Sister Minerva has shared with me a daily reflection book for Advent. In it are reflections by Thomas Merton, Henry Nouwen and Mother Teresa. Today's reflection ended with the sentence: Nothing is small for God.
It made me really stop in my tracks. I am getting ready to go to Providence Home, the mission house in the mountains, for the day and have a lot of things on my mind, but that sentence stopped me cold in my tracks. Nothing is small for God.
It is kind of hilarious to think about if you roll it over in your head for a minute. I mean, think about it for a minute. For God, the Creator of the universe, Who manages and designs all things, Who holds the stars and all of His creations in His mighty hands, Who is capable of doing ANYTHING, Who is so massive in my mind...for Him, nothing is small. He sees everything, and none of it is too small to matter.
A smile to a stranger, picking up a pen that someone dropped, playing fairly in a chess game, giving a compliment...these things seem teeny tiny, especially when compared to the awesome works of Mother Teresa...oh my!! But each one is precious in the eyes of our Lord because we are reaching out, however insignificant it is to us. And when we do these little things as a means of sharing our love for God with others, I believe it makes God smile with joy.
I might think that the work I am doing here is pretty insignificant... helping to direct a Christmas skit, typing out a song book, making an Advent calendar, to give a few examples. And when I am helping in the barrios with feedings and missions, it is so easy to become disheartened by the thought that, sure we are helping the people in this barrio, but there are hundreds of barrios just in the central part of Eastern Samar!! What kind of difference am I making here? But I am comforted by the thought that nothing is small for God. He sees everything and He treasures all of the little things I do each day for others. And the same is true for you. It all matters!
And each time I stop what I am doing to help someone else, no matter how small the task, He is pleased. Try noticing how many times a day you stop in your work, your chores or errands to help someone...even if it is just picking up a pen that they dropped. I think if you become aware of the little needs that people have and take the time to stop and help, when the big things come along it seems natural to help. And when it's done for the glory of God, all of heaven rejoices.
I don't know about you, but that thought makes me really want to fill my days doing things for others, little tasks or big, for the love of God. For, as St. Mother Teresa says, "God will not ask how many books we have read, how many miracles we have worked, but whether we have done our best for the love of Him...Nothing is small for God."
xxooxxoo
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Sunday, December 4, 2016
A 2 Month Picture Post
Wow! I can't believe I have been here for 2 months!! It seems pretty crazy to me how fast time goes by. I have had a lot of great experiences here over the past two months...just wanted to share with you some of the highlights:
Here are some of the scholars I live with at the Oikos Mission. This happened to be at a farewell party for some visitors to Oikos. All of these kids are so sweet and work very hard. It is a pleasure to know them and to be a part of their lives!!!
Here are some of the scholars I live with at the Oikos Mission. This happened to be at a farewell party for some visitors to Oikos. All of these kids are so sweet and work very hard. It is a pleasure to know them and to be a part of their lives!!!
Here we are preparing for the immersion in Conception and the surrounding barrios. We prepared food, clothes, school supplies, water filters, shoes, toys, blankets, rosaries and homemade diapers!!
And here we are in Conception at the Immersion, working hard but having fun!
Our Immersion Team:
Here is the Oikos Livelihood team led by Sister Clarissa. They run the FAITH program and the Piglet Recycling and Fattening programs. They do an awesome job from presenting the programs to helping the people begin to monitoring the beneficiaries progress throughout the program. The pictures of the pigs are from the Oikos Pig Farm.
The following pictures are from when I went to Tacla-on and Sta. Cruz to see the progress of the Piglet Recycling Program that I helped to start off the last time I was here. Now, the sows that we gave out last November are grown and have had their piglets!! How fulfilling it was for me to see the completion of a program that I had a hand in starting!! Not every beneficiary had a successful liter of piglets, but most did. On this day, we collected our payment from the beneficiaries: either 2 piglets or php3,000. It was totally awesome!
These pictures are taken from the launching of the FAITH Program (Food Always In The Home) in a town called Sabong. The pastor of the parish in Sabong, Msgr. Pepe, invited the Oikos Livelihood Team to teach people in his parish to begin the FAITH program. Currently, the Livelihood Team has running FAITH programs in 3 barrios, and 5 have completed the one-year program and are still going strong. Awesome!!!!!
