ONE HUNDRED POSTS!!!

Wow!!  With the help of Tom Radel, I have composed 103 blog posts!!  This deserves a party!!
Who knew that I had so much to say and would have the capability of putting all of these random thoughts and experiences of mine into words?  So, a brief time out for a few thank you's to people who have helped me to come this far...

First and foremost, to God, who in His infinite wisdom allowed me to venture on these mission trips that I have to say have had a greater effect on me than anyone I may have helped.  I have said it many times on this blog, but as it is an anniversary blog, I will say it again... if it were up to me, I wouldn't have ever gone to Africa, to Peru or here to the Philippines... and wouldn't that just be a great shame, a great loss for me.  God has given me so much more than I have given others... truly, I am blessed!

To my grandparents, Bob and Jo Noonan and Vince and Cecilia Burkard who have passed on their faith and their love of God and Mary to their families.  Not only that, but their persevering spirit, their ability to find joy in their work and how they make everyone feel welcome and accepted.  I have been the recipient of so much wisdom and love from my grandparents, and while two of them are singing gloriously with the angels in heaven, I have no doubt, Bob and Cecilia are still living and thriving and loved by many in Buffalo... and in the Philippines!!

To my parents, Tom and Jean Noonan, who are amazing parents and have allowed me to cultivate my own path, meandering though it may be, and have supported me all along the way.  They too have passed on their faith to their 8 children, 5 sons-and daughters-inlaw, and soon to be 46 grandchildren (including the 6 little loves living in Heaven with Jo and Vince <3)  as well as many other life- affirming attributes.  Without their help, I would have never been able to do my current work, so thank you!

To my brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews... whose sharing of good times and bad, laughter, joy, sorrow and love, togetherness, fellowship, trust in God and constant support of one another has given me the tools and the energy to do what I do here in the missions.  It is their support that holds me up when I feel I cannot go another step... love you!

To Tom and Paula Radel who have given me the wings to fly to the missions and have taught me what I know about generosity, selfless living and truly reaching out to touch the world with God's love.  They were my first, and only, missionary teachers, and are the messengers God used to touch my life and change it forever... for the better!

To my friends and supporters whose prayers and love I carry with me each and every day.... someone once told me that, when going through a particularly difficult and sorrowful time, she could actually feel the prayers of others carrying her through the hardest times.  I have felt that too, and I thank you, each and every one, for your prayers.  Some may think that prayers are useless... something to do when you don't know what to do, but that is so wrong.  Prayers can lift people up, heal people, bring people back to Christ, give someone hope, even be the causes of miracles.  Never underestimate the power of prayer.  And please don't stop praying for me!!

And to all of the people I have met and worked with in the missions... I went there thinking I could possibly be of some help, that maybe I could help change lives, bring people closer to God, give them not only physical aid that is so completely needed, but also spiritual help as well.  It is so true that whatever you give you get back 10 fold... I have received so much more than I have been given.

There is a little girl named Abbey living in Providence Home.  She is one and a half years old and the joy of everyone remotely related to the Oikos Family.  She is sooooo cute, but very shy.  Every time she sees me, she shuts her eyes and smiles, and that is rare.  I have been trying in little ways to win her friendship... playing peek-a-boo, singing nursery songs, doing little dances and marches around the house and making a complete fool of myself.  Still, she stays away, cries when I come near.  For someone who is a natural around young children and usually has no trouble winning them over, this has been a great challenge and a blow to my ego!!  Anyways, last night during the novena mass for the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Little Abbey came up to me and gave me a hug.  It was worth the wait!!  Hopefully we'll be best friends in no time!!

Here is a picture of Abbey with Sister Clarissa.  Hopefully I'll be posting one soon of me holding Abbey!!

 

Thank you to everyone for your support, prayers and interest in my little life, and praise God for His love and wisdom!!  xoxo

  

More Pictures

This is Tom. With Sarah's permission, I am posting some more pictures which I hope will add to the wonderful narratives we are receiving from her.  

The cathedral in Borongan is Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This is a picture of the main altar. Two beautiful stained glass windows are on either side of the crucifix and tabernacle. 

Most liturgies are quite crowded.  The 8am Mass on Sunday morning is in English.  The others are in the local dialect - Waray Waray.

The church was repainted a couple of years ago for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Borongan.  

It is impossible to tell the story of Eastern Samar and Borongan without mention of two super Typhoons which struck 13 months apart.  The picture above is of Super Typhoon Ruby (also known as Hagupit) which made landfall on December 6, 2014. The island of Samar is the green dot. Ruby traced the path of Super Typhoon Yolanda (aka Haiyan) which made landfall November 8, 2013. Yolanda is still considered to be the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall.

Bishop Crispin Varquez is pictured in the chapel of the Diocesan Seminary after Typhoon Ruby.  The water rose to the level of the tabernacle (you can see the water line on the right) but did not extinguish the candle or disturb the white lace cover on the tabernacle. 

Only about 25% of the roads in Eastern Samar are paved.

This is the neighborhood 7-11.  Out of the front of their home, a family is likely to sell food, cleaning supplies, soda, rice, etc.

The roofs are made from the leaves of coconut trees.  They are often damaged by the storms which visit the island. This home (about 140 sq. ft.) likely houses an entire family.

It is common the see the statues in churches dressed in clothing.  The clothes will be changed at various times of the year.

The large blue building is the cathedral.  The domed structure in the foreground is the Adoration Chapel.  The cathedral is about 1/10th of a mile from Nazareth Home where Sarah is staying.  

