When It's All Been Said And Done (Part Three)

Whew!! At last, I’m down to the last part of the Caticlan Mission and Boracay Escapade blog series. Actually, on this part, I would like to be more personal. (As if was not in Part 1 and 2, Hehehe…) I must reflect on certain things that made a great impact not only to me but also to my friends/co-missionaries.

It was early in the morning, when we left Caticlan and rode a motorboat which has a capacity of 30-40 passengers. (Wow! Grabe na yung lahat kami nagkasya, eh 45 kami nun. Kulang na lang katabi na ng mga mukha namin yung motor sa likod ng bangka. Kaya naisip nalang naming na tumahimik at mag-picture-ran.)

Si Gospel, Ako at Steff. Habang nasa isang maingay na bangka. Hehehe...

Si Gospel na malungkot, Ako na inaantok pa, si Sam nanagugutom at inaantok all at the same time. Hehehe..

When we arrived in Boracay, we all felt like pampering ourselves. Sleeping, shopping at D-Mall (Tiangge na paulit-ulit at parang iisang lang ang may-ari.), eating ice cream, and even watching beautiful, alluring and tempting bodies of foreigners. Of course, what do you expect, it’s Boracay, and I think everyone needs a great and sumptuous showcase (Kahit wala namang dapat ipakita). There are many beautiful women especially foreigners (Dahil sila lang naman ang may lakas ng loob.) in skimpy bathing suits. (Mga two-piece na parang gawa lang sa limampung sinulid. Mga bathing suits na pang-panyo lang ng bata ang size.) Here's a shot while observing them:

Si Gospel na puno ng buhangin ang katawan, si Mawhi na pumuputi pag bumibilad sa araw, si Steff na napaka-sexy at may balak na i-tumba nag mga sexy foreigners dun at Ako na inaantok pa rin. Hehehe...

Si Gospel, Mawhi, Ako at Yen na may sumbreron na ang hirap hanapin at tawaran... Hehehe...

Si Gospel, Mawhi, Ako, Sam na hindi namin alm kung saan galing basta na lang sumulpot, at si Yen at ang kanyang mahiwagang sumbrero. Hehehe...

Then, we enjoyed sharing our different stories and memories that we had during the Medical and Dental Mission. Gospel shared the funny experience he had during the circumcision sessions. Steff and Mawhi shared the little yet juicy discussions that we had together with the Dental Team. Yen shared about his new friend, Darius. We were surprised when Yen talked about Darius. It’s because we didn’t expect that for that short period, Yen and Darius bonded as if they have known each other for so long. We enjoyed how Darius showed his thoughtfulness to Yen; that even before we go back to Manila, he brought Yen a bunch of ‘sineguelas’ as his pa-baon. Then, we also prayed for him before we left Caticlan.

The last night before we go home was one of the best parts in this trip. It’s when after being refreshed through a good shower. Steff, Gospel, Mawhi, Yen, Phillip and I, after having a good dinner, decided to walk and explore the night life in Boracay. But Yen and Phillip had their henna tattoo done first so we let them go ahead of us. Mawhi fixed her things. So Steff, Gospel and I went to a shop and talked about our personal stories. Steff opened the talk with ‘love life’ as the topic. (Kamusta naman ang mag-usap sa tabi ng dagat habang umiinom ng nakakangilong shake?! Hehehe..) Then Gospel, continued the discussion. He revealed his ‘crush’ to us. I was shocked to hear him talk about his ‘crush’ because unfortunately, I’m very close to her. (As in. Hehehe…) In fact, he even told us that he has plans of courting her. (Tama ba namang, pangunahan ko na?! Hehehe…) Then, both of them looked at me with eyes forcing me to share mine. I hesitated at first. I’m not used to share that aspect of my life. It’s not that I’m being unfair to them. It’s just that I’m not comfortable talking about that part of my life. Anyway, Yen and Phillip came and they heard my story. Then, we asked Yen and Phillip about their share. Yen concurred with my story, telling the group that we have the same situation. I was surprised with that. Phillip told us about his present situation. Then, our discussion prolonged with different matters led us to go back to our room and talk about it discretely.

We started the first day of our cell group in Boracay. Each of us telling our deepest secrets and sharing each other’s past pains and present burdens. I prayed for each one of them. I felt that the Holy Spirit was there. God was there. Every eye was filled with tears. The room was filled with the anointing as each surrendered, once and for all, all the pain, burdens and worries. We had a great bonding, though we didn’t have the chance to roam around. Indeed, we all concurred that that night was a very special Divine appointment.