Also in November, I went with Sister Ethel and one of the mothers, Nanay Bebe , pictured below, to cook meals for retired priests on their retreat. It was at a beautiful place in the mountains, Suiginon, and it was sssooooo quiet and peaceful there! When we weren't cooking, I read a book, sat outside in the cool air (yes, it was cool on the mountain!), and took some naps! It was like a mini retreat for me. From our house, we could see the ocean on one side and higher mountains on the other. Simply beautiful!!!
So, that is my past two months in a nutshell...now, onto December!! Our new project is the Good Wish Tree. We painted these branches and cut out 200 stars!! On each star is a name of a child in a new barrio we have never been to! The Oikos scholars, co-workers and people in the community are invited to choose a star or two and buy a gift for that child. Then, we will go to this barrio on a day close to Christmas and bring games for the kids, food for the families and the gifts for the kids. We will bring Christmas to the barrio!!!
Always doing something new for the poor!! Never a dull day!!! God bless the Oikos Sisters!!
Here is a picture of me and some of the kids celebrating my 2 months here in Borongan:
So happy to be here!!
Thank you for the prayers these past few months!! Keep 'em coming!! I'll be praying for you too!!
xxooxxoo
Friday, December 2, 2016
A World Without Hope
Laum. In Waray Waray it means hope. As I look back on my life, I have really had a life full of hope. As a child, during the winter I would hope for a snow day with no school, and as Christmas neared I would hope for a certain gift from Santa. I can remember hoping that I would do well on tests...and that my teacher wouldn't call on me!! As I grew older, my hopes changed from being focused on me to focused on the world around me and the people in it. I hoped my grandmother would survive breast cancer...twice (!), and she did! I hoped my sister Margaret would be able to smile again after she lost her baby...she did too, a different but always beautiful smile! I've hoped for peace in our country and in our world. There is no end to the hopes I have had. I have seen a lot of hope in the Philippines, particularly in the eyes of those whom the Oikos Sisters help. But I have learned the harsh reality of life in the barrios...not all of it, but regarding hope...it seems there is none.
When we were coming home from the re-immersion in Conception, Sister Minerva, Sister Clarissa, Sister Aileen and I had a frank discussion about life in the barrios. It started because I was mentioning how many children there are in Conception and in the surrounding barrios. It seems that because of the high price of fares to leave the barrio, few people travel from the barrio to the city and back for work, so they stay where they are. Many are not educated past grade 6, some have no education beyond grade 2. And as they grow up, they have no hope for a different future...there is no money to provide for something different, so they just live.
Many people are "married" by the age of 15 and begin having children right away. But because they need a "live birth record" or birth certificate to get married, (civilly or in the Church) many don't bother with a ceremony as to get the record, they must pay a fee and travel to a far city to get it. Another hindrance to a marriage ceremony is the shortage of priests in the barrios. Many only have mass said in their barrio once or twice a year! There have been times when a priest will go into a barrio and marry a group of people all together. He has a marriage preparation seminar for the people, and then marries them in one ceremony...it could be 10 or 12 couples or more. So, people just forgo the ceremony and begin their lives together. But they have no hope for a better life.
There are only so many jobs for people in the barrio, and even if they are lucky enough to own land to plant on, getting food to the city market is so expensive, sometimes no profit can be made. And the others? It is a devastating thought that these capable people do not work, cannot provide for their growing families, have no hope for something better. I cannot even imagine a world without hope...I don't want to even try.
So what is the answer? The government's answer is to do nothing. They say that if you give them help for nothing, the people will begin to feel entitled and will just take and take and not move forward. The government frowns on organizations like the Oikos Sisters, but they are slow to do things that would improve the chances of people finding work like build a road to the far flung barrios, create programs that help people pay for the travel fares, create jobs or encourage businesses to enter the barrios. Some might say give the people birth control, but first of all, all life from God is a gift and each life has a purpose and the possibility of making this world a better place. Secondly, these people have no access to doctors to help them deal with the medical issues that come with using birth control, not to mention the money to pay the doctors for care. It is a grim and dark life, a very hard and painful one.
I don't even want to think about living in a world without hope. It seems to me to be the saddest existence ever. And yet, day in and day out, the people in the barrios wake up, go through their days without enough food, without help, without hope for anything that transforms their bitter existence.
