***

Citipointe Live, one of the most successful music ministers from Australia, kicked off their “Hope is Erupting Tour” at His Life City Church in Pampanga on February 16, 2012. I can testify that humility and anointing is what I saw as we were anxiously waiting for the event to start in the concert grounds

The Citipointe Church ministers played a selection of songs from a pair of old and new albums in front of a ready crowd (including Media Revamp) in the very charming grounds of His Life Church. The band spontaneously played worship songs that captivated not only those who can identify with their songs but also those who did not know who Jesus is. Their songs inspired the crowd inch by inch, lyric by lyric, urging them to respond to the call of His voice; which is primarily the goal of any worship-leading team. “Yes we are all singing, dancing and shouting tonight but it’s not all about that why we came here. It’s because of (the) love, who is Jesus, why we are here, for you to know Him”, Aaron Lucas, one of the band’s vocalists, said.

Aaron Lucas, Joel Ramsey and Chardon Lewis led the worship concert and truly tuned up their vocal presence by passionately singing various tracks from their albums. Not afraid to show their passion to sing for Jesus, they unrelentingly shared God’s love to everyone. Even more incredible, these three guys are all songwriters whose names were behind some of the songs that we sing in our churches today. These songs include Name of Jesus, Dominion, Commission my Soul and You Reign, among others.

The harmony of  stringed instruments, steady beat of the drums, amazing vocals and true worshipping hearts indeed opened up the minds and hearts of all that hope has already erupted here in the Philippines!

Rowpen at His Life City Church, Citipointe Hope is Erupting tour

On my way home, around 10 o’clock in the evening, (after the Powerhouse Service at the KKB Youth Centre), I checked my mobile phone and saw 7 missed calls from one of MR’s core leaders. I didn’t know why she was calling but at the back of my mind, I was anticipating that it was about the concert. I immediately composed a message on my phone to confirm my anticipation (Literally, hope is erupting on me at that moment. Wahaha!). When I was about the send the message, I found out that my account has zero balance. I immediately rushed to the loading station and reloaded my phone. Because I couldn’t wait any longer, I took the liberty to call our core leader hoping that it’s really about the concert. And it was! I was chosen as one of the volunteers who will cover the event!

On our way to Citipointe Live: Hope is Erupting Tour, Philippines

February 16, 2012: the concert date. Our call time was actually 2PM, but because of so much excitement, I was already at our meeting place at 9AM (Clap, clap!).  However, it seemed to me that the weather wanted to spoil the event. At around one o’clock in the afternoon, the rain fell. It was so heavy that the streets began to flood. And to add to the problem, I learned that nobody in the group actually knew how to go to the venue! We had to download maps and call people who can help us get there. Finally, at exactly 4:14PM, we arrived at the concert venue at His Life City Church in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

Seven Powerful Words (the heart of His Life City Church)

The place was really nice (No, actually it was great) that we grabbed the opportunity to take some pictures while the Citipointe Live was rehearsing on the stage. We also met there the Senior Pastor and founder of His Life City Church, Pastor Anthony Martinez  together with one of his youth pastors, Ru dela Torre. I had a chance to talk to Pastor Anthony personally and I can say that he’s a visionary. I was really blessed to have the opportunity to chat with him. I felt like I didn’t want our conversation to end yet, but the concert was about to start!

At 6:45 PM, the concert started with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem, followed by a front-act performance by the His Life City Church Band. They sung three songs including “Our God is Love” by Hillsong Australia. Next to perform was the fastest rapper in the Philippines (and I believe in Asia), Gloc-9. He sang around 7 songs, if I’m not mistaken, including his famous tracks “Martilyo”, “Lando” and “Upuan”. The rapper admitted that he was actually shocked when he was asked to perform in the concert because he knew that his songs are not so fitting for a Christian event. Apparently, a friend’s question influenced his decision to push through with the invitation: “God has given you talent to influence people, the question is how will you use it?” With that said, he added: “It is really an honor to be here [at the concert]”. I was really blessed by his life. He ended his performance by singing “Kaleidoscope”, a hit song by the late Francis Magalona.

Chardon Lewis with the song "Dominion"

After Gloc-9’s performances, all the lights were turned off and a 5 minute countdown appeared in the LED projector. The crowd was shouting, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” and the energy was so high. At the end of the countdown, Citipointe Live commenced with their song “Light over Darkness” followed by “Let it Ring”. The crowd went crazy when Aaron Lucas [one of the band’s vocalists] said, “You guys are wild! Astig!” [Astig is a Tagalog slang for cool]. The other songs played include “Name of Jesus”, “In the Highest”, “Dominion” and “Higher + Wider + Deeper”. At 9:14PM, while they were singing “Breaking the Silence”, it began to drizzle, but everyone continued dancing, singing and worshipping God that night. The succeeding songs played were “You Alone” and “Once and For All” that ushered the people to worship the Lord wholeheartedly.

