As I begin to write this blog, I am realizing that this is the first Thanksgiving that I have been away from home without any Americans with me at all. In Africa, I celebrated it with Mary Clare, and we had those delicious thanksgiving gum balls from my sister, Linda. Last year I was here in the Philippines, and I was with Mary Jane Trinkus...I think on Thanksgiving day we were eating a feast on a fishing cage cottage right on the water and had crabs, many kinds of fish, root crops and delicious veggies. Now I realize that those Thanksgivings were so special, because although I was not with my God-given family, I was with such amazing people who knew what it meant to not be home for Thanksgiving, and were happy (I hope) to celebrate it with me. We didn't have turkey and all the trimmings...ours was more like the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving meets Survivor version, but we had each other and that was enough to be thankful for.
I should note that I am writing this blog days after Thanksgiving because of our busyness, and that, for me, the day almost went by without notice of its importance.
I had been in the southern part of Eastern Samar from Monday until Thursday (Thanksgiving) helping Sister Ethel cook meals at the retired priest retreat in Siuginon in Salcedo. It is an absolutely beautiful spot in the mountains where you can see the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. It has simple facilities and a pool filled with fresh water from the mountains. In between cooking meals, I would walk around the property, read my book outside, sleep...it was so quiet there, a real place of retreat and repose. It was chilly there, though, and it did rain quite a bit. On Thursday, our return day, it rained nonstop, and hard.
It wasn't until a few hours after we arrived home in Borongan that I heard about the typhoon. It was about 4pm in the afternoon and the rain hadn't stopped all day, in fact, it was becoming harder. For the past few weeks, the Sisters had been worrying about the river overflowing because of all the rain that was coming. A flood seemed imminent. We were under a typhoon alert as we are in the region where Typhoon Marce was heading. Around 5pm, the power went out. After being through two super typhoons, there is a lot of anxiety here when one is forecasted...I am sure you can appreciate their feelings. So, I began to make dinner in the dark. I made chicken adobo (that is chicken cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and sugar), paksiw (that is fish poached in vinegar, garlic and ginger), rice and a cucumber salad. As I began cooking, more and more people came into our home. Although Nazareth Home is directly across from the river, the residence is on the second floor, so it is pretty safe from flooding...except when Typhoon Ruby hit. Anyways, after I cooked one batch of adobo, I started another, and more rice, and then I made a fried rice with veggies and eggs because more people were coming in. As the night wore on, I made a third batch of adobo!! And pretty much, the food was all gone after everyone ate.
Around 10pm, the rain stopped but the wind remained strong. Our house full of people settled down as visitors found a place on the floor to sleep and candles were blown out. I think some were kept awake by the sound of the rain starting again, of the wind that would pick up every now and then, but for the most part, people were resting soundly. The next morning at breakfast, around 7:30 am, as I began to say the morning pray before we ate, I realized that at that very moment, my family, half a world away from me, was beginning to eat their Thanksgiving meal...and in my prayer I prayed for them. We may have not been together for Thanksgiving, and, because of the power outage, I may have been unable to talk to them, but thanks to the spherical shape of the earth and daylight savings time, we did eat at the same time!! (me breakfast and they dinner...but potato patato, know what I mean??)
I am so thankful for my big, beautiful family, for my friends, for all of the missionaries who have become a part of my life, especially Tom and Paula, and I am also so very grateful for my new Oikos family. So many blessings in one life. Thank you, Lord!
oh yeah....I'm also thankful that Typhoon Marce became a tropical depression and did not plummet Borongan!! Thanks for that too, Abba Father!!
xxoo
Monday, November 28, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Living By The Spirit
I've written some pretty fantastic things in this blog that the Oikos Sisters do. From sending kids to school to feeding the poor in the barrios, from teaching all people about God to giving free medications to the poor. They eat sleep and breathe their charism, like going to the poor where they are and giving them a hand up like in the immersion and livelihood programs. It is all amazing but it all takes time to prepare and people to do it. But, sometimes, the most Incredible giving is done spur of the moment, when the Holy Spirit taps you on the shoulder and asks you to help. I think that's happened to me a lot, but perhaps my busy schedule or shyness, perhaps even intimidation has kept me at times from approaching strangers and seeing if they need help. I think the Oikos Sisters live so tuned into the Holy Spirit that they go at the merest tap and they trust with all of their being that God will protect them. Today I was witness to such an occurrence, and it literally moved me to tears.
Sister Minerva and I were at mass this morning, as usual, and after the mass we began to leave. However, Sister Minerva saw a woman and a young boy who were sitting quite a few pews up from us. As we were leaving, she suddenly turned and walked to the other door where the woman and her son was. She greeted them and asked them about their lives.
The woman's name is Jennifer, and her son is John Mark. She is from Manila, but when she got married she lived with her husband in CanAvid, a town north of Borongan. She has 3 other children besides John Mark. A few years ago, Jennifer's husband was killed, how or what for, I do not know, but Jennifer feared for her life and the lives of her children. So, they went back to Manila and lived with her grandmother in a teeny home. Deciding to return to CanAvid to see if she could get help from the government there, she and John Mark went there, but to her dismay, because she no longer lived in Can Avid, they offered her no help.