You must know me well enough by now to know that I cannot leave this blog on this dour note. The thing I love about the Oikos Sisters is that they don't just hand stuff out to people...well, they do, but they do so much more! They give the people hope. They teach them how to grow vegetables and fruits organically, on risers so they are not digging into land that isn't theirs, they teach them how to raise piglets for breeding and fattening, they send their children to school and bring doctors and dentists right to them. They provide medications for them so they can hope to be healed. They listen to these people...like Jennifer and her son John Mark that I wrote about a few blogs ago... the Sisters paid for the fare for Jennifer and her son to return to her family in Manila. They are amazing!
Even now, they are planning a Christmas Giving in several barrios...we made a giving tree and received names of children from several barrios. We have 200 names of children!! Some of the gifts will be bought by the Oikos kids, some by Oikos co-workers and some by people in our parish. A few days before Christmas, we will bring Christmas to the barrios. Every year they do something like this for the poor. Last year we fed over 300 people on Christmas day, a few years ago the Sisters made Christmas food packs of rice, sugar, coffee, noodles, ingredients for pancet and some fruit. They traveled toward the south and stopped at every small house they drove by, knocked on the door, sang a few Christmas carols and gave the family a food pack. This year we will bring gifts for the children, games for a Christmas party and food for the families for Christmas to a few barrios. They are always finding new ways to help the poor, to bring them hope.
But they are only 5 Sisters. This Advent, please pray for vocations to the Oikos Sisters' Mission. They need more workers in the field... not only sisters, but missionaries and co-workers too. And if you would like to help the Oikos Sisters bring hope to the poor here in the Philippines, you can make a donation at http://www.PoorHouseholdofGod.org. Unbelievably, 100% of your donation goes directly to the poor here in the Philippines...and I am witness to the careful usage of your donations here. Lastly, please pray for the Oikos Sisters. They carry the burden of the hopelessness here.
Laum...Hope...It is something that is often taken for granted, and it shouldn't be! Hope is what gets us up and out and on our way. Hope is what drives us and what encourages us on when the situation we are in seems full of devastation and despair. I remember in the great movie Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman's character was without hope, and he was pressing his fellow inmates to let go of hope. But in the last scene he began to hope, in fact, I think the last line of the movie is "I hope..."
I hope for so much for the poor here...I hope they no longer feel the bitter pangs of hopelessness and can feel the love of God through all of us. I hope... xxoo
When we were coming home from the re-immersion in Conception, Sister Minerva, Sister Clarissa, Sister Aileen and I had a frank discussion about life in the barrios. It started because I was mentioning how many children there are in Conception and in the surrounding barrios. It seems that because of the high price of fares to leave the barrio, few people travel from the barrio to the city and back for work, so they stay where they are. Many are not educated past grade 6, some have no education beyond grade 2. And as they grow up, they have no hope for a different future...there is no money to provide for something different, so they just live.
Many people are "married" by the age of 15 and begin having children right away. But because they need a "live birth record" or birth certificate to get married, (civilly or in the Church) many don't bother with a ceremony as to get the record, they must pay a fee and travel to a far city to get it. Another hindrance to a marriage ceremony is the shortage of priests in the barrios. Many only have mass said in their barrio once or twice a year! There have been times when a priest will go into a barrio and marry a group of people all together. He has a marriage preparation seminar for the people, and then marries them in one ceremony...it could be 10 or 12 couples or more. So, people just forgo the ceremony and begin their lives together. But they have no hope for a better life.
There are only so many jobs for people in the barrio, and even if they are lucky enough to own land to plant on, getting food to the city market is so expensive, sometimes no profit can be made. And the others? It is a devastating thought that these capable people do not work, cannot provide for their growing families, have no hope for something better. I cannot even imagine a world without hope...I don't want to even try.
So what is the answer? The government's answer is to do nothing. They say that if you give them help for nothing, the people will begin to feel entitled and will just take and take and not move forward. The government frowns on organizations like the Oikos Sisters, but they are slow to do things that would improve the chances of people finding work like build a road to the far flung barrios, create programs that help people pay for the travel fares, create jobs or encourage businesses to enter the barrios. Some might say give the people birth control, but first of all, all life from God is a gift and each life has a purpose and the possibility of making this world a better place. Secondly, these people have no access to doctors to help them deal with the medical issues that come with using birth control, not to mention the money to pay the doctors for care. It is a grim and dark life, a very hard and painful one.
