Trusting God with Our Stories

"I could live life alone

And never fill the longings of my heart

The healing warmth of someone's arms

And I could live without dreams

And never know the thrill of what could be

With every star so far and out of reach

I could live without many things

And I could carry on..." --- Avalon

This is how my life song starts. I embraced it as I entered the last decade. I was at a place of uncertainty, but with an overarching excitement at what God was going to do in my life. I had just committed my life to full-time ministry, specifically to be a cross-cultural missionary, and while the future was unsure, I was confident that it was what God was telling me to do. 

Fast forward to the end of the decade, it was not exactly what I thought life would be for me. God, the Grandweaver of my life, had a different design in mind. I thought a recap was in order. However, once I started writing these 'events' in my life one by one, they seemed to be separate from the other. At times, the things God made me do were completely at other ends of the pendulum. So I decided, maybe I would just write about where I am at now as we enter a new decade in my journey. 

2020

Here I am, in the cool of the evening, just a little past midnight, typing this post with ink stains on my fingers from writing case digests with cheap fountain pens. Sprawling on my bed are books, notes and more pens. I study in the evenings. 

During the day, I cross a bridge to the place where I sit on a desk, respond to emails, queries, print documents, answer the phone and basically do the rigodon of a secretary. On special days, I am the registrar. I call myself the #EverydayMamumugon. 

On weekends I pack my bags and head back to my hometown beside the sea, lounge in my mother's living room, get coffee, go to church, and blink. And then, it is Monday again. 

But, I don't ever remember telling myself  "Hay, Monday na naman!".  And you will see why. 

The way I describe it, it seems like my life is pretty uninteresting --- a contrast to what I had imagined it to be in 2010. But truth is, for countless times, I have caught myself at a loss for words at how God had tweaked my story.

I have been to places I have never imagined I could be in. I haven't set foot in West Africa yet, but...but..this decade, we will never know. 

I have been on stages and pulpits I feel so unworthy of. I sometimes laugh at how God takes me from a classroom of  seven sleepy students to a hall of a thousand (or even more) young people packed with adrenaline. Whether it be the classroom or the auditorium, I see lives hungry for God. 

I have been to hills of victory and valleys of pain. I tried fighting wounded. It only revealed to me that God's character never changes. For every win - a milestone. For every pain - a growth point. 

I have been to committee meetings and coffee breaks where I met people who, I would have never met had I not allowed God to let me be  like water in his plans --- flowing to where He cuts a path. The coffee chats are more enjoyable. Memorable, even. 

I have been to classrooms and bar rooms. They're all the same --- filled with drunk men, intoxicated by intellect, who throw statements that don't make sense. But, the teachers and the bar tenders -- they... they can spin good in every tragedy. 

I have been to chaos where demands grab you by the hand. But, in the midst of those were springs of joy where God invited me to freely drink. 

I have been to a place called Love. One that gives selflessly for the sake of another. One that is not held captive by feelings but liberated by truth. Truth most times is hard to swallow. But, that is how you know you have been to a place called Love. I have been to one. 

I have been to a place called Surrender. And it did not feel comforting. But oh the taste of liberty, refreshing to the soul!

 I tried writing the things God has been surprising me with. Each of them outdoes the other. I mean, does God ever run out of ideas? My stomach is churning with excitement at the possibilities of the outrageous things I ask the Lord to do. This decade will definitely outdo the last. 

In all my wanting and believing for the big things God will do, my heart still quietly sings to me the  part of my lifesong that says

"I couldn't face my life tomorrow 

Without your hope in my heart I know

I can't live a day without You

Lord, there's no night and there's no morning

Without Your loving arms to hold me

You're the heartbeat of all I do

I can't live a day without You" ---Avalon

If all the things I hope for will vanish in the wind, Jesus is enough for me. Here's to another decade of trusting God for a beautiful story. 

 January 4, 2020
(I should do a post on why January 4 is significant to me through the years. hehehe! ) 

Helpless

I wonder what it is with September that I always get the urge to write. Like a buzzer, or a vibrating alert, I often find myself checking my blogs in September and panic at the fact that for the months that went by, I have been silent.

I have not been truly silent, of course. I have rekindled my love for journalling. Not like it really went away. My entries have been frequent. I felt that my thoughts are safer there and free of any judgement. 