Jennifer decided to come to Borongan, where a distant relative lives, and see if she could get the fare back to Manila. However, the family here is poor as well and is unable to help. Now, Jennifer and John Mark spend their nights sleeping behind the stage at the plaza in the center of town and spend their days begging for food on the streets, hoping to get food for the day, let alone the fare for a trip for 2 back to Manila. She is a beautiful woman with kindness in her eyes, and my heart ached for her when I heard her story.
She tried a few times to approach the priests in the cathedral, but shyness and embarrassment about her situation kept her from asking for help. So, Sister Minerva offered to help introduce her to the priests and told Jennifer where to go to get food always at Oikos. Upon coming home, after our morning prayer, I asked Sister Minerva how else we can help her. The Sisters were given money from a former resident of Borongan, and she said she feels called to give Jennifer the fare to Manila this very day!! I cried out loud and hugged Sister Minerva...my heart just broke thinking of this woman and her son sleeping outside, going to bed hungry, far away from the rest of her family, especially her children. And to think that in just a little bit, they will be together again...oh my, my heart just leapt!!!
That is the way, here in Oikos... to be open to the Holy Spirit where ever He sends you, whenever He taps you on the shoulder. And to give. Certainly, there are needs here in Oikos, certainly the pharmacy needs more medications to give to the poor, certainly we will need to get more rice so we can hand it out to whoever knocks at our door, certainly there are many more needs, but certainly there are people right in front of us who often get overlooked because we are thinking of the big picture, of the many needs we have and the many errands we have to run. But, even with all of those things on her mind, Sister Minerva saw someone in need, and she immediately responded to that need...and lives were changed. That is one of the things the Oikos Sisters have learned over these past 18 years...I trust with all my being that God will see to my needs and the needs of those who are under my care, and I see to the needs of the person right in front of me. He will provide if only I have the courage to trust.
Living by the Spirit...being moved by the Spirit...how awesome is that? The next time I feel that tug, I'm going to respond!!
Sister Minerva and I were at mass this morning, as usual, and after the mass we began to leave. However, Sister Minerva saw a woman and a young boy who were sitting quite a few pews up from us. As we were leaving, she suddenly turned and walked to the other door where the woman and her son was. She greeted them and asked them about their lives.
The woman's name is Jennifer, and her son is John Mark. She is from Manila, but when she got married she lived with her husband in CanAvid, a town north of Borongan. She has 3 other children besides John Mark. A few years ago, Jennifer's husband was killed, how or what for, I do not know, but Jennifer feared for her life and the lives of her children. So, they went back to Manila and lived with her grandmother in a teeny home. Deciding to return to CanAvid to see if she could get help from the government there, she and John Mark went there, but to her dismay, because she no longer lived in Can Avid, they offered her no help.
Jennifer decided to come to Borongan, where a distant relative lives, and see if she could get the fare back to Manila. However, the family here is poor as well and is unable to help. Now, Jennifer and John Mark spend their nights sleeping behind the stage at the plaza in the center of town and spend their days begging for food on the streets, hoping to get food for the day, let alone the fare for a trip for 2 back to Manila. She is a beautiful woman with kindness in her eyes, and my heart ached for her when I heard her story.
She tried a few times to approach the priests in the cathedral, but shyness and embarrassment about her situation kept her from asking for help. So, Sister Minerva offered to help introduce her to the priests and told Jennifer where to go to get food always at Oikos. Upon coming home, after our morning prayer, I asked Sister Minerva how else we can help her. The Sisters were given money from a former resident of Borongan, and she said she feels called to give Jennifer the fare to Manila this very day!! I cried out loud and hugged Sister Minerva...my heart just broke thinking of this woman and her son sleeping outside, going to bed hungry, far away from the rest of her family, especially her children. And to think that in just a little bit, they will be together again...oh my, my heart just leapt!!!
That is the way, here in Oikos... to be open to the Holy Spirit where ever He sends you, whenever He taps you on the shoulder. And to give. Certainly, there are needs here in Oikos, certainly the pharmacy needs more medications to give to the poor, certainly we will need to get more rice so we can hand it out to whoever knocks at our door, certainly there are many more needs, but certainly there are people right in front of us who often get overlooked because we are thinking of the big picture, of the many needs we have and the many errands we have to run. But, even with all of those things on her mind, Sister Minerva saw someone in need, and she immediately responded to that need...and lives were changed. That is one of the things the Oikos Sisters have learned over these past 18 years...I trust with all my being that God will see to my needs and the needs of those who are under my care, and I see to the needs of the person right in front of me. He will provide if only I have the courage to trust.
Living by the Spirit...being moved by the Spirit...how awesome is that? The next time I feel that tug, I'm going to respond!!
Monday, November 14, 2016
Just Some Things
I've had some end of the day revelations, I guess you'd say. Nothing that would change the world, really, but when they occur to me, I have a little laugh.
...the other night I was going to the bathroom, it was around 7pm, and I realized that I hadn't used the bathroom since getting up that morning...5am!! It was so hot, I sweated out all of my pee! gross!
...I am so grateful for the shower we have in Nazareth Home. It feels so good to stand under the spray and just let the cold water pound on my back. But even bucket baths are great. At the end of a long day of working, sweating, walking around in flip flops, to be able to wash off all of the grime and dirt...ahhhh! I realized the part of my body that feels the best to clean at the end of the day is my feet!!! I scrub them clean and feel like a new person!!