I don't even want to think about living in a world without hope. It seems to me to be the saddest existence ever. And yet, day in and day out, the people in the barrios wake up, go through their days without enough food, without help, without hope for anything that transforms their bitter existence.
You must know me well enough by now to know that I cannot leave this blog on this dour note. The thing I love about the Oikos Sisters is that they don't just hand stuff out to people...well, they do, but they do so much more! They give the people hope. They teach them how to grow vegetables and fruits organically, on risers so they are not digging into land that isn't theirs, they teach them how to raise piglets for breeding and fattening, they send their children to school and bring doctors and dentists right to them. They provide medications for them so they can hope to be healed. They listen to these people...like Jennifer and her son John Mark that I wrote about a few blogs ago... the Sisters paid for the fare for Jennifer and her son to return to her family in Manila. They are amazing!
Even now, they are planning a Christmas Giving in several barrios...we made a giving tree and received names of children from several barrios. We have 200 names of children!! Some of the gifts will be bought by the Oikos kids, some by Oikos co-workers and some by people in our parish. A few days before Christmas, we will bring Christmas to the barrios. Every year they do something like this for the poor. Last year we fed over 300 people on Christmas day, a few years ago the Sisters made Christmas food packs of rice, sugar, coffee, noodles, ingredients for pancet and some fruit. They traveled toward the south and stopped at every small house they drove by, knocked on the door, sang a few Christmas carols and gave the family a food pack. This year we will bring gifts for the children, games for a Christmas party and food for the families for Christmas to a few barrios. They are always finding new ways to help the poor, to bring them hope.
But they are only 5 Sisters. This Advent, please pray for vocations to the Oikos Sisters' Mission. They need more workers in the field... not only sisters, but missionaries and co-workers too. And if you would like to help the Oikos Sisters bring hope to the poor here in the Philippines, you can make a donation at http://www.PoorHouseholdofGod.org. Unbelievably, 100% of your donation goes directly to the poor here in the Philippines...and I am witness to the careful usage of your donations here. Lastly, please pray for the Oikos Sisters. They carry the burden of the hopelessness here.
Laum...Hope...It is something that is often taken for granted, and it shouldn't be! Hope is what gets us up and out and on our way. Hope is what drives us and what encourages us on when the situation we are in seems full of devastation and despair. I remember in the great movie Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman's character was without hope, and he was pressing his fellow inmates to let go of hope. But in the last scene he began to hope, in fact, I think the last line of the movie is "I hope..."
I hope for so much for the poor here...I hope they no longer feel the bitter pangs of hopelessness and can feel the love of God through all of us. I hope... xxoo
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Re-Immersion in Conception
Earlier in October of this year, the Oikos Sisters, their team of volunteers, Mary Jane and Vic Trinkus and I went on an immersion in the northern-most barrios of Eastern Samar. We brought food, doctors, medicine, dentists, clothes, shoes, Water With Blessings water filtering kits, food packs along with a few prayerful reflections and catechesis for the children and the adults there. We served 4 different barrios, the medical and dental mission helped over 200 people and over the 3 days we were there, we served over 1,000 meals. It was awesome!
But, we didn't finish. So on Saturday, November 26th we went back to finish the job. But the story begins before that...
In my last blog I wrote about my Thanksgiving Day and about the typhoon that was coming into the Visayas region where I am. We originally were supposed to go to Conception on Friday, Nov 25th and stay over until Saturday. However, with the weather so bad, the threat of flooding and the roughness of the river (part of the trip to Conception involves riding on a boat) the mayor of Conception and the Oikos Sisters decided that it was not a good idea to go at that time. However, Friday was an absolutely beautiful day, so we decided to go on Saturday, just for the day.
We left bright and early, around 3am...dark and early is more accurate!! Packing food for our volunteers and more medical and dental equipment (some we left in Conception as we knew we were coming back) we filled up the trucks and were on our way. I didn't think much of the walk to the river before going on the boat... it is about a 15 minute walk...it starts with a steep hill and ends with a steep hill, with a few twists in between. But I have boots and pants, a jacket...I was all ready with my little day pack that had a change of shorts, water bottle and a few other things.
