The Path To The Baking Mamas

The path God takes us on is not always clear to us, it doesn’t always make sense.  Sometimes amid the trials and roadblocks of life, we can even ask, “What can God be thinking?”  But every once in a while we are given the grace to understand His thinking, to be enlightened to the wisdom of His Will for us.  I had such an experience, and it has led me to where I am now. 

When I was a young girl, I used to play "school" with my younger brothers and sisters, my friends, and when they grew tired of me, even my teddy bears and dolls!  As the teacher, I used to give them assignments to do and send them into the corner they were not acting like good students…I don’t know why they put up with me!!  Because of this, I naturally was drawn to the field of education.  I became an elementary teacher and taught in Catholic Schools in Buffalo, NY for 10 years.  Gradually, I lost my spirit for teaching.  I began catering for the events of my friends and little by little, cooking took over my life.  I stopped teaching and continued catering and working in restaurants.  I am sure many, many people in my life were scratching their heads thinking, what is she doing?  She has a good career that she is good at, why change?  I couldn’t answer them.  Truthfully, I didn’t know why I made such a drastic career change.  I was just following my intuition.  Little did I know it was the Holy Spirit preparing me for something more.

A new desire entered my heart.  I felt very strongly that one day I wanted to combine my skills in education with my love of cooking.  I didn’t know how it would work itself out, but I kept thinking about it for quite a few years.  Perhaps I would end up in a community center teaching young children to cook or work as a culinary school teacher, but the desire grew in me and I became restless thinking about it.  Never in my wildest imaginings did I ever, ever think God would fulfill this desire in me in the missions…but He did!  And when that happened, I could see the handprint of God on the twisty road that my life had become.  No longer was I questioning why my interests changed so much.  God was preparing me to be of use in His mission with His poor.  He gave me the grace to see that.

When I became involved with the Oikos Mission here in Borongan, I was astounded at all of the ministries they have to help and love the poor.  From medical assistance to feeding programs, educational sponsorships to building homes, their mission to be conduits of God’s love to His poor was, and is, absolutely amazing to me.  I became involved with the Livelihood Ministry, helping to teach the poor new livelihoods because they had lost everything as a result of Typhoon Yolanda and Typhoon Ruby.  The Piglet Recycling Program teaches beneficiaries how to raise and breed piglets and in FAITH, Food Always In The Home, the poor are taught organic fruit and vegetable growing.  The participants of these programs are aided by Oikos.  They may be given piglets, feeds, education and seeds, along with encouragement and support during the course of the program, but the beneficiaries have to do the lion’s share of the work.  If they are unwilling to work, they will not succeed, but when they succeed, it is with a great feeling of pride in themselves, restored dignity and, most importantly, a way to provide for their families.

Little by little, I began cooking and baking for the members of the Oikos mission, and an inspired idea entered into the minds of the Oikos Sisters, who are always sensitive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit.  They had been looking for a way to provide poor mothers with a livelihood endeavor to help their families, and once they saw all of the baking I could do, they quickly resolved to offer a baking livelihood to the mothers.  Here with these hard-working women, I teach them how to bake.  So far, we have made baked empanadas, pizza (American-style), a few kinds of cookies and a special bread that can be sweet or savory, cinnamon or garlic parmesan.  We have been selling our empanadas in the city of Borongan with great success!!  And we are on the verge of adding to our menu with the new things I have taught them.  After writing about this new endeavor in my blog, a friend of mine from high school contacted me to donate a new oven to the mothers.  We had been using two toaster ovens, and now we have an upright oven that can hold 6 large trays at once!  I can see the joy on the mothers faces with each new recipe learned and perfected, and I can almost feel the hope they feel in the future, in really finding a way to help their families.  With the help and support of the Oikos mission, these mothers have a wonderful opportunity to provide for their families and I have a sense of peace that I have found the desire I had all those years ago. 

One of these days, I am going to stop questioning the workings of God and just live happily in His awesomeness...  One of these days...  xxoo

This is Nanay Norma, one of the Baking Mamas!  Norma is a single parent of 9 children, 6 of whom are still in school.  She is making boku empanadas (fresh coconut)...one of Borongan's favorites!!

 

To God Be The Glory!!!

 

 

Fiesta Update, with pictures!!

We did indeed have a happy fiesta!  Here are some pictures of our great feasting!!

Roselyn, a high school scholar of Oikos walking in the parade!

All of Borongan is decorated for the fiesta!!

 

Ate Joselle is a baton-twirler in the parade!