...When I am trying to fall asleep at night, I usually hear things that I hope are outside my window, but that I know are probably in my room...I know I have a few lizards in my room, that's ok because I know they eat the ants and the spiders! But I think there is a mouse there too!! Sometimes I see something out of the corner of my eye and pretend I didn't see it! There might be a cockroach that finds its way into my room at times as well, but I've become quite good at getting rid of them! So, the other night I was falling asleep, listening to the random noises around me, trying not to think of the menagerie of creatures in my bedroom and I laughed...if only my mother could see me now!!
...I am trying to perfect a recipe for Sister Minerva. She and baby Abby are allergic to eggs, so whenever there is a birthday celebration, they can never have cake because the cakes from the bakeries all have eggs in them. So, I found a recipe for an eggless cake and made it. It was good! But the frosting was not. It was so sweet, even the kids weren't crazy about it!! So, I thought maybe a simple whipped cream frosting. Well, they don't sell heavy cream here, just all purpose Nestle cream in a box...sold on the dry shelves! So I try my hand at whipping it up... by hand, singing church songs as I whipped, for ever. At last it was close to the right consistency, and suddenly it curdled!! It was ruined! I admit to having a bit of a Fred Flintstone moment... rrrochin, fynchen crivinn...(see...not so much the sweet one now!) And a quick search on the internet led me to the reason why...it started to become butter, that and the heat of the Philippines. So I'll try again, this time whipping it over a bowl of ice. But, my golly! I'm not used to not having things I make work out! Sometimes the bitter pill of humility is hard to swallow...but what helps is to be able to laugh at yourself. So I do, and I try again, both the whipping and the humbling!!!
I think its all about balance... taking the good with the bad, knowing what you have the ability to change and what you have to accept as reality, being able to let the little things go and concentrate on the big ones and topping all that off with a big serving of gratitude to God for all of it. And praying... prayer always helps!! I'll admit that now and again it does feel good to have a Fred Flintstone moment, but prayer is the better choice! xxoo
...the other night I was going to the bathroom, it was around 7pm, and I realized that I hadn't used the bathroom since getting up that morning...5am!! It was so hot, I sweated out all of my pee! gross!
...I am so grateful for the shower we have in Nazareth Home. It feels so good to stand under the spray and just let the cold water pound on my back. But even bucket baths are great. At the end of a long day of working, sweating, walking around in flip flops, to be able to wash off all of the grime and dirt...ahhhh! I realized the part of my body that feels the best to clean at the end of the day is my feet!!! I scrub them clean and feel like a new person!!
...When I am trying to fall asleep at night, I usually hear things that I hope are outside my window, but that I know are probably in my room...I know I have a few lizards in my room, that's ok because I know they eat the ants and the spiders! But I think there is a mouse there too!! Sometimes I see something out of the corner of my eye and pretend I didn't see it! There might be a cockroach that finds its way into my room at times as well, but I've become quite good at getting rid of them! So, the other night I was falling asleep, listening to the random noises around me, trying not to think of the menagerie of creatures in my bedroom and I laughed...if only my mother could see me now!!
...I am trying to perfect a recipe for Sister Minerva. She and baby Abby are allergic to eggs, so whenever there is a birthday celebration, they can never have cake because the cakes from the bakeries all have eggs in them. So, I found a recipe for an eggless cake and made it. It was good! But the frosting was not. It was so sweet, even the kids weren't crazy about it!! So, I thought maybe a simple whipped cream frosting. Well, they don't sell heavy cream here, just all purpose Nestle cream in a box...sold on the dry shelves! So I try my hand at whipping it up... by hand, singing church songs as I whipped, for ever. At last it was close to the right consistency, and suddenly it curdled!! It was ruined! I admit to having a bit of a Fred Flintstone moment... rrrochin, fynchen crivinn...(see...not so much the sweet one now!) And a quick search on the internet led me to the reason why...it started to become butter, that and the heat of the Philippines. So I'll try again, this time whipping it over a bowl of ice. But, my golly! I'm not used to not having things I make work out! Sometimes the bitter pill of humility is hard to swallow...but what helps is to be able to laugh at yourself. So I do, and I try again, both the whipping and the humbling!!!
I think its all about balance... taking the good with the bad, knowing what you have the ability to change and what you have to accept as reality, being able to let the little things go and concentrate on the big ones and topping all that off with a big serving of gratitude to God for all of it. And praying... prayer always helps!! I'll admit that now and again it does feel good to have a Fred Flintstone moment, but prayer is the better choice! xxoo
Friday, November 11, 2016
A Day In The Life
The days here at the Oikos Mission go by so fast!! I wake up on Monday morning and before I know it, the week is over and it's Monday again! No day is really the same here. We have office days, mission days, rest days and community days like the ordinations we went to last week. I usually don't know when I wake up in the morning what kind of day it will be! Things change quickly here and many times plans made the night before are different in the morning!
Here is an example of one of my office days:
5am-wake up and get ready for mass
6am-mass...the cathedral is about a 2 minute walk from our home, and in the early morning, the weather is perfect!
7am-morning prayer with the Sisters
7:30-breakfast
8:30-10:00-usually I have my own time here. I clean my room, make plans for the weekend catechesis, study my language vocab, work on anything Sister Minerva gives me, call home, send emails, etc.
10:00-On most days, I have some task I work on. More on that below.
12:30- Lunch
1:30-3:00-continue with the work above.
