What's the Dealy-O?

Christ the King!

2012-01-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

(This was the speech I gave to the parish on the Feast of Christ the King on our last Sunday on Camiguin. I spoke in Visaya for this after it was translated for me. It was a blessed time.)

Maayong Buntag sa tanan! This is the first time that I will speak in Visaya in my own words and not in God's words as a lector. I want to make sure that my message is understood clearly so I asked Mrs. Lilia Gacus to help me translate this. It is also hard for me to get tears when speaking to you in Visayan since I don't know what I am reading. Haha.

First, I want to thank all of the people that made us feel welcomed here in Sagay. This was supposed to be our mission but in one way it turned into our home. Maybe you have heard the saying “Home is where your heart is”. We really poured our hearts out here with everyone we met and so our hearts are here with you and will always be with you. We would like to thank Father Joe for the invitation to work here. Father was a very good example to us and helped us to learn the meaning of being a missionary by always being ready to serve you and us. The Ladao family also is a good example by giving all of their time to the students of Holy Rosary High School while making sure students also grow in their faith. They also donated the lot where our cottage is. The Maintenance Group also gets thanks from us for building that cottage where we were able to hold the student recollections, Altar Servers Youth Group, and especially in sharing God's Word with those in need. Maybe there are too many names to mention at this time but we truly are thankful for your generosity to us.

Today is the Feast of Christ the King! This past week we have heard in the Gospels about giving of our time, talent, and treasure. We have all been given different tools to build God's Kingdom. It is up to all of us to work together and put to use these gifts to use. We can't hold on to them and not use them. We can't hide these gifts and let them rust or spoil. Christ the King gave His all to us, we should give our all to Him. How do we do that? He says today, “whatever you did to the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” We all need to be servants of each other and at the same time we are servants of the King.

In the USA, I used to always read the news. I would read about politics mostly because I was so worried about which direction my country was going and also the direction of the whole world. As I started praying more and reading my Bible more, I figured out one thing. It doesn't matter what my crazy president or the power-hungry leaders of the world think or do. They are all trying to be rulers of their countries and not stopping there. They want to take over another country or talk about growing in wealth. It doesn't matter! We already have a King! A King of the whole world! A King that rules His people with kindness and love. A King that forgives when we are truly sorry when we offend Him. A King that keeps His promises. A King that asks us only to love Him and be near to Him. He is Christ the King!

Nothing that humans will do to build their earthly kingdoms can ruin God's plan of salvation. They will only bring ruin to their own lives. One beautiful thing that we have noticed here is how everyone is so friendly. It is very easy to talk to anyone unless, of course, they are shy. Don't be shy. God doesn't want us to be shy. He wants us to share our needs and our gifts. He wants love, peace, and happiness. Isn't that what we want? I do. I am sure you do, too.

So, now our time and our mission in Sagay, Camiguin is coming to a close. Why do we have to leave? The answer is simple. We are missionary. We come and go as the King commands. It is His plan, not ours. Many people all over the world do not know who He is yet. The Word needs to get out. The peace, love, and joy that they are looking for will never be found in earthly things. It is not only our family's responsibility but yours too. Every baptized Christian should be a missionary. We all are required to spread the Faith by our lives. Not everyone is called to go all over the world to do this but everyone is called to love their neighbor. Here is an example of the full favor of the Catholic Faith: The next time you are going to make Nestea, do this. Pour in the powder and then the water. Do not stir. Take a drink and you will see that it is not very tasty. This is an example of a lazy Christian. Now, stir it until it is fully mixed. Does it taste good? Yes, of course. That is what it was made for. This is an example of an active Christian moving around and giving the full-flavor of the Catholic Faith. It is what we all were made for.

Thanks again to all of you. There were some nights when we were about to go to sleep and we thought “Are we doing what we're supposed to be doing? Does God really want us here?” Our prayer was answered every time we read “Be still and know that I am God.” It was His plan to bring a family of 6 children here at this time (and one with blonde hair). It is His plan to take us out also. We have to be willing and ready to serve. It was almost a year ago that we were wondering where we were going to be sent. We waited and waited and finally the invitation from Bishop Ledesma came opening the doors to us here in Camiguin. Every day we spent in prayer asking God to help the people welcome us and to be open to the message that God wants us to say there. We were always praying for the people and we didn't even know their names. Now, after 8 months of being here with you and praying with you and loving every one of you and the Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, we will continue praying for you but this time we do know your name. We will never forget you. Please don't forget to pray for us also.

Finally, I would like to close with a simple request. Since we are not able to experience the Christmas celebration here, please give this gift to each other or to those who are not here today. Treat each other the same way you treated us. Share the love and spread it. Don't let it spoil or go to waste. Doing this you will give glory to God at the same time. Remember, we serve a great King. Viva Cristo Rey!

Leavin' Camiguin

2011-11-24T02:56:00.000-08:00

     Well, in case you don't already know, we are back in the United States from our first mission post in a foreign country. We left Camiguin on Monday the 21st of November and began our very long journey all over again in reverse order. So, here we sit at George Bush Intercontinental Airport awaiting our next orders from the Lord. No matter what we have planned, His will rules. His will was done on Camiguin and He provided for us every step of the way. He is the same yesterday, today, and will be forever.
     Now, speaking of yesterdays, I will be posting some of our experiences from our past year that really stuck out and touched our lives forever. I will have a lot more time to do this for those "in-between" points where we were too busy to even think about looking at our laptop and putting a sentence together. This time back at Big Woods will also be a time of reflection of our entire first year in mission and reviewing with the Founders of FMC. It will be a good time to get recollected and fired up again! Already we feel the burning starting to grow as we think about how much we had with so little.
     Please join us in prayer to discern our next step in our mission lives. Should we return to Camiguin or continue in a different direction? Either way, let God's will be done and pray for us to hear His voice guide us. All for Him!

Our Busy-ness With The Lord

2011-10-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy! That's how these past few weeks have been. In this time we were able to join in the harvest of rice from the experimental farm, begin the monthly recollections for the high school students, start the Sea Wall project, prepare for the Parish Fiesta, and sleep (well, not very much). Thank God for the Holy Spirit! We couldn't have done it without Him.

We thought it would be very fun to join the harvest of “palay” with the Parish Maintenance Group...and it was! But it was also very itchy! I had no idea how much work it takes a farmer from beginning to the end. And we were just doing the end part. I'm sure it was a lot more work plowing and planting the seeds than it was to cut and haul the reward. I know it is probably a lot easier in the States with all of the machinery. We did all of this work by hand. Father Joe said that this was a “very primitive way of doing it” as I watched Lop-lop gather the rice stalks and then twist and turn them with his feet over the bamboo floor. Little by little the grains sifted through the cracks on the floor and unto a tarp that we laid underneath. Meredith, Abram, and I continued hacking the field with the others and then transferred the heaps into a giant mound. After a while, our skin was starting to show some bumps as we scratched and scratched and scratched some more. Wow! And there was Lop-lop “dancing” away with a huge smile on his face. It was when I was cutting the stalks that I remembered how true the parable of the weeds and the wheat is! The weeds grew right next to the palay and along with it. It would be so time consuming if one were to try separate the two. Anyway, in the end all that is not for eating is thrown into the fire.

The high school recollections are going well. The students get to meet at our house for some fun with games and activities to enhance a sharing of God's Word from the Holy Bible. The theme for the 1^st and 2^nd year students was about being ready for battle. We are always being attacked by the devil and he will keep trying to distract us from the ultimate goal. Stacie handled most of the talking parts as I prepared the powerpoint presentation. We also had them decorate paper plates as Shields of Faith. After a short snack break, they got their shields and lined up for a “dodgeball”-type war. They tried to go from HOME to CHURCH and vice versa while not getting hurt by sin (7 balls representing the Deadly Sins). If hit, they must spend some time at Confession. (Thanks to the Blue Knights Leaders Guide) At a brief pause in the game I talked about how we must always be aware of the devil's temptations. If one is to walk with their shield of Faith lowered and not paying attention, WHACK! they will get hit! And sometimes as we sin, it not only hurts God and ourselves, but we may be bouncing it around and hurting others.

Nanding Ocaba

A few months ago we asked God to help our friends with a sea wall to protect their home from the damaging waves and bad weather. With your help, we were able to start this project right at the end of September! The sea wall is now in its final stages and should be completed by mid-October at the latest. Praise the Lord! When we received the funds we were only thinking of how blessed the Ocaba family would be to have a dry home. God is so good with His timing! The man of the house, Nanding, is also the leader of the group of fishermen in his area. The men had not been able to go fishing because of the typhoons in the north causing rough waters for us here in the south. So, this came at a good time for these men to be able to feed their families by working as masons and laborers. The whole area now has been blessed by this one sea wall. The need is so great here. People have been doing hard labor here and all for 150 pesos per day. This is just under $4 in the U.S....not per hour but per day! That is a fair rate here and they are happy to do it, but it is just enough to scrape by on in these desperate times. Please consider sending a donation to us through Family Missions Company in Louisiana so that we can help feed our brothers and sisters in Christ. One Value Meal at your favorite fast food stop can feed a whole family rice and fish for at least one day or maybe even two days (they are good at making it stretch!)

The Fiesta of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was on October 7^th. We had about two weeks to go and then one and we were thinking of how routine all of the Fiestas that we had been to in the past two months had been getting. We attend the Mass, we share a meal with the parish priest and his staff, and then decide to stay to visit vendors booths or leave (which we usually did). But this had DIFFERENT written all over it. With four days to go, Father approached us and asked if we could prepare the Youth Group to fill in a one-hour time slot between Masses. “Sure, no problem!” we replied without any clue as to what we were going to do. We went home and talked about it. Since this was the time for the Holy Rosary, I thought that we could have the students line up and present a Living Rosary. I pictured them as a rosary with sky blue paper mache balloons as the Our Father/Glory Be beads and the others with candles as the Hail Mary beads. Stacie added a sweet and simple Marian song to go between reflections of the mysteries. With the help of Gogoy (guitar) and Mag-mag (music/dance/director) we practiced and practiced. We also were able to put a little dance number to the song “I Lift Your Name On High”. It was all good! Father Joe had a group with him from Magsaysay and heard many compliments from them and the rest of the parish. “This has never been done before!” The kids get all the credit though. They did all of this while practicing their band routine for the day before the fiesta! Amazing! Maddie got to participate with the band while her proud parents watched from front row seats in the gym.