And Aron plays the drums... its not easy to keep the beat while walking!!

First year high school student Angel is proud to walk with her school!

Bystanders having a good time!

The following pictures are taken of the schools participating in the dance competition.



Inside the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Borongan, Eastern Samar

Happy Birthday Mama Mary!!

Fiesta Time in Borongan!

In just a few days, we in Borongan will be celebrating the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is on September 8^th.  Every town in the Philippines, every little village even, has a feast day.  The people of that area pick a saint who is the patron of their village or city, they ask that saint to pray for them, and on the feast day of their saint they have a big, big fiesta!!  Momma Mary is the patron saint of Borongan.  I think I wrote about it on my first trip, but to recap… in the 1800’s there was a plague in Borongan among the children and many were dying.  One day, some townspeople saw a woman dressed in white bathing in the village spring.  They called out to her and she got out of the spring and crossed the street into the church.  Following her, they opened the door to the church and entered and found not the woman, but a statue of her, it was Momma Mary.  One of the people ran and brought her sick child to the spring and bathed him in it, and he was cured!  And so it was that all of the sick children were cured through the miracle of Momma Mary.  Recently, during the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda, the most powerful typhoon ever recorded to date, all of the eastern coastline of our island was totally wiped out, except for Borongan, which is in the center of the coastline.  People said they saw a woman in white with an umbrella walking up and down the beach just a few blocks from where I live, and Borongan was saved from the destruction of the super typhoon.  These people have a powerful love of Mary, and they celebrate the day of her birth wholeheartedly!!

People are making preparations for the fiesta.  Children are practicing for all of the parades, choirs are practicing their songs for all of the masses, schools are practicing their dance performances wherein they compete to see who can best put to dance the story I told above, and houses are being cleaned, food is being prepared, oh my…the whole city is in preparation mode.  People come here from all over the Philippines to celebrate with us.  Oikos is no different.  Our children are preparing, our mothers are cleaning and cooking with the Sisters right along with them.  It is truly a whirlwind of constant movement!  And while the “normal”, “everyday” things are going on, everyone is getting caught up in the hubbub.

At times like this, where we are cleaning and cooking and preparing, it can be easy to think that we are missionaries forgoing our mission, being caught up in the goings-on of the town and not doing missionary work.  But, here’s the thing… just because we are not going off to far flung barrios, doing dental and medical missions, bringing food and clothes to the poor, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t doing missionary work.  Even in the mundane tasks of everyday life, we are called to be missionaries, all of us.  So, even though we are on “fiesta mode,” we still stop to give a kind word to someone in need of cheering up, we still give what we have to those who come to our door, we still spend time with our children and see to their needs.  Even if your job title does not include the word “missionary,” that is what we are all called to be.  Caring for others, sharing our faith, stopping our busyness to help a person in need. 

Today is September 5^th…from here on out, it’s going to get pretty crazy, and I plan on joining in the fray of all of the movement and noise and joyfulness, with my eyes and my heart open to the needs of those around me.  Ikaw gihap? (the same with you?) xoxo

Its Back to Work for Me!

Well...I'm baaaaaccckk!!  In July I returned home to Buffalo to do fundraising through the Catholic Church's mission appeals for the Oikos Mission.  I spoke at three different churches for three consecutive weekends.  Everywhere I went people were so giving and receptive.  It was great!  Then I was able to spend a few weeks with my family before returning to the Philippines to finish my missionary year.  It was an unexpected trip home, and I had a wonderful time!!

Sometimes I feel like a yo-yo.  Going back and forth, to and fro, from the U.S. to the Philippines.  Every time I get to Buffalo, settle in, get used to the life and movement there, it's time to go back to the Philippines.  And it seems the same is true in the reverse.  It's dizzying.  And yet, I cannot imagine life without my family in America or without my family in Borongan.  But then I flip the coin and see how incredibly lucky I am to have such beautiful people in my life, that I am, amazingly enough, given the means to travel and have people who love me in both places.   The negative image of the yo-yo falls away in the face of all of those blessings.  ...just some musings...