3:00-Divine Mercy Chaplet
3:15-7:00-sometimes I continue with the day's work, sometimes I help to make dinner, sometimes I take a nap!!!
6pm- Rosary followed by evening prayer with the Sisters
7or8pm- Dinner
the remainder of the night is usually mine to do with what I want.
I always take a shower at night. Makes falling asleep easier and the cold shower, yes, always a cold shower (!), really cools me off!
This is probably my schedule for 3 out of 5 days. On Thursdays, the Sisters have a bonding day where they do Eucharistic Adoration, have lunch together and a meeting and usually at least one day a week we are off somewhere doing something in a barrio...most likely this happens more than once a week, though.
Sister Minerva has given me tasks to do.
1. She has a dream of a student center where scholars can go to after school to study, use computers, get tutorial help, have someone available to talk if there are any problems, emotional or what ever. So, I am going to be spearheading this for her. Right now, I have a table in Nazareth Home...not so much of a student center!! But I have begun a writing workshop teaching the students who like to write how to write articles for a newsletter for the benefactors here in Borongan and will be working with the kids who have a sponsor for their education in the Poor Household of God in making Christmas cards for their sponsor.
2. There are a few livelihood programs the Oikos facilitates for the poor in the barrios, the piglet recycling and fattening program and FAITH (Food Always In The Home). The Sisters are always looking for more ways to help the poor people here help themselves. Another program the Sisters want to start is a cooking program where the mothers can learn new ways of cooking the ingredients that they have and sell them in the market. I have had a few ideas... I don't think anyone in the barrios has an oven. Food is usually always grilled over a fire or fried in oil. I did some research and found directions for making reflector ovens. A reflector oven sits beside a fire and is made of metal. The heat from the fire reflects off the top and bottom of the oven and bakes the food on a shelf in the oven. It is supposed to work just like a real oven...we will see!!
3. I will continue my weekend catechesis with the grade and high school students. I brought a good book with me, Did Adam and Eve Have Bellybuttons, written by Matthew Pinto. It was given to me by my brother Fr. Mark when I was just getting into learning more about my faith. In the book, Matthew answers tons of questions asked by teenagers and cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the bible and Church teaching in his answers. It is a great book, and I showed it to Sister Minerva, who now wants me to do a "real life" segment in the formations the Sisters do for the sponsored high school and college kids.
I also have other tasks...I'm on the food team whenever we go to the barrios, cooking and serving food, I am going to be helping with the facilitation of the Educational Sponsorship Program that the Sisters are involved in, I conduct a bible sharing hour in the house where I live with the college students and a few more things!! I won't be bored here!!
By the way, I don't know if I ever mentioned this before, but if you were interested in becoming a sponsor for a student here in Borongan with the Oikos Sisters, please check out this website... http://www.PoorHouseholdofGod.org You can learn more about the other programs the Sisters are involved in too.
When I was in Africa at an orphanage in Ghana, I once wrote that I wouldn't have a weekend until I returned to the US...that was pretty accurate. Here in the Philippines, our weekends are usually a little slower than the weekdays and I get to spend some down time with the kids, and with the Sisters. I usually spend a little time reading, a little time napping, a little time cooking and a whole bunch of time having fun. There is a nice balance here...it's not a guaranteed balance as sometimes we are on go-go-go speed, but for the most part, for me anyways, I have a decent amount of down time. I am quite appreciative of that!!!
And usually a week doesn't go by where we aren't invited to someone's home for a dinner or a lunch... a birthday party, anniversary, or any number of occasions. So, I can pretty much guarantee that you will never open to a page in my blog and read me saying that it's just the "same-old, same-old" here! I'm glad of that...keeps me busy and on my toes!
xoxo
Here is an example of one of my office days:
5am-wake up and get ready for mass
6am-mass...the cathedral is about a 2 minute walk from our home, and in the early morning, the weather is perfect!
7am-morning prayer with the Sisters
7:30-breakfast
8:30-10:00-usually I have my own time here. I clean my room, make plans for the weekend catechesis, study my language vocab, work on anything Sister Minerva gives me, call home, send emails, etc.
10:00-On most days, I have some task I work on. More on that below.
12:30- Lunch
1:30-3:00-continue with the work above.
3:00-Divine Mercy Chaplet
3:15-7:00-sometimes I continue with the day's work, sometimes I help to make dinner, sometimes I take a nap!!!
6pm- Rosary followed by evening prayer with the Sisters
7or8pm- Dinner
the remainder of the night is usually mine to do with what I want.
I always take a shower at night. Makes falling asleep easier and the cold shower, yes, always a cold shower (!), really cools me off!
This is probably my schedule for 3 out of 5 days. On Thursdays, the Sisters have a bonding day where they do Eucharistic Adoration, have lunch together and a meeting and usually at least one day a week we are off somewhere doing something in a barrio...most likely this happens more than once a week, though.
Sister Minerva has given me tasks to do.
1. She has a dream of a student center where scholars can go to after school to study, use computers, get tutorial help, have someone available to talk if there are any problems, emotional or what ever. So, I am going to be spearheading this for her. Right now, I have a table in Nazareth Home...not so much of a student center!! But I have begun a writing workshop teaching the students who like to write how to write articles for a newsletter for the benefactors here in Borongan and will be working with the kids who have a sponsor for their education in the Poor Household of God in making Christmas cards for their sponsor.