I threw sleep in there because even though there has been many nights with few hours of it the cooler weather has allowed me to sleep way better. Quality over quantity. I think of Ms. Genie's saying also that goes a little something like this: “...no better feeling than going to bed exhausted in His service.” Thank you for reading and thank you for praying for our mission. We can feel your prayers.

2011-09-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Endure trials with patience. That is something I like to think I do pretty well most of the time. Some have asked me if I ever get angry. Little do they know. When the right button is pushed, yes, I can be mad. It is frustrating at times because I think that after I have cooled off, that I could have done better if I would have just suffered a little longer or turned the other cheek. And then I read about our Lord being led like a lamb to the slaughter. Not one single word to confirm His innocence or to retaliate. That's when I know I should have done better.

A few weeks ago, I had to rush off to the mainland to renew our visas five days earlier than planned. I had to go in on a Friday instead of the usual Tuesdays because of the Fiesta of St. Augustine shutting down the office for two days. If I didn't renew now, I would have to pay a huge fine. So, I left the house on Thursday and rushed off for the port. Then came the trials.

I decided to take Samuel (6 yrs) since we were not able to fully celebrate his birthday earlier in the month. We got to the port thinking we could make the 2pm ferry. We made it at least 15 minutes earlier except that the schedule had changed for all afternoon trips to now leave at 5pm! “Ok, ok. Three hours is not that big of a deal. I got my little buddy here. We'll find something to do,” I thought to myself. We waited and waited, watched some fish dart in and out from under the pier, walked around awhile, and waited some more. We finally boarded the ferry and headed to the mainland with very few passengers on board still. Thank God a few big cargo trucks came on at the last minute or else we may not have left until the next day.

We got to “the other side of the pond” and were very hungry. We had only munched on some small snacks and hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. We also had a two hour bus trip left to reach the city so we bought our dinner and ate. We waited another 40 minutes and Samuel was starting to feel tired. I prayed that he wouldn't fall asleep so that I wouldn't have to try to carry him onto the bus. He fought off the sleep and we got a front row seat. Yes, I said seat...singular. “Two hours is not that bad. Maybe the guy next to me will get down sooner than the city anyways (he didn't),” I thought. There wasn't much room for both of us to get too comfortable for too long. Still, I was glad that I hadn't brought Abram (8 yrs) also. Finally, we arrived at 9pm.

We hopped on a motorela but had to stop at an internet cafe to email the mission base a request to have enough funds transferred to our account to cover the cost of the visas. When we finished that, we finally made it to the Convent at the Cathedral. After a long day I still wasn't ready for bed...neither was Samuel. I wanted to complete all eight forms for renewal to save time at the office the next day. I only got a few lines done on the first form when the pen ran out of ink. Grr. Oh, well. This will have to wait til the morning. Prayers, then bedtime.

We woke up early, ate breakfast, and borrowed a pen to finish up. We stopped by the ATM and withdrew some money. Everything was going great. We got to the office a little earlier than planned and passed a room before the visa office where we usually get copies of our passports. It was closed and I had forgotten to get copies. “No big deal. I'll just go find another place.” It gets HOT in the Philippines early in the morning. So, we found a place and sweated getting there and back. Everything all set up and still we were the first in line. This will take no time.

We turned everything in and waited to pay. When it was my turn to pay, I handed over the money and got back more than I expected in two ways. One was that it was a lot cheaper than we figured and the next was a bombardment of rudeness, anger, and frustration. “Whoa! What's up with this guy?” I thought. He was raising his voice in this small office that had quickly filled up. After a little break, I finally understood what he was trying to tell me. He was mad because I had not completed the process for this thing called an I-Card. It didn't take too much longer for me to lose my cool this time, and I began to reply with the same anger. “Why as a paying customer was I being treated this way?” I thought to myself. It seemed like everyone in the room disappeared and it was just me and him. Back and forth this went on for a few minutes. As a Christian, I knew I failed. Then, a very patient soft-spoken lady offered to explain the situation.

Back in April, I was told we “needed” the I-Card. To my understanding, this card is for foreigners that want to open a bank account or for other official business. That was part of the reason for the high cost that month. Anyway, I was not told then that I needed to do anything else to get this card except pay for it-which I did. By the end of June, however, I returned to renew our visas again, and was told the I-card was not available because I didn't turn in the family's pictures or have copies of the receipts with it. “Ok. I will have to do that next time because my family is back at the island.” Since I rushed off this last time I totally forgot about bringing those things. I think what made me angry this time is that another item was “missing”-- I also didn't have a copy of the application. So, even if I had brought my items, the process would have been incomplete. When I calmly asked to make a list of everything that I needed to bring for sure next time, the man refused and started his rant. I knew that a new trial was beginning. I knew I should have stayed calm and not retaliated. I knew that I should have waited just a few more seconds and turned the other cheek. But I failed. Though the whole thing lasted just a few minutes, it seemed like an eternity. Also, while I was firing back I heard a little voice that sounded like Ms. Genie's saying, “Our enemies are not flesh and blood.” That's when I knew that I lost the battle against the evil one. I gave in and gave a bad example to the faith and to our Lord.

Forgetting all about the blessing of how much we had saved on the visas, Samuel and I headed for lunch. We had been at the office waiting for 3 hours. He picked McDonald's as his treat for being patient. We took our tray over to our table and set it down. I don't know how it happened but the table was kicked or bumped from underneath by either Samuel or me and the drinks went everywhere! All over my shirt. All I could do was smile and laugh to myself. “The devil HATES missions!” Ms. Genie said again in my head. It was true. No matter how small the mission is, even if it is just to enjoy a nice meal with one of your lil ones, the devil will do whatever it takes to break it up. Not this time!

Immediately, I started to replay everything that had happened since we left. I quickly forgave the man at the office and prayed for whatever was bothering him that day. I also asked for forgiveness from our Lord for failing to be a light for Him. Why didn't I just do that there at the office right away?

When I got back to the island, I told Stacie what had happened. I told her that I felt like I was being called to go back the following week and turn in everything for the I-card as well as formally apologizing to the entire office staff. I did. Just before entering the office I said a quick prayer to have everything go smoothly (and that I wouldn't get arrested - -j/k). I turned in all the required paperwork and noticed the man talking to someone. There was a temptation to say, “Oh, well. He is busy. I'll just go on my way.” I shrugged that off and sat down a few more minutes until the opportunity opened up. I felt a peace all around me as I got up and walked over to him. I asked for forgiveness and apologized to him for raising my voice that day. He seemed like a totally different person as we shook hands and he accepted my apology. I also stopped on my way out to apologize to the soft-spoken lady as others watched on. I told them all that it wouldn't happen again.

I left the building feeling like a ten ton boulder was lifted off of my shoulders; the same as when I leave the Confessional. Our enemies are not flesh and blood.

"For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

"Be sober and watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen."--1 Peter 5:8-11

Here I Am Lord

2011-08-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

We spent this last week in Cagayan de Oro in deep prayer for a special intention. Our family retreat was a much needed break to review our time and our mission in the Philippines. I read a passage from the Gospel of Mark that was so real as it spoke to my heart. Even Jesus needed quiet time to go to a field early in the morning to pray (Mark 1:35). Yeah, it was the opposite for us. We had to go to the city to hear the Lord speak, but in the busy-ness of the city I saw the Lord in a blind man.

I was walking home that night from the store with a small birthday cake for Samuel. I didn't know Pippi was blind when I first saw him. He was crouched down by a minivan. With one hand he was making a circular motion on the vehicle and the other one was on his metal cane. “This man must have had a rough night drinking” was my initial thought. It was when I saw the metal cane that I started to kick myself for having that horrible thought to begin with. Still, I passed him as I took one more last glance at the cane. I hadn't seen a metal one before especially with what was sticking out from the handle. “Could that have been a harmonica? Nah, probably not.” As I was going farther away from him I was trying to suppress the strong inner voice telling me to go back. “I wasn't even supposed to come this way,” I thought to myself as I learned of the road construction on the way to the store. I slapped my right leg in a kind of “Aw, shucks!”-way, thinking it was too late to have turned back. When I did that I hit my harmonica that I forgot that I had brought with me on this trip. “Thank you, Lord!” I said quietly as I knew I had to turn back.

A little rewind action. I started to practice on the harmonica again after many failed attempts while in the States. I especially started to learn “Happy Birthday” within just a few days until Samuel's birthday...and learned it well enough to play it until I annoyed my kids. “Play something else!” is what the looks on their faces were saying. So, I started to learn “Here I am Lord” one of my all-time faves. I practiced for a few weeks and had this strange feeling that I should play it for Pippi even though it wasn't Carnegie Hall-ready:)

I turned back and prayed to do my best. I introduced myself to him and he replied in Visaya. I could only catch a few words but I replied with a quiet note on my harmonica. He stood up when he recognized the sound. I told him I was going to play a little of what I had learned. So, I began. I was so nervous with everyone passing by and staring that I could tell that I was not playing as best as I could. I knew I wasn't letting the Holy Spirit work. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't the best that I knew how. As I finished, he gave a little bow and picked up his harmonica. WHOA! Pippi proceeded to play the familiar 80's tune. “Whatever it takes, or how my heart breaks I will be right here waiting for you...” NO WAY!!! As I write this, I am just now thinking of those words. HE was right there waiting for ME! I never would've met him, never would've shared our music, and never would've been blessed by his skill. His tune was so perfect it sounded as if I was listening to the radio! I applauded when he finished as he gave a shy smile.

How awesome it is to finish an appointment set up by God like that! I hurried back to the Cathedral where we were staying to tell the family of all the good news I had read on the internet (we got a message from back home that our first care package was on its way!) and from Pippi.

Day #2 of our retreat had me going the same way only to find the store had closed 20 minutes earlier. I made sure to bring my harmonica but I didn't see Pippi. I felt a little disappointed at both. I found a pharmacy still open and bought a 4-pack of T.P. On my way back, I looked ahead and saw a familiar shadow just waiting there. It was him! “Hi, my friend! It's me, Odilio.” He moved his head in my direction and started talking super fast in Visaya. He could hardly control his excitement. I told him that I was going to play again and play better. I did. It felt great going through the whole chorus without messing up. It was a blessing too as those who passed by slowed down and wondered what the heck was going on. Even Pippi accepted with a huge grin and a quiet laugh. He then played a cool tune unknown to me but still very smooth. Then he spoke again. I tried to stop a few people to translate but they walked on. I HAD to know what he was saying. Finally, a young guy named Ryan stopped to help me out. I reintroduced myself, using the translator to relay the message, and told him that I was a Catholic lay missionary from the USA. This brought a big smile to his face and then he asked, “Do you have any good news to share with me?” WOW! A chance to share the Faith and there I was ready to pass him by as “just another beggar”--a horrible thought. I answered him, “Yes! Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world! He wants us to continue talking to Him in prayer and never let go of Him. He loves us all so much.” He smiled and told me that he prays every day when he wakes up and every time he eats because he doesn't always have something to eat. Later that night I opened the Bible and turned to Sirach 7:10 “Never get tired of praying, and never miss a chance to give to the poor.” As I reflected on this verse I remembered what Pippi said through Ryan. “I am very grateful for the amount that you gave me (equivalent of $20 USD). I have never held this amount in my hand in all my life!” A part of me was thinking that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I was thinking that someone might take advantage of his disability. Then I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to “Let it go.” At the same time, he assured me that his helper is a good man and trustworthy. So, I let it go.

