I'll Be Home For Christmas

...you can count on me...if only in my D R E A M S.

As expected, Christmas in the USA is very much different from what we were used to celebrating since we were born. They say if you have not been homesick since you came, come Christmas time, you will realize how much of home you are really missing.

I miss:

• our families
• puto bungbong and bibingka
• crowd at Mega Mall
• pinoy lanterns and decorations everywhere
• children carollers (even though they were minor irritants specially when they keep coming back every night for 8 nights)
• Pinoy parties and fellowships
• reunions
• brunch at Tagaytay
• friends
• Christmas songs played everywhere
• the general festive and thankful atmosphere for a year of blessing despite the difficulties
• inaanaks (godchildren)
• fire crackers

From the West to the East

Highlights of our trip to the East coast from October 25 - December 5 , 2006

1. Having spent some quality time with my aunt and her family in Virginia.

2. Having met long time promin friends namely, Jess and Tere Peralta(Makati), Manny Gundran (Manila and Makati)and his wife Monica, Allan and Sylvia Sablan(Manila), Emilyn Mateo(Makati) and her husband Scott, Allan Rivas (Manila), Jon Pagba (Manila), Celia Franada (Makati),Alma Hall(Makati) and husband Ding, Beth Cirera9Makati) and found them still walking with the Lord despite the challenges and struggles of living in a foreign land. And also having reunited with other CCC alumni whom we have not seen for decades.

3. Having had the chance of fellowshipping with the differrent Filipino churches and having imparted the vision for reaching people in the workplace.

4. My time with Daisy , a highschool classmate, who is now based in New York.

5. Leo's visit at historical places, especially the civil war tour in Petersburg Virginia and George Washington's estate in DC. He is such a lover of history.

6.Having been encouraged by the generosity of our hosts. We slept in 10 houses in 5 weeks. Literally living out of a suitcase. Having had a glimpse of their lives and their legacy to their children.

7. Having had the confidence in God's daily provision of transportation food, accomodation and protection.

Thanks for praying yo'wl.

HOWDEE?

Howdee? This is "how are you" in Texan language. June and I came for a women's conference but at the same time did a few things on the side. LEO also came with us.Here is a summary of what transpired there:

Sept 21- arrived a DFW airport at 5:15 p.m. visited the beautiful Gaylord hotel which features miniature famous texas spots and cities. It is an outdoor beauty inside a big dome. Pretty, pretty pretty. Manny Gundran, a friend from wayback flew in from new Jersey to see us. We were hosted by Lou and Jordan, our very hospitable hosts, who took time off form their work the whole week just to take us around and fellowsip with us.

Sept 22 -went to our appointments and carried with us some friends...there is so much catching up to do, it has been more than ten years. We made three visits and all of them fed us like we were gonna be hanged the following day.

Sept 23 - Gerry came from Houston with Hope and Gerry, jr. (Geraldine). We all headed to FRISCO, where a former Crispa PBA player is hosting a brithday for his daughter. Leo led the Bible Study for the Filipinos, it was such a refreshing experience having imparted our vision for the workplace. Again there was so much foooooood. We visited Deo and family then went back to Mequite past midnight. The boys did not sleep, it was like the last tnight of "Convergence"(Our annual conference for pros back in Manila).

Sept 24 - Manny left fot NJ. The girls went to church while the boys slept. It was a simple service where the people are so warm and friendly . The Pastor is animated but makes sense.In the afternoon, we all went to the Vesper which allowed for favorite hyms to be requested. The Song "Mansion Over the Hilltop Made Me Cry". It made me homesick for Pinas and heaven...I miss my Ate whom I sang that song with when we were small, in our own Tagalog version.

Sept 25-27 - visited more contacts and stayed for a day with Deo and Family. He cooked a gourmet feast for us.

Sept 29-30 - June and I attended a Women's retreat, it was a refreshing treat and an encouragement to keep on coming alongside women in the workplace. Most of those who facilitated were working women who had issues in their lives and yet serves the Lord with all their heart.

October 1 -visited Butch Diwa and his church - short but equally encouraging, had a quick sandwich at Subway then headed to the DFW airport.

Overall, the journey was a blast. It re-affirmed a lot of things for me personally.

Manny emailed us immediately and here is :

Leo, It's a blessing ang pagdating ninyo dito sa US. You reinforced and reaffirmed our vision of reaching out in the marketplace. The task is big but we have a bigger and able God. We need a fulltime Staff just like you and Nina and the rest of the team in CA here in the US, Manny

UNPREDICTABLE

Two weeks after our newly repaired Buick Skylark ran smoothly, it suddenly died at the freeway on one of those trip to the North county for some meetings. Our driver was so scared specially that we had a four year old boy sittting at the back and the break would not work. He managed to park it safely and got it towed to our home.

