Update on the Charity Village!!!

Quite a long time ago, the Oikos Sisters began dreaming about building a village where the poor people of Eastern Samar could live, those without land or a home of their own.  One of the philosophies of the Oikos Sisters is that all things happen in God's time.  We cannot demand or rush God...we simply have to trust.
Well, it was just about one year ago that things began rolling for the Charity Village, and now we are in "full swing" mode!  It seems like every month there is a new development, a new accomplishment or a new challenge making itself known in the dream land of the Oikos Sisters.

The Charity Village, just to remind you, is on land donated to the Oikos Sisters...1.5 hectors, in fact.  It is located in a central part of Borongan, away from the river and a little bit higher than the surrounding areas.  This makes the Oikos Sisters quite happy...basically being on land that is not prone to flooding.  The land is rich in flora and fauna, having many coconut trees, fruit trees, avocado trees, and beautiful plants.  The Sisters plan to add to the bounty coming from the earth with a community garden where all of the residents of the Charity Village will learn how to grow vegetables and be responsible for the garden's care.  The plan right now is to have 25 homes built, along with a chapel, an evacuation center and a medical clinic.  The evacuation center will be three stories and will house the Oikos convent, rooms for scholars, a large meeting area and plenty of room for many people to find refuge in times of need.  And the medical clinic will include rooms for OB/Gyn care, ambulatory care, a dental clinic, beds for overnight care should that be necessary and the Oikos charity pharmacy.  There are local doctors who donate their time to clinics such as the one the Oikos Sisters are planning.  Right now, the Sisters have funding for 21 out of the 25 homes and, the awesome news is...they have begun building the homes!!!

The first two homes were built during the Diocese of Joliet Partnership in Mission Medical Mission that was in Borongan during the first two weeks of February 2017.  Along with the medical team, a construction team also donates their time, talent and treasure to the poor people of Borongan.  Together with local community volunteers, the mission team made first homes of the Charity Village a reality for the Oikos Sisters!!

   Working long hours in the sun and the rain, the construction team did an absolutely amazing job building the homes that are sure to be the answer to many prayers here in the poorest region in the Philippines.  For certain, the team of missionaries and volunteers have answered the prayers of the Oikos Sisters!

So...without further ado... (drum roll, please...) here are                                                                   THE FIRST TWO HOMES IN THE CHARITY VILLAGE:

 

We give praise and thanks to God for His generosity and His providence.

And we thank the many people who have been praying for the Oikos Sisters and their endeavors.

What is up next for the Charity Village?  A road will be built for easy access to the land and construction on more houses will begin.
What is still needed for the Charity Village?  Funding for a few more homes (the cost to build one home is $2500.00 for labor and supplies) and funding is also needed for the evacuation center, a few more homes and the medical clinic.  If you want to help financially, you can donate here.  And your prayers are always needed and appreciated. xxoo

When Jesus Sighs

Sometimes when I am listening to the readings at mass, one phrase jumps out at me and either stuns me, makes me laugh, makes me cringe or shudder.  And, as the daily readings in the Catholic liturgy rotate every three years, its not like I haven't heard all of these things before.  At times, I think God allows us to hear something for the first time, even though we've listened to it many times before.  For some reason, at a certain time, our hearts are more ready to explore thoughts and ideas that can help us become closer to God than at other times.  God, who knows us better than we even know ourselves, can pinpoint the moments we are ready to really hear Him.

So, the phrase that caught my attention the other day was this: "With a sigh from the depths of His spirit..." taken from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8.  In the gospel, Jesus was addressing the Pharisees who were asking Him for a sign, trying to test Him. 

I know that I have sighed like that before.  As a teacher with my first or fourth grade students, when trying, for the 80th time, to explain something to someone, many times at myself!!  A sigh from the depths of your being.  I know I have heard that kind of sigh before, sometimes directed at me!!  A sigh felt throughout your entire body.  It says more than one thousand words can, you know? 

