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))

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

DE-BRIEF

This is a debrief.
My debrief, and mostly, rants. I don't do this often.

I have been longing for debrief every time I finish a task, or whenever I get back from my travels from the field. You know, I long for someone who will listen to my stories. Someone who will sit there for hours and listen to me. I long to release my emotions, my frustrations, and my expectations. I long to share my joys of achieving, and my sadness in failures. I long to just talk on and on, and the person I am talking to will not interfere, will not interrupt, and will not judge me. I long for a listener, not a critic. I long for a listener, not a storyteller (someone who will listen to you shortly, and then talk a lot more about their own experiences related to yours). I long for someone who will ask how I feel, how I am doing, and just simple questions that would make me feel I am being heard. I long to feel that someone understands me - COMPLETELY; what I am going through, and how I am doing. That. I long for that.

I miss the times when the workplace enables you to do that. But now, I am beginning to feel intensely that I am in a totally new environment. I am moving in a totally different space, and somehow, I still feel alienated. Alienated from the world I am moving in. Somehow, I find it difficult to find my place in this space so vast, and yet everything around me is strange. I find it difficult to express who I really am when everyone around me sees me strange.

I haven't written for a long time because I didn't know what to write about. There are times I feel like losing the point and meaning of everything I am doing. Sometimes, I feel like dropping  everything, and listening to myself first, because no one listens to me. Sometimes, I have to think of creative ways to keep my sanity. I knew what I am doing, why I am where I am now, and why I am doing all these. But it is difficult when all the negative energies around you strike you, leaving you feeling weak and helpless. And yet, you know you can stand up, you can jump over huge obstacles, and reach your destination. I know just that. Many people see me as a strong person, and that is exactly why sometimes I feel so weak, so helpless, and so frustrated. Because no one would believe I am going through a tough time because no one listens either. And when someone listens, they would tell you that you can go through that, that life has its way of teaching you and showing you things you need to learn. I know just that. I know there's a purpose far deeper than what I can see, and far more meaningful than what I can comprehend at this moment. There's a reason for all these, and I just need to hang in there and absorb all the lessons I need to learn, savor the sweetness of every moment, because at the end of the journey, it will all be worth it. Yeah, thanks for my advice.

I appreciate people now that listen to me. People I know are real friends and people I can count on. They keep me strong and going.

Well, this is part of the journey of the radical journeyist.

A photo of my recent travel with the tribes in Kalinga province, Northern Luzon... These women, and their strength and inspiring stories are now part of my journey. It was a joy and a blessing to encounter them.

LOVE. LANGUAGE.

This reflection was written on February 1, 2012 while I was immersed in a totally different culture, with a totally different language from mine. I lived in a province in Northern Mindanao, and my frustration to understand people and to be understood, was so deep. I visited people who were directly affected by strong typhoon. I asked their experiences, but I saw how hard it was for them to express using my language. They express their feelings using their own language, but it made me feel frustrated and depressed because I couldn't understand them. At the end of the day, what's important was that my presence made them feel a sense of comfort, support, and love. Their sincerity gave me a sense of hope, courage, and love. And that's all that mattered. Such is the magic of love that can transcend languages.
I just saw this again today and thought I could share it with you. 

It has always been important for me to communicate well. Now that I am in this city where they are deeply rooted in their Cebuano language, I feel that my “Tagalog pride” is being humiliated. This is a very humiliating experience. Anyway, it is hard not to understand what they express, and it is harder to express but they cannot understand you.

I am a fan of language. Language of the heart, as I often call it, is very important when one expresses his/her own feelings. It is through one’s own language that the real feeling is expressed. Otherwise, the expression can only be considered as artificial.

Artificial expression is what you call it when one tries to express his/her feelings using words that he/she is not used to. Using English language to express my own feelings is hard enough. When I am in pain, in so much joy, confusion, or trouble, I use my own language to express it.

When someone here tries to share their personal stories, we would always be caught up in a situation when we will just both stop because that person will begin to express his own language which I do not understand. Meanwhile, when I also try to express myself, I tend to use my language so deep that it becomes very hard for them to understand. Such is the game of language. As such is the game of love. It is incomprehensible. It is incomparable. 

EVEN WHEN IT HURTS (Welcoming 2013)

Today, a friend posted a song entitled "Steady my Heart" by Kari Jobe. It is a song I've heard before, but its meaning sank in to me just when I heard it again today. At the bottom of this entry, you can hear that song. I can just totally relate to its message at the moment. The past few days have been terribly exciting, challenging, and full of hope.