An opportunity to speak to the community at CPU came to me again, giving me an avenue to declare the encompassing love of God to all. Last month was quite eventful. I anticipate the coming month to be even more eventful with the semestral examinations in Law school, weddings to attend and the ending of another semester here in the Bible College. While the weight of what is to come seems already heavy to think about, I rest in the promise that God will help me overcome. I have to rest, lest I cower. 

On a more personal note, the past couple of months have been quite interesting. I went through (and I think I still am in ) a season of undoing. I met a few people that put me in a very uncomfortable situation. The good kind of uncomfortable, that is. 

While I would like to reserve the details to myself, this is what I am willing to share: In the many years that I am a Christian, there have been milestones where I mark a certain growth point. Usually, it was via a heartbreaking situation. However, this one was not. I was just caught off guard, like God grabbed me by the hand and said "We need to talk!" One night, I found myself crying before the Lord because he impressed upon my heart that I have not been trusting Him about many things in my life --- especially the matters which are important to me. 

I felt I was being un-clothed. I was very vulnerable. I felt naked before God. And I saw how, all these years, I have been grinding on my own... as if I can handle things naturally. I realized I held tightly to my pride, that I do not intentionally ask the Lord for the things I desire because I do not like the feeling of wanting somethign or someone so much. I have life a linear life when it comes to asking God. My thought pattern was this: I want 'this', If God wants it for me, he will give it. If not, I will not bother. 

But how in the world do I experience the Joy of Asking and actually receiving? I have not. Because I asked not. Asking, like begging, is a sign that one is in lack of something. I never liked the thought of asking, much less begging. 

And that is how I found out my faith was problematic. Because I wanted something/someone and under the 'normal' circumstances I operate in, there is no way, NO WAY, I will ever experience the joy of having that desire satisfied. And upon realizing my complete helplessness, I turned to God.

However, it was not the 'wanting' that churned my spirit. It was the discomfort that I do not truly know God and therefore have not truly trusted Him with even the little details of my life. It was devastating to watch everything 'i have built' in my spiritual life deconstruct, like chaff, they disappeared. I had nothing to hold on to. No spiritual life to be proud of. 

And at the point of surrender, I crumbled. 

Oh what relief it is to be rid of yourself, be broken down and wait... wait for the Master to pick you up, piece by piece, to be put together in the way He had always had in mind about you. 

New Year Emote-icons

My FIRST bathroom selfie (i think) because, why not?!!! Have a  Blessed Year ahead! - Jabez

"2018, please be good to me". Such pleadings are pasted on thousands of Facebook walls the moment the clock struck 12 on January first. They should have made a specific emoticon for New Year Apprehensions.

I have always loved the idea of celebrating the New Year. It is a significant period when we are stopped on our tracks to look back and look forward. Somehow, whether we like it or not, the turning of the year gives us a momentary halt.  To some, it is a chance to evaluate what went wrong, what worked out right. To most, it is a time to draw the line between what was then and what will be. But to many, it is a chance to do things over, better. A reset.

However, life does not always get solved by a reset. Most times, it needs a lot of undoing, untangling and most painfully, deconstructing.

And this the part where the New Year makes me uncomfortable. When the fireworks have turned to ashes, and the feasting have been replaced by acid reflux, you sit in one corner, confronted by the realities that make you uneasy. 

How do you manage your way around work, laundry and a social life without getting broke?

How do you speak your mind, your ideas, your convictions and not have second thoughts about being hated?

How do you submit to your superiors and stand your ground?

How do you hold fast to the laws you keep and let grace trickle from your grip?

How do you start to pursue a goal you have long believed was too high for your reach?

How do you begin to plan for retirement when you are only a few years away from it?

How do you sustain the momentum for things you have started when your body tells you to slow down?
How do you inspire others when you are wrestling with your own idealism?
How do you draw the line between "waiting" and "working on it"?

These and a thousand other questions. Oh, I hate how acid reflux impales me sometimes!

And then, you run through your IG Best Nine and experience a pocket of sunshine. For a moment, you smile at the thought of these nine photos you immortalized in this intangible wall called social media. 2017 was not that bad.

