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.