I would like to thank all of our benefactors right now. All of those who have donated to our mission in the Philippines you are greatly appreciated. This is your part of the mission here. I don't make the money. I don't work in the aircraft factory anymore. It is your generous contributions that we use to bring the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ! Please continue to keep us in your prayers and tell your friends about us and our mission. We can sure use the help at this time to continue our work here. Please pray for God to send us those who need the most help and please help us help them. I return to the mainland in two weeks to renew our visas (our biggest expense) and maybe then I can get a few pics of Pippi to post. There is so much work needed to be done here. I know He called us here for a reason.

Here I am Lord.

Is it I Lord?

I have heard You calling in the night.

I will go Lord

If You lead me

I will hold Your people in my heart.

Help(er) Needed...Granted

2011-07-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

What is life like being a foreign missionary?, you may be wondering. Well, sometimes it is a nice day living on one of God's most beautifully created islands with not much being asked of you except to relax and enjoy the quietness (like when we first got here). Then, there's weeks like this past one. Both ways are part of His plan.

Monday-- Normal schedule shows that this is the day when we all, minus Maddie, visit a day care center for 2-4 year olds and sing a quick song before a teaching of God's Truth. This week Fr. Joe called up and asked for us to go with him to St. James Chapel for the patron saint's Fiesta Mass. We agreed to have Stacie and Meredith stay behind and be with the young-uns while I took the boys (yes, even Julian. I was feeling brave). The Mass went well and then the chapel was cleared for the meal. Wouldn't you know that right before Fr. Joe was to say the blessing his celly goes off? And wouldn't you also know that right after saying “Oh, I gotta take this call. Very important. I will hand it over to our chaplain now (pointing to me).” Well, now you do know. “Come, Holy Spirit.”

Tuesday-- I put the finishing touches on the bunk bed I was building and we all pitched in to get the house ready for our first, unofficial short-term mission group from India and one visitor from Kahayag sa Dyos in Cagayan de Oro. We postponed our teaching on Tuesday at the high school and excused Maddie for the rest of the day so that we could pick up our visitors at the port. We all greeted each other and then headed out to Cantaan's White Beach. It was a super blessed time as we had the entire beach to ourselves. The high winds didn't stop us from having a great time and I thanked God that the rain clouds were swept away. We enjoyed our picnic lunch, fellowship, swimming in the big blue, climbing the coconut trees, and I had a revelation. I finally realized why we curve to one side with our hands pointed together while at the same time singing in the song “I'm Bananas for the Lord”---because we look like bananas! Ohhhhh, 1+1=2!!!!

We finished up at the beach and headed home to rest before going to the convento for dinner courtesy of Fr. Joe's staff. Dinner was excellent and we all accepted Fr.'s offer for transportation for our mountain visit the next day. We settled on being ready early, which for us non-Filipinos means 8am or after. We stayed up late(r) than we normally do. Yes, it was almost 10pm! We talked about biting the snake's backbone to keep it from squeezing the life out of you or something like that because my eyes were getting droopy by then.

Middle of the night comes and the power goes off. Sleeping here is great with the fresh air from the open windows (when it's blowing), but I still need my fan. I tossed and turned and could not get settled in. I finally got up and went to the front porch and lit a candle. It's still hard to believe how dark it gets every time the power goes out. In the open fields of Kansas, we at least had a lot of moonlight to work with. This time I had to use candlelight to pray and to search Scripture for a topic to preach at tomorrow's visit. With the sea breeze at my back and my drowsy eyes, I soon fell asleep and awoke with the candle just a few inches away and no Bible verse or topic in mind. Ok, time for bed. I finally crawled in and fell asleep with my prayer to have the power back on before too long. “Whizzzz..,” the fan clicked on and my sleep was blessed again. Praise the Lord!

Wednesday-- My plan was to wake up before everyone, eat breakfast calmly, and then go shopping for the food supplies at 7am. That didn't happen. I woke up after a few earlier riser-uppers, skipped breakfast, and headed out from the house at about 8am. I then got a text from Father that said we would be leaving at around 9am! “Sure, Father, we'll be ready,” hit the send button and relayed the message to the group. We split up into two groups-- I went with our Indian visitors Nick and Jeremy to get the 60 kilos broken up into 30 bags of 2 kilos each while Susanna and Eric bought the rest of the items like sardines, noodles, brown sugar, and a powdered drink. So, when my group got done, we headed to the store where Susanna was and texted for Father's jeep to pick us up. Ahhh, everything was going well as we were only a few minutes behind schedule. Screeeeecccchhhh! (insert record scratching noise here) Father called us up and said that he had just been invited to attend a speaker's address of our town of Sagay's 102^nd Foundation Day Celebration. There was no telling how long he was going to be! Oh, I forgot to mention earlier how this was a real “short-term” trip for our visitors. They were only going to be with us for about 24 hours total! That meant that they had to leave by 2pm to get to the ferry that departed by 3pm! The devil really hates missions. And I mean REALLY hates missions. I say that because after feeling a little relieved to see Father Joe come out of the meeting his news of the 2^nd vehicle we were taking was not so good. He said to wait just a little longer because there was something that became loose under the Mad Max. If you have seen Mel Gibson's 80's movie Mad Max, then you can see where this one jeep got it's nickname. Anyway, just another delay. No big deal. It's only 11pm......11pm!!! Time was really flying and we weren't even on the way up yet! Some sacrifices were going to have to be made. The life of a missionary. Carry out your mission, sacrifice all the extras. Yes, we were all ready to give up our lunch to give the poor all the help we could and share with them God's Word. Nothing was going to stop us.

Finally, Fr. Joe tells us of the completed repairs and that there will be a shortcut we can take to the mountain chapel. Most everyone fit in the blue Suzuki as they drove off without me and Nanding and Arlyn Ocaba. We got the newly repaired Mad Max. All in all we were at least 18 hiking that mountain trail. Many slips and near plunges into certain death (just kidding) but we still made it! The scenery the whole way was spectacular. God knows how to give one a boost at the right time. Just as your legs are throbbing from the climb, it levels out into a clear path or He gives you a great view of the sea or of giant rocks where the next rain will turn into a beautiful waterfall. God is good...all the time.

We made it up to the chapel in different spurts. We rested and caught our breath while some served us some green coconuts and coconut water. With one eye on the clock, we finally worked our way into the chapel where the people had already gathered. We read the beginning of Psalm 56. Our theme was about the importance of prayer and how great a gift it is to know that we can always talk to our Lord. He wants us to talk to Him. Have you talked to Him today? He is waiting...

After thinking, “What the heck am I going to talk about today?” it was time for the Holy Spirit to take over. I had my Visayan Bible and had only paraphrased what Psalm 56 was about. I had a little note that read, “God is on our side. Nothing to fear.” That's it! I was so thankful Teresa had brought an English copy so that I could quickly glance over some more of the key words. As I wrapped up, I gave the floor to Susanna and anyone else who wanted to share. Susanna talked about how someone must have prayed to God for help because here we were. It was true. Carrying food, babies, and the Holy Bible through narrow, muddy, and slippery trails and we were all safe! God willed it. I was also blessed by Nick's sharing of how awesome it is to work together. An even greater feeling is when we visit a foreign land and work side by side with other Christians and sharing the Love as God intended- encouraging and building each other up. I definitely felt very blessed and re-energized to be working alongside others who share the same values. Great visit!

The trek back was not as bad as the other. In fact, it went by way faster. I think mostly because by the time we were done praying over the group and distributing the food packs every minute was ticking down. I think we all had an imaginary clock hanging over us in big red letters saying that we were not going to make it. When we reached the parking area, it was a huge relief to see the two jeeps ready to go. Everyone loaded up the same way and Father double-timed it back to our cottage to get everyone's things together and leave immediately for the port. Our quick mission was successfully carried out and God's will triumphed once again over all of our “roadblocks”.

That was still not the end of the day for me. I have been assigned as a lector at Holy Rosary Parish. True, this was a Wednesday night and not as many people were there as at my first time during the 2^nd Mass on one Sunday. Still, I want to try my best and sound a little less like a 1^st grader reading Exodus and the Responsorial Psalm. It went fairly well and I think most in attendance got the message...probably because they had to listen really hard to what was being said :)

Thursday-- The day started out with my trying hard to connect to a Skype chat session with the home base in Louisiana. I messed up and clicked something accidentally and thought that I had entirely deleted my Skype account. After almost one hour from our scheduled chat, I finally gave up trying to re-load everything and found the original sitting right there on my desktop. At least we'll be ready for our next try.

Father Joe called us to the convento for a quick meeting. He asked us to go with him to the island's capital city of Mambajao to meet the Governor. He really wanted to introduce us to him because of his strong opposition of the Reproductive Health Bill (RH) which is trying to pass into a law that limits a couple to only 2 children per family. Crazy! If something like this would've passed years ago in the States, I never would've been born as Mom was the 5^th of 9 children. Anyway, we penciled in the visit.

Stacie's day to teach in the afternoon for one hour. She usually makes lunch for all of us then puts Julian down for his nap. Today was a little different though. While waiting for Maddie to show up for her lunch break, we were surprised to see her coming down the street with 4 of her classmates. We welcomed them up the stairs and invited them to have lunch with us at our table. The lunch breaks here are from about 11:30am- 1:30pm. Many kids live too far from the school to go home for lunch so they bring their lunch and stay in the classroom, using their desk for a table. On this particular day(as they had a few times before), the girls came to eat at our home. Maddie said we might as well expect them to come everyday. Fine with us. The more the merrier. Each brings her own small portion of rice and maybe a sardine or two. If still hungry, they taste a little “American” food.