The next day, we woke up with different testimonies of how God talked to them personally. Everybody felt that there was a big change that happened. It’s funny that I told them, “Dito sa mission trip natin, hindi lang tayo ang nag-mimission, mi-nission din tayo ni Lord.” Then all of us, agreed and praised God because of what happened.

Here are some of the pictures before leaving Boracay:

L.A.U.G.H.S. cellgroup wala lang si Phillip. Asan na yun? Hehehe...

Ganun pa din. Plus, Ian minus Steff. Hehehe...

Pauwi na kami, tawa pa rin ng tawa. Kunyari lang naman... Hehehe..

My personal shots before going home:

Of course, this article wouldn’t end with just a bunch of stories. Again, as what I’ve said before, I had many realizations about this whole Mission Trip. And I’m excited to share some (if not all) of them as I have a series for this Mission Trip. For this Part Three, the last part, I want to share the realizations I had while we were in Boracay and as we go home.

1. God never runs out of surprises. You’ll hate it at first but you’ll love it in the end, believe me.
2. Life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you’ll get.
3. 2 Corinthians 13 said it very well.
4. Moving on is a decision, not just a feeling or a desire.
5. Where there is a vision, there is a provision. (quoted from Tatay)
6. Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens another.
7. God is a God of second chances. His love never fails.
8. Christianity is not a religion. It’s having a relationship with Him. It’s accepting Jesus as your personal SAVIOR and LORD. It’s a lifestyle.
9. God loves us though we are not lovable. Then, who are we not to love others?
10. Though you don’t feel like doing what is good. DO IT ANYWAY.
    
    Thank God for this one of a kind experience. God bless.

When It’s All Been Said And Done (Part Two)

It was early in the evening when we arrived at Caticlan. We stayed at the rest house of Tita Beth’s family (Actually, it’s Tita Beth Dingle’s “clan-ic” community. Hehehe… To the extent that, almost everybody that lives there is very close to there family. How territorial! Hehehe... Anyway, thank you po, Tita Beth). The whole stay was so great. Though the house is limited of rooms to accommodate us, we enjoyed sleeping together and do our side-by-side sleeping technique (Come on! We’re so close now. I mean very close, literally. Hehehe... We almost exchange faces with each other). But thank God, we survived the “sleeping-adaptation challenge”, as I call it. It’s so hard to sleep on the floor even though we have a thin mattress to support our backs; it’s still painful, considering my “scoliosis” (Lumbo-sacral Case----it’s fatal. I’ll talk more about this in another entry). Anyway, God gave us a “goodnight sleep” while we were there.

Moreover, we woke up very early to have our morning devotions with our assigned small groups. Of course, morning routines wouldn’t be complete without taking a bath first before anything else. Surprisingly, I didn’t know that there are only two available bathrooms for all of us. Thank God, Ptr. Beni came early to us with a good news; that there are bathrooms being offered by our neighbors. So I eagerly went to the house Ptr. Beni referred. I met the owner of the house and talked to them first (Siyempre kailangan munang chika-hin para maging “close” sila. Anyway, I enjoyed having a conversation with them. I just forgot their names. You know, I’m not good at names. Hehehe…). In short, I had a good bath plus I gained more friends. As I remember, we talked about Philippine Politics because they know that I’m taking up Law; and I really love talking about such topics. After taking a bath, I was struck with a question, “Ano ka ba ‘Pro-’ or ‘Anti-‘Gloria?” (Kamusta naman ang mga ganung tanong pagkatapos mong maligo?! Hehehe…) Of course, for me, that question is not hard to answer. It’s just that sometimes people ask questions to gauge another person of his disposition on that matter. And sometimes, they just want secure that the person they’re asking is one of them. So without hesitation, I answered, “Anti-Gloria po ako.” They were astonished and shocked with my answer. Then I turn around the table and ask them the same, “Bakit ano po ba ang ‘stand’ niyo?” They immediately and confidently answered that they are Pro-Gloria. Now I know why they reacted that way to my answer. (Pero naalala ko sa kanila ang bahay at nakikiligo lang ako dapat akong makipag-compromise this time. Hehehe…) I supported my answer with a statement telling them that Gloria has been a ‘good’ president too. (Hehehe… Come on! Kelangan ito kung gusto ko pang makaulit sa kanila.) Then, I shifted the topic through inviting them to join us and support our Medical and Dental Mission. They eagerly agreed with that matter. (Thank God for a ‘saving grace’. Hehehe…)

Furthermore, the whole three-day Medical and Dental Mission is very successful. There had been a massive circumcision that was led by Doc Jay (though he is not yet licensed) together with his ‘surgical team’, the “Tulisans” (tuli=circumcision; -san=pseudo-practitioners), gathered and did the task of welcoming young boys to adulthood. The “Tulisans” were Ptr. Richard (graduated at UP Baguio, B.S. Biology), Gospel (2nd year, B.S. Nursing, O.L.F.U.), Philip (2nd year, B.S. Nursing, O.L.F.U.) and Kuya Marnie (graduated at Mapua, B.S. E.C.E.). Thank God! There were no records of any malpractice committed by them so far. The Medical team was also assisted by the group who took the vital signs and gave the medicines as well.