2. There are a few livelihood programs the Oikos facilitates for the poor in the barrios, the piglet recycling and fattening program and FAITH (Food Always In The Home). The Sisters are always looking for more ways to help the poor people here help themselves. Another program the Sisters want to start is a cooking program where the mothers can learn new ways of cooking the ingredients that they have and sell them in the market. I have had a few ideas... I don't think anyone in the barrios has an oven. Food is usually always grilled over a fire or fried in oil. I did some research and found directions for making reflector ovens. A reflector oven sits beside a fire and is made of metal. The heat from the fire reflects off the top and bottom of the oven and bakes the food on a shelf in the oven. It is supposed to work just like a real oven...we will see!!
3. I will continue my weekend catechesis with the grade and high school students. I brought a good book with me, Did Adam and Eve Have Bellybuttons, written by Matthew Pinto. It was given to me by my brother Fr. Mark when I was just getting into learning more about my faith. In the book, Matthew answers tons of questions asked by teenagers and cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the bible and Church teaching in his answers. It is a great book, and I showed it to Sister Minerva, who now wants me to do a "real life" segment in the formations the Sisters do for the sponsored high school and college kids.
I also have other tasks...I'm on the food team whenever we go to the barrios, cooking and serving food, I am going to be helping with the facilitation of the Educational Sponsorship Program that the Sisters are involved in, I conduct a bible sharing hour in the house where I live with the college students and a few more things!! I won't be bored here!!
By the way, I don't know if I ever mentioned this before, but if you were interested in becoming a sponsor for a student here in Borongan with the Oikos Sisters, please check out this website... http://www.PoorHouseholdofGod.org You can learn more about the other programs the Sisters are involved in too.
When I was in Africa at an orphanage in Ghana, I once wrote that I wouldn't have a weekend until I returned to the US...that was pretty accurate. Here in the Philippines, our weekends are usually a little slower than the weekdays and I get to spend some down time with the kids, and with the Sisters. I usually spend a little time reading, a little time napping, a little time cooking and a whole bunch of time having fun. There is a nice balance here...it's not a guaranteed balance as sometimes we are on go-go-go speed, but for the most part, for me anyways, I have a decent amount of down time. I am quite appreciative of that!!!
And usually a week doesn't go by where we aren't invited to someone's home for a dinner or a lunch... a birthday party, anniversary, or any number of occasions. So, I can pretty much guarantee that you will never open to a page in my blog and read me saying that it's just the "same-old, same-old" here! I'm glad of that...keeps me busy and on my toes!
xoxo
Monday, November 7, 2016
An Uplifting Continuation...
So, I have no idea why I am so loved by God. Seriously...He speaks to me through so many ways and I just have to ask myself why does He work so hard to get through my hard head? Anyways, I am extremely grateful for the loving attention our God pays to me, and am humbled by His awareness of my needs.
Yesterday's post was kind of a downer... not kind of, it totally was. But, you know, as I said, missionary work is full of ups and downs. I have a book that I take to mass each day that has the readings of the day in English, because the mass here is said in Waray Waray. The book is called The Anawim Way, anawim is a word meaning poverty. It is printed here in the Philippines, and many times I have been taken aback by the inspirations in the meditations after the readings. Today's was especially powerful.
Yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed by the unfairness of life and devastating hardships the poor people of the third world have to suffer. I was feeling useless to help in any of the problems facing the people here.
This was the meditation for today:
"There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humanity we will do what we can, and in all humanity we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer Him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as He grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps us the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: "The love of Christ urges us on" (2 Cor 5:14)"
The above was shared by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 in the document Deus Caritas Est, 35)
You see, yesterday we went to an ordination and therefore the readings of the day weren't read, as for ordinations special readings are used, and tomorrow we are going to a funeral for the mother who died and her baby, so only today was I at mass reading from Anawim, and God, who ordains all things, saw fit to give me a boost when I needed it.
Not coincidence, but faith. When you can look at the world through eyes of faith, there is no end to the wonders you will see. My God loves me, and gives me daily proof of His concern for me. I have no idea why, but I'm going to stop asking and just accept His merciful and caring love of me.
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ! Damo mga Salamat, ha Iyo Amon Namon!! Many thanks to you, Our Father!! xxoo
Yesterday's post was kind of a downer... not kind of, it totally was. But, you know, as I said, missionary work is full of ups and downs. I have a book that I take to mass each day that has the readings of the day in English, because the mass here is said in Waray Waray. The book is called The Anawim Way, anawim is a word meaning poverty. It is printed here in the Philippines, and many times I have been taken aback by the inspirations in the meditations after the readings. Today's was especially powerful.
Yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed by the unfairness of life and devastating hardships the poor people of the third world have to suffer. I was feeling useless to help in any of the problems facing the people here.
This was the meditation for today:
"There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humanity we will do what we can, and in all humanity we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer Him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as He grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps us the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: "The love of Christ urges us on" (2 Cor 5:14)"
The above was shared by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 in the document Deus Caritas Est, 35)
You see, yesterday we went to an ordination and therefore the readings of the day weren't read, as for ordinations special readings are used, and tomorrow we are going to a funeral for the mother who died and her baby, so only today was I at mass reading from Anawim, and God, who ordains all things, saw fit to give me a boost when I needed it.