Anyways, I'm back in the Philippines and have noticed something.  It's not really anything that's new to me.  Sometimes I can see the same thing many times and  at the 10th time I've seen it, I am moved in a particular way.  Looking out of my hotel room this morning...(yes, the Oikos Sisters get a hotel room for me the day I arrive so I can rest from my travels and build up my strength from the weariness of moving half way around the world...more blessings)...anyways, looking out of my hotel room this morning, the first thing I saw was color.  The amazing, vibrant, almost shocking color of the dock here in Tacloban, Western Samar in the Philippines.  The boats are painted in a vast array of bright and eye-catching colors.  Sitting in the port, as the early morning sunshine beams down and casts a reflection on the gently rippling crystal blue water, the colors of these boats are magnified, almost too pretty to look at.  Then you notice the people, dressed in summery clothes in consideration of the humid Filipino heat, carrying baskets of fruits and vegetables to sell, pulling carts full of the same, hoping to sell enough to survive the day.  And the birds, chittering and flying about, waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab a tidbit for themselves.  It is a dazzling sight.  Then, your eyes are almost blinded by the reflection of the morning sun on metal, tin to be exact.  See, all along the beautifully colored dock with the beautiful people and birds, are tiny shacks with tin roofs.  People, families, live in these tiny shacks along the road next to the sea.  And once again I see the dichotomy of the world.  How can beauty and destitution live so close to each other?  How can something seen at 4 floors up look so peaceful and idyllic, and yet in reality, is bordering on death.  And where do I fit in in all of this??  

It seems, even on my second day here, I am face to face with a stark reality.  What am I doing here?  What is my purpose here? 

You know, a few weeks ago, my mother had a dinner in which she invited me and my nieces and nephew who have been doing some missionary work  (Passing on the torch!!!) to share about our missionary experiences.  Anyways, after the stories about the work that we had all done, stories of hope and stories of sadness, a question was staring us all in the face.  What's it all for?  What difference did I make?  If any???

I remembered a quote from St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would  be less without that one drop."

Love.  I came here to love.  To live love.  That's all.  It's what we are all supposed to do wherever we are.  To love one another.  Whether it is in our hometowns or half way around the world, in the workplace or on vacation, we are called to love/. And when we do that, when love is the motivation for what we do, anything we do is enough.  We may never know in this life what difference we made in the lives of others, in the world...but you can rest assured that when you act out of love, you do make a difference in someone's life, in the world, even in yourself!  That's what it's all for!!! Xxoo

A Trip to South Korea!!

In May of this year, I had an amazing opportunity to go to South Korea to a place called Kkottongnae.  This is an order of priests, nuns, brothers and lay volunteers that work in South Korea, near Seoul, caring for the abandoned, forgotten, and homeless people.  I was there with most of the Oikos Sisters attending an immersion retreat, learning about the Kkottongnae philosophy of loving others.  So, in a nutshell... (we'll make it a coconut shell because its a big one and we can fit a lot in there!):

Kkottongnae was started by a priest named Fr. John Oh in the 70's.  He had just become a new priest.  He already had a love of abandoned people at the time of his encounter with Grandfather Che, but here's the story...

One night Fr. John was on the streets in Seoul when he spotted a beggar.  Fr. John could tell that the man was sick as he knocked on doors and asked for rice.  The man was dressed in ripped rags and was stooped over, as if in pain.  Fr. John decided to follow him to see where he lived.  When the man arrived at his destination, a drafty place under a bridge, what Fr. John saw astounded him.  This poor man who was sick and in pain wasn't begging for himself, but for the 18 other beggars under the bridge with him who were more sick than he.  Fr. John knew immediately that this was no chance encounter.  The Holy Spirit had led him there to see this man, and at that moment one of the foundational philosophies of Kkottongnae was born:  Even if you only have the strength to beg for food, it is a blessing from the Lord.

From there, Father John built a home for the poor and abandoned.  He only had one American dollar, but he used it wisely and with that and through inspired donations, the first home for the poor was built.  It was a simple home, but it was well built and it's foundation was love and charity.  Over the years, Kkottongnae has grown, volunteers came to work with Father John, some so inspired by his life that they wanted to join him as priests, sisters and brothers.  Father John began working with the South Korean government, helping them to write social welfare laws for the true good of the people, and the government began helping him and his order.  Today, close to 50 years later, Kkottongnae is growing and thriving in South Korea, and in other countries throughout the world.

In this immersion/retreat, we learned and saw so many things.  I'll give you the highlights, the things that really touched me.

At Kkottongnae, there are many state of the art buildings.  They have a university, an elderly home, an orphanage, a retreat center where we stayed and a home for the disabled.  We met this woman pictured on the left.  I wish I could remember her name.  She was probably a little older than me.  She had no use of her hands and arms.  But that did not stop her one bit.  She writes, eats, even does cross-stitch with her feet!!  I kid you not.  She wrote a beautiful prayer for us that one of the brothers interpreted.  It was 2 pages long!!  She even goes up to the second floor where the more sick people live and she helps to feed them!!  I just remembered being floored by her story.  How many times in my life have I complained about my inability to do something, whatever it was, and never finished the project, and here this angel is, thanking God for her life and for the ability He gave her to love others and help them.  Talk about a wake-up call!!