The Dental Team was headed by Dr. Rod and Dra. Ellen (They are licensed dentists anyway). I don’t know them personally but I got know them more when I was assigned to be one of their assistants. Steff and Mawhi were also a part of the team. They were the ones who wash Dr. Rod’s and Dra. Ellen’s color-coded dental tools (The greens are for Dr. Rod and the violets are for Dra. Ellen, how organized! I like it, very O.C.!) I also helped them in washing those dental tools with various blood streaks on it. I’m not really afraid of blood, I just don’t like touching them. Anyway, we survived that part. Then, I was promoted to be Dra. Ellen’s assistant. It was a pretty tough job, but I enjoyed it. I was very interested in asking Dra. Ellen for dental advises rather than the patients asking her about their situations. (Come on! It’s like a talk show featuring a dentist doing the dental necessities. Hehehe…) Here are some of our pictures during our most ‘controversial’ breaks (Hehehe…):

Si Steph, Mawhi at ako. Mag-memerienda na sana kami pero naisip namin na mag-picture muna. Bakit kaya kami nakangiti, eh naka 'surgical mask' naman kami? Hehehe...

Habang gumagawa sa Dental Team. Eto mas seryoso. Hindi na nakangiti masyado.

Pauwi na kami, kaso naiwanan na kami ng bus. Pero syempre masaya pa rin...

Si Mawhi, Sam at ako. Papunta pa lang kami sa Caticlan Health Center...

I have a very long story to tell about my most favorite task group, the Dental Team. Honestly, I really enjoyed most of the time doing the whole of the mission work with them. Considering that we’re just an auxiliary department, having the least number of members as I’ve mentioned above, together with Kuya Ronald, the forger of the dental prescription (Hehehe..), and Kenzy, assistant of Dr. Rod; we still managed to entertain and even influence the dental patients through our ‘controversial’ chit-chats about life and other aspects (i.e. love, money, family, issues, Christianity, etc. Come on! Aren’t they familiar?!). As in, everybody’s laughing out loud! That even made the outsiders be intrigued on what’s happening in our room. Thank God, we ministered not only through a direct act but also in an indirect manner. Almost every patient asked us to join them and eat lunch with their family. Wow! How sweet! We didn’t do anything big or extravagant but I think we touched their hearts; and that made them feel secured and comfortable with us. Others thought that we were just talking about non-sense things. Thank God for He vindicated us through the good and surprising feedback of the dental patients that we served.

Some may not know the value or the impact that we had with the people of Caticlan, but I know that God never sleeps. He knows everything that we did. I don’t even care if others won’t appreciate what we’ve done. Enough of their pettifogging and gibberish criticisms, I know God is just. Though we may not play a very important role in the Mission, I believe God knows everything that we did. And we did it all for His glory alone. (Ooppss. Nothing. Steff and Mawhi knew about this matter. Hehehe...) This is not self-pity. This is a personal assessment.

Of course, this article wouldn’t end with just a bunch of stories. Again, as what I’ve said before, I had many realizations about this whole Mission Trip. And I’m excited to share some (if not all) of them as I have a series for this Mission Trip. For this Part Two I want to share the realizations I had while we were having the 3-day Medical and Dental Mission.

1. God never sleeps. Though men may not see how you work, not even the fruits of your labor, God will reveal it to them in due time.
2. In the absence of big things, small things become big to small minds.
3. It’s not important if you made others cry or laugh, it’s the reason why they do it. If it’s out of emotions or because of God’s ministrations through you. That’s the real thing!
4. PAIN is also a blessing. (I’ll discuss more about this in another post.)
5. The test of success in ministering to others is not about being remembered by them. It’s having a deeper relationship with them; and truly leading them to God’s family and that can last longer than a trip.
6. All our good works are just filthy rags compared to God’s goodness to all of us.
7. What is pity without compassion? Nothing.
8. Service is not just about giving; it’s about leading them to seek the GIVER more than the gift.
9. We can be a blessing to others directly and indirectly. We should not force something to others, because neither God forced Himself to us. It’s His love for us that paved the way for a clear option called free will.
10. God doesn’t trivialize our needs. He knows what we need them. It’s us who doesn’t know why we really need them.