The beginning of the year 2013 proved that this is going to be a thrilling year for me. I had a Canadian friend living in South Korea who came here to visit and have a tour of Metro Manila. I took her around the city, both in the slums and in the high-end areas. I even took her to places I haven't been to, and we both learned to appreciate Metro Manila even if no one would recommend for tourists to stay here. Most of the time, if you ask people which are the nicest places to go, they would tell you of so many places around the Philippines (outside Manila). Now we both learned that what makes a place special is not just what is in it, but WHO are in it. What makes a place special is the people that you meet and journey with while you are there. :)

Meanwhile, on that same week, a friend of mine passed away unexpectedly. He had a sudden heart attack and I was just shocked hearing that news. It gave a pinch of pain to know we can no longer meet, but I was happy that during his lifetime, we shared our stories together, and his journey is one of inspiration.

A tribute to a good friend.

I have been going home every weekend for the past three weeks, and it gave me a lot of special times with my family (New Year, My sister's birthday, and then my grandfather's birthday). Being home on Sundays also gave me a chance to get to know the new youth members at our church better. Being with the younger ones inspire me to learn more in life, so that I could share with them my experiences. Seeing how they journey, and hearing tons of questions from them excites me to share my experiences as a missionary and follower of Christ, and about life in general. These young people inspire me in so many ways they do not know, and I could never explain. Their lives are testimonies of God's faithfulness to His children, and God's answers to prayers. Their hunger for learning ignites my passion for teaching. Their thirst for wisdom challenges my own diligence in learning. I love everyone of them that adds to my church family. Our prayer for this year is for our concert on December that I will be coordinating. I pray that everything will turn out just fine, and that God will use the right people to carry out the tasks that needed to be done.

My family..that inspires me wherever I go. 

My best friends... it used to be just the four of us as youth at our church.
We are very blessed for the many  who God led to join our journey 

At work, everything is going fine. I thought that this quarter would be more relaxing, but that thought didn't stay long because I found out I needed to do a lot more stuff that aren't in my original plans. I will be traveling again in the next few weeks, and will be coordinating events. Our work plan for the entire year is also set, and that involves a lot of traveling, researching, training, documenting, and learning for me. :) I am up for every bit of challenge.

Personally, I still pray for my studies even if there aren't any immediate opportunities, and I guess my busy schedule will not yet permit. But I do pray that someday, God will lead me to the right opportunities and provide for my every need so that I would be able to study for a Master's degree that I can use for whatever He plans for me to do in the future.

Meanwhile, here is a prayer from my heart:



I whisper a prayer from deep inside my heart...
For if You will, it MUST be. 
If not, then let me be:
Obedient to Your plans,
Diligent to my tasks
Forgiving to everyone,
And loving to even my enemies.

There are things that can't be spoken
But the heart cries loud and clear
Lord, if You hear what my heart is desiring
You will answer to my plea.

-rj

This is Kari jobe's song, Steady My Heart

OF PAINS AND TEARS, AND JOY

And my journey continues...

It's been a while since my last update. It means I have been very busy with my journey and it is only tonight that I got a chance to just sit down, reflect, and review the past few months.

My journey has been going through ups and downs, rough and smooth, joy and tears. Things just happen unpredictably and I love how exciting they actually go. I have been VERY BUSY traveling around and doing a lot of things for work to deliver my work demands. Those are very exciting and new experiences, so there was so much joy and fun. I met new people and witnessed awesome stories of inspiration. I am getting more adjusted to the nature of my work, my work environment, and my work mates. Those are the ups, and I think you can easily imagine it. WORK as you were CALLED. I knew beforehand that this is exactly where God has called me to work, and everything is just perfect.

So, there goes the downs too... things that are painful, and will bring you to tears along the way... Recent experiences just taught me very important lessons.

What I realized is that, even if you open your eyes to understand each one better, not all of them would treat you back the same. Because most of the time, people judge you based on their own experiences and culture. So, if their experiences are pretty much limited, and yours is a little bit broad, they'll end up judging with the limitations they have. No blame to those people, but now I know I need to be more aware and self-conscious. I just had to learn it the painful way. That's the stubborn love of God... You learn things harder when they're worth remembering well :)

I also feel so bad about the victims of the recent typhoon that hit my country. Many of the victims were also victims of last year's typhoon and haven't fully recovered yet. I wonder how much trauma the children experienced.... I pray for YHWH's mercy for my country.

And my journey will still continue... this is just a brief summary of what I've been up to lately. Or, what my journey had for me lately :)

Peace!

And here's another interesting update! Just recently experimented on agreeing to pose for advertising a weekly theological talk at a seminary. It was fun and exciting, and the first tryout shoot turned well :P (says the photographer). I don't know if I'll pick modelling as a career, though. I love eating!

ON CONSUMERISM

Living in the city where you are offered every good thing everyone would want to have is a big challenge. One, with the meager resources that I have, it is impossible to acquire every single thing my eyes would desire. Two, at the end of the day, what really matters is only the things you NEED, not all the things you WANT.