A Trip to San Julian

Today we went to a barrio called San Julian.  It is about 30 minutes away and it is the barrio that Sister Minerva is from.  We brought the people living there rice, sugar and pasta and we also served them lunch.  We have been preparing for this mission for a few days, buying the food and packaging it up, making the lunch and so on.  We served about 300 people.

I've seen television commercials and shows that depict hungry people being fed, reaching out, surrounding the person giving them food from all sides so it seems all that can be seen are hands, tons of them, hoping theirs are the ones that will be filled with food.  Well, it is no exaggeration!!  We got to San Julio around 9:30 in the morning and we got all set up with the food bags to be given away and the lunch preparation underway.  The people were all sitting around this big open area anxiously waiting for us.  The sisters started the day with a prayer and a song that had movements and they encouraged everyone there to join along.  After the song, the eating frenzy began.

I passed out juice boxes to everyone.  At one point, all I could see was a sea of hands, reaching out to me.  I couldn't pass them out fast enough.  Someone was behind me handing me refills of the juice boxes and I just blindly shoved them into people's hands.  That wasn't exactly how I pictured it!  I thought I would hand out one at a time, looking into the eyes of each person I gave it to, saying a little prayer to myself for each one... nope!!  It was a total food frenzy!!  When everyone had their food, Sister Minerva began calling out names of people to come and get their food packages.  At that time, Sister Clarissa and I took a walk around the village.

It never ceases to amaze me to see the homes that these poor people live in.  In Africa it was clay huts with a thatched roof, in Peru it was teeny houses made of straw and homemade cement.  In the Philippines, it is sticks and leaves of the coconut tree.  I think before the two typhoons, the people had sturdier homes, but those were swiped away by flooding waters and brutal winds.  It is even difficult for me to call these places homes, for they do not resemble any home I ever saw, just a few "walls", a floor and some had a ceiling, but many did not.  We visited one home, and to reach it we had to walk on this homemade wooden bridge that bowed under my weight and made me sound like Olive Oil as I crossed it...  "oooooohhhhh....oohhhhhhhhh...oohhohooohooohh!!!"  Sr. Clarissa was sort of making fun of me as she walked ahead of me singing, "Be not afraid, I go before you always...." Har-har... It was a pretty long drop too.  But the "fun" ended when I arrived at the house, a little more sweaty from fear instead of the heat for once, and I saw these 7 children sitting around a table eating the food we served.  There were no walls really, just a few beams attaching the floor with the ceiling.  There was one big room other than the one the kids were eating in that had an open fire pit but no refrigerator or cupboards, and then a side room that held a pig.  The house was held up by tree stumps right over the water.  I was told that when people cannot afford land, they just build their homes over the water.  Unfortunately, those homes are the first sacrificed in the torrid winds of a Filipino typhoon.  The kids were happily eating their food and glad to have visitors... but imagine... no furniture, no pictures, no walls, no games, no books, no safety from the elements or from thieves, not that there is anything to steal there, but even so... and no privacy.  I have had my mind and heart opened a lot over the past year and a half.  I have come to embrace many things about living a humble and simple life - for real, not an Americanized version of living a simple life by getting rid of a few unnecessary things, but a real humble life of poverty.  This, however, simply was too much for me to accept.  Home for me, whether made from bricks or from clay or from sticks, is somewhere comforting and loving, somewhere to feel safe and protected, somewhere you can really relax in, breathe deeply and sleep soundly in.  None of that seemed at all possible in these poor dwellings.  I feel I am being harshly critical and judgmental... these children could just live out on the street with no place to call their own at all.   I just want to feel something other than sick at heart and deeply saddened when visiting and viewing the poor homes here.  I want to be happy for the people living there and rejoice as they do that God blessed them with a home.  How do you do that???

So, we went back to where the people were still receiving their bags of food and Sr. Clarissa took over reading names out.  I went over to where the rest of the Oikos team was standing and quickly became surrounded by little village children curious to see what white skin felt like.  At first there was just a few of them, but soon many children came and began surreptitiously, or so they thought, touching my skin when they thought I wasn't looking.  So, I asked their names and told them mine.  They began speaking to me in Waray, but I couldn't understand them so I told them the only words I know so far. (I am being tutored in Waraywaray by one of the Oikos scholars, Jomar, but so far I only know about 30 words.)  However, realizing that many of the words I know are body parts, I began a game of "Sarah Says", aka "Simon Says".  At the end of it, they all wanted to give me high fives, but I taught them how to fist pump!!!  Then the girls sang a song from "Frozen" for me... really!!  How, oh please tell me, how is it possible that these kids live so far from the United States that it seems I am in an entirely different world, but they know the movie "Frozen" and have memorized the songs from it just like American kids???  Weird.  Anyways, we started telling each other how beautiful the other was and then the kids sang a few more songs for me.  It really was a great time!!  When it was time to go, we gave each other high fives and the kids all sang out "Bye, Sarah!!  Good bye, Sarah!!"  It was sooooo sweet!

It was quite an emotional day.  There seems to be no way to reconcile the roller coaster of emotions I felt throughout the day and it seems strange that I was crying  one moment at the state of reality in San Julio and rejoicing with laughter a little while later.  Suffice it to say I had an upset stomach and a headache for the remainder of the day... and this was all before 11am!!  We still had work to do!  I don't know how the sisters do it!!!