Catch the last part of the Caticlan Mission Experience... Part Three will also melt your hearts! God bless!

When It's All Been Said And Done (Part One)

It’s over. I overcame it.

Last May 15-20, 2006, Cornerstone Christian Church, our church, had its first Medical and Dental Mission Trip. It was held in Caticlan, Aklan with the coordination of the Assembly of God Church. The whole mission trip was great and successful through God’s grace, mercy and guidance.

Remember my article “Hating Ships, Loving Water and Loving God More”? Yes. I know I appeared to be a coward in raising such an issue of having a phobia in riding ships. But thank God I overcame it gradually. Thank God! At first, I was hesitant of joining the Mission Trip for many reasonable and unreasonable causes. But I met God on my devotion time the day before I need to decide if I’m joining or not. I gave it a try. I cannot say that I made it on my own. God was there. He was with me. I felt the comfort that only He can assure.

THE JOURNEY TO CATICLAN

We left the church at 11:00pm (May 14, 2006). The whole bus was jam-packed with different things----with bags and suitcases of all sizes, with ministers from different ministries, and mixed with various emotions of excitement to meet new friends, eagerness to serve, enthusiasm for the whole experience, and a bit of apprehensions along the way. (Take note: Typhoon “Caloy” hasn’t completely left the area of responsibility. Hehehe…) We waited for approximately five to seven hours at Batangas Port. The waiting part for me was a bit frightening because I know in a few minutes I would be facing one of my greatest fears----riding in a ship. At first, I had to deal with it through a simple prayer of trust and obedience. I did not tell anybody about it. I just prayed silently. Though I know it will be corny and funny to some, I believe that time it was the only way out available for me. (Now they know. Hehehe…) Then, we arrived at Mindoro to ride another ship going to Caticlan. The whole trip was exhilarating and startling for me. Here are some the pictures that I took while everybody was sleeping:

Tulog ang lahat. Ang mahiwagang hita at paa ni Tatay

Malapit nang umalis. Isakay na ang lahat, pati yung buong Mindoro. Hehehe..

Ang paglalayag.

Habang tulog ang lahat at may nag-iisa at walang kupas na videoke singer.

I had many realizations about this whole Mission Trip. And I’m excited to share some (if not all) of them as I have a series for this Mission Trip. But for now, I want to share the realizations I had while we were on our journey to Caticlan.

1. PRAYER is an inevitable thing. No need for an explanation. It’s proven to be effective. It’s actually a life-long explanation.
2. God has His own way of doing things in our lives; never put Him into a box. Anyway, He’s too big to fit in any box available physically or virtually.
3. There are really some “gifted” individuals who will be a source of strength and encouragement in times of need. You will never notice who they are because they come in different shapes, colors, and even sizes.
4. Now, I understand why Jesus slept while He was with His disciples in a boat amidst the raging storm. It’s more than calming the storm. It’s more than making His disciples’ realize about the importance of having faith in Him. It’s about how you know Him. Kung gaano mo Siya kakilala. Kung gaano Siya ka-lapit sa puso mo. It’s about how you trust Him.
5. Philippians 4:19 works well with Malachi 3:10. It enables Acts 1:8 to become a reality. It makes John 3:16 worth believing. It gives John 10:10 a meaning even though there will be John 16:33. Gets?!
6. God is the ultimate “Maestro”. He made a “paradise” here on earth.
7. Obedience is better than sacrifice. It is better than a compromise.
8. If it’s your time, it’s your time. Anyways, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Don’t waste it. Remember, time is gold. Enjoy. Breathe. Live.
9. Waiting is a journey by itself. (Kaya pala may waiting shed. Hehehe..)
10. To see the vastness of the ocean, you must lose sight of the shore.
    
    Wait for more…. Catch the Part Two of this article… God bless..

Hating Ships, Loving Water and Loving God More

I really hate riding on ships.

Thank God, I haven’t had any chance to ride any of those; and I’m not planning to. (How about a ‘special escapade cruise’?!----It depends where, when and with whom. You know, special escapade cruises, though very expensive, are more relaxing and has a soothing, calming and tranquilizing effect for its passengers unlike the normal course of sailing: boring and very tedious. Hehehe..)