Friday-- We excused Maddie out of her classes again and headed out to meet the Governor. We drove up and parked within walking distance of his front gate. Apparently, the whole town was there celebrating his birthday! We entered and met his father who is also a Congressman from Manila. Anyway, we shook hands and were invited into his home to share a birthday meal. Everything was very nice and so tasty. Finally, the festivities were starting to pick up steam as different singers took the stage to show their karaoke skills. Then, all of Camiguin's 5 priests were asked to go up and sing the traditional birthday song. They sounded great, to my surprise and maybe to a few others. Then, Father Joe, being the leader that he is, grabs the mic and starts to introduce our family. I can pick up on a few words describing our mission. Everyone's heads turn to us and suddenly everyone's looking at us! He motions for us to get up on the stage as well as for the Governor. “Oh, this won't be so bad. He'll just have another few words, give a quick handshake, wave and smile a bit longer then we can go,” I silently thought to myself. Wrong-O! I looked over after I heard Father say my name mixed with some Visayan and then he was handing me the mic asking, “Can you say a prayer over the Governor?” My face was saying sure thing but my innards were trembling! It's very difficult being put on the spot like that, but that's why God gives us the Holy Spirit, the Helper. “Come, Holy Spirit, I need You.” I truly believe in the gift of speaking in tongues because my mouth may have been moving and my voice being projected over the speakers but I never heard anything. I later had to ask Stacie what I said :) Whew! 3-pointer for the Holy Spirit!

On our way home, Father gets a call that says he will be hosting the priest's district meeting at his place and that he should have dinner ready. This also means that his missionary family should also be in attendance. The meeting started after a delicious meal and I was the only one left when Stacie went home with the tired children. The ENTIRE meeting was in Visayan. I really gotta learn this language.

Saturday-- Another meeting request at the convento. This was really a nice gesture by Father to translate everything that was said the night before. And wouldn't you know that he closed with a request to have me take his place and open that night's Talent Show for the town's continued 102^nd celebration? Well, now you do know.

I guess I must have said the right words at the Governor's place even though I still don't know everything that was said :) At least this time I had a nine hour warning. Evening came and the Talent Show was underway...but not until I opened with a prayer. It is so weird praying at a huge gym and hearing the loud crowd suddenly become quiet and then having my voice fill it with the power of a mic and giant speakers the size of a house! All for God's glory!

Father and I took our seats next to an Evangelical pastor, the Mayor, Vice- Mayor, and other city councilmen. The whole time I was thinking of Ms. Genie back at Big Woods saying how you just take everything as God gives it and follow His plan. Well, we stayed for the opening act of a magician trying his best to entertain the crowd. For us sitting at the very front and at a lower angle, it was easy to see that magic is purely illusion and not a power or force. I now know how 85% of the tricks are done. There is a reason for very loud music(to drown the clicking of buttons), wearing long coats (more pockets to hide the 42 umbrellas), and everything being black (not as visible). Just saying.

Sunday-- Day of rest you say?....hahahahahahahahaahhaahahhahhhhhh. Too pooped to start the day with 1^st Mass starting at 630am so we slept in and went to 830am. Before going on our way, we get stopped by our friends, Tata and Tony Credo. They invited us to visit their Kids 4 Christ meeting at 2pm they have only once a month. We accepted thinking we could still make it back to our house and have our Youth Group at 3pm. Everything's fine according to our plan, right? Well, the Holy Spirit was definitely guiding us this week and wouldn't you know that we were invited to come to the church at 2pm for Tita Dolores' anniversary Mass of her late husband's death only we didn't know that's what it was for and we assumed it was for the Credo's prayer meeting? Well, now you do know and are probably as confused as we were.

So, we celebrated the Anniversary Mass and sorted everything out. A dinner was waiting for us at Tita Dolores', but we also wanted to share at least a little bit of our time with the Kids 4 Christ group. Tony introduced us briefly and immediately asked us to share something...anything...ummm....Holy Spirit. Bingo! Just like that we were lead to share how the youth of the world are so important in turning the way this world thinks. It is good for them to start meeting like this and to begin forming their spiritual life through prayer, faith, and good works. We closed with a children's praise song that they really enjoyed. We ended up doing it twice. Good thing, too, because we built up an appetite just in time to celebrate at Tita Dolores' place. Praise the Lord! P.S. In case you're wondering, yes, we had to cancel our Youth Group for this week.

There it is! Our crazy-busy, action-packed, Spirit-filled, Kingdom-building, super blessed week in a nutshell...kind of. We start all over again tomorrow and see where the Spirit blows us this week.

“The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

Go! Tell It On The Mountain!

2011-07-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago my 8yr. old son, Abram, and I hiked up the mountain directly in view from our front porch. We were headed out with our new friends, Nanding and Arlyn Ocaba to visit with some of the people and to share a reading or two from the Holy Bible. We experienced something special at every stop which is something I will never forget.

The hike started at around 8am. We started off on a concrete road that curved to the right just after leaving our town. Then the fun began. The dirt road was still a little soft from the rain the day before but still not awful. I could see how bad it could have been if it was a later rain. I remembered thinking of Oklahoma clay and how smooth it was. I also noticed that the path started to get narrower and narrower as we went on and soon we were all in single file.

We passed a young girl on her way to school going the opposite way. I said a good morning to her without even thinking about classes having already started about an hour ago. Then Nanding says in his quiet voice, “It's a sacrifice, going to school.” Wow! Here is a girl going to school in her clean uniform with dress shoes (not hiking boots) going down a mountain. It is a sacrifice going to school because there is no bus service and no guarantee of good weather. I also didn't know how long it actually took to get all the way up or down. At the end of the whole trip, we had hiked 8 km. So, in order for this girl to get to class and hike about 4km, she would have had to leave her house by 5am just as the sun is rising here, and not return until after dark! And what if it was slippery?!

We kept on and reached our first house visit. I say house but it was more like a one-room hut on stilts. A family of 4 lived there with the parents expecting their third child next month. They were cooking their lunch on their front porch which was the size of our balcony of our home in Kansas! I think our Master bedroom connected to that balcony was even bigger than their place! And we thought we needed that bigger home. We had so much! I forgot to write this family's name but I have kept them in prayer since especially for the safe delivery of their baby. They seemed happy even though they didn't have much cooking on the fire. After I stumbled through the reading in their native Visayan dialect, we all agreed how important it was to keep talking to God through all of our trials and sufferings.

We pushed a little further up the mountain and came upon a little “village”. I am not sure what it is called but it was a group of about 7-8 homes. Most of the men were out doing farm work while most of the women with their little ones were peeking through their windows to see what was up. We only talked to two women and a grandfather of one of them. We continued the theme of prayer in our lives and how God remains the same age to age. One of the women spoke of how her home needed repairs especially the roof. When she showed me her home, it seemed like everything was in order for the most part. The tin roof does need some work and I thought how easy it would be to patch the small holes with some sort of Bond-O or another plastic filler. She also talked about how they have to arrange themselves in order to avoid the drips in the night. Not much comfortable space left. Still, they manage and do what they must.

The next stop was more for our lungs. Climbing almost straight up takes your breath away. Then there's the view. Wow! If the view of the whole ocean is not enough, the sound of the small creek rushing down some rocks can get you refreshed within seconds. We refilled our canteens with the natural spring water for the rest of our way. We also visited a relative of the Ocaba family after this stop. No sooner had we introduced ourselves than the young man darted off to a coconut tree which he climbed in no time and hacked off about 10 green coconuts with his machete. So, we shared with his daughter a good snack of the “meat” of the coconut and its milk. God is good to His missionaries!

Our last stop was my favorite. Arlyn showed us the place where we were going which was in sight....straight up! We had to stop a few times to give our throbbing quads a rest. I slipped three times. The feeling of everyone looking at me while I was down was very humiliating. I tried to lessen the “lesson” by saying that “even Jesus fell down 3 times”. Then, I quickly remembered that all I had with me was a backpack on my healthy shoulders and not the weight of the world's sins on my beaten, blodied body. It turned out to be a good and final place to stop and rest. The house we visited up there was occupied by a very hospitable family. They were ready to serve us the same gifts(boiled sweet potatoes) we had brought to them from their neighbors at the last visit below! That's generosity! But what made this visit memorable was when Arlyn had asked if we could read from our Visayan Bible. They exchanged some words and I kind of picked up something that sounded like “What religion is he?” Arlyn correctly told them that we were Catholic and not to worry. Then the lady of the house said something else which to me sounded like “Oh, we are Iglesia Ni Cristo” a Protestant sect started by Filipinos. What she actually said was that Iglesia had just visited them recently. Immediately I thought “Oh, no! They beat us here!” Actually, she said that they were there and asked them to convert and be welcomed into their church. These people with great faith answered that they have always been Catholic as their parents and even their grandparents were. Wow! What a relief! So many others here, (just like in the U.S. and other places) have been quick to change, perhaps because they lack proper catechesis or because something “new” seems catchy. I praised God for keeping this family together and also the flock of all of His people through the generations. I shared with them how important it is to keep the same faith that we share with the Apostles and to stay safe within the walls of the Church... “the pillar and bullwark of truth” (1Timothy 3:15). I told them that the Catholic Church is the ONLY church that can trace all of the roots from the first leader, St. Peter, to the current in Pope Benedict XVI. If they were to ask all the others who started their church and when, they would come up with someone from the 13^th century at the earliest. (Iglesia Ni Cristo only 97 years ago!)

As we were getting ready to leave, I admired this family's strength to persevere through the difficulties. Not only do they get just one Holy Mass per year, but their crops in the mountains are suffering with weak harvests. The only thing that they can rely on is their coconut harvest. Getting enough to fill a sack may be somewhat easy but going down the mountain with it while balancing it on your head and not falling is another story. It is a sacrifice living on this beautiful island and like Father Joe said just before we left the mainland, “Living on the island is no picnic. It's time to get to work.” Our work and your work is to preach the Gospel. Jesus needs us more than ever! Pray that we are able to continue our mountain ministry, a ministry that will hopefully include food distribution as well as more frequent sharing of Sacred Scripture in the hopes of building a stronger faith community among our hidden brothers and sisters.

Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.--James 1:12

2011-06-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a whole month has gone by since my last post! I apologize for saying that I was going to write every week and then saying I was going to only write a weekly report of what we've been up to instead of one by topic. Sometimes too much happens all at once that there is no way to keep up. It will make for a special meeting when we get to see each other again and then you can hear all the details of why God called us to Camiguin Island.