Our friend Henry commented, "The Lord must love you a lot and He cares so much about your character". Implying that this is another exercise in patience and lack of mobility. And so we asked ourselves, did we make the wrong decision of having this old car repaired? Henry prayed to the Lord telling Him that the money used for the repair was HIS and He can use it anyway He wants too. (It seems we all wonder why we had it repaired for nothing at all). I went home with peace in my heart after hearing that prayer.

So our household went about doing our daily grind with one car and 4 driving adults . In one of our visits to a new Pastor friend, he learned of our car's situation and told us he will lend us his mechanic, and while he is still busy, he tossed a car key to Leo and lent him a Toyota Rav4, until our Buick is repaired. Just like that?, yes, just like that.

We have been using the RAV4 for some two weeks now and we still could not believe that we are driving that thing at the freeway, almost everyday...to our appointments and in running errands.

Unpredictable situations, unpredictable responses, unpredictable blessings, everything is unpredictable.

The mechanic has not showed up yet.

The Honeymoon Is Over

When we had our cultural orientation last April, we were told that the firts stage in the adjustment to another culture or country is the honeymoon stage. Where you get to appreciate everything that is good and nice and new. It has been over 3 months since we arrived and I can surely feel that the honeymoon is over. I have started to miss the big malls we have back home, my family and surely my circle of friends. However, isn't it that in a marriage, honeymoon can be any romantic date or a couple's get-away once in a while? So I guess, it is up to me to create those honeymoon moments once in a while.

More Than a CPA License

Getting a California driver's license is like getting an Identity here in California. One of our friends who is a CPA cried after failing the practical exam the second time. She felt frustrated that a CPA like her, a professional, could not even pass a driving test.
So when my turn came for my driving test, I had butteflies in my stomach. I remember taking the CPA board exams myself but did not have those fears like what I had for the drivingtest. Thank God, I passed with some room for improvements.

Groggy on the 4th of July

Just as I was about to finishthe dish I am going to bring at the potluck for Independence day celebration, I made a terrible mistake of taking another pill of my blood pressure medicine. It is one of those senior moments I guess. So I missed the party, stayed in bed as my hubby monitors my blood pressure every 20 minutes. Gin payed for me that my BP will not go down significantly as It may cause a stroke.

Thank God, the worse thing that happened is that I had a whole afternoon of complete rest as I slept it off.(I was too groggy) My BP was stable at 120/75 and I only had a slight headache as a result. I was up and about the next day.

We missed the party and the fireworks and our teammates. But the good thing is that every year, there is a 4th of July.

When I think of HOME

When I think of home, I think of a warm fellowship over a dinner table, of a safe place where I could share my thoughts, my struggles, my joys with the people I care about. When I think of home, I think of special memories, celebrations, defeats, failures, successes. It is not about the structure nor the design of a house, nor the furniture and ammenities in it.

There is a popular saying that goes "HOME is where the heart is". For the last 19 years of my "going without knowing", I find that soooooooo real. Whether it is a townhouse in Quezon City, a basement in Baguio City, a second floor unit in Phnom Pehn Cambodia, or an apartment in Pateros, or a shared house with a family in San Diego, or a hotel room elsewhere, I bring my home with me.

Hebrews 11:
13 All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them. 17

Philippine Independence Day- San Diego style

Sunday, June 11 at 9a.m. Leo and Gin participated in an Ecumenical service celebrating the 108th Philippine independence from Spain. Leo read the scriptures and Gin prayed a prayer of repentance and intercession for our beloved Pilipinas. There were other clergymen from other religions who also participated but only Leo and Gin were the representatives of the evangelical christian community. It was actually a whole day of celebration with dancing, concert, raffles, food etc. The event was a joint effort by the different Fil-Am associations in San Diego county.

As I think of looking at the City and working with different groups who are also interested in helping transform the city, the event was a perfect time to network , get to know the people and just build relationships. But since it was a Sunday, there were no evangelicals around. Sayang...

When FEEDING becomes WEEDING

We were invited by Leo's college friend to their nice home at Ventura Ca. I heard of Ventura from a song by AMERICA, a popular band from the 70's. "Ventura highways in the sunshine, where the days are longer, the nights are stronger than moonshine". Yup the sun sets at 8:30 pm. It is really a nice quiet place.

We joined a community outreach sponsored by different christian churches in Ventura. We thought it is a feeding program and we were so excited. But on Saturday morning, we went to a weeding program instead. Our group was assigned to a non-profit Equestrian place that is being used to help autistic kids. We had to take out the weeds around the horse's tracks under the heat of the sun. That's when the real heart for helping the community is tested. Around 30 minutes into the job was still okay but the scorching heat sort of removed the fun out of the task. So we began having more breaks at the shade than actual weeding. That's also the time some of the participants appreciated the work of their gardeners

My work as someone who FEEDs ( shares the word of God) is tested when it becomes necessary to help WEED out life issues of the person we disciple.(or as I become more involved in his life.) I sometimes wish for others to do it not me as it becomes messy at times. On a personal level , my feeding on the Word becomes life-transforming as I allow God to weed out those things that blocks my relationship with Him.