I grew up in a simple family with a very simple lifestyle. My parents would make sure we only spend what fits on our "budget" - a very tight budget for our whole family. Being raised that way makes me appreciate the things I have, and it made me be contented with what I already have, not craving for something that looks better, or costs higher, when I already own something that serves the same purpose. That made me live with the principle, "if you can live without it, you don't need to die for it."

Right now, I live in an environment where consumerism bugs me all the time. There are offers on buying things I don't necessarily need, or desiring things I can actually live without. There is also one culture of consumerism that begins to annoy me. There is a trend (at least among people my age), of treating your friends out for dinner or snack. Usually, my friends would do that. At first, I liked it because then I get to save a bit on my budget. However, they get back on you sometimes by forcing you to treat them with some things that costs even more than the amount they gave you for free. It keeps on happening and I am totally hating that fact.

Why? Of course there is nothing wrong in treating your friends. But sometimes it just becomes dragging when you are forced to spend money on things that would sacrifice your budget for your savings, or on my case my budget for some other things like helping out with ministry activities.

There is completely nothing wrong with the idea of buying the things you want, as long as you can afford it. But right now I am disliking the fact that people sometimes (consciously or unconsciously) force you to spend money on things you don't actually plan to spend on.

Personally, I have very strict rules on budgeting. Not that I am thrifty, I actually love treating people! But I want to make sure that I save a bulk of my budget for meaningful things. It becomes hard when people around you gets you out of control.

Truly, this is just a minor issue, but this is a big part of the challenge that I know God is putting me to test. May the Lord give me strength as I endure the temptations of consumerism around me.

I need prayers for more strength on this matter.

WHEN THE JOURNEY GETS TOUGH, THE RADICAL JOURNEYIST CONTINUES PRAYING

I feel like it's been a while since I last updated you about my journey. Or probably, a lot has just happened that I feel so overwhelmed at this moment. I should recall that a few months ago, I shared about the beginning of my journey with several people: the Peace Church, the Evangelical Youth for Social Action, my Barkman family, and I haven't told you yet about my new job (for almost four months now), with a very welcoming NGO called Sulong CARHRIHL. I am in a roller coaster of emotions the past month, and the only energy that sustains me is that coming from the Great Comforter.

The past month has been busy both for my work and my ministry. During the first week of the month, Peace Church started gathering its first community members as we learn and share together with our visitors -Dr. Jack and his wife, Irene Suderman. We learned about the 96 Images of the Church in the New Testament. We shared various dreams, experiences, and hopes for a church that will be a presence of Jesus in this conflicted society. We also organized two different lectures on the "Gospel of Peace and Social Transformation," and "A Biblical Survey of Peace and the Gospel," in partnership with the Asian Theological Seminary.

Meanwhile, September is also celebrated as the National Peace Consciousness Month. Therefore, working in an organization that promotes peace means that this month is a busy month. We organized several activities, and I even traveled to Mindanao for a week to conduct activities that are in line with the peace month and the UN declared International Day of Peace (September 21). I went to Davao City to speak on a School Forum about the "Youth as Catalysts of an Inclusive Peace." I also traveled to North Cotabato for the launching of a CARHRIHL Monitoring team in the Municipality of Makilala. CARHRIHL, I must say, stands for Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

So, work-wise and ministry-wise, the past month has been busy and exhausting for me. Behind the exhaustion, however, is the inner joy I felt with the new learning experiences, new people I met, new places I visited, new food I tasted, and most especially, my reunion with old friends and family at Peacebuilders Community and Coffee for Peace. It was such a blessing to be able to reunite with the people I used to work with.

Anyway, this month was supposed to be a more relaxing month, but I was proven wrong. October is celebrated as the National Indigenous People's Month. So, next week I'll be traveling again to celebrate the IP festival with different Indigenous People groups. It gives me so much excitement and thrill to once again listen to the journeys of our IP brothers and sisters. After that, I'd still have to travel to several other places until the end of the month.

I also anticipate another Peace Church gathering by the end of the month. We just had our first  "service" last Sunday, and it was a blessing to be able to reflect on the Scripture as a community where everyone is free to share insights and reflections.

Lately, I've also been going through journeys of the people I grew up with. I was able to reunite and share with someone I used to see as a mentor- and to hear his journey, and to hear stories of conflict in the church I grew up in... helped me realize that the people who have once been part of my journey, would always be part of me, no matter how long we do not see each other. Every person I share my life and journey with, would always have an impact on me. And that alone, makes me appreciate more the people that I am currently journeying with.

When everything gets tough, there a few important things a journeyist must NEVER forget: to kneel down and pray, and to share your journey with someone. Now my greatest realization is that, a radical journeyist's guide to a fulfilling journey, is PEOPLE. When my journey gets tough, it's the people around me, and their prayers...that keeps me going!