A few weeks ago, I posted on Facebook about Stacie's health. One x-ray was inconclusive as to whether she had tuberculosis. It was determined that the two spots on her right lung were from the pneumonia that she was getting over. We started to get a little nervous after we went to the hospital on the mainland. They took another x-ray and asked her if she was a smoker or if she is an asthmatic. Both answers were “no” but the possibility of TB still lingered. One reason that made us feel a little better is that the doctor said that we have only been here 3 months. One reason that made us feel a little nervous again was that TB is VERY common in the Philippines. So, there we were again on the roller coaster heading to the doc's. The new x-rays showed her lung condition improving and the two spots almost completely healed. Praise the Lord!

That same week I, too, entered the hospital for a checkup. I had been suffering from a very gross, painful infection from athlete's foot. I didn't know at the time because I've had athlete's feet before and after a little spray it was back to normal. A few days had passed since the initial itching and soon my toes were starting to blister and then bleed. (Sorry, I was supposed to put this warning at the beginning of the blog so that you would have time to put the PB&J down.) Anyway, it was taking a long time and showing no signs of healing. I started to get a sore spot on the top of my left foot and then a shooting pain up my leg. All through this, I was thinking of this year's Intake motto that we had put on our missionary t-shirts: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News.”-Romans 10:15

It was anything but beautiful. Then, I started to think of how Jesus struggled for many steps uphill with a gigantic cross on His back—with my sins and yours and the whole world's! I remember wondering on Good Friday how painful that had to be. He had His entire body scourged from head to toe and that was before having to carry the cross. I had a bunch of time to think of how much of a wimp I am and how ungrateful I am for not meditating on His passion as often. Every day is truly a priceless gift.

I finally got some antibiotics and am able to walk. It was a good lesson for me to remember the Father's love for me. This Holy Trinity Sunday we read John 3:16. He loved me SO much that He gave His only Son so that I may live forever! Praise the Lord!

Feast of The Holy Trinity

This is also a good time to wish all the fathers out there a Happy Belated Father's Day! My life is truly more blessed as a father. I thank God for all of my children and for all of their love for me. I now have more time with them doing what I was meant to do-- “Go out into the whole world and preach the Gospel.”

*****Praise Reports*****

We just found out that Stacie and I will be teaching a Values class for the 2nd and 3rd year high school kids. I will be teaching on Tuesdays at 7:30-8:30am and Fridays at 3:30-4:30pm. Stacie will teach on Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30pm. This is one answer we have been waiting to hear that can help our mssion here.

Another awesome report is from a woman that we met when we first arrived here in March. She is the mother of the child who had Dengue fever and was healed the very next day after we visited and laid our hands on him. Ate Arlen visited us today and was telling us of dealing with their hardships with a smile and with her faith. All the time I was thinking of the book “Happy Are You Poor” and how she could have been on the cover. I don't want to go into too much detail because Stacie will post about her soon. During Ate Arlen's talk, she invited us to attend one of her visits up into the mountains. To make a long story short, I plan on taking a few trips up into the mountains more frequently as there is a huge need of spreading the message of hope to the forgotten ones. Please pray that I can make regular trips and that God can bless the people there with much needed healthy crops.

********

That's all I have this week. So much going on now that I am “back on my feet”. Please keep checking back and know there will be more to pray for with the next post—hopefully back to weekly, or at least bi-weekly reports. Ang Dios manalangin kanimo! (May God bless you!)

Fr. Joe

2011-05-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to have some free time to write this. Since Easter Sunday, I have strongly felt the message of new life that Our Lord Jesus has promised to all. Everything He said came to be or is happening. The Crucifixion of the Master was the most horrible and terrifying death to witness, and the Apostles were lost without their Good Shepherd, even though He promised that he would rise on the third day. I can picture how the “now what?” feeling must have felt in their hearts. When we arrived here and settled in under the guidance of Mrs. Genie Summers, co-founder of Family Missions Company, everything was at peace. Mrs. Genie then left to finish installing the two single ladies on the mainland a few days later. That's when a version of the “now what?” feeling came into my thoughts. Of course, it wasn't the same as God dying and disappearing for a few days but the fact that an experienced missionary was leaving was just a tad uncomfortable at first. What was being taught and learned at our Intake program about being led by the Holy Spirit was happening! It was also cool and exciting shortly after to see how God was showing us His promises of not leaving us orphans. We were not only feeling the power of the Holy Spirit guiding us, but also seeing it in a very holy priest- Father Joe.

I don't think that I can fully describe Fr. Joe in a measly blog post. My intention at the beginning of the blog-storming was to actually give you a few quotes that he has shared since our arrival in March. Most are funny but others have really made me thank God for leading us to one of His true servants. Here goes:

“Oh, don't worry! Just stay on this road; you can't get lost. We're on an island.”
This is after he asked me to drive because he had only had his typical three hours sleep the night before and he was getting tired at the wheel.
“Sometimes you have to suffer comfortably.”
After most of the Masses in neighboring towns or barrios (most of this also comes from a FULL day of serving at his own parish), Father would get thanked for answering the request of a Mass with a huge meal. Fr. Joe's constant giving and sacrificing of his time has been something I want to learn how to do- always!
“Yes, of course! At the barrios, as long as you're wearing something , then it's okay.”
Upon arriving at a barrio funeral Mass before heading out to our original destination of a tour of the main town on the island, Mambajao, Stacie (dressed in jean shorts and most of us in T-shirts) asked, “Is the way we're dressed okay?” I don't know why but immediately after Fr. Joe's answer, I was still glad that I traded my banana leaf briefs for jeans earlier in the morning.
“We can still fit two more.”
Picture a blue Suzuki Samurai. Now, picture the interior of a blue Suzuki Samurai and how many passengers it seats. Yes, you may think that it only fits 4 adults. Hahaha! You are SO wrong! One trip to Mambajao to get to an ATM turned into a taxi ride trip back home. Father's relatives arrived at the port to celebrate their barrio's Fiesta Mass. 9 adults and 2 of my boys plus the family's luggage all made it safely to each destination without any damage to the Suzuki or each other. Oh, yeah! I also had a 5-gallon bottle of drinking water with us. Good thing my entire family didn't come this time.
“Ah! You don't know where I've been!! I've been to Death Mountain!”
Nothing funny here but this is probably my favorite so far and one of the most memorable to my heart. One day we were invited to a “prayer meeting” by someone we met at one of our chapel talks. They asked if they could come to our house later that evening to continue the session since we had other appointments. Well, the session at our house was VERY uncomfortable from the beginning. Most was in Visayan so I asked Fr. Joe to help me out by asking if they were in line with the Catholic Church. What I saw when he arrived on his motorcycle was surprising! He climbed our steps and someone quickly jumped up and hid the prayer leader from view. I thought it was odd but then the same man started to walk over to Father and explained who they were. Their group was leaning towards a fanatical side of the charismatic movement. One that places the gifts of the Holy Spirit a spot higher than the Holy Mass—the highest form of prayer. The man nervously tried to explain that they only go where priests can't. WRONG ANSWER! Death Mountain was at one time (and quite possibly still) a very hostile area where Muslims had a license to kill. Father Joe had to earn the trust of the people there and he is only one of a very few that can go up there but still risking his life each time.
“Julian is a lover of seafoods. Everything he sees, he eats.”
He is right-on with this one. It must be a genetic thing...from the father's side.
“If I could choose between a watermelon and an orange, I would still pick a mango.”
The kids got this answer after our day of watermelon harvesting in the mountains, when Meredith commented that watermelon was her favorite fruit.
“Oh, yes, my horse can read! He just can't pronounce the words.”
An answer Father, as a child, would give to people passing by wondering why he was holding a book up to his horse's face.
“My glass must have a leak. No problem. I will just refill it.”
If you're with Fr. Joe, Coca-Cola will be served. Another one that goes along with this one is “Don't worry. It is a bottomless bottle.” I knew I was going to like working with him.
“You ate that?! I've been around that ALL my life and I don't even eat that!”
Father and I went to a Mass in Mambajao for supporters of Filipino missionaries. After my introduction, we were served a breakfast of eggs, rice, small hot dogs, and dried fish. The dried fish, however, was more of a fish-shaped salt block. One huge bite and I reached for my instant coffee that I hadn't stirred completely. I paused while I hurried to stir up the sugar and creamer to blanket the salt. WOW! That was salty! I told Father on our way home that I never saw it on his plate when we sat down. Then came his quote above. I need to learn how to give the “No, thanks. I'll pass on the instant-dehydration-seafood look” for the next time.

So, anyhow, this is just a sample of his most famous quotes. There will be a Part 2 in the future I'm sure. I thank God for bringing us here to serve alongside one of his holy servants. One thing that I forgot to mention is that Fr. Joe's assignment here in Sagay is up in two years. After that, he will be moved to another area. With his mind already made up to serve in another rural area, Father will surely be missed here. He has a true servant's heart and a true missionary spirit. I will end with one final quote that sums up who he is: “There's no such thing as doing too much.”

“He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails. He will be powerful and respected.”

Psalm 112:9

***Missionary Appeal***

Father Joe is requesting help with funds needed to install 12 ceiling fans in the church. These fans were donated by a company after they visited and noticed how hot the church is. Currently, Holy Rosary Church only has bars along most of the sides to let a breeze through. This is still not enough to cool the whole church. Summers are very hot and it quickly heats up by 8am! The body heat with all of the faithful gathered on Sundays is also a factor.

The materials needed are for steel supports and for electrical items. A huge need that has been met is the labor fees since a volunteer workforce has stepped up to tackle the project. The local electric company has also offered their boom lift.

Father Joe says that even if we are unable to get the funds the fans will still be installed little by little. He says, “Doing it this way might even help the parishioners in their prayer lives.” Before I could ask how that could help, he replied as someone sitting under a fan, “Please, Lord, don't let this fall on me!”

If you feel called to help, please send your donation marked specifically for Holy Rosary Fan Fundraiser to:

Family Missions Company

12624 Everglade

Abbeville, LA 70510

OSA

(If you are in the Cagayan de Oro area, please reply and I can arrange to pick up the donation at St. Augustine Cathedral or any other location.)

