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.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
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. :)
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! |
Friday, May 10, 2013
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.
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 :) |
Thursday, May 9, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
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.
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.
Monday, May 6, 2013
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)
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)
Sunday, May 5, 2013
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. :)
Friday, May 3, 2013
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.
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. :)
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.
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 :) |
Thursday, May 2, 2013
10 PEOPLE I WORK WITH (Countdown to 23)
Last year, I started a Countdown series, and I want to keep
it as my tradition as much as I can. I share as much facts about me and my
journey, every single day, ten days before my birthday. Now that I’m turning
23, you can jump in and share the joy of discovering facts about me that I only
get to share during my countdown series. J To start with, 10 days before my birthday, here are
ten people I work with everyday.
To see last year's post, check this out (10 Challenges (Countdown to 22))
To see last year's post, check this out (10 Challenges (Countdown to 22))
Ate Jovy – my big boss. She is a warm-hearted being with such
passion and dedication to what she is doing. A generous person, bubbly spirit,
and gentle woman. Behind that, she is also one tough person who could go
through any challenge she faces.
Ate Ana - our finance officer. One of a kind, fun-loving, and
awesome person. She carries her own unique gut and sense of humor, plus a
generous and trusting aura that all of us love about her.
Ate Nery - our admin officer. She knows when to try to make us
laugh. She sees the funny side of things and goes about her tasks easily and
carefree. She loves to feed us and give a little something for someone most
of the time. We love when she gives us
free tickets to basketball games!
(Bossing) Wilbert - weird. That’s my first impression of him, and he
continues to be. One person from whom you could feel genuine care and respect.
No pretentions, no long discussions. Keep it short and simple, I think, is his
favorite act (not just saying). Makes all of us laugh, and makes us annoyed. He
is one unique person I learn a lot from.
Kuya Raymond - the jolly, bubbly little guy from whom you would
feel so much respect too. He goes about his own ways and you know he has a goal
in life. He loves his family and gives importance to the people he loves. Knows
how to fit in, and knows when he should be on his own. A giant heart trapped in
a little body.
Kuya Wilson - a gentle and humble spirit I always learn from. His
wisdom, actions, and speech are things I admire about him, and I choose to be
my examples. One of the people I can identify with, whose got a power within
him that no one can take away.
Kaye - twin sister. We look so different and have so many
differences, and yet in so many ways we also have similarities. She’s got a
passion burning within her, and no one can stop it. She has a heart to serve
people, and she finds her own ways to release it.
Sir Rod - the comedian. Never a dull day when he is around. He
knows how to make fun of things, especially
how to annoy his wife, Ate Ana. He shows dedication in what he does, and
determination to finish his tasks.
Kuya Ariel - the transporter. Ask him anything about driving and
he knows it. He brings us to places. He knows what he does and he does it his
own way.
Pionel - the chef. He feeds us day to day, with food and so
much laughter. He knows how to give light to heavy situations, and tries his
best, in his own way, to make people happy. A person in a journey the same way
as I am. Someone who’s got a long road ahead.
These are the ten people I work with. We see each other everyday (when I'm not traveling). We have our own share of similarities and differences, and that's what makes this work exciting, and my journey worth walking. These are the people that remind me that there's a lot of goodness in the world, and that wherever God leads us on our journey, the most important thing is how we get the best and learn the best things from the people we encounter. I love this family like no other!
 |
| And this is how we normally bond... :) I can't find any more photos of us without food! HAHA |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)