I never thought about Jesus sighing like that before.  I have talked about my experiences with religious education before...even though I had gone to a Catholic school, my education of the faith could be described as "fluffinutter catechesis."  Even though I know my teachers were doing what they were told to do, and were very hard working, I think they fell short on passing on our Catholic Faith.  Jesus loves me...I love Jesus...I love others.  So, even though I have learned more on my own and have grown quite a lot in my faith, I still see Jesus as always patient, loving, and kind.  Even though there are places in the gospels where He calls people fools, turns over selling tables in the temple, and seems to have a difficult time getting through to his apostles, my early catechesis causes me to glaze over such parts when I hear them.  But sometimes, like the other day, it gets through my thick skull and pierces my heart, makes me think.

A sigh like that usually isn't in anger... maybe frustration, losing patience, longing for understanding.  It makes me think of the times I may have caused Jesus to sigh like that... like all the times I didn't hear Him asking me to become a missionary!!   The Filipinos have a phrase they say, and actually it is just 2 words, but when they say it, I can feel a sigh like that.  Usually it is said tinged with humor, but sometimes it seems like a sigh like the one Jesus had in today's reading.  They say to me,  "Ayyye Sarah."  It always makes me laugh.  But now I think sometimes Jesus is up in heaven, watching us, trying His hardest to help us, and sometimes blowing out His breath, saying "Ayyye Sarah," or Bob or Jennifer or Peter...whoever. 

In the missions, I can see many things that might cause Jesus to sigh from the depths of His spirit, thinking when will they finally love each other, when will they finally open their eyes and see who it is that is in front of them?  And in our world... oh my, His spirit must be hurting I think.  At the many times we turn on each other, the many times we fail to love one another, the many times we put ourselves first, the many times we are not patient, kind, understanding and caring. 

If you put everything else aside... finances, societal pressures, politics, economic classes, skin color, all the things that the devil has constructed to divide us and just see who God created each of us to be, maybe we can save Jesus some of His breath, and live much happier lives.  But we can't wait for someone else to start.  Gotta start now, just me, just you...and others will see the good works we do and want to be included.

The greatest need of our generation is for God's Word to be taught clearly and undiluted, and for Christians to demonstrate that it works.  After all, we are the walking, talking evidence before the world that God's Word is true.

There!  That's a lot of thinking from 9 words in the bible!!  When Jesus is looking at me and says, "Ayyye Sarah," I want it to be with a twinkle in His eye and a smirk on His lips!!  😉

xxoo

Mission!!

I think that it is quite amazing that people take time out of their lives, away from their families, give of their time, talent and treasure to come to a mission to work.

Now, you may think that is a ridiculous statement for me to make... or that I am puffing myself up with pride, but neither is true.  My mission trip is different from that of missioners who come for short mission trips.  I am discerning my vocation for the rest of my life, considering making this mission my life.  Missioners who come for short mission trips are a totally different breed of missionary.  Many of them are parents and grandparents who are still in the process of raising their children or caring for their grandchildren.  Many of them come without their spouses, leaving them for a few weeks, which sometimes is a good thing :) ...you know what they say about distance and the heart!!   Most of them are still working and had to take vacation time, some paid, some unpaid time off, to come on this trip.  They put their lives on pause, and gave up a lot to come.  All of them had to pay for their plane tickets, hotel room and food while they are here.  That is a lot!!!

But I think most of them would say that the work they do here on mission is worth the effort and sacrifice to get here.  I know that was true for me when I took my first mission trip to Africa just three years ago.  One look at those children and the needs they had and my heart was sunk!!  Any worries I had about money, vacation time, what I was giving up to be there, in fact, any thought about myself quickly fizzled out in the hot African desert.  I discovered my mission heart.

The mission from the Diocese of Joliet, Partnership in Mission just spent two weeks here in Borongan.  What started out 13 years ago as a medical mission has branched off to include a construction mission and an outreach mission as well.  48 people came to Borongan from all over the world... doctors, nurses, dentists, artists, handymen, people with huge, caring hearts took time out of their daily lives to lend a helping hand to the poor people here in Eastern Samar, the poorest region in the Philippines. 