I felt the strong desire of the people to worship the Lord that even those who were at the back of the concert grounds were so passionate with their worship. Suddenly, there was total silence–in great awe of the presence of the Lord. After a few minutes, awestruck crowd began to give God a mighty hand of praise. While still in the presence of the Lord, the Citipointe Live worship team prayed and interceded for the city. Soon people began falling on their knees, speaking in tongues, and praying hard while the band repeated the line “Open the heavens wide” [from the song Commission my Soul]. At that time, I can say that HOPE IS REALLY ERUPTING in the hearts of everyone: HOPE for the salvation of their loved ones, HOPE for the salvation of their families, HOPE for the salvation of their city, and HOPE for the salvation of our country. As they were singing the song “Hope is Erupting”. Aaron mightily declared that “Pampanga is going to be God’s!”. He then led the people, especially the first timers in a prayer of salvation, a decision and a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Master and Savior. They ended the night with a song and declaration of God’s sovereignty: “You Reign”.

The concert finished at around 10:30PM. We packed our things and returned to Manila. The experience was truly great! As I was recalling on the things that happened the whole day, a thought kept running on my mind: the words of Aaron Lucas while they were singing the song “Hope is Erupting”.

“The world right now is standing on the edge of the unknown.

The world that we encounter everyday is changing so drastically.

But one thing remains, one thing stands true above it all,

One thing, one thing that you and I have living inside our hearts,

One thing that we can share, one thing that we can give,

It does not cost anything, it does not add up to anything.

What it is? Is simply, truly the truth of Jesus Christ and

His love abounding in our hearts, God is ready, God is ready,

The HOPE of JESUS CHRIST will ERUPT,

The HOPE of JESUS CHRIST will ERUPT!”

Isa ako sa mga pinagpalang maging scholar ng CIBAC kaya naman when they asked for volunteers, go agad ako! I was blessed to be part of the team na mostly scholars din. We were priveleged to help those who were in need though we are still students.

On October 5, we gathered donations such as canned goods, used clothes, and other contributions from the scholars of different Universities. Nandiyan na ang Rizal Technological University where I am studying, Philippine Normal University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines at marami pang iba. After gathering the donations, including those from CIBAC, go na kami sa pag-repack ng mga ito, which I documented by taking pictures =)

With CIBAC scholars from different Universities.

Ang pagre-repack bow.

Sa wakas natapos din. Ang ganda ‘di ba?

The next day, we went to Hogonoy, Bulacan to distribute the relief goods. Baha talaga sa mga kabahayan! Mababaw pa ‘tong nakikita n’yo sa picture kasi sa ibang part ng lugar lampas baywang. According sa mga tao doon low tide pa daw no’ng time na ‘yan, so kapag high tide hanggang dibdib ang tubig at pwedeng lampas tao pa!

Staring at the kids na parang wala lang sa kanila ang baha. (Oh my! 0h my! Careful kids)

Before we arrived there, a claim stub for claiming food was given to each recipient. At ‘eto s’ya, medyo malabo nga lang.

These are the people waiting for us. Hindi naman sila gaanong madami eh—sobrang dami! Hehehe!

Ito naman no’ng distribution time na and that time, I was reminded of these two verses:

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Proverbs 11:25

“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor.”

Proverbs 22:9

Napatunayan ko din na being a student is not a hindrance in reaching those who are in need.

More blessings to CIBAC and sa lahat ng may pusong handang tumulong sa mga nangangailangan.

God bless!

Kala n’yo siya inaantay ko noh?! Well, nagkakamali kayo.

I had this prayer request last year pa…to meet this right guy (haha, no just kidding ). I’m praying for the right company for my OJT, specifically yung malapit sa boarding house ko at kahit papano may allowance.

When the school year started, I decided to fast for this prayer item.

So ‘eto na, halos karamihan sa classmates ko may company na for their OJT. They kept on asking me thru text and in person like “Ate Sarah saan ka?” or “Sarah, ano company mo?” I replied,

“I’m still waiting for the right company.”

Oh ‘di ba bongga, sumasagot!

Until I prayed, “Lord more than a month na, wala pa akong company.”

Then my classmates na wala pa din company for their OJT texted me. Sabay kaming naghanap ng kumpanya at nag-apply ulit.