Here is Sister Michelle with a young man whose greatest desire in life was to go to school.  He did in fact go to the school that Kkottongnae runs for people with disabilities.  The school was begun for him, as a matter of fact.  One day his doctor asked him what he wanted, and he said I want to go to school.  The school isn't far from the Kkottongnae campus and many of the city's disabled children go there, thrive there.  At this time he lives in the hospital because he has gotten sick.  By the way, the hospital is located on the campus as well.  One of the great things about Kkottongnae is that they are able to work with the government for the sake of the people they care for.  The government subsidizes the mission for it's help of all the poor people they serve.  So his medical needs and daily living expenses are paid for by the government.  And what do you think this guy does with the extra money that he has after his bills are paid?  He buys eggs for poor children who live in Africa.  Once again, I kid you not. 

Kkottongnae is a prolife mission.  Here is a fetus garden for aborted babies.  They try to help mothers to make the decision to give life to their babies and also offer post abortive care for mothers.  They have a center on their campus where they teach families how to love their children and elderly parents, how abandoning them is wrong and where they can go for help.  They care so tenderly for everyone seeking their assistance.  And that's not all, they care for people at their time of natural death and even after.  They are building a cathedral in their cemetery.  The bricks that make up the cathedral are for the ashes of the people that die there for most have no families who want to care for them, even after they die.  And they pray so beautifully for the souls of their loved ones who have died.  At Kkottongnae, they truly live out a prolife mission, caring and loving all they serve from conception until natural death, and even beyond that. 

 These are pictures of the bricks that will be placed in the cathedral holding the ashes of the deceased, and on the right is the cathedral in the midst of being built. I think this meant so much to me because its one thing to care for the person in front of you...I find it very easy to do that.  But at Kkottongnae, they truly, truly care for these people, while in their care and even after they have passed on.  They remember with love and sincere prayers all of the people God has sent to them, living and deceased.  They are the real-deal.  They are quite amazing.

I guess along with all of this, another thing occurs to me.  (well, a lot does) At Kkottongnae, abandoned people, homeless people are not only cared for, they are celebrated.  With no questions or qualifications...you are living, you are breathing therefore I will love you.  They don't get down on people because they are on the streets.  They don't lose patience with people because of where they are in life.  They don't judge the people they help.  If a person wants to get to a better place, at Kkottongnae, they help them to do that, at his or her pace, with patience and understanding.  And if not?  They are given the same love and care.  Theirs is not to judge.  OURS is not to judge.  Oh...you are a child of God?  I will love you.  Period.  I find it refreshing and hope I can bring the spirit of Kkottongnae into my life, my dealings with others...and pass it on!!

"Saranghamnida" means We love you.  And when you say it, your make a heart over your head with your arms, like Sister Clarissa is doing here:

 

And when you're standing with someone, you each put up one arm to make the heart like Sister Minerva and me:

 

Kamsahamnida (thank you) for reading about my experiences in South Korea!!  And many, many thanks to the Oikos Sisters, the Diocese of Borongan and my sponsors for allowing me to experience the amazingness of Kkottongnae!!

 

Most of all, kamsahamnida to the Lord for His goodness to me.  Salamat sa Dios!!

(gee, I'm becoming quite the linguist!)

 

God is good...oh so good!!! 

 

Want to find out more about Kkottongnae?  Go to http://www.eng.kkot.or.kr

 

xoxo

 

Graduation Time in Oikos

Graduations are always exciting times, even here in Oikos.  All of the hard work and time sacrificed to studies has paid off and has culminated to a jubilant walk across the stage signifying crossing from one side of life to another.  The scholars in Oikos have worked so very hard and we are all so very proud of all of them!!!  These are the students who are sponsored by the Poor Household of God and who board within the Oikos Mission Houses, called Oikos Angels, who graduated college this year:

Kate graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration

Benedict graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education

Rosalinda graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education

Maria Lyn graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education

Joy Lyn graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture

Ivan (Cum Laude) and Lino graduated from the College Seminary with Bachelor Degrees in Philosophy.  Both of them are going on to Theology, with hopes of entering the priesthood.