You picked up a healthy habit. Lost 20 lbs and your appetite for Unli-rice.

You met new people and wonder where they have been hiding all these years.

You ventured to learning new skills and polishing the old ones and felt fulfilled.
You have failed at some attempts but your spirit keeps going.

You mastered the art of rest. And saying no.

You have finally come to terms with your weaknesses and let yourself be soaked in God’s grace to overcome them.
You keep noticing how your well of joy never dries up despite seasons of drought.

You have tested the limits of your love…and found yourself unbreakable. Malleable.
You love, yet again, though bent.

Just nine out of the hundreds of moments of joy, of hope, of faith.

It is easy to be distracted by questions and weakened by our fears. There are 365 days ahead of us, not one of which is certain and that is overwhelmingly scary. But, through the years I have learned the art of restedness ---- an act of actively resting in God, His promises and His sovereignty.

The New Year is not necessarily a reset. It is a time to recalibrate our hearts, retool our minds and resume with the original plan God has already set for us. Not without adjustments.

Paul instructs in Ephesians 4:22-24  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This exercise of “Putting off” and “Putting on” is tiresome, challenging and definitely not easy. But only when we are no longer entangled in the pursuits of our flesh will we be able to experience the true joy of a life lived in freedom through Christ.

Our weaknesses will only magnify. Our questions will continue to haunt us. Our challenges will continue to mount (laundry, included!). But when we are standing behind the One who has ‘overcome the world’, we can walk into 2018 smiling. There's already and emoticon for that!

Tiptoeing ( A New Year Post)

SOURCE

The sun shines like it is new. It seems energetic, like it is giving out warmth for the first time. It is only the 3rd day of 2017 and I am still tiptoeing into the new year, fearful I might trip. 

I am here in my office desk, writing this as I wait for the lunch break. I have so much to look forward to this year. However, I am still somewhat hinged to 2016 that I don’t know where to start. Thus, the tiptoeing.

A very good friend asked me what were my highlights for 2016. I paused for a few seconds to recall. Somehow, qualifying events as ‘highlights’ was a little difficult. I knew exactly why. The past year, I was beat up with work concerns that I hardly had time to pause and thank God for what was happening in my life. Yesterday, I took out my annual prayer notebook and wrote down my thanksgiving for the year. Today, I’m sharing some of them with you.

Highlights of 2016 (Best Twelve)

1. Attending the Global Discipleship Congress 2016 in Manila and hearing Ravi Zacharias speak again. It was a time of refreshing and realigning to God’s purpose in my life.

2.Writing short poems for the whole month of February. Writing used to be a breeze but for the years that went by,  it was a struggle. Maybe for the lack of a muse. Or maybe for sheer laziness. But, for the month of February, I was able to write 14 poems. Exercise is the key. You can read them at A November Miracle.

3. Earning the Masters in Ministry degree. The highlight is not the degree but graduating with my father.

 4. Turning 35 and enjoying the last stretch of single-life. (Why not?) Hahahaha!

5. Training young people to be better leaders. This year, two of my friends and I started a Public Speaking company. We called it The Speaker Crafters. We trained young children not only to speak well but also to become better citizens of this country. 

6. Visiting our students during their Gospel Team deployment. It was an experience that is one for the books. I went to far-flung villages to find out the situation of our student-pastors who were on Summer Internship. I am not an outdoorsy person but the lot fell on me. I was joyful enough to take the challenge. It turned out to be exciting!

7. Making myself available to be God’s mouthpiece in many places and different occasions. God gave me opportunities to speak of His love to people of all ages, in churches, campuses, youth fellowships and even the Police force. I am humbled by this calling. 

8. Studying Introduction to Hebrew. I can now read a little and write a little Hebrew. 

9. Coordinating benefit concerts.  The latest was in December. It was a production that brought me out of my comfort zone. It was only by trusting God that we made it through. Not only am I ecstatic that I am working with world-class performers, I am awed at how they are all-out in serving God. 

10. Being with high school friends is always a yearly highlight. These are the people I grew up with and somehow, being with them makes me forget momentarily the troubles of adult life.

11.Spending time with family. We had spur of the moment reunions and they were all fun!!! 