Kaya lang twice lang akong nakasama sa kanila dahil naka-End Time Harvesters mode ako noon. May mga meeting at event akong dapat puntahan. At dahil doon, natanggap sila sa isang company habang ako hindi na naman.

My heart questioned the situation, “bakit wala pa ang right company ko?”

I talked to one of my friends about my feelings and worries. Then we prayed. That moment, I entrusted to God the situation again. It was like renewing my trust to God. I just continued on praying and serving God while waiting.

As the day passed by, I received a text from a friend. “Ate Sarah apply ka dito sa company namin. They are still looking for OJT students.”

So I immediately prepared and passed my resumé.

On the day of the interview, kinabahan ang lola mo.

I was shocked. The interviewer asked me some questions and that’s all. I think the question and answer portion lasted for 15 minutes. Then orientation na kaagad.

Right now, I have started with my OJT. I am being trained by the head engineer of our department. I feel so blessed because she knows what to teach me and the people in my workplace are not closefisted with what they know.

I really enjoy my stay in my workplace.

Tapos ito pa, yung classmates ko na nakasama ko sa pag-aaply nitong huli. Yung mga naunang nakapasok, nagtatanong sa’kin if may bakante pa sa company namin. Lilipat daw sila.

Parang nabaliktad tuloy ang pangyayari. Napa-smile ako kay Lord and was reminded of His Word.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

Worrying is just a waste of time

While waiting, we should keep on trusting God. Kasi ‘pag sumagot Siya yun na talaga yun!

Here are my pictures showing how great our GOD is.

In the middle of my inspection at 7F

Formworks and Rebars at 8F

“God is really amazing....”

Warning: Here be spoilers.

What I saw: Because kid Remington (Martin Escudero) mocks a transvestite (Roderick Paulate, who else?) by calling him “Bakla! Bakla!” in a derogatorily high-pitched voice, the tranny curses him saying, “Paglaki mo, magiging bakla ka!” The curse proves powerful. One gayness follows another as adolescent Remington metamorphoses: he gets a labaha wax, he talks Swardspeak, he wears ladies’ shirts I bet are XXS, and he gets attracted with Jigs (Kerbie Zamora), his best friend. This happens at a bad time as a serial killer (Daniel Fernando) spreads terror around town killing homosexuals using a “gaydar.” The victims, however, are resurrected into zombies by a magical incantation. Hunted by the serial killer in a town ravaged by zombadings, Remington has to save his life, his sexuality, his romance, and everything caught in between.

What I discerned: The thing with zombies is that you can’t get rid of them. Fear them, hate them, harm them, but there’s no killing the undead.

The thing with homosexuals is that you can’t just banish them even if you label them a monstrosity. Avoid them, discriminate them, hurt them, but there’s no getting rid of badings.

“Zombadings 1” strongly delivers this message by cross-breeding horrific zombies of the underworld with colorific homosexuals of society’s underbellies.

The movie shows a prevailing attitude of many toward homosexuals. People are either mad at them or make them the butt of nasty jokes. Much of Philippine society doesn’t have a very positive attitude toward homosexuals.

Those who are “accepted” or respected are very few exceptions. Some of them are comedian Vice Ganda and TV host Boy Abunda, who are ubiquitous product endorsers because of their established credibility in the entertainment industry. Beneath them, however, are parloristas and teenage baklitas who fight a daily struggle of undoing the effects of epic prejudice the cruel public remains unwilling to free them from. Sadly, even those who claim to be Christians have participated in the discrimination shindig. This has resulted in homosexuals aggressively defending their kind against oppressors. Their resistance has spilled over to government policies, films, literature, children’s shows, and many other spheres of society.

If “Zombadings 1” should serve any purpose to the watching Christian, it is that it’s a reminder that there’s a segment of society that’s hated and they only understand precious little about how much God loves them.

The truth of the matter is that God loves homosexuals. People kill them, but God had His Son killed for them. In “Zombadings 1,” homosexuals are mercilessly ostracized. Remington knows he is bound to suffer the same misery if he remains homosexual.

Fortunately, homosexuality in real life is not an irreversible curse. It’s not a dead end. The most powerful demonstration of God’s love for homosexuals is His provision for exit. Contrary to what popular psychology proposes, there’s a way out of homosexuality in the same manner there’s a way out of any other sin.

Here’s something interesting from Paul:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

According to 1 Corinthians 6:11, the way out is the saving and transforming power of Christ. The verse is very revealing when it says, “And such were some of you.” Meaning, there were members of the Corinthian church who used to be homosexuals. I also know members of the church I’m part of who were homosexuals but have found a better and more satisfying lifestyle in Christ.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, because that’s the point of church. That’s the point of grace.