By the way, nearly every day, at least one person, but usually 2 or 3, point out to me that I am sweating.  Now, I have been here for 3 weeks and there hasn't been a day yet that I wasn't sweating.  Here in the Philippines, people don't really sweat unless playing sports or doing a lot of cooking or something like that.  2 minutes away from a fan whether walking, standing or sitting, and I am streaming sweat like there is a running hose under my skin!  And it is always said like they are just noticing it for the first time... "Oh... You are sweating!!"  Yes.  I sweat.  A lot.  So far, I have just smiled and said something like, Yep...that's the way I am, or that's the way God made me.  I think I'm going to start saying, I am??  I had no idea!!  This pointing out the obvious and making me feel more out of place is a little grating!!  Just a little venting session.  I'm done!!!!  xxoo 

It's Not Just Banana Trees Growing Here in the Philippines!!!

There are a lot of things that make this mission different from the others I have been on.  In both Africa and Peru, I was able to tap into my skills and build on them as I worked. Whether it was teaching the children, working in the kitchen or initiating games in Africa or speaking "Spanglish", caring for the sick children or leading a discussion on the trials of mission work with my fellow missionaries, I am grateful for the many gifts and talents God has blessed me with that surprisingly
aid me very well in my present work.  Not that it's surprising that I am able to use my talents, just that it still is surprising to me that I am a missionary.  And I am able to use my gifts and talents in the Philippines as well, but there is something more here that wasn't a part of my previous missions.

I feel very strongly that here I am being called to stretch my capabilities and even use and get accustomed to being comfortable with using what I see are my weaknesses.  For instance, I am not a good singer at all.  I love to sing, and I have pretty good pitch and tone, but my voice leaves something to be desired.  I feel very uncomfortable singing in front of others, but here during the Liturgy of the Hours, holy hours and teaching English songs to the high school and college
scholars, I am asked to let go of my negative feelings about my singing and rise above the pride and self-consciousness that has always held me back.  While initially feeling disconcerting, it actually is freeing to let go of my neurosis.  Because no one else seems to mind my voice... but it is hard to let go of 43-1/2 years of caring what people think of my voice.  It isn't easy.

Another thing is that I find myself being the center of attention here, sort of in a place of honor...being asked to sit at the head of the table, taking the front seat of the car, being served everything first.  In the US, these things are not really important, I mean it's nice to sit in the front seat but it is no biggie either way, usually.  But here, these are places and actions reflecting honor.  Now, I am a middle child being the 4th of 8 children, and the 3rd of 5 girls... I'm really in the middle!  And I totally buy "middle child syndrome."  The fact of the matter is, I much prefer quiet spaces... in a large room of people, I'm content in a corner and do not, at all, like to draw attention to myself.  That is not possible here for me to hide, to take the lowest place, because when I do, I'm always called to the place of honor.  This also gives me a disconcerting feeling, especially because I came here to serve.

Disconcerting is not bad.  Uncomfortable, maybe... but being put in a situation where you are really forced to move out of the niche you've made for yourself can only make you a better, more complete person, I think.  Imagine living a life in which neuroses and concerns about what others think about me are totally gone and I can just do my thing... sing my songs... accept honor graciously... be at peace with myself and who I am.  I think I am on my way to being that person now.  Not that I am making it easy on myself, of course!!  Growing pains, I suppose!!!

I know my previous mission trips changed me.  There is no doubt in my mind that I am not the person I was two years ago, I am better, thanks be to God, and the missions I have been on in Africa, Peru, Louisiana, and even in Buffalo have effected me in a most amazing way.  But I feel this trip is stretching me... encouraging me  to release all of my inhibitions and let go of the negative feelings about myself.  I even danced the Kuratsa, a traditional dance here in the Philippines in front of
a room full of people with a stranger (to me, not to the sisters ;-) )!!  And I hadn't had any alcohol to drink!!  Anyone who knows me well knows that was a big thing for me.  But one thing that my grandmother teaches me every day, even here when I am nowhere near her is that you are never too old to learn something new, never too old to grow into the person you most wish to be... thank you, Gram!!! xxoo

Here are some pictures of me beginning to let go....

This is me dancing the Kuratsa with Sister Clarissa's uncle!

And here I am with one of Sister's aunts. She kept putting money in my shirt as I was dancing!! ??

We did a photo shoot on the beach with the Sisters we were traveling with during the Vocations Caravan!!  Those wild and crazy sisters!!!

And a quiet moment to myself, walking in the warm ocean.. It was so beautiful!!!

My Home Away from Home

I thought you might like to see where I am staying in Borongan.  What I didn't get pictures of, yet, are the roosters that crow at 2am (someone needs to fix their clock) and  the dogs that bark right outside my window at all hours of the night!!  Aside from that, it is a very nice home that I enjoy going back to each day, knowing that the work day is over and I can eat a good dinner and rest in the evenings.  I didn't take pictures of the bathroom... forgot that... I still take bucket baths, but they are a welcome refreshing break from the constant heat here.  There is still damage from the typhoon last year in the house due to flooding (yes, the second floor was flooded to the ceiling!!!)  The sisters have worked hard to repair other people's homes are just getting around to fixing up their own, in their spare time, ie. hasn't happened yet. 


Here is Nazareth Home where I live.  We live on the second floor.  On the first floor there is an Oikos pharmacy, where any poor person can come and get medications for free, and there is also a place to wash and hang laundry along with a space for the formation meetings of the college students.  It is about a 2 minute walk from the church.






The following are pictures inside Nazareth Home and of my bedroom.  It is a bright and sweet home, and the best part is it reminds me of my sister Margaret's home, in which the room are pretty much the same color of yellow.  There is just something comforting and familiar about it.  :-) 

Here is the "living room."  There is a view of the river right outside the windows.  Most of the furniture was lost to the flood, not that there was much to lose.  But it is a great big room, perfect for sleepovers if you want to come here for a visit!!!