The doctors and nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons worked so hard in the hospital, trying to see all the people they could while making sure they gave the time and care needed to the patient right in front of them.  Many poor people who thought there was no hope for them were given a second chance, a new lease on life, because of the care and time given by the medical missionaries.  People who are truly poor don't have a lot of options, they don't have a lot of help coming their way.  You know, I walked through the hospital a couple of times during the mission, and the many, many people waiting to be seen all looked at me with the same look in their eyes... a look of hope.  Hope that they or their family member could be cured, hope that they will be able to live a life without the pain currently strangling them, and a look of gratitude.  I didn't stop to explain that I wasn't a doctor or nurse, I just drank in the looks and said a prayer of thanks for all of the medical staff that came!!

Along with the medical staff, there were 3 dentists and a dental hygienist that came to Borongan.  Not only did the dental team work in the hospital caring for the people there, but they also worked in two barrios.  They know that there are many people who need dental care, and children who need preventative care and education that live in the barrios and have no way of traveling to the hospital for care.  A trip to and from the hospital can cost as much money as food for the entire day for a family.  They are just unable to afford that.  So, bringing their dental chairs, equipment, tools, medicine and sanitizing station on tow, they go off to the barrios to bring care to the people who cannot come to them.  Working with Sister Michelle, a licensed dentist, the team of 5 saw more patients than any other mission they had ever done!! 

The construction team was just as awesome!!!  Working in the Charity Village, they built two houses!!  They first two houses in the Charity Village, in fact!!  In case you do not know, the Charity Village is a long-time dream of the Oikos Sisters' come true.  On land that was donated to them, the Oikos Sisters will offer homes to families with no home or land of their own.  It will include a chapel, an evacuation center and a medical clinic with dental care and the Oikos charity pharmacy where any poor person can come and receive free medication.  Currently, the Charity Village is totally fenced in, has permission from the neighbors for a road, which is already marked off, and now has 2 homes built!  21 of the 25 homes the Sisters will build are already fully funded.  And, on the last day of the mission, the two homes were blessed!!  The construction crew was really awesome!!  Not only did some of the construction crew come with the advanced team who sets up in the hospital to help them and built some tables the doctors needed, some of them also spent one of the two days off they have making puzzles for the Oikos kids!! 

The outreach team had many projects going on this year.  One of the missioners in this team is an artist and worked on a mural in one of our homes.  She did such an amazing job!  A few more worked with the kids on making cards and other creative projects.  All of the outreach team went into the barrios to feed the children there.  Most of the people in the barrios eat only one meal a day, many times that includes the children as well.  They were so happy for the hot meal, sweet dessert and the songs and games we taught them.  This year we also visited an infirmary and orphanage run by the Sisters of the Visitation and brought Valentines to make with the kids and served them ice cream!  The outreach team also spends a lot of time with the kids who live with the Oikos Sisters.  The kids just soak up the love and attention they get from these sweet ladies!!

I happen to have privileged, insider information that is not accessible to the missioners.  Having been here for 6 months last year and well into my 4th month now, I have a special relationship with the people here in the Oikos Mission.  And I can say with 100% accuracy that the people working in the Oikos Mission, the children in the Oikos Family and the beneficiaries of the Oikos and Joliet Missions have so, so, so much love for the missioners who come.  Even if they tried, the missioners could never imagine the amount of love these people have for them, how often during the year the kids and Sisters mention them, and how much they all look forward to the time of year when their friends from around the world come to visit and help them.  And the prayers... the thoughts... the love they have for the missioners, it is immeasurable. 

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for all the missioners who came to Borongan just last week.  For your sacrifices, your time away from family and friends, your generosity, smiles and hugs... I thank you... and my thanks is just a pebble in the mountain of gratitude all of the people here have for you.  You will never know on this earth what you mean to the people here.  Thank you!

If you are reading this and are interested in coming on mission to the Philippines, check out this website:  http://www.PoorHouseholdofGod.org.  On the home page is a link to the Diocese of Joliet, Partnership in Mission website.  You don't have to belong to the Diocese of Joliet to come...missioners from all over the world come with the missioners from Joliet.  And you don't have to be Catholic, either... you just have to be courageous and willing to explore a new world, help those in the most need and have a desire to crack open your missionary heart.  Believe me... what you give/give up in order to come on mission is nothing compared to what you receive in return!!