The church Christ established and sustains is the lone hospital for the soul-sick, the lovesick, the downcast, the outcast, and the lost, who are helpless, zombified, dead men walking apart from His grace.

“Zombadings 1” presents a zeitgeist the church should give careful attention to. So let’s think about it: In a world that discriminates, does the Bride of Christ lovingly reach out to homosexuals without compromising the Truth, or does it act in hostility or ignorant accommodation just like the world does?

Few feelings sting as deeply as loneliness. When we’re lonely it seems as if nobody cares or notices. That’s how the servant girl Hagar felt. Abram and Sarai (who later have their names changed to Abraham and Sarah) longed for children. Stricken with infertility, Sarai suggested that Abram sleep with her Egyptian maidservant. Abram did so, and Hagar conceived. Upon hearing the news, Sarai began to mistreat Hagar even though Hagar simply obeyed orders. Hagar fled to the desert when she could no longer take Sarai’s abuse. An angel of the Lord found the lonely servant in the desert and told her to return to her mistress. Then the angel announced that the child Hager was carrying would be a son, and she should name him Ishmael “for the Lord has heard your cry of distress” ( the Hebrew word Yishma`e’l which means God will hear, Gen. 16:11 NLT). Moved by God’s pursuit of her in the midst of her loneliness, Hagar declared, “You are the God who sees me. Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” (v.13). She called God with the name El Ro’i, the God who sees.

Names are important in our culture, but not as important as they were in Old Testament times. In ancient Jewish culture, your name was your essence, your identity. Jewish parents would give their child a name they hoped he or she would one day live up to.

The more names given to someone, the more powerful that person was considered. Rulers and military leaders had several names. God has more than 200 names in Scriptures, each revealing an aspect of His powerful character. And as we’ve seen, one of those names—El Ro’i—was uttered by a lonely servant girl.

From that “5 years ago” and up to now, I’m still experiencing loneliness, pains and struggles, arriving even to the point of literally being isolated from others. But I have not forgotten the lesson: That God sees me right where I am–in pain or in rejoicing, among friends or in deep isolation. He sees, and more, He responds.

In my devotion, when “the Word became human and made his home among us” (John 1:14 NLT), Jesus entered fully into human experience. God sees us in our loneliness and loves us enough to pursue us by becoming our neighbor and our friend. He enjoyed horizontal relationships as he taught and lived with His followers. And throughout His life, Jesus enjoyed a vertical relationship with His Father. But then in His final hours “all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Mt. 26:56). To lose these relationships at the time of His greatest needs must have been painful beyond imagination. But although Jesus’ friends had deserted Him, God was still present. He walked with His Son through the beatings, through the pounding of the nails, through the taunts of the soldiers. But then came the horrific, time-shattering moment when Jesus took on our sins and even His Father turned away. Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mt. 27:45 NLT)

That’s when Jesus entered the realm of complete loneliness. Jesus experienced emptiness, sadness, despair–all the emotions that I have ever felt–but His were to a much greater degree.

In the past, I sometimes responded to my loneliness by choosing an item from the world’s menu that would make me feel better–temporarily. These choices proved unfulfilling and some destructive. In recent weeks God has shown me that His solution involves reaching out first to Him and then to others. Just like the two great commandments.

First, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, allyour mind, and all your strength” (Mk. 12:30) God gave us the gift of loneliness so that we would recognize first and foremost, our need for Him.

When I feel lonely, I seek God and pour out my thoughts. I’m honest about what hurts, even to the point of admitting that sometimes it feels as if He is the one to blame for my loneliness. Trusting God at this level did not happen overnight, but rather over time. As I’ve sought Him through meditation and solitude, our relationship has become more intimate, simply enjoying being in His presence.

Second, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12:31 NLT). Loneliness provides a unique opportunity to evaluate current relationships with family, friends, and coworkers so that we can find new ways to deepen the ones that are healthy. I often seek out older mentors and ask them how they handled times of loneliness.

Here are some words that my mentor told me:

“You know what? Loneliness is given to the brave. It is given to soon-to-be heroes. Leaders. History makers. Trend setters and Trail blazers. When I’m lonely, I sink in it and drown myself until I realize that loneliness has an end and I must get up again and continue my journey and continue to fight. That’s what I do. Loneliness often becomes a tool for God to shape my character. I become more meek and quiet, still and more reliant on Him.”

Now, whatever happens in my life that causes me loneliness, I just follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ did. With His final breath, He cried, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” (Luke 23:46 NLT).