The Long and Winding Road

...That leads to your door...This is the first line of the Beatle's song. My personal journey seems to be like that loooongggg and windinggggggg road...Where it has left a pool of tears, which never disappears...But still they lead me back...To that long winding road....

April 19th- Our team departed from Manila Intl. Airport to Los Angeles Ca, USA, where we met a caravan of teammates and friends from way back. It was a tiring and yet adventurous trip. We were pinching ourselves when we landed because we were still in awe of how fast things went that led us finally to our intended destination. We waited for almost one and a half years, and yet when it came time to leave, we felt ten days was too short to say goodbye, leave mem'ries and pack our stuff. After having our first American breakfast (pancakes and omelet) in the USA, our caravan of three vans and a car drove to San Diego, the ultimate destination. ( for now). We were guided to our temporary houses - some generous individuals who agreed to take us in until we found our more permanent housing. Our hosts were waiting for us...They prepared a sumptuous dinner for our first supper in the USA.

April 20th - We took a quick look at what we can do to start living, really living in the US...Bank, Social Security, license. We only finished one item...Bank. I realize that we are all at the mercy of our patient teammates, who took us around in their cars. Mobility here means you've got to have your own car. Now our confidence level started to melt down as we traverse the freeway. My husband can drive in Manila at 120 kilometers per hour only on New year's day (morning) and Good Friday. (meaning, only few cars on the road) Here at anytime, people can drive at 75 miles per hours. Or perhaps except during peak hours, where the freeways could look like EDSA. (a major road in Manila leading to the main business district)

April 21st - The six of us finished applying for our Social Security numbers...Here everywhere you go, to apply for a phone line, or electric power or insurance, you've got to have an SS number. How can all those who cannot have one survive in this country? We are blessed that we can, it will take four weeks or so to process though. Another exercise in waiting.

April 22nd - Our very first team meeting...Getting to know you's...What has been our lesson for the long wait and more importantly...To appreciate the ONE who made all these things possible. We thanked the Lord for the miracles both great and small, the visas, permission, provision. Etc etc.

April 23rd - Our first Sunday at different churches. It was just so good to connect with the body of Christ here. Then we had our first team dinner, this time with all of us there including the kids. Why do I feel like we have been teammates for a long time? In reality ... We are, we all went through the same emotional ups and downs with the turn of events even though we were from different sides of the globe. It was just good to be with each other face to face and rejoice that finally, we can work and struggle together in the same place.

April 24 to May 1- MPD training in Orlando where we met our former director and wife and had a great time being prepared for the days and weeks ahead of finding ministry partners. Jet lag is starting to take its hold on us. We were sleepy on most sessions but managed to get the most out of the training. Thanks to Ellis...To his dedication... We are blessed.

May 3 - We started to scout for houses, possible places and different options...We prayed, discussed and really take pains in getting the best place where we could live and find community.

May 6 - Ate Wilma hosted a party for Filipino friends and we had about 40 people come to the event. Some drove for 8 hours just to see us. It was an encouraging time for us. We met former teammates and old friends and also got to know new ones. We presented what our team came to San Diego for. It started at 3 pm and ended way past 10 pm.

May 8 - We started moving to the house Gin found, in a quiet and nice location, very near the freeway, with three bedrooms and a backyard, front lawn and 2- car garage...Just what we need...Two families joining together to save on precious dollars. This is when we more amazed of what the Christians can do in response to a need they were presented with...

May 10 - Leo and I slept for the first time in our new rented house...and the first appliance we got to use is the coffee maker given by our wonderful host. She even gave a can of Maxwell house coffee. I will never forget this day as this is my father's birthday...I miss him...

May 25 - today as I am writing this diary, our house is fully furnished, kitchenwares, bed linens, dining sets, home theater, armoires, beds, sofas, computers, office chair, tables, groceries, component, telephone apparatus, toys, etc, you name some need you may have, we already have it...For almost no cost at all... Everything given by the household of faith...Mostly given by those who have not met or seen us, who never knew us...By the way, our team also got 3 cars also given by generous Christians who loved God and responded to the need. We are not so immobile after all.

Six months ago we sold our stuff, but because we were delayed, we have learned to eat on a small picnic table, cook on just one pan and one wok, and watch programs on a borrowed TV. Today, we have gotten back all the stuff we let go of, and got so much more, now we are thinking of upgrading...(joke, joke)

The Lord is faithful indeed in His promise to provide, HE has always been so faithful, even at times we were not...