Not coincidence, but faith. When you can look at the world through eyes of faith, there is no end to the wonders you will see. My God loves me, and gives me daily proof of His concern for me. I have no idea why, but I'm going to stop asking and just accept His merciful and caring love of me.
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ! Damo mga Salamat, ha Iyo Amon Namon!! Many thanks to you, Our Father!! xxoo
The Hands That Hold The Stars
One day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was feeling depressed and hopeless about his work and the mountain of racism he was facing. He may have even felt like giving up. He felt a certain push to go outside in the night time on his porch. There, he felt a voice in his heart asking him to look up at the stars. He was asked if any of the stars are falling down. No, he said. That is because I am holding the stars in my hands so they won't fall, said the voice. The same hands that hold the stars are holding you, Martin, and how much more tender and loving are you held in my hands than the night stars? Infinitely more. Feeling uplifted, Dr. King was able to continue on his peaceful fight.
The above story was told to me by Sister Minerva, superior of the Oikos Sisters here in Borongan. She was telling the story in response to someone's comment about the mission...right now I cannot remember what the comment was. But what I do know is that all day I had been struggling with the imbalance of everything in this messed up world and was, in my heart, questioning God's thinking. Then, Sister tells this story. It may as well been God sitting next to me, looking in my heart and telling it just to me.
It always is so difficult for me to be here, experiencing true and deep poverty while having a first world background, knowing where I came from and where I will eventually return to. Little and big things have been happening all week and it all just seemed to make sadness overflow in me. Things like...
...I read an article about the money Clinton and Trump raised over the course of their campaigns...millions of dollars spent on planes, hotels, commercials and posters. But here I see people living in stick houses, with nothing to eat, with no running water, with no electricity and I think...that's crazy and unfair. How can they so easily raise a ton of money to pay for such an inane purpose...they are both at least millionaires...and people here be dying, largely unnoticed by a world that could help them. (Don't even get me started on the salaries of professional sports players.)
...One of the scholars that was sponsored by the Oikos Sisters and the Poor Household of God is a nurse in the hospital here in Borongan. She has been telling me of some of the patients she has been caring for. This week, three mothers died having their babies. In one case, the mother had twins before she died, but one of the twins died as well. She was the mother of 6, living in a barrio where the Oikos Sisters live, in a small home. There was something else wrong with her as she was jaundice just before dying, but in America, the problem probably would have been discovered and she would have been helped. Here in the poor barrios of Borongan, people can't get to see doctors, and when they can, the national health care they have often runs out, so mid-treatment the doctors can no longer help them. It's crazy.
...I know that this is a different culture and that things are done differently here, but it pains me to see children, no older than 5 or 6 walking alone to school...pretty far away, children sitting on the top of cabs because there isn't enough room inside for them, children being left out of families when the parents separate and want to only have their new family...where are the parents, to see their children safely to school; where are the police officers who make sure motorists are following the rules and NO ONE is sitting on top of a moving vehicle; where are the social workers to see that parents are being responsible for their children? At times I feel there are too many laws in the US, that there are too many restrictions or rules to follow...but here, there are definitely too little and, it seems, it is the children who suffer.
....I had just written a post about a little vacation we took that was very restful and so totally appreciated!! But upon coming home, I received pictures of a vacation my parents were taking in Florida...of the plushness of their rooms, of the sumptuousness of the food they had. Although I am happy that my parents are having such a lovely and well-deserved vacation, it occurred to me that probably most, if not all, of the poor children we care for will ever experience that, and it hurt me, not to mention made me feel guilty for the wonderful vacations I myself have had.
...There was a rally here in town because after Typhoon Ruby, 2 years ago, people who lost their whole home were promised 30,000 pesos and people who had partial damage were promised 15,000 pesos. The national government sent the money, all of it, to the regional governments. Here in Borongan, the money was kept from the people for a long time, and then, when it was finally distributed, the beneficiaries received only a little more than half of what was promised. These people have nothing, have lost everything and they do not have a government who cares about them.
I want the people here to have a vacation with a comfy queen sized bed and a pool and an amazing meal, I want the authorities and the government here to act responsibly for the people they are supposed to be serving, I want parents to open their eyes to what they are doing for their children, I want these poor people to have a home, security, privacy, comfort, enough to eat and a secure livelihood.
Here's the reality... I can do nothing.
It's pretty depressing. I have noticed that in missionary work, there are extreme highs and extreme lows. I remember just a few weeks ago being stoked about helping to feed over 1,000 people in 2 days, and tonight I am having trouble figuring out what's it all for.
And then, Sister Minerva tells a story about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., probably at a point where he experienced similar feelings as I am right now...facing a tsunami of sad feelings that seem to overwhelm me. But as I look at the stars tonight, I remember the story...the same hands that hold the stars in place are holding me, they are holding the poor people in Borongan, they are holding all the poor people in the world, they are holding you, even as you read this, and we are all being infinitely loved, regardless of where we lay our heads or what we have. And it comforts me.
I pray for a peaceful election day in the United States. Please join me. xxoo
The above story was told to me by Sister Minerva, superior of the Oikos Sisters here in Borongan. She was telling the story in response to someone's comment about the mission...right now I cannot remember what the comment was. But what I do know is that all day I had been struggling with the imbalance of everything in this messed up world and was, in my heart, questioning God's thinking. Then, Sister tells this story. It may as well been God sitting next to me, looking in my heart and telling it just to me.