The only thing that we can do is turn to God. Jesus understands our loneliness. No matter how great the pain, Jesus’ pain went deeper still. Every time I turn to God, I sense Him say, “I am always with you. There is nothing you can experience that I haven’t felt deeply.” And that’s really comforting.

When was the last time you turned to God and poured out yourself to Him? He’s waiting. Trust His heart.

As I think back on that moment five years ago, I remember feeling certain that I was the only person born who had ever experienced the deep, raw ache of utter loneliness. I know now my experience isn’t unique. Loneliness is not a respecter of persons. It can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Webster uses these words to define loneliness: “Being without company, cut off from others, [a state that produces] a feeling of bleakness or desolation.” A friend describes it as “that hollow feeling in your stomach when you are in a crowded room and everyone walks past you as if you don’t exist.” It can result from any number of sources: a lack of meaningful relationships, the feeling that you are not part of the “in” crowd, a view of yourself as different from others, or even a decision to remain separate from others because of fears or emotional wounds. It may also be connected to an environment or a memory, such as a childhood home without love or childhood experiences.

But even the combination of these definitions fails to capture the height and breadth of loneliness. In reality, an accurate definition of loneliness is nearly impossible because there is no universal manifestation of loneliness. It may be short-lived for one person; for another, loneliness seems to last a lifetime.  Loneliness can only be understood by the one enduring it. The good news is, regardless of our personal experiences, when it comes to loneliness, we are not alone.

We may be lonely, but we are not forgotten. We often feel that being lonely is bad. We are hesitant to admit it, as if it’s not part of what Christians experience. I used to tell myself that “I shouldn’t feel lonely if I really believe that the Lord is my shepherd.” Isn’t that what the Spirit-filled life is about–completeness in Christ?

But is that the case? Going back to Genesis, God created man according to His image. Then one day God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone” (the Hebrew word for “alone” is badad which means to withdraw, be separate, be isolated, Gen. 2:18 NLT)

Adam wasn’t alone. God was with him and enjoyed a Spirit-to-spirit relationship. In fact he’s very existence depended on God. But God knew that Adam also needed a relationship with someone who was like him, someone he could touch in the flesh.

It is true that God said that Adam’s aloneness was not good. But the feeling of loneliness is not wrong, just as it’s not wrong to feel hungry when we don’t have any food or tired when we need sleep. God placed a relationship hunger in Adam; when that need went unmet, Adam felt lonely. Because loneliness was part of Adam’s experience before the fall, it is impossible for it to be inherently bad. God’s Word proclaimed that “God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Gen. 1:31 NLT)

God has shown me that I am not a bad person if I experience loneliness, nor is it an indication that I am living by my own nature. I now believe that loneliness is a natural and normal part of our human existence. And loneliness is good–because it is God’s reminder to us that we are not complete without Him and other people. Knowing that God placed a need for relationship into my DNA eliminates any question that I might have as to whether I will experience loneliness. I will, and so all of us.

Warning: Here be spoliers.

What I saw: Set in the charming landscapes and streetscapes of Ilocos Norte, Time Horizon’s “Thelma” is the story of… well, Thelma (Maja Salvador). The firstborn to a struggling farmer (John Arcilla) and a cloth weaver (Tetchie Agbayani), Thelma quits school to look after her younger sister Hannah (Eliza Pineda) who is crippled by an accident. She later joins a marathon to buy a second-hand wheelchair for Hannah. She wins, gets discovered by the school coach, returns to school, joins the track and field team, wins in the Palarong Pambansa, and earns athletic scholarship in Manila.

What I discerned: To call the quest for one’s purpose a “quest” is one frustrating understatement. It’s not a quest; it’s a suicide mission (and that’s figurative, okay?). I don’t know what else to call it but uncertainty plus the guts to brave it, plus the risk of losing everything are the perfect ingredients to discovering one’s purpose in life. Those who have found theirs know very well that staying in the safe zone is actually unsafe and that the comfort zone is a Portalet: It’s comforting for a while but believe me you’ll suffocate if you don’t get out in 30 seconds.

Thelma got out.

Once a happy-go-lucky rascal, she learns that life is more than just playing games and watching windmills. And she learns it the hard way.

Thelma is like many of us young people in lots of ways. We’re usually super-carefree, trapped in an illusion that everything’s always fine and dandy as long as ma and pa are there. But life has a way of shocking us awake to its compelling truths. The accident Hannah meets unleashes a Pandora’s box of cold-hearted realities to Thelma: life is hard, they are poor, Hannah won’t ever walk again, and Thelma quitting school doesn’t seem as much a solution as her continuing it.

