Fr. Joe

      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.)