Chapel Visits, Holy Week, and The Resurrection of The Most Holy

2011-04-26T04:28:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! What an amazing two weeks since my last blog post! So much has happened that I couldn't keep up. Stacie and I were extremely busy putting together our testimonies and a Bible sharing for the Chapel Visits as well as starting up the food distribution program for those in need during the first week. After that was over, Holy Week was upon us. There was little time to catch our breath as we prepared to move in to our permanent residence on Alvarez Street. We were also asked to hold a retreat for the Altar Servers of Holy Rosary Parish on Holy Thursday. The rest of the time was filled with mile-long processions through town for the Way of the Cross. There was a joyous vibe as many gathered for the prayers. At one time I thought to myself, “ YES! At every hour of every day, there IS a Mass being said all over the world!” How wonderful it is to be in the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC Church! While most of my readers were in the USA sleeping, we were celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord side by side with our brothers and sisters in the Philippines! Now, as I am typing this up through sleepy eyes, the Mass is being celebrated in America. “Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise. All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit. From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name.--Eucharistic Prayer in the Holy Mass

So, in the first week, we were invited to speak at 5 chapels throughout town. It didn't seem so bad at first but after laying our hands on almost everyone to pray over them, it was starting to get hard on the kids and they soon got tired. It was an awesome privilege, however, to share how God was working in our lives as a family to those whose first language is Visaya. The people understand English but we could not tell by their expressions. With the help of our friend, Lilia, we were able to get the message out. We also felt way better after learning that each of the chapels wanted, no, expected us to come back next month! God is good :)

I became more appreciative of the Gospel of Mathew after these visits. We used the story of the rich, young man (Matthew 13: 1-16) to explain how God was calling us to missions. Matthew has always impressed me as has Peter and Andrew and their call to follow Jesus. Mostly, though, is how Matthew was sitting at his money table and following immediately after Jesus' command. This wasn't just a fishnet or a boat that he was leaving behind. He left his old ways behind, too. Tax collectors were not honest men that charged only what was due. I know what Matthew heard when Jesus said, “Follow me.” Read my post titled “My Dream Job”.

Palm Sunday came as we finished our fifth chapel visit. We got home exhausted but prepared to repack everything and move in to our new home by Wednesday. Then, we received a call from Father Joe asking us to put together a retreat for the altar servers...on Thursday! Of course, we said “YES!” because we had been praying so hard for doors to open for our ministry. Next time we will pray for the exact size of door to open because while we were thinking about a lil, tiny crease and God opened a floodgate instead!

Wednesday came and we moved everything to the new home which still needed some cleaning before the blessing. When I arrived with the final load, I asked Richard if I could help him wax the floor. Now I know why he was grinning as if to say, “Yes, if you want to.” There was red dye wax everywhere. At one time it looked like I had lipstick on and nobody told me until I passed a broken glass that was used as a mirror. Ah, Humility:)

At the very early hours of Holy Thursday, the girls and I walked into town to shop for our breakfast and items for the retreat. Stacie was up until the wee hours the night before preparing for her talk as this is the only “free” time she gets from Juju. Not me. I need my beauty sleep, but since I am not allowed to sleep for 20 hours, now you know why I look the way I do:) Anyways, we got everything we needed and got ready to host our guests by 8AM. We titled the retreat “Called to Serve: A Holy Thursday Reflection”. We again read from Matthew, talked about FMC's 5-point Catechism, shared a personal testimony, had an in-depth study of the Mass, sang praise and worship songs, re-enacted the teaching of Jesus' washing of the apostles feet, and concluded with a candlelight ceremony as we encouraged the students to let their light shine for Jesus. It was an all-around great time reflecting with the youth of Sagay. We are praying that we can do more with them this summer.

Good Friday was also a special day that we will always remember. Many of the chapels displayed some of their handiwork in a procession through town during the Way of the Cross with the statues and floral decorations. Before the walk, I was handed a piece of paper and asked to read the 8th Station (Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem) except that the entire sheet was in Visaya. I had to ask somebody what number I was reading and quickly ran to the front of the group. Earlier in the week, I read the 6th Station in the Church. I prayed that I could see a Tongue of Fire hovering above my head as in ACTS but instead I saw many Filipino eyes looking to see who in the world hijacked the microphone from Father Joe's hands:) After I was done, I prayed that I didn't sound too much like nails on a chalkboard. I felt way better that night when Fr. Joe talked to us about it. He said that when he saw me walking up to recite the prayer he thought to himself, “Oh, boy! This is going to be a massacre.” To his surprise, everything sounded fine and that I even had the accent for it! Thank God for the Holy Spirit, our Helper!

We went to the Easter Vigil Mass at sundown which is 6pm here. All of the lights were turned off inside of the church. The wait in the darkness was so still and ,just when it seemed like it was too long, the candle procession began and the church was alive again. The Light of the world came back on the 3rd day just as He promised! Alleluia alleluia!!! This was our first vigil Mass but definitely not our last. What an awesome holy day this is! “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

So, there it is. This was just a brief description of what was experienced since the last time you read my blog. There was so much more but I don't have time to write it all down. You will have to wait until we see you again so that we can talk about it face to face. We pray that you are well and that your prayer intentions have been heard and answered. Thank you for your prayers for us and know that we are happy to be serving the Lord and eager to see what happens next.

Birthday Week

2011-04-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

With so much happening and not being able to keep up with the blog as often as I would like, I will be changing it up a little. I will be reporting a little bit more of the weekly events of our mission life. This past week was very busy with finalizing a good schedule, setting up our first home visit, and birthdays to finish the week.

The beginning of the week was awesome as far as feeling like we are starting to “settle in”. Our family sat down and put together a schedule that already seems to be a solid one. Arriving here in March, we were having a hard time knowing what to do besides being ready for a call from Fr. Joe at any minute to say “I'm going to pick you up so that I can introduce you to (_such_and_such) group”. There was no way to know when this would be over and get back to a routine similar to the one at Big Woods. We went through page after page of re-doing schedule after schedule. At least it made for a nice starter for the burn pile of leaves that we have every day (and night).

Our little rosary group that we started with the neighborhood children was one thing we were glad to say that stayed consistent. We also have seen an increase of the size of those attending increase little by little. Maybe this is because of the summer starting and school ending. Either way, it is good to see that children, even some as young as 5 years old, are skipping their “hang-out” time on the street and spending it with us and Our Lady. These kids literally play on the street at night because most of the homes here do not have a living room. Fr. Joe calls the main road their “sala”, also Spanish for living room, because they gather wherever there is a streetlight to play. Makes me think of our living room back home that we took for granted.

One little surprise that happened last week was a special meeting called to talk about the use of bad language around our yard. We don't know for sure if it was cuss words that were being said or not-so-nice words that we could do without. Stacie and I overheard our kids saying that “so and so said this is a bad word”. Regardless, we thought we'd better take immediate action before it got worse. Of course, I, being the authority figure, had to tell them and I did not feel good about it. After a short prayer, I quickly felt like it was the right thing to do. To my surprise, they were all very respectful and apologized for any wrong done. I was glad that it was over but even more glad that everyone was on the same page.

The downside of the week was the news that the mayor of Sagay had passed away the week before and plans were being made for his funeral on Thursday. Fr. Joe knew him well and our family had been with him a few times to pray at his bedside before he died. Father talked highly of him and what he had done for this town. It was also a reminder to me that our time here on Earth is unknown. We pray for the repose of the soul of the Mayor.

We paid the mayor's daughter, who is also a registered nurse, a visit for Stacie's rash on her leg. It was finally determined that it was an allergic reaction and Stacie was given a cream to rub on it. She was also told to avoid fish, eggs, and wheat. Not so easy to do here. Nevertheless, all is well and it is almost completely gone.

This week also was a major step for the seniors of Holy Rosary High. The school celebrated its 60th Commencement Exercises with about 40 graduates. Don't let the small number fool you. With a mass and other festivities, the class of 2011 held a 5 hour ceremony! Maddie and Meredith were excited when a few of the schoolgirls came the day before to ask them if they would perform in a dance before the Mass. With only one day of practice, the girls represented FMC well as they were placed at the very front of the pack! Not the first choices of spots on stage for ANY Alvarez but still an honor and a joy to see our little girls do a ballet type dance for us on Stacie's birthday.

Stacie celebrated her 35th, er, I mean, her thirtysomething birthday on Friday. The parishioners got together and sang the Filipino version of Las Mananitas on our porch. Fr. Joe called me the night before and said, ”Is it ok if we do this for her? Ok, good, we'll be over there before the Stations of the Cross.” Click. Uhhhh....Stations is every Friday of Lent at 430....AM! Yes, they showed up at 345am all dressed up and with very clear voices sang Happy Birthday and other songs beautifully. Then, they came right in and offered us “suman” which is a sweet treat made of sticky rice and magically wrapped in banana leaves. It would take me years just to know HOW they are wrapped so tightly and perfectly.

So, guess what happened two days later on my birthday? Yup, but this time we got to sleep in 30 minutes and I was sung to at 415AM since first Mass wasn't until 630AM. Of course, everyone still performed awesomely while I tried to squeeze out a smile and an audible “Salamat!” thanking them for their visit. This time they brought a sweet rice treat flavored with chocolate and in the shape of a rice cake. I have forgotten the name of it but I will call it “Choco-flavored rice cake”. The Bisayan name is WAYYY shorter than that! Oh and the kids were only able to use their sense of taste at both times. All other functions caught up about 2hrs later :)

Another praise report has to do with what we have been praying for since we arrived. We have been praying for ways to get more involved in the town with home visits. Sometimes when one prays to God for a door to open, he'd better watch out. God might open a flood gate! “You asked for it!” is one of Fr. Joe's most memorable quotes. Already lined up is a regular Saturday home visit with a widow named Ring-Ring, preparing and taking lunch to the volunteer workers at our new home, and participating in a new food distribution program for the poor. Programs of this kind are rare here and I was asked to give any advice that I could share with the chapel leaders of the community. Well, I am a rookie missionary and I, too, have little experience in this sort of thing. However, thanks to the short-term trip that we took to Mexico in November 2010, I was able to share how home visits were handled there. With some minor adjustments, Fr. Joe accepted to begin immediately on the project—and I mean immediately! Right after the meeting with the chapel leaders, Maddie and Meredith helped me stuff sacks of noodles for the 50+ families that we will pray with and visit---this week! Already this week is off with a bang! Salamat sa Dios!

Living on this island for a month now, I still cannot get over how beautiful it is. The palm trees, coconuts, volcanoes, waterfalls, coconuts, the ocean, and even more coconuts were all created with one spoken word! After a long day of Mass, meetings, and noodle sorting, I took a dip in God's swimming pool with the boys. Thank you, God! A perfect birthday gift on a perfect Sun-day.

John 4:34 “Jesus said to them,”My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.”

The Mission Life

2011-03-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

I remember sitting at Big Woods in Louisiana and listening to all of the teachings throughout Intake about life in missions. The thought of almost being sent out to our post was both exciting and at the same time a little scary. What will it be like to be surrounded by water? What living arrangements will there be for us? What foods will we eat? After all, we were about to be sent halfway across the world! Yes, living on an island is what others dream of-- for two-week vacations but not months or even years!