I think that Thelma is easy to appreciate and relate with because, like her, we all discover at one point that foolish decisions yield regrettable results, and that wise decisions are to be cherished forever. Thelma’s mother, Floring, had also suffered from wrong decision making. She was a promising athlete but she hastily quit high school and got married. In one heartwarming scene, she reveals this to Thelma and offers her a piece of advice: Don’t be foolish, do what you have to.

Indeed, decisions are not meant to be contemplated upon but acted upon.

The biggest struggle Thelma initially had to overcome was her lack of motivation. She was just  the Queen of Deadpan-dom when it comes to getting somewhere in life. A catastrophe had to push her forward. Hannah wisely advises early in the film: “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.” Truer words.

The problem with us sometimes is that we just keep on hoping and dreaming and praying for things to happen without doing anything about them. Fatalistic fantasy is the enemy.

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” Proverbs 28:19 (NIV)

“Thelma” is a breath of fresh air in a Portalet of Hollywood-saturated movie market that loves to glorify the individualistic self. Here you have a selfless, realistic heroine who sacrifices her personal comfort for the comfort of her family.

I think that Filipinos, especially the youth, need less exposure to the variety of the noisy, rebellion-themed graffiti “Transformers,” and more to stories like “Thelma.” The film shows the importance of setting correct priorities and being dead set on objectively maintaining them. Here’s a story that inspires and challenges to break free from the mold of mediocrity into the infinite space of courage, motivated by a quest higher and nobler than pleasing ourselves.

Kami na ang pamilyang walang ganang pumasyal at gumala.  Naisip namin saan kaya pwede magpunta?  Sana sa “malapit-lapit” sa Manila.  Ah… Bicol.  Para naman makita ko sa personal ‘yung isa pang hot topic sa Sibika class namin nung elementary—‘yung Mayon Volcano.

So ayun na nga, inayos ko ang itinerary namin at nagpa-book ng hotel.  Dapat Saturday pa lang bibiyahe na kami, pero may mga kanya-kanya kaming appointment ng weekend, lalo na si mommy na hindi na pwedeng umabsent sa School of Leaders (SOL) para maka-graduate.   Kaya naman napagkasunduan namin na Lunes ng madaling araw na lang magbiyahe, 3:00 a.m. to be exact.

Answered prayer ako kasi sinabi ko kay Lord na paalisin na si Mina sa Pilipinas, o kaya naman palayuin niya sa Bicol.  Hindi po isang salot ng lipunan si Mina, bagyo po siya.

Naging maaraw ang trip namin papunta doon.

Una naming stop over nung umaga sa Lucena Grand Terminal sa Quezon province.  Konting inat, nagbayad ng limang piso para makapag-CR, at kape kape.  Ayos na. Tulog ulit.  Second stop over naman sa SM Naga, Camarines Sur.  Humanap kami ng makakainan ng tanghalian doon, sa kakaiba naman para maiba naman.  Kaya sa Max’s kami kumain. Hehehe!

Pagkatapos ng tanghalian, tulog ulit.  Sabi ni kuya, andami naming nadaanang zigzag at malubak na daan pero ang tibay ko daw dahil halos mawasiwas na ako sa likuran, hindi pa din daw ako nagigising.  Sabi ko, napasarap lang ako siguro ng tulog. Wala kaming mapang hawak sa biyahe.  Salamat sa ever-reliable na GPS ng aming sasakyan, alam na alam ang pasikot sikot sa Bicolandia!

O 'di ba high tech! Dalawa lang ang meron niyan sa buong mundo: si James Bond at ang Santiago family

Hapon na nang makarating kami sa unang destinasyon—sa Cagsawa Ruins (sabi ko pa nung una Casagwa. Inulit-ulit ko pa, nakakahiya).  Pagbaba namin ng sasakyan, naglakad lakad pa kami ng konti at tumawid sa sira sirang tulay na nilagyan na lang ng kahoy kahoy para makatawid (paulit-ulit?).

Kailangan talagang alternate ang blocking para kita ng audience

Pagdating namin sa mismong Cagsawa Ruins, nagbayad kami ng P10 na entrance fee, mapabata ka man o matanda.  May mga nagbebenta din ng mga souvenir items sa paligid ng tourist spot na ito.  Sabi sa nabasa ko sa isang website, matapos pumutok ang bulkang Mayon noong 1814, maraming tao ang namatay sa lugar na iyon at ‘yung parte ng simbahan na nakatayo doon ang natira at ang nakikita natin hanggang sa ngayon.  Dito din makikita ang napakagandang view ng Mayon Volcano.  Pero medyo hindi kami pinalad dahil tinakpan ng maraming ulap ang bulkan.  Shy type. Sabi ng isang nakatira doon, mas ok kung early morning or late afternoon kami pupunta doon.  So ang usapan namin, 5:00 a.m. dapat andun na kami.