I'm having trouble with my computer and uploading pictures, but hopefully some mission pics are coming soon!!!  xxoo

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

The past few weeks have been sort of a down time for us here at the Oikos Mission.  Just after New Year's Day we had a rest week...which I really loved having!!  You know, the bible says there is a time for everything.... a time to work, a time to love, a time to rest... does it say rest?...it should if it doesn't!  For me, I totally love the work here, it is fulfilling and the people I work and live with make it fun.  But equally important is rest time so that we have the energy to go on to the next mission.

For my rest week, I didn't do much.  We didn't go on any trips, just spent some time at Providence Home, our mission house in the mountains and some time at my home away from home at Nazareth Home.  I read books, watched a few movies, slept and went for a few walks.  And actually, the week after, that was last week, the Oikos Sisters went on a week-long retreat, so although I had a list of things to get done, it was sort of a continuation of my rest week, just a little more active. 

And now?  Now I feel ready to go!!  There is a medical mission that comes here to Borongan every February.  It is run out of the Diocese of Joliet near Chicago, Illinois, but missionaries come from all over the U.S. and in different parts of the world as well.  The missionaries that come are doctors, nurses, dentists, construction workers and members of a  community outreach team.  This year, 52 missionaries are coming!!  The first members of the mission arrive in a about 2 days, so we have a lot of work to do!!

The dentists work both in the provincial hospital and in the barrios where the poorest of the poor live.  It is the job of the Oikos Sisters to choose a few barrios for the dentists to go to.  The outreach team will go to the same barrio to play with the kids there and feed them.  Although the schools do have a feeding program, it is only for the severely malnourished children.  So, in a barrio called Sorok, where 149 children go to school, only 25 students are in the feeding program.  However, it's not like the other children have a ton of food in their pantries, and in most cases the parents and older children do not eat lunch because they just don't have the resources and money to afford another meal.  So, the outreach team will help to prepare and serve the food.  Back to the dentists...  After choosing the barrios, the Sisters, led by Sister Michelle, the resident dentist here in Oikos, will do screening of the patients needing dental care in the barrios.  There are equal feelings of nervousness and gratefulness in the people we see.  And I really can't get over the number of adults who have never seen a dentist before.  There are also a few who argue with Sister Michelle because they want a tooth extracted that she knows can be restored.  Dental education is a big part of what she does.  This year, there was a record number of children who didn't need any dental care at all!!  Next month, National Dental Month in the Philippines, she wants to go back to the barrios and reward the kids who have taken such good care of their teeth!!

This year the Joliet construction team will build two houses in the Charity Village!!  Can I hear a WOOT WOOT?!!?  (doesn't have the same effect in print as in person!!)  If you want to know more about the Oikos Sister's Charity Village, click here.  It is a long-time dream of the Oikos Sisters...and I'm so happy to be here to see it become a reality!!

Other than the preparations, we are celebrating a lot of birthdays here in Oikos...in January we have quite a few of the kids birthdays, and a few outsiders.  A sibling of Sister Michelle, who lives quite a distance from us, wanted to celebrate her birthday by giving to others, so she sent money to Michelle for a big party!  We had roasted chicken, pancet, spaghetti and meatballs...a real feast!  Then we made about 60 packs of food and took them to the hospital for the patients and their families.  What a way to celebrate your birthday!  Then, just today, a girl who turned 14 years old wanted to celebrate her birthday by having a party with those less fortunate than herself.  So, she and her family came to the Oikos Family and brought a Jollie Bee lunch (sort of like Mc Donald's).  They came early and decorated the room, brought a speaker to play music, we had fried chicken and rice, pop...and she even brought gifts for all of the kids!! 

The generosity of people is always so heartwarming!  And there are so many ways to give and share with others.  I have been witness to such giving, and a recipient as well, for the past few years.  It truly means so much to the beneficiary of the giving, let me tell you.  These people live and breathe thankfulness.  You may never truly know how much your giving has meant to the recipient of your generosity in this world, but let me tell you from experience, it changes lives!!  So, thanks for all of you charitable people out there!!  God bless you!!  xxoo

Sulangan...St. Anthony's Parish in Guiuan

On the first Tuesday of 2017, the Oikos Sisters, most of the kids who were with us, and I went on a trip to Sulangan.  It is a pilgrimage site here in Eastern Samar, located in the southern most city of the region, Guiuan.  It is about a 4 hour trip from Borongan.


