2 PIECES OF CHOCO WAFER

'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.'- Matthew25:35

This happened over a year ago-It was my first time to join a regular street mission activity of my friends in Pasay. It is their late afternoon activity after the PICC Feast. They offer not just food, but friendship and God's consolation.

Since it rained that day, my friends decided to visit streetfriends in their (I cannot very well define it) but its a home or an area where they rest. They live in an identified environment of high social stature - like almost beside the lobby of Traders Hotel, CCP grounds, along the gates of PICC and below a bridge which served as roof near World Trade Center.  Streetfriends are very simple people, yet a life of poverty , makes their situation worst. Looking at them, I felt pity. That surge of emotion which says, "kawawa naman sila" (poor them).

Everytime we visit another home, I felt more and more hungry...even thirsty.(the fact that it was already past dinner time) I was a mere observer but not quiet.I expressed my sentiment of exhaustion from that long walk under the rain, feeling of pity and HUNGER.

One person frrom the group (I can't consider him a total stranger, but neither a friend yet), he gave me 2 pieces of Choco Nissin Wafer and told me, 'Dont let them see you eat or else they might even beg that out of you.' I never hesitated the offer eventhough I felt inconsiderate of my companions.How could I, I was honestly hungry!

(note: choco nissin wafer is actually my "hungry food". I always have a pack at home, office and especially during travel. Something to eat, or give away when someone asks, or share to a stranger on a bus ride. I always make sure I have a biscuit ir a wafer in my bag for hyperacidity. But none that day)

While my friends are busy ministering, I opened one and slipped the other on my bag, then ate at a "shadowed area". I had only a few munches and yes, that mere stranger was right. A kid beg the rest. Maybe, he thought what I am eating was more special. (I guess, indeed!) It may never  had made me feel physically full, but it made me smile. My soul was fed by a mere gesture of kindness.

Not long after that, we had dinner :)

The following day at the office, I told myself, 'I'll never eat you (wafer) unless I'm really really hungry'. But alas! A cat or maybe a rat ate it! Oh well, maybe they need it , more than I do.

Still, I reflected... that night, he gave more than 2 pieces of choco wafer. He gave me a taste of an understanding on compassion.'How can I ever repay him?' I don't know if he needed anything, with all the gratefulness I felt, I wanted to be an angel for that person. I can never offer him enough but friendship, prayers to protect his good soul and a smile.

 I am blessed to have him as one of my great friends today. There may be times when things seems harsh, but I am always lead back to this very day. 'I was hungry and he gave me two pieces of choco nissin wafer to eat. That's Kindness.' My friend, I can never thank you enough. =)

SIMPLY GIVE...Unknowingly, you're being an angel in human disguise for that person. It may be little giving for you, but for the heart of the one who receives compassion...little is not even a word.

 God bless you! 

Caridad - a daughter of Grace

May 19, 2013 -  I consider this day as a day, full of gift and grace.

It a day we celebrate the birthday of the church - the "beginning anew in faith" setting again our hearts afire. My cousin and I decided to celebrate Pentecost sunday at St. Padre Pio center in Libis, QC. We planned to meet there before the mass, and since I arrived few minutes before the mass began we were seated separately. We decided to meet at a Jollibee outside the church after the mass.  We only had a quick chat, because she had to attend a birthday party. I requested if I could join her. But she insisted, it is a family affair. Shortly after she left, a nun joined me for lunch.

She is Sis Caridad, of the Augustinian sisters all the way from Bicol. She is also an ilongga like me and a Padre Pio devotee. She had few days in Manila for her eye check-up, and part of her routine in her visit is to celebrate mass at St. Padre Pio center.We shared what we do.

She smiled and asked me, "What did you pray for?"(since St. Pio Center is a place of prayer and many people visit the place and leave prayer petitions)
I told her,  "I prayed for myself and my friends today."
She replied, "Our prayer should always be simple."'

'Lord, I know 

you already know what I need 

before I come to you. 

I pray for what is best.

According to you alone.' 

