this out: 9 Favorite Places (Countdown to 22)

EYSA Journey
Right after I turned 22, I was invited to join the journey of the Evangelical Youth for Social Action, a group of young people seeking to follow Christ through serving their communities in various ways. I am so blessed to be part of their journey and to learn from each  one of the members. I look forward to having more meaningful moments of sharing and learning together with this group of Christian activists. :)

IMC tour
Right after I jumped on the journey of EYSA, I also got a chance to tour the Integrated Mennonite Churches (IMC) congregations all over Luzon. I embarked on the journey with the Barkman family, introducing them to all the IMC leaders and members, and it was one of the precious moments I could remember I did in my entire 22 year-old life. It was a journey of cross-cultural learning, sharing, and appreciation.

Peace Church journey
Even a few years ago, the IMC had a vision of planting a church in Manila. When the Barkmans came, I knew I would be part of the Peace Church journey right from the start! And yes, we are still on a journey, enjoying every moment of learning, sharing, hurting, and loving together as a community. We've got a long exciting journey ahead still.

Sulong CARHRIHL journey
And because my 22nd year was really full of exciting beginnings, it was also around the same time that I started my journey with Sulong CARHRIHL, the NGO I work with right now. Together, we journey towards exploring ways how we could advance just and lasting peace in this country. It is not an easy journey, which makes it all the more exciting, fun-filled, and experience-enriching. I am so blessed to be working with the people I am working with right now, and I am much more blessed with what we are doing together and how we are doing it.

Counseling seminar
I don't exactly know why my office had me attend a Basic Counseling Seminar, but I'm pretty sure so excited about it and I did learn a lot. It was one of the most precious moments for me that I know is just a beginning of more exciting days ahead of my journey. I haven't really applied what I learned in counseling, but it won't all go to waste.

Psychosocial Healing Workshops
As if really trying to convince me, I was also assigned to document a series of Creative Psychosocial Healing Workshops with Women in Post-Conflict Communities. While documenting, I also got to join some of the activities and learned from them. I also discovered the creative side of me in an all-new different way! What this experience had to do with my journey ahead, I still have to find out. :)

My masterpiece, while joining the participants in painting their vision for their community. 

Coffee for Peace
Coffee has always been my love. Coffee for Peace taught me how to love the coffee farmers and value coffee for what it's worth. Now that I'm in a new journey in the City, it is always a special opportunity to get to share about coffee for peace, fair trade, and coffee farming. It is like a part of me now, and we're inseparable. What it has to do with my journey ahead too, we'll see as day to day unfolds.

Tour guiding
As I earlier mentioned, I traveled with the Barkmans to introduce them to the IMC churches earlier. When 2013 came, I also had a chance to take my Canadian friend (who works in South Korea), to a tour all over Manila. She challenged me to make her love Manila because she always sees in the internet that the recommended tourist destinations are always outside Manila. I took her to a Shoe Museum, to Intramuros, to an urban-poor community, and to an elite community. After a few days of tour-guiding, we both agreed that what makes a place special is not just the place itself, but the people in it who are close to your heart. The place you would always love is the place where people close to your heart live. And that is so true for me.

Reunions
Well, that tour-guiding is a reunion with a friend I met in 2011 when I went to South Korea. It is special to catch up and to take her around Manila. I also love how small get-together with old-time friends make me feel special and make me value my memories with them. I got to reunite with college friends, update each other, and reminisce about our good old days in the past few months. I also got to travel to two provinces where my two college friends are from. One of them was recently  when I went to Naga City, my friend is there and she took me to a tour and a nice visit to her house. It is a blessing to reunite with special people from years ago and to still get connected with each other.

A reunion with my college friend at her home town :)