Mathew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

I can honestly tell you that we did as much research that we could before coming here to Camiguin. None of the pictures of waterfalls, fishing boats, and palm trees match what we see here. It is beautiful! Probably the most beautiful island in the world! We see a people of such warm hospitality and happy to greet you with a nod followed by a “Good Morning” on our walk to daily Mass at 6AM. Oh, yes, the whole town wakes up very early and also shuts down no later than 6PM! All day long people can be seen working hard in their flower beds, going out in their boats to fish, and riding the motorelas to get to and fro. Everything seems to stop immediately when we walk by. An American family with six children?!

When we met Fr. Joe Villamil in Cagayan de Oro- a major city on one of the main islands- he said something I'll never forget. After his warm welcome he said, ”You will like Camiguin but it will be no picnic.” “Wow! At least this guy is honest!” I remember thinking. It isn't too bad so far. Yeah, the mosquitoes are a nuisance and the constant change of sun-to-rain and then back again makes for an extra long “dry cycle” on the clothes hanging on the line. Oh and then there was this little thingy called a “Level 1 Tsunami Alert” the first night we were on our own and after we had just waved goodbye to Ms. Genie Summers, the Director of Family Missions Company.

He called us here for a reason and we have to remain with Him and be patient.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

We have done pretty well I think adjusting to life without a fridge. Every meal has to be bought at the local stores all along the main road. We truly seek our daily bread. The first week though Fr. Joe has blessed us so much by providing all meals at the Convento just next to the Church in Sagay. We are currently staying in a one-room bamboo cottage with the ocean just outside our doorsteps while the new FMC missionary house is having the finishing touches put on it. A generous donor gave money about a year ago to go directly to this project. When the framing and layout work was started on it months ago, Fr. Joe walked up to it and immediately thought, “Oh, no! This is too big! We miscalculated!” He now says the Holy Spirit must have known a family was coming and that all is well in the end. And as a side note, we confirmed Father Joe's suspicion of Divine Intervention by showing him the street name this new home is built on-- you guessed it! Alvarez Street! No joke!

Last Week

2011-02-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

     Well, I had been on a good run of posting on Mondays and I hope I can get this done by midnight tonight. I have been busy the last few weeks with painting the inside of one house and the outside of another. I have been blessed to have this work to pay off some of the balances of our personal bills before we head off to the Philippines. The Philippines!!! I think that it is finally starting to hit me that things will change once we lift off into the sky from Houston next Monday! Our last week at Big Woods in Louisiana.
     Wow! I can't believe how time has flown by since we arrived here last September. That's almost 6 months ago! Six months ago I was saying my goodbyes to friends at work, family in Kansas, and fellow parishoners from St. Anthony's. It seemed like it was only going to be a short road trip. When we visited in December though it seemed like forever. It was SO good to see everyone again! It was so exciting to share how good God is and has been to us through our journey. This is just the beginning. I know from when I first heard His voice a little more than a year ago that this was for real. And now the time has come.
     With all of the intensive studying and training done, the long hours of driving to the mission base in Mexico, and the awesome fellowship here with our new missionary friends it is time to let our Light shine to the ends of the world! Jesus has called us to build His Kingdom. We are happy and ready to follow where He leads us. We are willing to do whatever He asks of us. We are His!
     In our last week, I cannot help but think of all the help we have received from our benefactors. It is with your support that this is starting to take shape. We are blessed when we receive your help and love to pray for your intercessions. We start off every day with the Liturgy of the Hours and include your prayer intentions as often as possible. For those of you who have turned in a prayer intention and have had it answered, could you please comment below. We should praise God in EVERYTHING we do!
     It just dawned on me that next Monday I may have to be posting from the airport! There's still so much to do! We are planning a little "test run" with the kiddos sometime this week. We plan on only taking one backpack each and one suitcase for the whole family. The backpacks will mostly have clothes and maybe a few other things that we might need throughout our stops before getting to the island. The suitcase will mostly carry our books and other study material along with other things that we may need for our new home. Stacie has managed to reduce the weight of it to 40 lbs. So, after we all get suited up, we will walk from our house to the end of the road and back. It should be about a half-mile or so. Just a taste of what to expect with all of our gate changes at the airports.
     Well, that's about all I have this week. Sorry it was a little short and very choppy but my eyes are getting heavy and I need to rest up. This last week is gonna go by fast! Pray for us, brothers and sisters. We definitely will keep you in ours. Peace be with you.

Ecclesiastes 3:6 "A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away."

Christian Joy

2011-02-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

     Over the past week the word JOY has been popping up at me from Scripture. I have also been feeling joyful as our day of departure to the Philippines draws nearer. I remember feeling this way when we prepared to go for our mission training in Mexico last November. I have a feeling God has something SO much bigger than anything we've ever known or prepared for.
     This time last year we were preparing for our trip to Big Woods for the "Come and See" event. We were so excited to see if this was for real and as the time got closer to go, the joy was overwhelming. The kids would picture all the "far away" places they would love to go. Their joy was infectious. Finally, the day came and within 13 hours we were in south Louisiana praying and singing praises to the Lord with strangers we had just barely met. It was awesome! It was for real!
     Jesus was calling us to serve Him. My dream was coming true. It was not just a thought or some fantasy. It was more than that. He was calling us to serve Him in a deeper way. For some reason, I felt that there had to be more than what we were doing. We always went to Mass on Sunday and had our prayer time at home. I even volunteered my time to serve on the parish council for St. Anthony's in Wichita hoping to become a more "important" part of the Church. Still, my soul was thirsting for more.
     Today's reading from Jeremiah 15: 15-16 in the Liturgy of the Hours we read "When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart..." In our last year in Kansas, we had started to regularly go to daily Mass. It was a very joyful time for me to hear the Word of Life. I never wanted to leave. I really believed that Heaven came to Earth and the more that I read the Bible the more I felt alive.
     God's timing is perfect! From the time that we heard the call to missions, it seemed as if God was reassuring us. The priest would pray at Mass, "...for all missionaries in the field..." or the day would be the feast of a missionary saint. After this, I would look down the pew and all eyes were looking back to see if I caught the keyword. All smiles.
     The thing that got me more and more though was the way the words jumped out from the book. Had I read this before? What version is this? Yup, Jesus was opening my eyes and my heart to listen to that reading on that day for a reason. Here are some of the verses that were read during that time of waiting:

Mathew 19:21 "Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide."

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation."

Luke 12:22-23 And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing."

     Again, this is not like we had never heard these verses before. These were the same words over and over through the years but with a new meaning and with a new energy. We felt God's presence ever nearer. God's Word was coming alive and jumping out to reach us. God was calling us now. We had to answer and jump for JOY!
     Jesus calls everyone every day. He wants you! He loves you! Answer Him today and invite Him into your heart. Be sincere and be ready to listen. I know that what you hear will make you feel more alive than ever! Trust Him!

Down But Not Out

2011-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

     I'm sitting in the living room typing this up after just finishing the Super Bowl game on television. It doesn't get bigger than this game. It beats the baseball and basketball best of seven series. Only one game for the championship. It's win or lose. I grew up with football. I love it. I sometimes hate it. I love the sport because of the toughness, the teamwork, and the strategy on both sides of the ball. I hate it because I get so wrapped up in it with stats, anxiety, and a lot of times anger when something doesn't go right for my team. Football was, for a lot of years, a false god I worshipped.
     As a kid, I remember Sundays being a day where we all gathered at Grandma's and planned out the day of BBQ, family, and fun. There's nothing at all wrong with any of this except for the most important part of Sunday--the most holy sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus. Oh, yes, we did go every Sunday, but keeping the sabbath holy was definitely not on my mind for the rest of the day. When I moved to Kansas at age 12, the Mass and Jesus were almost completely removed as part of my life. The one thing that I did do was football. And even more of it. I was addicted.
     The early 1990s was more of a temptation to keep me hooked as my team was winning a lot more and was suddenly more competitive. I was definitely riding a high when the Dallas Cowboys won 3 Super Bowls in four years. It was not easy having losing seasons after that and knowing that we had bad teams with little to no chance of winning. It was so hard knowing that the only thing that I thought was constant on that day could bring me such pain. I was in deep.
     I have sometimes heard drug addicts say they started to realize how bad it was when they hit rock bottom. One day changed my life for good-- thank God! My family and I were watching a game that was coming to a last-second field goal. Make it and Dallas wins. How hard can this really be? He better make this or else.....The kick was up....wide right! For those of you who know me, I am pretty much a cool/quiet guy. Not that day. I grabbed the remote control and slammed it very hard on a pillow that was on the floor. The remote bounced off and hit my oldest daughter on her face and made her cry. I hit rock bottom. I immediately began to feel very embarrassed as all eyes were on me. The room emptied out slowly and my heart was burdened. This was totally unacceptable. I obviously didn't mean to hurt my daughter but it still happened. Stacie had pulled me off to a side and we talked. The hardest part for me to understand was how to let go.
     Nowadays things are more calm. I'm not stressed out and yelling at those in the TV. I love life. I have learned about moderation. I don't HAVE to watch every single game. I don't HAVE to watch every single play. My priorities are more in order and I thank God that He has shown me the joy of keeping His commandments. I remember putting ALL of my energy into a game that would be decided by the players not by what I did. I also like to think of my life now and what Jesus has for me if I put all of my energy towards Him! Yes, I sometimes fail (and sometimes miserably) but it doesn't end there. No matter how many times Satan knocks us down we have to dust ourselves off and get right back up and in the game. We are on the Lord's team. Jesus wins!

Vince Lombardi (Green Bay Packers Head Coach-1960s) quote on life: "After all the cheers have died down and the stadium is empty, after the headlines have been written, and after you are back in the quiet of your room and the championship ring has been placed on the dresser and after all the pomp and fanfare have faded, the enduring thing that is left is the dedication to doing with our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live."

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up."