The road is still long and winding...and perhaps narrow... as we embark on the work the Lord has called us to participate in...we can only look to Him for what to do next...

BTW, you are all invited to a thanksgiving party...mark the date: June 17 lunch time...cya there.

When There Seems To Be No Way

April 2, after learning that our request to go this month to the US has been denied by the leadership of ASEO even though PCCC is all out to send us, to walk in faith with us, all our TSD team here could do is agree to pray and ask God for a miracle. Nothing we do will ever change the situation, but our hearts are changed to full dependence upon God.
Nine days after the verdict was given, it was overturned and we are now preparing to leave for next week.

God will make a way, where there seems to be no way. However I also realize that this is just the beggining of the journey, all that happened for the last two years, in my finite wisdom, I see them all as heart praparation for me pesonally. But also acknowledging that this is God's work and He will have it done HIs way. I just need to trust Him.

San Diego here we come.

A Time For Reflection

There is something that I appreciate about the journey the past two years. It is being able to reflect-- on my life, on circumstances, on people, on my relationship with God and many more. I did not have this luxury before. My personality profile review says I need a lot of things to do as my energy level is so high that I need work, work, activities to feel fulfilled. I boast that I have good work ethics and can accomplish so much. But looking back, I have not had so much time to think, relflect and build more quality relationships in those years when I was so busy. That there were times work became meaningless and relationships became stale.

Patient endurance is what we need now

When there is a process called "WAITING", our character is put on a test. I have been going over the lives of those who have gone before us and this is what their lives is characterized by:
PATIENT ENDURANCE... that they were able to continue to do God's will. In this day of fast food and instant gratification, this is just so tough. No wonder so many of us miss the best at times.

TAN- talizing moments

Time flies so fast. Ate Wilma came on the last week of January. She had a full entourage of welcomers at the airport, (her hosts were amused at the sight of five members of the TSD team who picked her up at the airport).

The coming and going to the airport picking up and sending off the TANs to wherever they were going was sort of crazy and confusing at times but it was fun and times well spent. We enjoyed the side trip to La Union, Baguio and Pampanga, too bad we were not able to join them at Boracay. (their 30th wedding anniversary)

More than the trips and food trips, it was the encouragement we got from the couple who is unstoppable as the Lord has called them and given them the vision. So who are we to complain about the waiting? The faith that made them stay where they are and serve with grateful and humble hearts is really a blessing. There are so many things we have yet to learn in this journey...i hope the lessons are sinking in.

Going but not knowing

There are so many articles in the web now on this topic. Perhaps there are millions of christians journeying in a similar way with some of us. When the Lord says go, we go but we do not have any idea where exactly. Sometimes we think that we can plan where we will be in the next 3 or 5 years, then go to this place and that place after that. But in reality, the journey goes on and on as the Lord directs us. We have lived a life that is so comfortable, the desire to be settled is just overwhelming, we plan our reirement home and so on, but will we really stop journeying?

Living Light

The team agreed that perhaps one of the good things we are learning and appreciating is the art of living light. Because we have sold our household stuff in faith that we will be able to leave last November 15, we have managed to live with whatever things were left, or lent us. Things make our life comfortable but sometimes, they also make our life more complicated. On a personal note...my arms became firmer as a result of squeezing the clothes versus spin drying them. I dust in a breeze as we have fewer furniture and appliances. I miss my coffee maker though, but I have discovered a way to enjoy a cup of java by using boiling water over coffee beans wrapped in a cheesecloth. What an exciting life.

Sound of Silence

What is the " sound of silence"? In this day and age, it is so difficult to imagine the sound of silence. However, we the TSD team seemingly was in a period where all we hear is a sound of silence. If you know what I mean, however, just last week a sudden call to break the sound of silence came, I am not reffering to the meeting held at the NHQ with the ASEO and PCCC leadership...I mean hearing from the ONE who called us. It is not that He was not saying anything or what in the past two months of waiting...but the silence broke when we finally hear the Lord saying HE is more important than the call. But don't we know that already? Yeah, perhaps in our minds but it was difficult to really let it penetrate our hearts. When Gin quoted "the journey is as important as the destination"...really meant the journey with God, for if the journey was without Him, then where will our destination be?

To See Is to Believe

Last December 20-24, Leo and I, with two friends, drove to the Ilocos province just to have a break or to probably escape the Christmas rush.

It proved to be a rewarding trip as we drove through the shoreline of Northern Luzon and enjoyed the beaches, small lagoons with schools of fish and the breathtaking coves. One resort was even called "Hidden Treasure". True to its name, it is hidden from the public but once you find it it is really a treasure. All throughout the trip the weather was superb and the food was terrific. It was hard for me to beleive that Ilocos was that beautiful. It really takes an adventurous spirit to be able to see all the nice places, we spent very little by the way, as we were hosted by a friend in Paoay.