12. Having a family that accepts me for everything that I am not and holds the hope for everything I can become. 

I started this piece by saying how I am tiptoeing into 2017. Now, having looked back, I can say, there is nothing to fear! God has been faithful and will always be faithful. 

I am reminded of what I read yesterday in Psalm 106. It was a recounting of how the Israelites turned away from God and how, each time, God came to their rescue. But, as the pattern repeats and the plot worsens, verse 44-45 say:

"Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.
For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love."

I know now why the sun shines like it has not seen the troubles of 2016. It was created by a God whose love is persistent, endless,  unceasing. That fact alone steadies my wobbly feet.

Happy New Year! 

CPU Christ Emphasis Week

I just came back from a week-long preaching engagement. It is a miracle I have even managed to write. My body is weak, as of the moment, suffering from Acid reflux – the kind where you can not eat but you have to eat. I think it is my body demanding some rest. Or maybe it is my mind that needs to. Whichever it is, I will not let that stop me from writing about this. 

I have never realized the depth and width of a Christian university's ministry until I had this opportunity to speak at Central Philippine University last week for their semestral Christ Emphasis Week. I was invited to speak to the high school students of the university for five days. It was daunting to face 1500 young people, full of energy and all with different backgrounds. It was only by the grace of God that I was able to go up on stage, speak the word and invite them to commit their lives to God.

But 1500 is nothing compared to the 10 thousand plus college students the university has, and all these  heard the Gospel all week. And this happens every semester. Imagine, if each college student stayed in the university for 8 semesters, that’s 8 chances of telling them the Good news! Not to mention the many campus ministries who are also doing their best wining the students for Christ! Kudos to Rev. Cris Amorsolo Sian , Rev. Francis Neil Jalando-on and the pastors in the Chaplain's Office for putting their heart, mind and body into this, making sure the Gospel will not be delivered unsatisfactorily. 

I am glad CPU is still going against the tide. These days when it is even difficult to call yourself a Christian School, CPU is standing up, bearing strong the legacy of the missionaries who started it 110 years ago! May God protect the hearts of its leaders. It is my prayer that It will continue to put Christ central to its objectives. 

Isaiah 55:11 "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

A Challenge to Love

November breezed through. We are in the Christmas season. "Time flies" is  cliche but there is no better way to describe what it does than exactly that - it flies!

I just finished reading a blog post by Dr. Everett Piper, President of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University. He wrote about how we have taught this generation to be self-centered and narcissistic. It was brought about by an incident where a student went to him and complained after a chapel service that he felt 'victimized' by the sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 by making him feel guilty that he does not love enough according to the terms in the Bible. Piper went on to say that this :

If you’re more interested in playing the “hater” card than you are in confessing your own hate; if you want to arrogantly lecture, rather than humbly learn; if you don’t want to feel guilt in your soul when you are guilty of sin; if you want to be enabled rather than confronted, there are many universities across the land (in Missouri and elsewhere) that will give you exactly what you want, but Oklahoma Wesleyan isn’t one of them.

He then concluded with the statement : This is not a Day Care, this is a University!

(You can read the whole article here:OKWU)

SOURCE

I share his sentiments because I am working in a Bible College. We train young people who answered the call of God for full-time ministry service. It seems like a noble place to work in. A cause that is a  major player in the Kingdom Agenda. But 4 years into the job, I am slowly coming to terms with what Jesus really meant when he said "take up your cross and follow me".

We try to help the students maximize the learning experience by enclosing them within a set of rules.In my opinion, boundaries help us discipline ourselves. And so, these boundaries were set so they can stick to their goal and grow while keeping at it. But this is where the struggle comes. Obedience is not man's impulse, sin is.

When some students are reprimanded for their obvious violation  of rules, there's usually a retaliation. Because for them, their judgement was right. And no matter how logically you present things, they will always see you as the adversary and will feed on self-pity and anger against the implementors of the rules. And this is the hard part - no amount of reason can win them. Only genuine love.

Man's impulse is not love, sin is. And puttting love to work the way Jesus did, is difficult. It is during these times that I tell myself "when Jesus said, 'take up your cross and follow me' he wasn't exaggerating!!!" This, here, most times feels like a trip to Calvary.