It always is so difficult for me to be here, experiencing true and deep poverty while having a first world background, knowing where I came from and where I will eventually return to. Little and big things have been happening all week and it all just seemed to make sadness overflow in me. Things like...
...I read an article about the money Clinton and Trump raised over the course of their campaigns...millions of dollars spent on planes, hotels, commercials and posters. But here I see people living in stick houses, with nothing to eat, with no running water, with no electricity and I think...that's crazy and unfair. How can they so easily raise a ton of money to pay for such an inane purpose...they are both at least millionaires...and people here be dying, largely unnoticed by a world that could help them. (Don't even get me started on the salaries of professional sports players.)
...One of the scholars that was sponsored by the Oikos Sisters and the Poor Household of God is a nurse in the hospital here in Borongan. She has been telling me of some of the patients she has been caring for. This week, three mothers died having their babies. In one case, the mother had twins before she died, but one of the twins died as well. She was the mother of 6, living in a barrio where the Oikos Sisters live, in a small home. There was something else wrong with her as she was jaundice just before dying, but in America, the problem probably would have been discovered and she would have been helped. Here in the poor barrios of Borongan, people can't get to see doctors, and when they can, the national health care they have often runs out, so mid-treatment the doctors can no longer help them. It's crazy.
...I know that this is a different culture and that things are done differently here, but it pains me to see children, no older than 5 or 6 walking alone to school...pretty far away, children sitting on the top of cabs because there isn't enough room inside for them, children being left out of families when the parents separate and want to only have their new family...where are the parents, to see their children safely to school; where are the police officers who make sure motorists are following the rules and NO ONE is sitting on top of a moving vehicle; where are the social workers to see that parents are being responsible for their children? At times I feel there are too many laws in the US, that there are too many restrictions or rules to follow...but here, there are definitely too little and, it seems, it is the children who suffer.
....I had just written a post about a little vacation we took that was very restful and so totally appreciated!! But upon coming home, I received pictures of a vacation my parents were taking in Florida...of the plushness of their rooms, of the sumptuousness of the food they had. Although I am happy that my parents are having such a lovely and well-deserved vacation, it occurred to me that probably most, if not all, of the poor children we care for will ever experience that, and it hurt me, not to mention made me feel guilty for the wonderful vacations I myself have had.
...There was a rally here in town because after Typhoon Ruby, 2 years ago, people who lost their whole home were promised 30,000 pesos and people who had partial damage were promised 15,000 pesos. The national government sent the money, all of it, to the regional governments. Here in Borongan, the money was kept from the people for a long time, and then, when it was finally distributed, the beneficiaries received only a little more than half of what was promised. These people have nothing, have lost everything and they do not have a government who cares about them.
I want the people here to have a vacation with a comfy queen sized bed and a pool and an amazing meal, I want the authorities and the government here to act responsibly for the people they are supposed to be serving, I want parents to open their eyes to what they are doing for their children, I want these poor people to have a home, security, privacy, comfort, enough to eat and a secure livelihood.
Here's the reality... I can do nothing.
It's pretty depressing. I have noticed that in missionary work, there are extreme highs and extreme lows. I remember just a few weeks ago being stoked about helping to feed over 1,000 people in 2 days, and tonight I am having trouble figuring out what's it all for.
And then, Sister Minerva tells a story about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., probably at a point where he experienced similar feelings as I am right now...facing a tsunami of sad feelings that seem to overwhelm me. But as I look at the stars tonight, I remember the story...the same hands that hold the stars in place are holding me, they are holding the poor people in Borongan, they are holding all the poor people in the world, they are holding you, even as you read this, and we are all being infinitely loved, regardless of where we lay our heads or what we have. And it comforts me.
I pray for a peaceful election day in the United States. Please join me. xxoo
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
All Work and No Play....
Even in the missions, rest time is recognized as a requirement for productive and successful output of services. There are many instances in the bible where Jesus went off to rest in between His work and travel throughout the Holy Land. Not only does it give you a breather, but it also reenergizes you for the work to come. This weekend the Oikos Community took such a breather, and it was fun!!
The Sisters call it bonding time... a time to rest, play and laugh with each other, to pray together and to strengthen relationships. On October 30th, the whole Oikos Family went to a beach in Lalawigan, where one of the benefactors of the Oikos Mission has a cottage. So many people came, bringing games and food...oh my, we had so much food!! We swam in the ocean, walked on the beach and ate crabs, labulabu (a delicious fish), rice, of course, chicken, a roasted pig and so much more!! The kids were so fun in the water... I spent most of my time there!! :) Some of the college students organized beach games, we sang songs and ate cake as well! What a fun day!!
On the following day, the Oikos Sisters together with some of the young children, Dr. Vic and Mary Jane Trinkus and I went to a beach in the far north town of Oras and stayed overnight at a resort. It was a simple place where we rented two rooms that each had a small kitchen, a pretty large bedroom and a sitting room. Right on the beach, the sound of the waves lapping at the beach was heavenly. Even though it rained a little, we played in the ocean with the Sisters and the kids like we were kids ourselves!! The ocean here around Borongan does not have big waves like beaches I've been to on the Atlantic Coast of America. Here the waves are little and slow...it makes floating on the water almost therapeutic!! And no surfers to interrupt the fun...sorry you surfers out there!! Not too far from where we were playing, fishermen were working to provide for their families, although the laughter ringing out from us might have been an annoyance to them!!