The picture above is still a part of the living room. We invited all the sisters and priests working on Vocation Jam over for lunch the day of the big event, so we had extra tables set up.

Here (to the left) is our dining room where we eat breakfast and dinner... essentially, they are the same meals.  For both meals we have rice, fish, some other kind of protein and vegetables.  The food here is really good, but I miss my Greek yogurt in the morning!! 



And this is, yet again, more of the living room,
seriously, it is really big!!  There is a nice area
for prayer here.

I am blessed to have my own bedroom!!  It is nice after a busy day to have some time to myself to read, write or drop down on the bed and let out a great, big sigh!

 

And here are some photos of the Oikos Sisters in action!!

 

Here is Sister Minerva with the smallest Oikos beneficiary: Abby who is really sweet but still shy of me!!! 



Here is Sister Clarissa who is trying to get a picture of me off guard... hahaha...It didn't work, I gotcha!!



This is Sister Aileen and an Oikos Scholar, Grasilda as they prepare food in our kitchen.
 



Sister Minerva and Sister Aileen are preparing for Vocation Jam 2015!



Sister Minerva and Sister Ethel are on stage with other sisters singing We Are The World!  These multi-talented sisters had a solo!!!

 

Special Time with the Oikos Scholars

Last night we had a bible sharing with the scholars of Oikos.  We used the Gospel reading from mass, Mark 9:30-37.  There were about 15 of us with Sister Clarissa.  We sang an opening song, and one of the seminarians who is also an Oikos scholar us in an opening prayer.  It was quite beautiful, sitting in the little chapel at Providence Home in candlelight on the floor, listening to the Word of God, then listening to God Himself to hear what He has to say to each one of us.

For anyone unfamiliar with this passage... well, you could look it up, but for now I will give a brief synopsis.  Jesus is with His apostles walking through Galilee and He is telling them about the type of death He would suffer.  However, the apostles did not understand and were afraid to ask Him questions about it.  Then, as they were walking, the apostles were arguing about who is the greatest among them.  Jesus, upon learning of this discussion, tells them that in order to be first, they must make themselves last, a servant to others.  Then He goes on to say that anyone who welcomes a child in His name welcomes the One who sent Jesus.

I was one of the first to share as we went around in a circle and I was sitting in the hot seat!!  I kept thinking, during our quiet time, about the apostles not understanding what Jesus was saying and being afraid to ask Him questions about it.  It really gives me a little comfort, knowing that the ones that Jesus hand-picked to begin His Church on earth with Him didn't understand... that they were afraid to ask Him more.  There are plenty of times that I do not understand things about my faith, about what Jesus is teaching through the Gospels, even why we do some of the things we do.  And to be honest, there was  a time when I was afraid to seek more deeply into my faith because I was afraid that God would want me to change my life, and I liked it just fine the way it was.  What gives me comfort about this passage is that even the apostles, those men closest to Jesus, didn't always understand and at times were afraid to go deeper.  But then I look at what these men eventually accomplished with the help of the Holy Spirit.  They built the solid foundation on which the Catholic Church stands on today.  And through rough times, wars, scandals, hypocrisies, unjust leaders and more, the Catholic Church still stands strong today.  So even though I may stumble, fumble and lose my way at times, I can have courage that through the help of the Holy Spirit, I may endeavor to eventually be who God created me to be and be pleasing to Him.

Well, I added a little more to this than I said last night, but that was basically it.  But the scholars really dove deep into themselves, they really let God touch the inner most pain that they had, and they shared it with us.  Now, since I am bound by honor not to go into detail about what each person said, let me just skim the surface a little.  These 18 to 22 year olds have been through more in their lives than I could ever even imagine... more pain and heartache than any man, woman or child should have to go through in a lifetime.  Being abandoned, not having a home and living on the streets, not being wanted by either parent when they divorce and both start a new family, having a parent unjustly imprisoned, being bullied, abused... it goes on and on.  And the crazy thing is, when I met these kids, they were the most joyful people I think I've ever met.  I have been around them, working with them, praying with them for two weeks now and never had a clue at all that they had this searing pain in their past that erupts like the most horrible heartburn and no medicine can take it away.

Well, one thing can... love. And that is what these kids found at Oikos.  They found true and unconditional love, support, people who believe in them, are willing to make an investment in them, a safety net and a stable life.  What amazing women these Oikos Sisters are!  I am humbled, deeply and truly humbled by the lives these kids have led so far.  I thought I had hard times growing up... I thought I had things to complain about.  There is nothing that ever happened to me that is worse than the least painful experience one of these kids have had.  And yet, here they are... opening up, sharing and trusting, believing that in God they will find peace, solace, a resting place, possibly even forgiveness... and having hope for the future.  How amazing to be a witness to this and to be able to serve people such as these.

And the most astounding thing is, in my opinion, the most amazing and mind-blowing thing that occurs to me is that working and helping with these scholars, finding sponsors for them for college, housing, feeding and clothing them and helping them resolve past pain to find the joy God wants for them is only one of MANY things the Oikos Sisters do.  It just makes me feel like... wow!  xxoo

Just a Few Things

Here are just a few things I've noticed around here, just in case you were interested...

--- It is so hot here that gum melts... it actually melts in the package.  I opened up the front pocket of my backpack the other day to find a total gummy hot mess!  Some of the pieces were still in the wrapper, so I thought... might be good.  Uh, yeah, just in case you were wondering... hot gum that is dripping between your fingers before you even get it into your mouth tastes like ABC gum. (already been chewed)  Just some advise... don't ever do it!!