Me with Roselyn, Nanay Evelyn(Ivan's mother), Ivan and Lino

Sister Minerva with Kate and Maria Lyn

Sisters Minerva and Ethel with the graduates from Eastern Samar State University (except for Kate)

Sister Ethel with Lino at the Seminary graduation.

Since the City of Borongan is adding two years on to high school beginning this year, senior high, there were no high school graduations this year, nor will there be any next year.  But we did have a few elementary school graduates this year.  In the Philippines, students graduate from elementary after grade 6:
                                         This is Lhans who graduated from grade 6 and will be
                           attending a boarding school in Cebu run by the Sisters of Mary for poor
                                                                    girls and boys.

This is Jake who graduated with honors from grade 6.  He will be joining

Lhans in the boarding school in Cebu.

 This is Angel who also graduated from grade 6.  Angel will be attending high school here in Borongan. 

 

 

We are all so proud of our graduates!  Truly, all of them have worked so hard to achieve this great honor.  And all of them, all of the Oikos Family, are so grateful to The Poor Household of God who makes it possible for these children not only to go to school, but to be able to have money for their fare to and from school, money for their school projects and for food each day. 

 

And not only that, each one of these students, and in fact ALL of the students sponsored by The Poor Household of God, each one of them knows that this day, their graduation day, might not be possible if it weren't for the generosity and love of people all around the world who sponsor them.  The thoughtfulness and love of these sponsors gives these children wings to succeed in school and in life.  If you are an Oikos Sponsor, THANK YOU!!!

 

If you would like to become an Oikos Sponsor and provide the opportunity for a poor child in the Philippines to break out of  the bonds of poverty, please click here.

 

We give praise and thanks to God for His great providence and love.

 

xxoo 

Holy Week in the Philippines

So... WOW! 

Today it is Easter Sunday and we are celebrating the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ!!  The gifts of Our Lord keep coming to me, as unworthy as I am to receive them.  I do not think that these gifts are in response to anything I did or are for me alone.  We are all surrounded by the gifts of the Lord, we just need to open the eyes of our hearts to see them.  For years I my heart was near-sighted, missing so much.  Now, after being in places where my wants and dreams come, willingly, last, my heartsight has improved immensely...not 20/20 yet, but I'm working on it!!

My lent began with a bang...literally!  After 5am mass on Ash Wednesday, Sister Minerva and I were crossing the street to go home and were hit by a motorcycle.  We didn't see him coming, he was in the wrong lane so we weren't even looking in that direction.  I was knocked down on my right back side and hit my head on the ground.  Sister Minerva landed hard on her knees.  The driver was an unlicensed kid who was in a hurry.  All of us are ok.  My biggest pain is in my tailbone area and Sister Minerva's knee is slowly improving.  But, after the shock of it all, it occurred to me that I was supposed to make empanadas on that day with the Baking Mamas to sell for snacks.  The only problem being that it was Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting.  Would we be leading people into temptation by making and selling empanadas on this day?  Here in the Philippines, most people are Catholic.  Well, the blessing of this  day was that I don't remember being hit at all.  What I remember is crossing the street, feeling like I was hit by a pillow and landing on a pillow.  I can't even remember hitting my head.  The fall didn't hurt at all.  Now, afterwards the pain came, and came big, but I must have been surrounded by angels during the accident!!  So, no empanadas were made on Ash Wednesday, our consciences were clean and I just rested the whole day. 

My first Holy Week in the Philippines was without a doubt, the most meaningful one I think I have ever had.  On Holy Thursday, we went to morning prayer at the cathedral.  Then, at 4pm, we attended the Last Supper Mass.  It was celebrated by the Bishop with about 8 other priests concelebrating.  It was a beautiful mass attended by so many people that there must have been a few hundred people standing outside the church because there wasn't enough room for them inside.  The bishop washed the feet of 10 parishioners.  Then, the Oikos Sisters and all of the co-workers, of which I am one, went to Providence Home for our Last Supper ceremony and washing of the feet.  It was a love-filled dinner, one that reminded me of the Holy Thursday dinners of my youth.  Then for the washing of feet, we all took turns washing everyone's feet.  For me, it was an incredible bonding experience that I took very seriously.  Feet have always been my least favorite part of the body!!!  Aside from babies, whose feet I love to nibble on and kiss, I can't remember a time when I even touched someone else's feet!!  And to kneel at someone's feet, wash and dry them, kiss them...it is a humbling experience.  But it brought home to me the message of Jesus on this night like no other experience in my life.  After the dinner and feet washing, we went to the cathedral for Eucharistic Adoration.  Our hour was from 11pm to 12am with other religious sisters and the college seminarians.  Truly beautiful.