Because sometimes, when we pray, we become dictator instead of a listener.  We dictate God what He should do, or what He should give us, even if sometimes for Him, it is not the best for us. I bet she emphasized the words again. 'Lord, please give me the best, according to you.'

"Sometimes, we pray more for material things, and things that manifest in us physically. God grants those, IF its best. :)" she continued "Always remember never to put any attachment to anything or anyone. So that when it has to go, it has to go. We should always be dependent on His grace."

She told me."I can see in you that you enjoy whatever you are doing. We serve in response to God's grace.  It is always fortunate when you discover the gift of mission." (I shared to her what we do in Prayer and Life Workshops (PLW), stories and the vision of our founder) "God bless you and Fr. Ignacio Larannaga"

Before we parted, I asked for prayers for a dear friend, who was at that time in PGH.
She held my hand and said, "Simply asking for prayers for someone is not an ordinary thing. It is also a mission. Asking for grace. Transform a heart for Christ.  Everything we do, we encounter, we experience has a purpose, like this meeting and having Padre Pio as a spiritual friend."

We went back together to St. Pio Center to spend enjoy moments of prayer and silence.  I thanked God for that special opportunity to hear words from a humble daughter of Grace.  It was indeed a special day.

I always get excited because in my own belief,the Holy Spirit and the church has a special gift for everyone. I received the gift of GRACE, HUMILITY IN PRAYER, AFFIRMATION OF WHAT I DO, A SPECIAL BLESSING and A FRIEND. =)

A COMMON GOAL – COMPASSION

“It is not by chance that we choose He Cares to be a beneficiary. I call this a serendipitous event. We are here because of a similar goal - COMPASSION. Compassion in Japanese Buddhism is ‘jihi’ composed of two Chinese characters, ji meaning to give happiness and ‘hi’ means to remove suffering. For Christians it is called LOVE.” - ITO Supporting Comity (ISC) chairperson shared during their visit at the He Cares Foundation center on September 18, 2013. 

COMPASSION. When they asked Bro Joe Dean Sola, founder of He Cares Foundation, what motivates him to pursue the mission work, his answer was simple. "I felt God loved me so much, and I can't contain it, I must share it with others also. It is our desire to help them get out of the street, therefore we dream of creating a building for the homeless street children and help them lessen their suffering, help them get out of poverty."  I guess a part of us also has this dream, right?

photo credits to Judith Enriquez

What is the reward? I was moved to tears as the Japanese guests shared their joyous encounter with the kids, especially the part where the kids welcomed them gladly with smiles and said 'mano po' (a Filipino gesture of respect, placing the hands of an elder to forehead of a young one).  Their reward was simple - the He Cares experience from the kids...a spark of  hope through their eyes...a simple song of thanksgiving AND.. dried mangoes (which is really a favorite Filipino pasalubong by Japanese)

As a volunteer, I realized something new that day. Compassion or Mercy is not exclusive to Christians alone, but we are united in God by virtues He planted in every human heart. God is behind everything and He uses different ways and people of different beliefs to express His love to His beloved children. God is a God of all. No more questions. No more motives. No religion. But LOVE.

May God continue to bless them and grant them so much Love that they may be filled and continue to pour out more to others. Through them, the face of Christ shines as they spread happiness and ease suffering. How great our God is -  He exists, lovingly in every good deed they do. Amen.

(ISC is an active social organization from Japan, supporting various humanitarian and international social organizations across the globe. Some of their activities include giving financial aid and support to programs like women in crisis, development programs for the poor,health, education and child welfare.)

Want to have the He Cares experience? know more how you can be part of the solution (click here)

oh, tupa..kay tagal kitang hinintay

"The Lord is my shepherd... (I am His sheep)"- Psalm 23

During PLW desert day, most participants share about the "tupa" (sheeps), palaging bida bukod sa mga langgam. But for me? I haven't seen one. Eh nakailang visit na ako dito sa Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, Quezon City) I always exclaim, i haven't seen even a single tupa. since they say they're a herd and they're almost everywhere. Before leaving home, I sighed to sis connie, my partner, "magpapakita na kaya sakin ang mga tupa ngayon?"

I was preparing some materials for the closing ceremony when I was distracted by baby-like noises. Wow, there just across the pathway near our room were baby sheeps.