But when we arrived at the unloading spot, I saw the results of the storm the previous night... wet, soupy, slippery mud and lots of puddles of standing water. We had some strong young men who were helping us down the first hill. I have to say that Filipinos are, generally, very graceful and have awesome balance. I feel like Bozo the Clown around them in situations like this!!! Trying to climb down a steep, muddy, slippery hill with nothing to hold on to, and everyone watching is no fun, let me tell you! But conquer the first hill, I did!! I was thinking as I approached the second hill, covered in water and mud from walking along the side of the muddy road in the high grass, that I looked like I fell in the mud...nope. I didn't at all. I realized that after I fell in the mud!! I was trying to get down the second hill and stepped on a place that wasn't firm...and down I went, like on a slide! I was mortally embarrassed...even more so after seeing that hardly anyone else had even as much mud on them as I had before I fell! On the boat, I watched the male volunteers on our team carry heavy boxes of medical equipment on their shoulders while easily climbing over the hills and the muck. Wow!! I mean WOW!!!!!
However, once we got to Conception, and I changed into my shorts...gratefully, we got all set up, had some breakfast and a beautiful praise and worship session, I was in the mode for working! I was on a team with Sister Aileen, who is a nurse. I learned how to take people's blood pressure, how to administer the nebulizer and how to test people's sugar. I had a good day, spending some of it with the kids, who are always so drawn to me...it's so cute! We sang a few songs and I spoke to them in my broken Waray Waray, which they understood, thank you very much!! It was a good day!! With three doctors, two dentists, a few pharmacists and nurses...we were very busy!!
At about 4pm, when I assumed we were leaving, I learned that the priest, Fr. Arci, was asking us to stay one more day to finish up with the people who weren't seen by the doctors yet. One doctor and one dentist could stay, so the Sisters said ok. However...I had just packed a day pack...no pjs, toothbrush or paste, soap, change of clothes for the morning...nothing! Actually, I thought I was so smart because we were going to our mission house in the mountains directly after Conception on Saturday, so I had my big bag sent there the night before so I wouldn't have to carry it all day. No, not so smart!! Although the plan was to stay just for one day, almost everyone else had back ups just in case we stayed. I was a little distraught at first, but I quickly brushed off that mood for one of a lesson learned and enjoying the adventure of it all...and I did!
Over the two days, the doctors and dentists helped over 600 people with health care and free medications from the Oikos Charity Pharmacy!!! All were so happy to be helped, so, so happy that we came back and so relieved to have had seen a doctor. The amount of money it takes to travel from Conception to the nearest city, Arteche, is just about equal to a day's food for a family. It is a dear cost and isn't made often. And of the 4 barrios we helped, Conception is the closest to Arteche, from the other barrios, it costs more. Also, there is not signal in Conception or the other barrios surrounding it...no phone or computers...no way to call or email a doctor for advice. It is a grim reality.
As we left Conception, me in my dried muddy pants (!), we were sent off with smiles and gratitude. Despite the troubles I had, it was a great trip and I am so, so grateful to have been a part of it. So grateful to have had another learning experience that helped me to grow as a person and as a missionary. Growth is often painful...whether physical, emotional or spiritual, there can be a lot of pain in growing. But always, I keep in mind what my brother-in-law, John, likes to say..."Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" So, there I was...dirty, smelly, a little embarrassed and a lot tired, but stronger...and more knowledgeable about being a good missionary. That's what it's all about, folks!! Living and growing, loving and giving, and most importantly, trusting in the Good Lord that He has me in His mighty Hands. xxoo
A few immersion pictures:
But, we didn't finish. So on Saturday, November 26th we went back to finish the job. But the story begins before that...
In my last blog I wrote about my Thanksgiving Day and about the typhoon that was coming into the Visayas region where I am. We originally were supposed to go to Conception on Friday, Nov 25th and stay over until Saturday. However, with the weather so bad, the threat of flooding and the roughness of the river (part of the trip to Conception involves riding on a boat) the mayor of Conception and the Oikos Sisters decided that it was not a good idea to go at that time. However, Friday was an absolutely beautiful day, so we decided to go on Saturday, just for the day.