Once we got to bed, around 1ish, I did as the Filipinos often say, I slept hard and fast because we had to be up again around 4:30!!  At 5am on Good Friday, we had morning prayer at the Cathedral, and then that was followed by Stations of the Cross at dawn.  Not inside the church, which has always been my experience, no this was out around the city of Borongan.  Walking with the Bishop of Borongan, Bishop Crispin Varquez, and about 3 thousand other people, we stopped at each station to kneel and pray right in the street.  As the sun rose, we walked and prayed.  It was so solemn and beautiful!  I saw one woman walking barefoot.  Later I asked Sister Minerva about it.  She said the woman did that as a sacrifice.  The roads in Borongan are not smooth.  They are concrete with little pebbles and big stones scattered around the road, with cracks and uneven parts...it must have been very painful. Sister Minerva said she has done that a few times as well.  It hurts my feet just to think about it!!  Singing, walking, praying out in the street in a procession of sorrow laced with hope for all of Borongan to see...it was easily the most meaningful Stations of the Cross I have ever experienced.

Later that day, I went to a series of talks on the 7 last words that Christ spoke on the cross.  One of the talks was given by Sister Minerva, "Woman, here is your son; son, your mother."  Sister Clarissa gave a talk on the words, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned Me." Both sisters gave great talks on the words they were given to speak on.  Afterwards, we attended the 3pm service at the Cathedral which was followed by another procession throughout the city.  This was a burial march.  We walked with statues of Saint Peter, Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Veronica, Saint John, and Sorrowful Mother Mary.  Behind us was Jesus in a glass casket.  This time, there were around 10,000 people!!!  Oh my goodness!!!  Once again, we marched through the city praying the rosary all together.  I know in the U.S. there used to be processions on certain holy days...I have to say, I wish that would come back.  There is something so beautiful about walking throughout your town or city, proudly praying, announcing your faith to all without even speaking to them.  At home in Buffalo, I would sometimes walk around my neighborhood praying the rosary and one time someone asked me what I was doing and we talked about the rosary and Mary for a while.  I think I made a teeny difference in someone's life that day.  How much more of a difference can an entire parish make?  Really...it was such a beautiful day.

Saturday began with morning prayer, and then our preparations for Easter began.  My job was to make pizza and cookies.  Well, with the help of a lot of kids and some of the mothers here, we got the work done in no time!  And what a fun day we had!  We made 6 sheet pizzas, and because of a new oven we received from a friend of Oikos (more on that in another post) we were able to bake all 6 sheet pizzas at the same time!!  It was a great day!  In the evening, around 8:30, we went to the Cathedral for the Easter Vigil mass.  It was quite solemn and beautiful.  I think that mass should be a requirement for Catholics!!  It is just so darn beautiful and full of meaning.  It is a long mass, ours ended after 1am, but well worth the time!!  Once again, the church was packed.  I've never been to a packed church for an Easter Vigil mass. 

After going to bed late again, you'd think I would have slept in late, but alas, I was up once again by 6am!!  I remember waking up on Easter with the thought, God, I thank you for this special time in the Philippines celebrating the sacrifice of Your Son and His glorious resurrection.  I truly have not felt this close to You in a long time.  And although all of the services and masses have not been in English, I have felt surrounded by Your mighty presence.  It is hard to not have anything familiar to me...none of the traditions and celebrations here are like the ones I have always had at home and a sense of loneliness came upon me.  I remember thinking not even songs are ones that I can connect to, like my favorite song on Easter, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today."  Well, I got up, got dressed, went into the prayer room to say my morning prayer, and what do you think the morning song was?  yep.  "Jesus Christ is Risen Today!!" Some people may look at that situation and say, What a neat coincidence.  But I say, I've just been hugged by God! 

On Easter we sang, played many games, ate lots of delicious food... spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken, salad, cookies and a delicious mango dessert!  All together for the whole day, the Oikos Family cherished every minute, laughed together and had an amazing day.  Jesus Christ is risen today!!  Alleluia!!! 

Well, because of the accident, my Lent got off to a rough start.  But it was nothing compared to what Jesus suffered, to what millions of people suffer today much worse than me.  It was a wake-up call.  Not only look both ways when crossing the street, but look around you with your heart.  God is present everywhere, He is showering us with blessings every day.  Some may be harder for us to discern than others, but when seen through the eyes of the heart, especially when that vision is 20/20,
His blessings abound!!

Happy Easter, Alleluia, Alleluia!! xxoo