(excerpt from my PLW journal)

June 1, 2013

I feel that I am the happiest creature today.  Not only did I saw the sheeps the baby sheeps waited for me. I was so excited to hear them. They called to me like crying babies.  Thank you Lord. Kay tagal ko silang hinintay. Dati kasi ang kanta ko,saan ka man naroroon tupa. After they posed for me,looked at me, we smiled at each other face to face. ahhh, they did not smile. They maah-ed at me. Then they got back to their family na. So totoo nga ang sinasabi ng mga plw attendees. Ang daming tupa!

    

PLW Attendees - QC Bago Bantay Group January 2013

Know more about PLW ( Prayer and Life Workshop) : Visit http://www.plwphil.com/

Somewhere I have never traveled..

"The First Time I loved Forever" (theme from tv series Beauty and the Beast)

Somewhere I Have Never Traveled 

by E. E. Cummings

Somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which I cannot touch because they are too near

Your slightest look easily will unclose me
though I have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, I and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(I do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

As I was reviewing wedding song choices for a friend, and listening to them on youtube. This caught my heart and imagination and brought me to "Love World" instantly. I heard this audio poem from the theme song "The First Time I loved forever" from the tv series Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990). Not the disney movie, or the modern 2012 series.. And I instantly fell in love with the lyrics. It seems to me that the author of the poem wanted so much to hold yet with fear,  a love for someone so dear, so fragile and so precious...simply because that someone is too BEAUTIFUL..

I find the poem analysis on this site great and helpful. With added information about the poet and excerpts of his life http://www.johwey.com/2010/09/28/somewhere-i-have-never-traveled/

Prisoner and Prayer

Sin is the darkness that envelopes our souls.

It imprisons our whole being

that we are frozen to do good.

It gradually takes us afar,

so distant from the One who can set us free.

Sin makes our lives miserable,

with no joy, peace and love in our hearts.

It makes us restless, lonely in the darkness

with hearts crying for freedom and salvation.

Dearest Jesus, help us to desire

to seek and find You

that sin may not bind us.

Increase our hunger and thirst for You

so we may choose what is good and not evil.

Shield our ears from the taunting of the enemy.

Fortify our hearts that we may resist his temptations.

You are the Light who can free us from darkness.

Release us from this prison

and let Your divine unconditional love

conquer our whole being

that we may manifest You and not the Evil One

in every deed that we will do in our lives. Amen.

Dare to sing and strum

So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. - Romans 12:6

One of my to do list this year is to learn to play a musical instrument: Guitar.

I love singing, but singing with accompaniment is way better! Noon, uso pa ang minus-one. Now?not much. And people prefer live acoustic performances. I am a fan of acoustic versions of songs i love listening to, a super fan of Boyce Avenue and Princess..including some friends really inspired me to learn to play guitar.

Last summer 2013, my officemate Love offered to have summer guitar lessons for the youth in their church and invited us to join. From parts of the guitar to basic chords, strumming pattern. and finally, having a recital with other fellow future musicians.hahaha!

Lakas Angkan Ministries' summer music lessons graduates

I played Just Give Me a reason by pink, although it wasn't perfect. It was my best performance so far being a newbie, having few sessions on basic guitar. Although mom told me, wala lang sa tono ang guitar. My friends told me, ok a. pagkakanta! (hey, its a GUITAR RECITAL). But it's fair enough to be honest to have a reasons of many things to improve. 

 teacher Patrick always reminds us, in guitar, there's no secret but Keep practicing!As bro. Bo also reminded every talented, for every skill allow 10,000 hours to perfection! 

Tips for learning guitar:LISTEN well...decide the beat..you may sing with every touch of string...take a lot of patience (extra! extra!) and practice! and of course, humugot ng inspirasyon sa mga nagigitara (both baguhan at magaling)..and of course- consult Youtube for video tutorials. ;)

 Its never too late to start to learn to play a guitar...Thanks to teacher Patrick, Gelo, love,mae ann, brielle, friends and other classmates.

soooon...to create a song with a melody :)

Enjoy!