There is a beautiful church there, St. Anthony's Parish.  There was a lot of destruction done to the church during Typhoon Yolanda and the church is still undergoing repairs, but it is nonetheless a beautiful church.  It is said that people go there when they are facing insurmountable challenges, going to have surgeries or have loved ones in need of serious prayer.  It is also a place people go to when they want to give thanks to God for blessings received.  Every year after Sister Clarissa returns from her mission appeals in the United States, the community travels to Sulangan to give thanks to God for all of the people who gave so generously to the Oikos mission and for thanks for safe travels to and from the United States.  This year has been so busy, we couldn't go before now...and so we went.


St. Anthony was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal.  He entered the religious life at the tender age of 15 and studied for 9 years in the order of St. Augustine.  He became a Franciscan when he felt God was calling him to be a martyr, which he embraced wholly.  However, God had other plans for Anthony.  Quite by accident, it was discovered what a good preacher he was. He became a profound speaker and preacher, and not only that, he converted many people because of his firm belief in living the life he preached about.  He was a simple and humble man who preached the Word of God lovingly and with fearless courage.  Tuesdays are a special day in honor of St. Anthony of Padua.  It was on the Tuesday after his death that his body was transferred from Arcella to Padua and buried there in the Chapel of Our Lady.  On this Tuesday, there were innumerable miracles that occurred at the site of his tomb.  All of the sick who were gathered to witness the burial of the saint were immediately healed on this day. (http://www.St.Anthony.org)


My grandparents were married on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, June 13th.  Each of their sons has the middle name "Anthony."  They had a great devotion to him, my grandfather still does.  And it seems that the people of Eastern Samar share that same love and devotion to St. Anthony.  I call on him constantly myself as I am always losing things!!  "Dear St. Anthony, please come 'round, something is lost and can't be found"... or, if you're BFF's with him, you can use the more casual one..."Tony, Tony turn around, something's lost and can't be found."  Seriously, it works!!!


Anyways, we went to Sulangan, to St. Anthony's Parish to give thanks to God for Sister Clarissa's successful journey, and for each of us to offer our own prayers, light candles and enjoy the beauty of the site.  It was such a wonderful journey.


Afterwards, we stopped along the sea for lunch and had a restful bonding time.  It was such a beautiful day!!  Here are some pictures of our trip:

 

 

It is so important to be available for the needs of the poor and of the community in which we live.  But, I would say, it is equally important to take time to pray, give thanks and to enjoy this beautiful world God has given to us.  Today was that kind of day... it seems almost a reward for good works done.  So, thank you, Lord, for the great day!!  And thank you for this amazingly beautiful world in which we live!!!  xoxo

Palo Uno...Christmas Outreach Mission day

In San Julian, a municipality about a half hour north of Borongan, there is a barrio called Palo Uno.  It is located in the hills of San Julian.  On December 29, 2016, the Oikos Mission brought Christmas to the people there.  It turned out to be more of an adventure than we planned on...and there is no way any of us could have foreseen the amazing effect it had on all of us.





Our adventure really began back in November when Sister Minerva had the idea of a Good Wish Christmas Tree with the names and ages of children on it from a barrio.  Everyone involved with the Oikos Mission, including the children who are educationally sponsored by the Poor Household of God, had the opportunity to pick a name or two (some chose 3!) and buy a gift for that child.  So we found a good branch and painted it white, then made some stars and placed on each star the name  and age of a child from Palo Uno and a neighboring barrio.  The sponsored kids, Oikos co-workers, people in the community of Borongan, even some foreigners picked names and bought gifts for the kids.  In the days before and after Christmas, we were planning our trip and preparing for the adventure.





Actually, in the Oikos Community, most of the scholars go home to their families after Christmas for the New Year celebrations.  It becomes very quiet here!!!  But this year, I would say at least half of the scholars, if not more, went home to their families on December 26th, came back on the 28th to help prepare and go to Palo Uno, and then returned to their families on the 30th. 