My Dream Job

2011-01-30T21:56:00.000-08:00

     Since I said I was going to start posting on this blog every Monday, I thought I'd better start with a dream I had when I was young. This is one of those special type dreams that seems so real that when you wake up it feels like you're in a new place. I had this dream during our engagement. It is a dream that I will never forget.
     In my dream I was walking in one direction. A stranger stops me, points to the ground, and says, "He needs your help." The man leaves me as I continue to stare at the empty ground wondering, "What the heck!" Suddenly, the ground starts to rumble and then sift into the shape of a man. The man takes me by my hand and leads me in the other direction to a church rooftop. We stay there a moment gazing into the darkness until finally a beautiful sunrise reveals the land. After a short while, the view of the land turns into more and more when I realize He is showing me the world.
     I had never spoken of this dream at first because I remember waking up and feeling different. I didn't understand what the dream meant or who the man was leading me. I felt a peace that I had never known from a sleep like that. All the pieces started coming together as my relationship with Jesus grew stronger and stronger.
     Jesus is the man! He took me by the hand and led me to the rooftop. He was showing me the world and how many people there are that don't know about Him. He needs my help. He is taking me in a direction that I wasn't planning on going. I know, however, that when I reach the end of the journey I will know Peace.
     I remember my last days as an aircraft painter at Spirit Aerosystems. I was half-joking with my friends that I was going to be taking a new job. I didn't want to say too much too early. Some would ask, "Is it with Spirit?" I answered with a quick yes thinking that my new boss is the Holy Spirit. "Oh! So it's an international position," they continued. Yes, again. The whole time I knew that my new "dream" job was working with the Holy Spirit in foreign lands as a lay missionary for the Catholic Church.
     Below is a song from Rich Mullins called "I'll Carry On". It is one of the best songs that I've ever heard that best describes my call to missions. The beginning is very touching so listen closely. God bless you.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/c-rCF9GsAlQ?rel=0

Strength in Waiting (part2)

2011-01-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

     The post before this one was supposed to have appeared last week. I got too busy and soon I put it on the "back burner". So, this post is an update of the happenings after the waiting had come to a pressure point.
     Last week I had come to a point where I felt as if the Lord was telling me to not pray for the sale of our home in Kansas anymore. I had a sense of peace knowing that from here on out the Lord was going to start the "sale" process and that I needed to concentrate on other things. That Wednesday when we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet we offered it up solely for the sale of our house while letting go of any anxious thoughts. I had felt a lot of pressure weighing on my mind about this (and other worries like the upcoming travel expenses, the waiting for an official invitation from the Philipine Bishop, etc.) for the last few weeks and could feel the weight of waiting bearing down. Sometimes when God quietly works out His miracles, one can feel like he is alone or away from God. I did not expect what was going to happen within the next 24 hours!
     Stacie and I sat down one night a few weeks ago to figure out our taxes and to see what kind of refund we would get. I was surprised at first how much we were getting back but with the addition of Julian and other factors it was easy to see why (well, for Stacie, anyway). While the waiting period began after the "Send-off" Mass in December, I had begun to think what would happen to this money. The thought of it being garnished to make future house payments was making me upset at times, especially since I was already applying it to our mission travel fund. Instead of being patient and strengthened at that time, I was worried and anxious. Not at all how Jesus taught us to be.
     Fast-forward to the day of my prayer during the Divine Mercy Chaplet. That night while I was checking e-mails and such, my realtor, Sheree, and I started to "chat" online. I asked her a few quick questions about our situation regarding the tax refund and the short-sale process with our house. She informed us about how any money that we have and use for our mission is ours and cannot be taken away. What a relief!! My prayer to offer everything completely to God was being rewarded that very day! Early the next morning, we got an email confirmation of when to expect our refund- January 28. Also, a missionary friend of ours, Sid, came running to our house with a piece of paper in hand- the Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro had finally written his official invitation.  Everything was starting to take shape and God's hand was in it the whole time. My spirit was leaping and I was feeling the weight of waiting lessening. God is good!
     Thank you for praying for us, our dear benefactors, as we prepare for our mission trip to the Philipines. The date is now set for departure on February 28th. We are currently going through our things again and making sure we only take what we think we really need. Our daughter, Meredith, is insisting that we allow her to take only three shirts, a pair of shorts, one dress, one skirt, and one pair of pants, after reading that Jesus said to take nothing for the journey. She even feels guilty taking that! When we left Kansas in September, I thought that we arrived in Louisiana with little to unpack. God is so good to us and we always have more than we need when we trust in Him. Please continue to offer up your prayers for us and also help with our mission travel expenses. Maddie, our oldest, is hard at work crocheting rosary pouches (several different colors are available) as a fundraiser. Meredith has laminated, hand-drawn holy cards for sale with prayers on the back. Thanks again especially to those who are donating to us monthly. This will provide our daily needs as we build God's Kingdom. Several $5 or $10 per month contributions can go a long way. Please consider making your tax-deductible donation today. God will bless you one hundred-fold :)

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."-Philipians 4:6-7

Rosary pouches-$5 ea
Holy Cards-$2 ea or 3 for $5

Strength in Waiting

2011-01-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

     Whew! With Christmas officially over, we are now even closer to our mission posts. The Eckstines and Sid are REALLY close as they get ready to leave for St. Lucia in the Carribean on the 19th of this month. Others will head back to the mission house at General Cepeda in Mexico. Susanna, Teresa, and we are headed to the Philipines in late January but only after receiving an official invitation from the Bishop. All we have to do now is wait and wait and wait...aaagh! This is hard to do after gaining the full momentum from our first short-term mission trip to Mexico and the completion of our Intake program in early December.
     We had an awesome "Send-off" Mass at Our Lady of the Bayous in the first part of December. Family Missions Company allowed a break to all of the missionaries to visit family and friends over the holidays. Most everyone left Big Woods and soon the Alvarez clan was left with a few of the other "seasoned" missionaries. Odilio was feeling a strong call to return to Kansas but with little cash on hand it was going to be almost impossible--ok, it was totally impossible. We had enough gas money to get to maybe Shreveport and back (as long as there were a lot of downhills on the way back). Anyways, we decided to pray one night when the call seemed so strong and real. We said,"Lord, this is going to be totally up to you if you want us to go because we see no way for us to do it on our own. You must provide if this is Your will." We'll just sit back and wait.
     Not long after our family prayer, Stacie got a call from back home. Her mom, Debbie, wanted to know what our plans were for Christmas. There was nothing really to say except that we were going to plan on a quiet and simple holiday meal together. Surprised that we hadn't made any travel plans, Debbie informed us about a good friend of hers that wanted to give to us. It wasn't an ornament or a fruitcake, but a gift card with enough money for gas to and from Kansas! No, way! Yes!!! We hadn't told any of our relatives about our urge to travel back home but we knew that it was all God. Amazing!
     We ended up arriving in enough time to rest and go to the Midnight Latin Mass at St. Anthony's in Wichita. It was SO good to see our friends there again. We even had kept it a secret that we were in town for a few days because our girls wanted to surprise the Leybas (operation: success). We were so blessed with the many invites for lunch and dinner(special thanks to the Swans, Leybas, Reals, Hardys, Habashys, Hauges, and Canos) that we only had to cook once! Needless to say, our schedule was booked every day we were there. One of the sweetest blessings came from our good friends, the Swans, and their 9yr old daughter, Anne. She was so excited to give us our gift when we visited and made sure that was the first thing we did as we entered. Anne had carefully inserted $20 each into two beautifully hand-made cards--One for "Mr. Odilio" and the other for "Ms.Stacie". She offered up some of her Christmas money for our Mission- specifically to go toward our plane tickets :).
     So, here we are again. We're back at Big Woods and just waiting. We are slowly trying to incorporate the mock schedule we have set for our life in mission. Please continue praying for us to be patient as we wait for the miracle that God is sending our way to be able to purchase our plane tickets to Manila. Waiting is hard but the glorious reward is worth it!
Isaiah 40:31 "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
                    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
                    they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint."

Samuel, Josh Leyba, Abe, Joseph Leyba

Maddie, Claire and Anna Leyba, Meredith

Fun with cousins- Kylie, Alli, and Justin Real

Intake 2010's last Mission Formation together

He Is My Shield

2010-12-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

     One of my favorite activities during the Intake training program is Desert Day. The whole group of missionaries heads out into the desert with only a sack lunch, a drink, a journal, and ,of course, their Bible. We split up after a quick prayer and sit out there for about 2-3 hours as we enjoy a quiet lunch and quiet reflection with the Word of God. The Desert Day in General Cepeda, Mexico is one that I will never forget.
     Intake 2010 started out for the mountains of Mexico in the usual way. The rough terrain coupled with a car full of children can easily distract the driver (me) of the goal for the day. After some time though we finally arrived to see differing elevations of beautiful mountain ranges. Mr. Frank led us in prayer and we went our separate ways. Being in the Mexican desert for Desert Day was already going to be different than it was in Louisiana this day for two reasons: 1. It wasn't in the pasture of Big Woods. 2. My son, Samuel (age 5), was going with me.
     We grabbed our gear and headed towards one of the nearby hills with an edge that seemed to drop-off. As we neared the end of the cliff, we noticed a small creek at the bottom with plenty of room to unpack and splash around if need be. The trip down there was more challenging than I expected, and soon I was carrying my backpack, a giant water jug, our lunches, and Samuel! We were walking on the slippery gravel for quite a while when we finally made it to the bottom safe and sound.
     Samuel and I ate our lunches and briefly talked between bites. Finally, I turned to him and said,"OK, son, now listen to me. We are in the desert and we are having Desert Day. That means we are supposed to pretend like we are the only ones out here and we that we have to listen to what the Lord says to us from His Holy Book." Then I grabbed Samuel and placed him in a spot that I thought he could stay out of trouble and not get hurt while I tried hard to meditate on Scripture. I should have known better than to think that a 5yr old can sit still for at least 20 minutes in the great outdoors. This was more like 20 seconds!
     The sun was blazing hot that day and maybe that was the real reason the creek was so inviting. I asked Samuel to come over by me and told him that he could sit right by me if he agreed to stay super quiet so that I can concentrate on my readings. I strategically placed him on my left side as we were in the open with the sun beating down on my right. My son was safe in my shadow and I was instantly assured that he would not get sunburned. After all of this time and preparation, I was finally ready to start my Desert Day.
     A few minutes passed and I still had Samuel in mind instead of opening my Bible. Is he comfortable? Is he getting sleepy? Why is he SO quiet all of a sudden? Is he thirsty? Is he fully protected from the sun? Then, Samuel squirms a little. He looks up at me with his huge brown eyes and says,"Dad, it's kinda hot in the desert."
     Nothing at that site was more beautiful or more true than what this little 5yr old boy said. It taught me a lot about my ways and my walk with the Lord. "But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head." (Psalm 3:3) If we truly believe that the Lord is with us every step of the way, then we must be careful the next time we think about complaining about the little things. Someone much bigger than we is already taking the heat. :)