--- The people here are really so nice and welcoming to me.  It's so funny... I get double takes like I'm some big Hollywood movie star!  And I think I've been told about half a dozen times how beautiful I am.  My skin, my eyes, my nose... it's very sweet, but very disconcerting.  And for someone who has a bit of a big self-confidence issue, it's a little hard to swallow.  But I've been told I am not very nice to myself, which is, in fact, quite true.  My dad says that we are our own worst enemies.  Why is it that we, as a whole, think so negatively about ourselves?  Something to work on...

--- I am trying to learn the language here, but it is a little hard to sit at a table eating a meal and everyone, who knows English, is speaking their native language, Waraywaray.  It makes for a lonely meal even though I am surrounded by people.  It is pretty selfish of me to say so, after all, I am the only one there not knowing what is being said and I can't expect people to dote upon me.  All the same, I hope I can learn the language quickly so as to avoid this altogether!!

--- There are these little ants here... everywhere!!  I have to shake out my clothes before putting them on and wipe off my backpack before using it.  When I open drawers they are scurrying everywhere.  I asked Sr. Clarissa if it was me, was I doing something that was attracting them, or was it just life in the Philippines.  I was hoping she would say it was the former so I could just clean something and be rid of them, but nope!  That's just the way it is here.  Ug!

--- The other day Sr. Clarissa approached me and asked why all the windows were closed in my bedroom.  Care to venture a guess as to my answer?  Before trying to do so, let me give you a little hint... there are no screens on the windows.  So, of course, I say I don't want grasshoppers and lizards in my room.  She looked at me like there was green goopy gooey stuff coming out of my eyes.  She said they will not hurt you, but if you get too hot from not having enough air in a hot, hot room... that could really hurt you.  I'm still weighing my options there.  Truly, I don't know which is worse!!!

--- Last Sunday at mass in the chapel near Providence Home I was sitting in a pew with two women, both with children.  While waiting in line for communion, of all places, one of them asks me how many children I have.  None, I say.  She is shocked and says as much.  Well, I sheepishly say, trying not to be rude but either way I'm being rude to either the woman or to Jesus who I am just about to receive, I am considering many things... the religious life, single lay Catholic missionary life, consecrated virgin... Oh no, she says, if you do not have children that would be the worst thing E.V.E.R.!!!  Oh, I said.  You MUST have children, she says, shaking her head at me while giving me a disapproving look.   Ooookaaayyyy, I whisper.  I think I pacified her, but what about me???  It was pretty funny, but I hope if one of her children are called to the religious life she will celebrate it as much as if they announced grandchildren were on the way!!!

--- Did you know how many things can be made out of rice?  Well, rice, of course,  and rice pudding, which up until now that is the only forms of it I have had, although I know there is rice milk.  But that is not all... there is rice noodles, rice pancakes, rice caramel cups with coconut, sticky rice (cooked in banana leaves), rice chips, cocoa rice sticks (I'm totally having a Bubba Gump moment right now!!) Seriously... there are even more but I've forgotten some.  I've had more rice in more ways than I ever thought possible and I've only been here for 2 weeks!!!

--- I'm sort of bumming because I am unable to eat the fruit here.  There are so many delicious, tropical fruits here.  Mangoes and papaya that are better than any I've had in the States (although I was sorry I indulged about a half hour later!! :-(  But other fruits like linzones, which are sort of like grapes but more sweet, and so many different kinds and colors of bananas.  For some reason, possibly because the fruit is washed in untreated water, whenever I eat any I get a tummy ache after.  And it is only with fruit.  I remember being so sick in Africa.  It's early yet... too soon to do my "I'm not sick" happy dance, but I am feeling pretty good and have yet to tap into my supply of granola bars.  I'll just have to offer up my desire for fruit when it sits all luscious and tempting in front of me at the table!!!

--- Everyone has been so great to me.  All the sisters and the children here, our neighbors both at Providence Home and at Nazareth Home, all of the priests and sisters I have met... by the way, as a side note, this is how I am introduced... "This is Sarah Noonan from Buffalo, NY in the United States.  Her brother is a priest."  Which then is followed by a more interested welcome than before the priestly info was given.  So, I've gone from being Tom Noonan's little sister in high school to Father Mark's sister in the Philippines!  Pretty funny!  Anyways, back to my point... everyone is so nice here... but being the only American here, being the only missionary, not having anyone to vent to in person when needed, or an understanding first world shoulder to cry on is difficult, harder than I thought it would be.  The solidarity I found both times in Africa and in Peru is not here.  But, as my brother-in-law, John likes to say, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.  Following that logic, I'm gonna be like the Incredible Hulk when I get home!!!

That's all for now, folks.  Thanks for reading and thinking of me!! xoxo

Wake Up the World!!!

It seems pretty timely that a few days after I write my blog about needing more vocations in Oikos, there is a Vocations Jamboree in Borongan!  For those of us in the know, we can with great confidence agree that, there being no such thing as a coincidence... God is pretty awesome!!
All this week, aside from my trip to the south, I have been going with a few of the Oikos Sisters on trips all around Eastern Samar taking vocations flyers to schools and churches.  We've traveled in what they call a Vocations Caravan.  Religious from all over the Philippines are welcome to Borongan by Bishop Crispin to spread the word about vocations in general and their own orders in particular.  I've made about 30 new sister and priest friends this week!  And far from being competitive, this was a week of bonding among the religious... really beautiful to see!!  I even got to speak at one of the schools... not about Oikos, really, just that I am visiting Oikos as a missionary and told a little of my story.  I encouraged the young adults to really seriously take a look at the religious/missionary life.  I told them what joy it has brought me (missionary work) but that I am just a little sorry I didn't seriously consider this option when I was younger.