There are only a few times a year that the scholars return home...after school is out in March (although for how long they stay home, I don't know...yet!), for All Souls and All Saints Days, and after Christmas.  So, this was a sacrifice for them, giving up some of their vacation time, time with their families, to give to others.  They really are great kids!!





So, we had one gift for every child...149 in all!!  We also prepared for food...fried chicken, spaghetti, rice and a sweet treat, we brought calendars for the mothers, shoes and sandals for the kids (the shoes were donated by a local store here, Grand Mart, one of the benefactors of the Oikos Mission).  We also planned games for the kids and brought prizes.  So, on December 29th, we embarked from Borongan around 5 in the morning and drove to San Julian.  There, we picked up Msgr. Lope and some of the youth of his parish.  We then drove to the closest barrio we could get to Palo Uno, and there we prepared to hike up the mountain.

We were told it was a 40 minute hike up to Palo Uno...in reality, it took us 2 hours to get there!!!  We climbed up rock formations,

muddy "stairs" made of mud and branches, we crossed what the locals, quite humorously I think, call a bridge...but I never would call it that.  I would call it a fallen tree over a great abyss.  It was just like out of a scene from Indiana Jones or Romancing the Stone!! 

I just couldn't believe it...but I crossed it!! 






Along the way, we were greeted by many people from Palo Uno going down the mountain carrying huge bags of charcoal or rice on their backs or hauling large pieces of lumber to sell at the market.  They were walking up and down the mountain like they were walking on clouds!!

My jaw was practically bruised from the number of times it fell to the rocks out of shock!!  (not really!)  I could hardly believe the ease with which they walked, though.  They do it every day, twice a day...hard to imagine when I barely made it up at all!!  But I have to say, after 2 hours...the trip was worth it.  And not just in terms of the view from the top, although that was quite beautiful, but the people...their smiles and anticipation for what we were bringing...that totally made it worth it!!


When everyone reached the top and we all caught our breath...and I got a new nickname, "pinkie" because my face was all pink...we began the day with mass.  This was especially special to the people as, because of their location and the number of barrios in San Julian (with only one priest) mass is only said there once a year.  It was the cutest thing when, after the bell was rung for mass, it was the children who hurriedly entered the church (with gusto, I might add!) to sit, and they stayed and listened and participated when they could for the entire mass.  Totally sweet!!


After mass, the Oikos Angels led the kids in some praise and worship action songs.  The kids loved it and caught on quick to the moves!

Then we organized some games and had prizes.  The kids had such a fun time, and all of the parents and grandparents were there looking on and seemed to be enjoying the time as much as the kids.  Lunch was served next...spaghetti, fried chicken, rice and a sweet treat.  For many of the kids, this was their first time eating spaghetti and fried chicken!  They loved it, and the rest of their families did too!!  What a joy it is to see people enjoying a meal.  A harsh reality hits when you realize that, most days, these

people only eat once a day...and that meal is not a feast.  Even for one day, to give them something delicious and nourishing, it felt good.  I wish I could go there and feed those people every day, but I am really learning to accept what I can do, and be grateful to God for putting me here in this place for this day.  Tomorrow He will most likely put me somewhere else, but that's ok...more than ok...the important thing, I think, is to really see where He puts me today, at this moment, and to help the person in front of me as much as I can with what I have.

After lunch was the gift giving.  We called out each child's name, and when the child came forward, he or she was given their gift.  For many of them, most of them, this is their only Christmas present. What a joy to have been  able to be there and experience the wonderful gift giving!!  To see the excitement on the faces of the kids, and to know that I had a small hand in making that smile appear...thanks be to God!! 

 

 

After giving out sandals and sneakers to the kids and playing a sneaky game with them...Sister Clarissa made a fun game out of cleaning up!!...it was time to say goodbye and head back down the mountain.

One thing is for sure...I will never forget our amazing Christmas with the people of Palo Uno, and I don't think I will ever see Christmas in the same way again.  All of the work, all of the struggle, all of the sweat, all of the climbing, all of the cooking, all of the planning...it was all worth it, to bring  the love and the joy of the Lord to those people, who because of their location are rarely helped by charity organizations.  And you know what... I would definitely do it again!!!!!





Views from Palo Uno:  A house...

see how close we are to the clouds?