I just hate it. I really hate the feeling of vomiting, the “nausea-tic” effect while traversing the monotonous view of the ranging waters----the queasiness that it brings and perturbed feeling while spending long hours of waiting and wandering. It’s like having emetophobia (fear of vomiting), illyngophobia (fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down), cymophobia (fear of waves), potamophobia (fear of rivers or running water) and selachophobia (fear of sharks) ----all rolled into one. Actually, I don’t have any of those; I just feel researching and stating them. Hehehe… I feel threatened whenever I hear stories of sharks playing under the ship and eventually surrounding it. I hate ‘Titanic effects’, though romantic still it’s tragic. (Wow! How poetic! Hehehe… I can’t stand romance trapped into a tragedy. And who wants to?! Maybe Romeo and Juliet?!) I feel uncomfortable not because I don’t know how to swim, (huh, I had my swimming lessons when I was still in grade school with my village friends.) but because of the threatening stories I hear from those who have ridden ships most of their lives.

Ironically, I love water. In fact, I can’t live without it. Everyday I consume many liters of water just to keep me going for the rest of the day. As an effect, I sweat a lot. There are times I just feel that I have more water than blood in my body. (Doc, is that a fact?! Hehehe...)

I remember when I was confined in the hospital for almost 2 weeks because of Dengue. My doctor told me that I was also suffering from dehydration. Huh?! I was shocked. Almost all my life, every night and day, I always have a bottle of water with me. And I see to it that it is always empty before I sleep at night. And now, a doctor telling me that I was also suffering from dehydration?! Eventually, he explained to me the secondary effects of Dengue such as dehydration. It’s funny that almost all of my visitors have this uniformity of idea of bringing lots of liquids such Gatorade (except the dark-colored ones) and almost all brands of mineral water available. Every hour, I get to drink at least 10 liters of water and 5 bottles of Gatorade. (Isn’t that enough?!) I almost drown myself with water and Gatorade trying to hydrate myself once again. It seems like I had an insatiable thirst that no liquid could or will ever quench. (Hmm…O.A.?! Hehehe...) Yeah, that’s true. Thank God, as I was discharged from the hospital, I felt like I have no more blood running through the veins of my body instead I have tons of water flowing in my system keeping me alive. Hehehe... I almost considered the idea of passing a ‘two-week VTR’ to the advertisers of Gatorade and almost all brands of mineral water, thinking that I would be a very efficient and effective endorser of the said brands; and to prove that they have healing effects in a regular usage. Hehehe... At least now, I’m back to my normal life of drinking normal liters of water everyday. And thank God, I’m also normally hydrated.

See how I love water and I hate ships.

This coming May 15-20, 2006, our church has organized a medical/dental mission, film showing and concert in Caticlan (Boracay). I really love to join in that mission work. But I’m also caught in a dilemma of whether joining them in a ship (Come on! Have I not over-emphasized how I hate riding on ships?!) or taking a delayed flight on May 18 (Grr… all flights going to Aklan: fully booked. I don’t believe it. My mom said, some airlines do not allow passengers to occupy the seats at the back part of the plane. And they are not explaining why.) Take note, the whole mission trip will end on May 20, don’t you think it’s not worth going if I only have at least 2 days to spend it with them? (How impractical!) To think, if I will take that May 18 flight to Aklan, the only flight available coming back to Manila will be on May 30. (Don’t you think that’s too much for a vacation?! Hehehe… Plus the fact that I have to enroll on May 26 for law school.) Or the option of joining them, forgetting my anxieties, surrendering my ‘fears’ to God (How spiritual, but it’s true, and that’s the way it should be.) and overcoming the things that I hate for the sake of loving God more and deeply serving Him through this mission, film showing and concert.

I know some would say that it is not a dilemma. Some would even think that this problem is so petty considering that financial difficulties should be given more emphasis. But come to think of it, inasmuch as I want to think about the financial predicaments that this trip would entail, I believe that each participant-minister of this mission work should have the right reasons for doing this mission. That there are still issues that one should consider before going to the mission field. I thank God for dealing mine as 'petty' as it may appear; and other things that need a revamp and repair. Others may have concerns bigger and more serious issues than hating ships, abhorring nausea and dizziness, overcoming phobias, and being threatened by playful sharks. Others may have certain issues of the heart, or attitudes, or character, we don’t know. But it’s not my business to criticize neither to scrutinize anyone. I believe that God has prepared each minister that He sends to the mission field to sow more souls for Him; and harvest fruits for His glory. That’s the big deal!

Come to think of it, it’s more than---hating ships and loving water, it’s all about loving God MORE!!!!

P.S.: Please pray for our Caticlan Mission. Please pray also for the people of Caticlan that may God open their spiritual eyes and ears for the God’s Word of salvation and healing. Please pray for a continuous financial support for our mission works.

Thanks. God bless!