Mommy Yolly all prepped for world domination

Part of Cagsawa ruins

Dumiretso na kami sa Hotel Venezia—two minutes away lang from Legazpi Airport.  Maganda yung hotel, accommodating ang staff, masarap pa yung welcome drink nila (watermelon shake yata ‘yun).  Ang comfy (arte, “comfy”) din ng kwartong natulugan namin.  Libre din ang wifi at tahimik.  Wala nga lang mall na malapit or pwedeng galaan, pero it doesn’t matter kasi magpapalipas lang naman kami ng gabi doon.

Dito namin natikman ang Bicol Express at Laing – dalawa sa masasarap na pagkain sa Bicol.  Kinaya ko naman ang anghang ng Bicol Express.  Lalo ko siyang naging favorite.

Authentic Bicol express

Matapos ang masarap na hapunan, nagpahinga lang kami ng konti tapos natulog na kami para maagang magising kinabukasan.

***

Nagising ako ng 5:00 a.m. Napabalikwas ako. Medyo maliwanag na. Tinawagan ko si Ate at Kuya.  Tapos ginising ko parents ko.  Si Daddy ‘di na sumama, manonood nalang daw siya ng TV.  Tumingin ako sa bintana at nakita ko ang Mayon Volcano, with lesser clouds, but with more dahons and bubongs all around!

Marami mang hadlang, kita pa rin ang Mayon

Lalo akong na-excite.  Kaya nag-toothbrush at naghilamos ako at kinuha ang camera at tripod ko.  Mga 6:30 a.m. kami nakarating sa Cagsawa.  Late na naman kami.  Nakita namin ang Mayon, medyo maulap na naman.  Naghintay kami ng ilang sandali, baka sakaling maalis ‘yung ulap.  Kung pwede lang, papaypayan na namin ‘yung ulap palayo sa bulkan.  Naisip ko, sa ganitong sitwasyon ko mai-aapply ang “art of waiting”.  Naghintay kami na ipakita ng Mt. Mayon kung anong ganda meron siya.

Dumating na ang 7:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m…. almost 8:00 na, mainit na at nagugutom na kami.  Nawalan na ako ng pag-asa. Nag-aya na ‘ko sa kanila na bumalik na kami sa hotel.  So umalis na kami.  Nung malapit na kami sa sasakyan, napansin nila Ate na kaunti na lang ang ulap sa may Mayon.  May malapit na bukirin sa kinatatayuan ng sasakyan namin, kaya doon na lang namin kinuhanan ng picture, kaysa bumalik pa kami sa Cagsawa.  Kaya para mas masaya, pinatalon ko si ate sa may Mayon volcano.

It's worth the wait. Nakaka-jump brother

Bumalik kami sa hotel, nag-agahan, nag-ayos at umalis na ulit.  Next destination – Lignon Hill.  Akala ko ordinaryong hill lang ito, pero mali pala ako.  May kainan, viewing area ng Mayon Volcano, at zipline.  Madami na akong napuntahang lugar sa Pilipinas na may zipline, and I promised myself I will never try them.  But this time, hindi ko iyon natupad.  Dahil sa pressure ng pamilya ko, napilitan akong mag-zipline.  Nung sinusuotan palang ako ng gear naiiyak na ako sa kaba.  Gusto kong mag-back out pero nakapag-bayad na ng zipline fee eh. Ako ang unang sumalang sa aming apat (siyempre di na naman sumali si Dad). Hinubad ko ang sapatos ko at isinabit sa likod ko.  Tapos nag usap kami nung zipline instructor:

Z-man:  Ma’am, pagdating niyo po sa dulo medyo itaas niyo po ‘yung paa niyo ha.  Tapos relax lang po kayo.

Me:  Ayokooo naaaa… aaaaahhhh… natatakot ako!

Z-man:  Ok lang po ‘yan, ito po ready na po ba kayo?

Me:  Hindi pa!!!! Huhuhu!!!!!!!!

Z-man:  Itaas niyo na po ‘yung paa niyo, aalalayan ko po kayo…

Me:  Ayoko!!! Ayoko… (pero tinaas ko pa din)

Z-man:  Ok na. One, two, three!

Me:  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! (pahina nang pahina ang sigaw habang palayo nang palayo sa kanila)

Z-man:  (pasigaw) Ma’am, tingin po kayo sa camera!!!

Me:  AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

At eto po yung souvenir shot ko.