We left bright and early, around 3am...dark and early is more accurate!! Packing food for our volunteers and more medical and dental equipment (some we left in Conception as we knew we were coming back) we filled up the trucks and were on our way. I didn't think much of the walk to the river before going on the boat... it is about a 15 minute walk...it starts with a steep hill and ends with a steep hill, with a few twists in between. But I have boots and pants, a jacket...I was all ready with my little day pack that had a change of shorts, water bottle and a few other things.
But when we arrived at the unloading spot, I saw the results of the storm the previous night... wet, soupy, slippery mud and lots of puddles of standing water. We had some strong young men who were helping us down the first hill. I have to say that Filipinos are, generally, very graceful and have awesome balance. I feel like Bozo the Clown around them in situations like this!!! Trying to climb down a steep, muddy, slippery hill with nothing to hold on to, and everyone watching is no fun, let me tell you! But conquer the first hill, I did!! I was thinking as I approached the second hill, covered in water and mud from walking along the side of the muddy road in the high grass, that I looked like I fell in the mud...nope. I didn't at all. I realized that after I fell in the mud!! I was trying to get down the second hill and stepped on a place that wasn't firm...and down I went, like on a slide! I was mortally embarrassed...even more so after seeing that hardly anyone else had even as much mud on them as I had before I fell! On the boat, I watched the male volunteers on our team carry heavy boxes of medical equipment on their shoulders while easily climbing over the hills and the muck. Wow!! I mean WOW!!!!!
However, once we got to Conception, and I changed into my shorts...gratefully, we got all set up, had some breakfast and a beautiful praise and worship session, I was in the mode for working! I was on a team with Sister Aileen, who is a nurse. I learned how to take people's blood pressure, how to administer the nebulizer and how to test people's sugar. I had a good day, spending some of it with the kids, who are always so drawn to me...it's so cute! We sang a few songs and I spoke to them in my broken Waray Waray, which they understood, thank you very much!! It was a good day!! With three doctors, two dentists, a few pharmacists and nurses...we were very busy!!
At about 4pm, when I assumed we were leaving, I learned that the priest, Fr. Arci, was asking us to stay one more day to finish up with the people who weren't seen by the doctors yet. One doctor and one dentist could stay, so the Sisters said ok. However...I had just packed a day pack...no pjs, toothbrush or paste, soap, change of clothes for the morning...nothing! Actually, I thought I was so smart because we were going to our mission house in the mountains directly after Conception on Saturday, so I had my big bag sent there the night before so I wouldn't have to carry it all day. No, not so smart!! Although the plan was to stay just for one day, almost everyone else had back ups just in case we stayed. I was a little distraught at first, but I quickly brushed off that mood for one of a lesson learned and enjoying the adventure of it all...and I did!
Over the two days, the doctors and dentists helped over 600 people with health care and free medications from the Oikos Charity Pharmacy!!! All were so happy to be helped, so, so happy that we came back and so relieved to have had seen a doctor. The amount of money it takes to travel from Conception to the nearest city, Arteche, is just about equal to a day's food for a family. It is a dear cost and isn't made often. And of the 4 barrios we helped, Conception is the closest to Arteche, from the other barrios, it costs more. Also, there is not signal in Conception or the other barrios surrounding it...no phone or computers...no way to call or email a doctor for advice. It is a grim reality.
As we left Conception, me in my dried muddy pants (!), we were sent off with smiles and gratitude. Despite the troubles I had, it was a great trip and I am so, so grateful to have been a part of it. So grateful to have had another learning experience that helped me to grow as a person and as a missionary. Growth is often painful...whether physical, emotional or spiritual, there can be a lot of pain in growing. But always, I keep in mind what my brother-in-law, John, likes to say..."Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" So, there I was...dirty, smelly, a little embarrassed and a lot tired, but stronger...and more knowledgeable about being a good missionary. That's what it's all about, folks!! Living and growing, loving and giving, and most importantly, trusting in the Good Lord that He has me in His mighty Hands. xxoo
A few immersion pictures:
The steep and muddy hills:
Sister Michelle and, my partner, Sister Aileen working hard!
The doctors seeing their patients:
Some of my fans!!!
Some beautiful scenic views:
Monday, November 28, 2016
A Late Thanksgiving Post
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
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
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
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