Imagine waking up each day to this view!!!




Getting ready to feed 149children and their families!!

xoxxo



Our Merry Christmas

We had such a wonderful Christmas here in the Oikos Community!!!  It is always so fun for me to experience the Christmas traditions of other cultures.  Here in the Philippines, daily life is rooted in traditions and customs.  For instance, we just celebrated the birthday of Nina, the daughter of a co-worker here in Oikos, Joey.  It was her second birthday.  Joey and his wife GingGing wanted to invite all they knew to the party to celebrate the joyous occasion, but being that their home is small, they knew they were limited to who they could invite.  In such cases, it is a Filipino custom to invite as many as you can, and then send large plates of food to those who you couldn't.  So, after we all ate, GingGing made big plates of food and sent them with us to deliver to other friends and family.  It is very thoughtful and sweet!!

Such is life here.  It seems that these people are so devoted to the life their ancestors have lived, and although the physical appearance of the land may change, and there may be changes in technology and medicine, there are certain customs and traditions that remain steadfast here.  People ask me all the time when we are in the midst of one of the customs, do you do this in your place?  And, almost always my answer is we used to do it, but not anymore.  Has America become so much of a melting pot that our traditions have melted away?  Things like Christmas caroling, novenas said together as a church community, fiestas where the entire neighborhood is involved and celebrates, processions in the community and many more. 

Well, I have completely gotten off topic!!  The 23rd and 24th of  December were busy with caroling, baking, cooking and preparing.  Actually, we were not only preparing for Christmas, but also for a typhoon that was supposed to land near us!!  But I was busy in the kitchen with Sister Aileen and some of the mothers preparing food for Christmas.  I even made a bread that is a tradition in my family, a recipe from my father's grandmother, Irene Briem...cinnamon pull apart buns.  It was really nice to have a little taste of home!!

On Christmas Eve, we went to mass at 5pm.  After mass the kids played and we rested...24 hours of baking and cooking is tiring!!  We had dinner around 10pm... fried chicken, fish, cassava cake (made of a root crop), ubi jam, another root crop, the cinnamon bread, and lechon...a roasted pig!!  It was a feast, and all of the Oikos Angels and the Sisters were all together.  Around midnight, the bells began ringing all around us and we sang "Joy to the World", cheering and hugging, celebrating the first moments of Christmas.  After the singing, we went into the chapel and Sister Minerva led us in a Christmas prayer service followed by the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.  After a few more songs, we each got the chance to kneel in front of the manger scene, the belen, and say a prayer to the new born babe. 

It was around 1am when we left the chapel and gifts were given.  There is a missionary who comes every year on the Medical Mission from the Diocese of Joliet in Chicago, Il.  Her name is Diane, and her medical office sends each child, mother and Sister in Oikos a gift for Christmas.  What a fun and joyful time that was...to see the smiles and the wonder on the kids faces as they received their gifts...it was a treasure to be there!!

After the gift giving, we cleaned up and went to bed...around 2:30am...and my alarm went off at 5am!!  Rising from bed, I helped to prepare food for the people in the barrio where we live for after the 8am mass...fried chicken, spaghetti and hotdogs!!  With the help of Sister Aileen, I had made sugar cookies with m&ms to give the kids on Christmas morning...a first time for most of them to have a homemade cookie!!!  And I made pancakes with mango syrup for our breakfast.

The mass was joyful and merry!!  And giving the food afterwards was fun and fulfilling!!  And eating our breakfast after that was yummy!!!  Also on Christmas, we went to the Bishop's residence and to the rectory of the spiritual director of the Oikos Sisters, Msgr. Lope, to sing carols (and to eat again!!)

And I took a few moments to open a Christmas gift I had received from my mother...some shirts and tictacs, some holiday jelly beans and lip balm.  It was just nice even to open the card and see her handwriting.  Isn't that sort of funny...but just like the cinnamon rolls, it is a remembrance of home and of comfort and love.  A nice gift on Christmas!

I hope your Christmas was special and joyful!!  And I pray that the love and the joy of the Christ Child enters your hearts and guides you all in the coming year.  May the peace of Christmas spread to our leaders, our world and unite us as one, under God's mercy and protection. xxoo