This time, si Karen naman ang humarang sa view ng Mayon

***

Umalis na kami matapos kong mahimasmasan.  Nakatulog ako sa sobrang pagod kakasigaw.  Pag gising ko, nasa Camarines Sur Watersports Complex na kami.  Madalas kasi namin itong makitang napo-promote sa TV kaya nacurious kami, naisipan naming daanan.  Kung mahilig ka sa wakeboarding, para sa iyo ang lugar na ito.  May cottages din, swimming pool at iba pang water sports dito.  May kainan sa may tabi ng wakeboarding area, dito na namin naisipang mag tanghalian.  Malangaw nga lang kaya alternate ang pag subo ng pagkain at pagbugaw sa langaw na gusto yatang makisalo sa amin

Photo by Karen. So hindi siya 'yan

Photo by Karen also. So hindi niya muscles yan

Cottages, swimming pool, clouds, sky, floor, grass, trees, etc.

Cottages, sky, clouds, flag, grass, floor, water hose, karatula, etc.

***

May maganda namang aral akong napulot pa sa biglaang road trip na ito bukod sa masarap matulog sa biyahe basta hindi ikaw ang driver.  Na-realize ko na good things come for those who wait.  At siyempre, face your fears.  Masarap sa pakiramdam ‘pag na-overcome mo ‘yung takot mo kahit nasaktan ka sa sobrang pagkatakot.

Kung mas naging matagal lang ang stay namin sa Bicol, at kung hindi biglaan, mas madami akong maiikwento sa inyo.  Plano kong bumalik sa lugar na ito.

Meron pa pala. Dumaan kami sa “bituka ng manok,” pero tulog na naman ako that time. Google niyo for more info.

Due to insistent readers’ demand (hehehe) na sana may part 2

To start with, did you know that the person/friend that I was talking about in the “the right people at the right time” ay umalis na din? She’s not with me anymore, she’s with them anymore (laugh trip I remember someone).

This year is not yet over. Sobrang daming nangyari at itinuro ng LORD sa’kin.

In my last blog, The Right People at the Right Time, I was living in my tita’s house pa, remember? This February, I decided to move out. I was so brokenhearted. Umuwi pa ako ng Bicol for a week though I still had my class to attend to just to decide regarding this matter. At kinailangan ko din magdesisyon kung ipagpapatuloy ko pa ang pag-aaral ko. Ang drama ‘di ba?

So for a week na nasa Bicol ako, “lutang,” that’s the best word to describe myself there habang nag-iisip. Walang araw na hindi ako umiyak.

In the long run, I came up with the decision na hindi ko na ipagpapatuloy ang pag-aaral ko dito sa Manila. I decided to start a new student life in Bicol. Susubok ako ulit ng bagong course.

Almost every day pupumunta ako sa work ng mom ko para makasabay ko siya pauwi. I really feel better kasi kapag kasama ko si nanay. She’s my wonder woman!

One afternoon, while waiting for my mom, a friend of her came. Nakwento pala sa kanya ni nanay ang nangyari sa akin. Then she invited me to have a grocery with her muna. Nakakatuwa ang Lord! Kahit itong friend ni nanay ginamit Niya to comfort me. Hinayaan ko lang s’ya magsalita, hindi kasi ako makasagot dahil sobrang naiiyak na ‘ko.

Before that week ended, I decided to consult my godly friends, mga kasama ko sa church doon, to ask for some advice. Sabi ko kay LORD “Lord, use them.” Basta, may sinabi pa ako kay LORD.

And hindi hinayaan ng Lord mangyari ang decision ko before.

So I had to be back in Manila, pero sabi ko sa parents ko hindi na ako titira sa tita ko.

My heart cried for joy because my mom allowed me and let me rent a space near my school. Medyo magastos kasi ‘pag nagkataon dahil tatlo na kaming college na nag-aaral.

God used amazingly my hometown to let me realize many things about my situation that time.

So lumuwas ako ng Manila na wala pang assurance na may tutuluyan ako.

So tired, kinakabahan at naiiyak ako habang naghahanap ako ng boarding house pagbalik ko.

Praise God, He led me to the right place! Sa boarding house where I am in now.

I will always be amazed at how God loves me….

We are almost a family sa boarding house na puro babae. At yung may-ari, anak n’ya kami kung ituring. He cooks dinner for all of us at sabay-sabay kami kumakain.

Ang galing talaga ng Lord! He brought me to the right place at the right time.

Almost 5 months na akong wala sa tita ko ngayon, but we’re okay naman. Dumadalaw pa rin ako sa bahay n’ya.

God is so indescribable!

If God is leading you to a new place, don’t be afraid. He always has His own perfect plan, and He is placing you right there for you to learn more.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9