So, the week culminated in an all night Vocations Jamboree called Wake Up the World.  There were over 1,000 teenagers and young adults there... which was awesome!  It started out with lots of loud Christian rock songs, with motivational and high energy dance performances peppered in between.  The best were the ones done by the Oikos scholars!!  Oikos scholars are college students being sponsored through Oikos by generous people all over the world.  A year of college for these students is around $1,500.00/yr, USD.  You may be thinking how great and cheap that is, but for the poor here in Borongan, it might as well be a trillion dollars.  I believe there are 25 scholars in the Oikos community right now.  They are the most respectful, grateful teenagers I ever met!! (not counting my nieces and nephews, of course!!)

Anyways, Voc Jam 2015 was pretty cool!  I was on the holy hour team, so I helped guide the prayers and songs.  The kids were broken into three groups, there being like 350 kids in each group and they alternated going to three stations.  One was the orientation station where the kids were introduced to each order of religious and had time to meet with them, sort of in speed-dating style!  Another was the booth station.  Each order had its own booth and the participants could go up to each group and get information, prayer cards and leave their contact information if they were interested in learning more.  And then there was the holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  So, each team had to go through the whole process 3 times, meaning I had 3 holy hours last night, which was pretty cool.  The kids were receptive and responsive, which at 3am is pretty impressive!  The whole thing kicked off at 4pm and lasted until 3:30am with mass at the Cathedral with the Bishop and about 16 priests... way cool!  And I made it up the whole night!!  Woot woot!!

The one thing I don't think I will ever forget is walking from St. Mary's College, where Voc Jam was held, to the Cathedral at 3:30 in the morning.  Try to imagine about 1,500 people walking tiredly down the vacant streets of Borongan, praying the rosary (actually droning it out at that point), stumbling a little, with blurry eyes, shuffling our feet for about a 3/4 mile walk.  All I could think is that we looked like a village of zombies shuffling down the early morning streets!  There were a few tricycles out at that time, hoping for early fares... I can just imagine what they thought!!  Then what pops into my tired head is that we are zombies for Christ!!  Oh my, I thought that was ridiculously funny at that hour and was trying to control my laughter, but wasn't entirely successful.  Zombies for Christ... Yikes! Could be a good idea for a Christian action flick... except for the small problem of Christians not believing in the undead.  Oh yeah... might not work. ;)

By the way, if anyone is interested in supporting a young adult from Borongan for a college education, you can visit the Oikos website at www.poorhouseholdofgod.org.  Good night!! xoxo

A Visit to the South

The typhoon I wrote about before was Typhoon Ruby.  There was one a year before that named Typhoon Yolanda that hit south of Borongan where I am.  It was called a Super Typhoon because of the damage it caused.  I had the opportunity this week to travel to the Southern Samar where Yolanda's fury can still be seen, two and a half years later. 

I traveled to Taclo-an and Santa Cruz, two barrios south of Borongan.  They are about 2 hours away by car.  The sisters first heard of need in this area because the mayor of that region contacted them to say that there were a few barrios in desperate need after the super typhoon.  The ride for me was a little scary just because at a certain point, you leave pavement and are driving on rocky dirt roads and on wooden bridges I don't think I'd walk on never mind driving a big truck over!!  But the first trip there for the Oikos Sisters was even worse.  The dirt road resembled more a swamp than a road, and someone had to walk in front of the truck and throw down gravel so the they would have some traction.  Not only that, but downed power lines in the wet puddles made the trip death defying!!  Because of the sisters' presence in these barrios, instead of having mass once a year, these people now celebrate it twice a month, along with Eucharistic Adoration and confession. 

One amazing story I heard about the Taclo-an barrio is that during the super typhoon, the people had no idea where to go.  No one ever expected the typhoon to be as powerful as it was.  So, leaving their boarded-up homes, the people all gathered in the church.  After the typhoon ended, they left the church to find everything gone... EVERYTHING.  Homes, cars, gardens, everything was gone.  The amazing part... not one bit of damage happened to the church!!! 

Anyways, we traveled to these barrios to begin the people there on one of the livelihood programs the Oikos Sisters have for the people here.  One of the programs is FAITH... Food Always In The Home.  The sisters provide the families with the materials needed for growing vegetable gardens.  Then they teach the people about planting, managing and harvesting their garden.  Some of the food grown is set aside for the families, but some is meant to be sold to provide income for them as well.  Some of the Oikos-supported gardens I've seen are just overflowing with bounty!   And another program is piglet recycling.  The people are taught how to raise and care for a piglet and how to build a pen for it.  It was for the launching of this program the day we went there.  The people who want to participate have to sign a contract promising to do their part in the program and are given $1,500 in pesos to get them started.  As the pigs grow and have piglets of their own, the people pay the Oikos Sisters back by giving them 2 of the piglets, one for another family and one for the sisters.
The team did such an amazing job, and as I recollected on it later, I realized really how much the sisters are giving these people.  Anyone can give poor people things they need.  But when that is gone, they will just need more.  The Oikos Sisters are giving these people a chance to pull themselves out of poverty.  With the sister's help and the financial jump start, if the people are willing to do the work, they find not only livelihood, but also independence, dignity and pride in themselves and their work.  The programs are all monitored monthly by the team so that the people are held accountable for the investment the sisters made in them.  I think it is really great.