In the evening we had bonding time with the Sisters. Telling stories and laughing, talking about things that are going on and things we wish to happen...it was a special time. The Diocese of Borongan has allocated several mission homes to the Oikos Sisters for their work, and each of the Sisters is sort of in charge of one of the homes and the sponsored scholars that live there through the school year, so there isn't a whole lot of time when the Sisters get to hang out all together, which makes times like this extra special.
I awoke early and was in the ocean by 5:30 the next morning...and remained there almost until it was time to go, quite a few hours!! The sunrise over the coconut trees that line the beach was so beautiful, and one by one, the kids and Sisters would wake up and come into the ocean with me. It was such a sweet time!!
The following two days, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are holidays where most Filipinos travel to where their families are buried, and spend the day praying there, lighting candles, eating and reminiscing. Sort of like holy tailgating!! So, today we attended mass at the cemetery where Sister Clarissa's mother is buried and tomorrow will be more of the same. Then on Thursday, Sister Clarissa's cousin James will be ordained a priest. Please pray for him as he receives the sacrament of Holy Orders. On Friday, Dr. Vic and Mary Jane will return to Chicago, but will be coming back to Borongan in February for the big medical mission from the Joliet Diocese in Chicago. I have had such a wonderful time with them, and I know all the kids and Sisters here join me in my sentiments!!
Then, beginning on November 7th, the rest time will be over. But that is ok, I am anxious to be busy and working again! We will be preparing to return to the barrio of Conception at the end of the month to complete our medical mission there and I will begin working on my own projects that Sister Minerva has given me. More about that later...
How nice it is take a time out of the busyness of the daily grind, to rejuvenate our mind and bodies, take deep breaths and be still. In the silence of rest time, I can truly connect with God and get back on track with Him. It is not only nice, it is necessary if you want to be successful. How grateful I am that the Oikos Sisters recognize that and realize the importance of bonding time. Now...back to work!!
xxoo
The Sisters call it bonding time... a time to rest, play and laugh with each other, to pray together and to strengthen relationships. On October 30th, the whole Oikos Family went to a beach in Lalawigan, where one of the benefactors of the Oikos Mission has a cottage. So many people came, bringing games and food...oh my, we had so much food!! We swam in the ocean, walked on the beach and ate crabs, labulabu (a delicious fish), rice, of course, chicken, a roasted pig and so much more!! The kids were so fun in the water... I spent most of my time there!! :) Some of the college students organized beach games, we sang songs and ate cake as well! What a fun day!!
On the following day, the Oikos Sisters together with some of the young children, Dr. Vic and Mary Jane Trinkus and I went to a beach in the far north town of Oras and stayed overnight at a resort. It was a simple place where we rented two rooms that each had a small kitchen, a pretty large bedroom and a sitting room. Right on the beach, the sound of the waves lapping at the beach was heavenly. Even though it rained a little, we played in the ocean with the Sisters and the kids like we were kids ourselves!! The ocean here around Borongan does not have big waves like beaches I've been to on the Atlantic Coast of America. Here the waves are little and slow...it makes floating on the water almost therapeutic!! And no surfers to interrupt the fun...sorry you surfers out there!! Not too far from where we were playing, fishermen were working to provide for their families, although the laughter ringing out from us might have been an annoyance to them!!
In the evening we had bonding time with the Sisters. Telling stories and laughing, talking about things that are going on and things we wish to happen...it was a special time. The Diocese of Borongan has allocated several mission homes to the Oikos Sisters for their work, and each of the Sisters is sort of in charge of one of the homes and the sponsored scholars that live there through the school year, so there isn't a whole lot of time when the Sisters get to hang out all together, which makes times like this extra special.
I awoke early and was in the ocean by 5:30 the next morning...and remained there almost until it was time to go, quite a few hours!! The sunrise over the coconut trees that line the beach was so beautiful, and one by one, the kids and Sisters would wake up and come into the ocean with me. It was such a sweet time!!
The following two days, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are holidays where most Filipinos travel to where their families are buried, and spend the day praying there, lighting candles, eating and reminiscing. Sort of like holy tailgating!! So, today we attended mass at the cemetery where Sister Clarissa's mother is buried and tomorrow will be more of the same. Then on Thursday, Sister Clarissa's cousin James will be ordained a priest. Please pray for him as he receives the sacrament of Holy Orders. On Friday, Dr. Vic and Mary Jane will return to Chicago, but will be coming back to Borongan in February for the big medical mission from the Joliet Diocese in Chicago. I have had such a wonderful time with them, and I know all the kids and Sisters here join me in my sentiments!!
Then, beginning on November 7th, the rest time will be over. But that is ok, I am anxious to be busy and working again! We will be preparing to return to the barrio of Conception at the end of the month to complete our medical mission there and I will begin working on my own projects that Sister Minerva has given me. More about that later...
How nice it is take a time out of the busyness of the daily grind, to rejuvenate our mind and bodies, take deep breaths and be still. In the silence of rest time, I can truly connect with God and get back on track with Him. It is not only nice, it is necessary if you want to be successful. How grateful I am that the Oikos Sisters recognize that and realize the importance of bonding time. Now...back to work!!
xxoo
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