But along with seeing the thriving barrios the sisters are active in, we passed many still in great need.  Houses made out sticks, with no humor intended, it really, sadly reminded me of the Three Little Pigs.  Children waiting outside of their homes for our truck to pass by and come running for any leftovers we had... possibly the most food they'll eat that day.  It is really heartbreaking. And I couldn't help but think about how unfair it seems that natural disasters hit places like this, where people have no hope of pulling themselves out of the devastation without great and consistent help.  Don't get me wrong... natural disasters anywhere are terrible and the loss of life as a result of them is always horrible.  But to be so poor, to not have much at all and have even that taken away, to have almost three years go by and still you find yourself in the same place, with nothing... there isn't a word for the sadness in my heart upon seeing this.
 
Only being 5 in number, the Oikos Sisters cannot do it all by themselves.  And we did see many temporary homes built by different organizations, including homes built by the Joliet Diocese in Illinois.  People are helping, people are giving... but more is needed.  Everywhere.  My prayer this week is for more vocations to the Oikos order of sisters.  Could you make it yours too?  Thanks!!  xoxo

Borongan Weather

For those interested in following the forecast in Borongan, the website is:

www.wunderground.com/borongan 

It definitely rains a lot in Eastern Samar (think Seattle). Here is a snapshot for the next several days:

These are a couple of pictures from some rainy days:

And here is a picture looking down Real Street which is the Main Street in Borongan:  

A tricycle outside of the Cathedral:  

You can travel anywhere in Borongan for six pesos ($0.12 US). 

The electrical wires are a maze!

 

The benefit of rain is beautiful, lush vegetation. 

The shore. 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

here are some pictures from Borongan. 

Borongan is largely a fishing village on the Pacific Ocean. 

Fresh fish are plentiful at the market. 

As are bananas. 

And delicious mangos. 

Jeepnys are colorful vehicles left over from WWII. 

One of the four legged residents of the town. 

This home (built on stilts) likely houses an entire family. 

A typical meal. 

My First Assignment

One of my first jobs I've been given is to be a part of Formation Sunday.  Here children of different ages are taught about the Catholic faith.  Today is for the high school students.  I have been given the task of reading Luke 1:26-38, the Annunciation, and giving a reflection on obedience.  Here is what I thought I'd say:
*******************************************************************************************************************

My reflection on Luke 1:26-38... Obedience

Mary is not present in much of the Gospels, but whenever we see her she is teaching us something profound.  In this passage, Mary is teaching us about obedience.

Being obedient is not always easy, not always what we want to do.  The 10 commandments say we must honor our mother and father, we must obey and respect our parents, teachers, caretakers, etc.  But that is not always easy to do.  Often we have our own thoughts and plans of what we should do or where we should go.  Even though we might not recognize it at the time, our parents, guardians, those who care for us know more than us what is best. 

If that is true, how much more is it for God?  God, our Father, knows everything!  He knew us before we were born.  He knew at the beginning of time who we would be and what would be best for us, best for the world He created.  To Him, above all, we must also be obedient.

Imagine Mary... a young girl, about your age.  She was a good girl who listened to her parents, for the Church teaches us that she was born without sin.  Now, imagine Mary a few nights before she was to marry Joseph.  She was probably nervous about the new life ahead of her... leaving her parents, having new responsibilities as a wife to Joseph.  Then, an angel appears before her.  Can you even imagine it?  The bible says Mary was afraid... I would be too!  But then the angel calms her fears and asks Mary to be the mother of Jesus.

This is not an easy thing to ask of Mary.  1) to become pregnant, 2) to explain to her family and Joseph what is going on, and 3) to be responsible for raising Jesus, the King of Kings, the Savior of the world.  I would be understanding of Mary if she said no.  This is a huge thing God is asking of her. But Mary loves God and trusts that anything He asks of her is best for her and the world He created.  So Mary says yes to God- as we pray in the Angelus, she said, "May it be done to me according to your word."

Being obedient is not easy.  It may not be fun, either.  But God, in His wisdom, gives us time to practice being obedient to our caretakers so that when He is ready to ask us to be a part of His will, we will be obedient, we will say may it be done to me according to your word. 

So, be obedient now.  Practice obeying those who love you and want the best for you. So when the time comes for God to ‌invite you into His plan, you will follow Mary's example, her fiat, and say yes to God.

And, if you ever find yourself having trouble being obedient, ask Mary to pray for you.  She knows what it is like to be obedient to God and to her elders, she knows it is difficult to obey and can ask God to give you graces to help.  Mary, as your mother in Heaven, wants the best for you too and wants God's glory shining in all of our lives.  She can help!!

************************************************************************************************************************

You know, I have learned a lot from my brother Father Mark, but one of the best things I ever learned from him is a homily on Mary that he gave at the Carmelite Convent one day during a novena of masses.  He was speaking of St. Louis DeMontfort, and I am not sure if St. Louis came up with this argument for Mary or if one of his teachers, who is also a saint, did and St. Louis was sharing it.  Anyways, many people outside of the Catholic church, and probably some within it, do not understand our devotion to Mary.  I believe they think that we are worshiping her as we would God.  However, that is not true.  St. Louis DeMontfort gave this argument in response to this: (by the way... this is a complete paraphrase!!  Want the real deal?? Read "True Devotion to Mary"!!!)

1) God is perfect. 
2) If God is perfect, then everything He does is perfect.
3) God could have chosen anyway to come to earth as the Second Person of God, Jesus Christ, but because He is perfect and what He does is perfect, then His incarnation, the way He came among us, is perfect.
4) God chose Mary to be the vessel between heaven and earth, she is His pathway to us, the perfect connection from heaven to earth.

There are many ways we can call upon the Lord.  Many people say they would rather go directly to Him then to go through someone else.  But here's the kicker...

If God, in His perfection, chose Mary to come to us, doesn't seem that the most perfect and direct way, the easiest way, to God would be through the channel He created?

I'm not at all sure that St. Louis used the word "kicker"... but anyways, here is my point...

At the foot of the cross, Jesus gave all of us a gift.  After being abandoned, beaten, stripped, made fun of, spat upon, nailed to a cross He gave us a gift.  Can you imagine??
He gave us Mary as our mother.  

One of His last missions on earth was to make sure, even after all we put Him through, that we had a way to reach Him.  Wouldn't it be a shame to waste that gift?

Wish me luck on my first assignment!  Hope I don't get fired!! xxoo

A Description of Borongan

So, I am in the city of Borongan.  Borongan is a pretty big city, not really with tall buildings, but with lots of small-sized businesses and shops and homes.  Everything is sort of smashed all together, like one home/business right next to the other.  There is one shopping mall and several open-air markets... many were set up especially for the Festival, so I imagine soon those will be coming down.  There are pharmacies and clothing shops along the road.  It is very reminiscent to me of Tamale in Africa and Cusco in Peru.  The buildings appear worn down, especially after Typhoon Ruby.  There are new high-rises being built now for the wealthier people who want to live above flood level.  However, during the super typhoon that hit a few years ago, the taller buildings took on more damage than the low homes, so there really is no simple answer for guaranteed safety.

There are people absolutely everywhere... children too, which makes driving hairy scary for me. Not that I drive, I just sit in the front seat with my eyes squeezed shut and my imaginary break handy!!!!  There are also dogs EVERYWHERE!!!  They could care less about humans most of the time.  They just lay around on the street and lazily move out of the way if you blow your horn or flash your lights at them.

One thing I find scarily funny about Borongan, which was similar in Peru, is that the power lines are all tangled together in the sort of way that would make Smokey the Bear all fired up . ;-)   Seriously... about 35 lines or more all coming from different directions and massing together in one completely tangled mess.  I would think major fires could ensue because of the frazzled confusion of lines, but no one here seems bothered by it.  So... is this a when in Rome situation?  Not much I can do about it, but it does make me shudder each time I pass a transformer that resembles a millipede!!!  ( well, anything that resembles a millipede makes me shudder... not big news there!!)

The streets of Borongan are mostly paved and there is construction going on in the ones that aren't.  It is so cool to be driving along the road, passing businesses and homes studded with palm trees, banana trees and exotic plants, when you get a glimpse of the great Pacific Ocean.  Borongan lies right on the coast of the Pacific.  It is just beautiful!!!  I hope I get the chance to go in it and feel warm ocean water, much different from the freezing Atlantic Ocean up near New Hampshire.

In the center of the city is the church, Nativity of Mary.  It is a HUGE blue church that has a dome in front of it for Eucharistic Adoration.  It's doors are open in the front and on the sides... it actually has more doors than windows!  It is quite a large church with a beautiful altar up about 15 stairs. There are two beautiful stained glass windows on either side of the altar.  One is of the Baptism of Jesus and one is of the crowning of Mary as Queen of heaven and earth.  The Bishop's residence is connected to the church and he has a small chapel upstairs in which, when he is in Borongan, he holds daily 6am mass (in English) for all of the religious in town.  I am not a religious, of course, but since I hang with them, I am lucky to be included!!  Every day at 6pm, the Angelus is prayed through loudspeakers. 

One terrifying thing about Borongan streets is there are no stop signs or traffic signals!! This is no backwater hic town (I'm sorry if you live in a backwater hic town...no offense) This is a big city!  So, when approaching an intersection, you simply inch your way through.  There  are motorcycles, cars and trucks of all kinds and tricycles.  Imagine if a motorcycle and a one-wheeled golf cart were fused together... that is a tricycle.  They have about 4 seats, plus a space behind the driver on the motorcycle.  They are pretty cool... they can turn in the street without making a 3-point turn and they usually have a saying on them like "God Bless Your Trip" or  "Immaculate Conception," or "The Little Flower".  They are cute little vehicles, but they are fast and they don't like to slow down or stop!  Anyways, when I said that you inch your way through the intersection... well, not everyone does that.  Some just fly through.  It is a defensive driving nightmare!!!  And, by the way, pedestrians do not have right of way!!  It's every man, woman, child and dog for himself on the streets of Borongan!!

With the bridges that take you over the rivers, majestic mountains, the Pacific Ocean and the rich tropical plant life, Borongan, although quite poor in most areas I've seen, is quite beautiful.  Of course, I tend, as my father does, to focus on the positive.  I am sure it is possible to be here and see the poor homes and tin-roved stores and feel a sense of desolation..  And although I am not turning a blind eye to the reality of the situation... I came here to live among the poor...I think it is infinitely more productive and healthier to see the beauty that God created around us.  I believe He put it there just so we on earth can have a glimpse of paradise and have some motivation to live as Jesus did.   As I said in Africa, in Peru, and even in Louisiana, I can't believe I get to be here!!!  Even with the humid heat that makes me wet before I take 5 steps in the morning, the rain that comes almost every day but doesn't last long, the lizards and grasshoppers that come into my room and the crazy driving around Borongan, I am so grateful to be here and experience life in the Philippines with the Oikos Sisters!!!  xxoo