Giving up is the easiest option. Or apathy. But both will not let me taste the sweet fruits of victory when these young people are transformed into what God has called them to be. I, too, will  be transformed.

Everyday, I wish I could say what Dr. Piper has said. But following Christ has a taller demand.

And so I wait, and I work, and in the meantime, put Love into action until love becomes my compulsion.

A grocery list, a tough week and a sweet God

Its time to update the #35WeeksofLists again. This week is "Grocery List". 

This week was really tough. As a college registrar with no staff under me, this is one of my busiest weeks of the year. I was always asking for joy to never leave my side. The Lord has graciously provided what I needed. 

We graduated 20 students who are ready to serve as full-time pastors and church workers. While it is a joy to see them graduate, a certain pang of sadness fills my heart. I lived with these young people day in and out and one cannot evade the unhappy feeling of separation. And i have to deal with this scenario every year. 

I am looking forward to many good things in April - the celebration of the Holy week, my closest friends' wedding, and the family reunion in Manila. More than that, I am excited to turn 34! Some don't like the idea of getting old. I say there is so mcuh to look forward to when you have a God who grows sweeter everyday. 

"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the person who trusts in Him." Psalm 34:8

July is here!

I woke up today and the verse “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” has once again become real to me. I don’t live a perfect life and being in the flesh means I wake up with 100 % probability of failure. Yet, the Lord give that chance to me every single day.

Today, is the first day of July. Another month, another journey! A lot has happened the months since the last update in this blog. In April, I went to Thailand to visit some missionary friends who have been serving there for many years already. It was an experience that, while it threatened my life, it all the more fortified my courage to go to the ends of the earth for Christ. 

School has started again last month and I am looking forward to many things this Academic year. I started attending Master in Ministries classes and this has been my plan since. The Lord has granted me favor.

I lost my maternal Grandfather two weeks ago. The family is still mourning for is loss but holding on to the hope of that great reunion someday. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the reunion we had when everyone came home to celebrate his life. 

I pray for joy and strength as we continue the year. It is only by His grace that we are sustained. 

A Joy Made Double

The German Philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “A joy shared is a joy doubled”. Joy is never full until you share it with somebody. Anchoring on this principle we, the PNULHS Batch 1998 decided to make the Annual Alumni Homecoming truly a joyful celebration. 

Being the host for the 2013 reunion, we wanted everyone to have a great time. Our planning started 3 years before. We brainstormed on themes, activities, and ideas on how we were going to finance it. By December 2012, we came up with a theme that would be fun at the same time  meaningful to us: “NEONINETY8: Light Up the Night!” We prepared a video teaser for everyone to get excited for the reunion. Indeed, excitement took over!

A series of meetings started Batch 98’s year. We were getting ready to turn up the hype. By November, we would be covering the city with tarps and whatnots inviting every one for the reunion. The event planner we consulted already scheduled a site visit.

And then, Yolanda came. 

The tarps never got to the printers. The site visit never happened. Excitement was replaced with an overcoming desire to address the urgent: Hunger, homelessness and worst, hopelessness. 

Batch 98 pulled together the resources that were available. In cooperation with Bangon Cadiznon, whose founder by the way is Chris Ryan Montaño our classmate, we distributed food packs, old clothes, and even school supplies. We also helped our Alma Mater, PNU, by reconstructing the fence that was damaged by the typhoon. We took every opportunity to be of help. Each was trying to get help either from a friend or a company just to be able to fill a need that was pressing that time. We also rounded up other batches who gladly extended their help too. I wrote an article at Cadiz-city.com about one of our operations. Collectively, it was the PNULHS Alumni that was at work. And if I am not mistaken, it was the first time that we worked together representing the Alumni (which is up to now, not an institutionalized group). 

Charity is not new to our batch. By the grace of God, we have been reaching out to kids for the last 5 years. Every December, when we get pledges for the annual gathering, we make sure that a big portion of that goes to our Gift-giving activity. We give out toys, school supplies and let the kids enjoy a Christmas party. Every year, more than our fellowship, this is what most of us look forward to. 

In the aftermath of Yolanda, our impulse was to change plans. A high percentage of the city’s population was affected. There was no electricity for weeks. The whole country was mourning. Companies and groups of people cancelled their parties and donated the funds to the victims instead. We knew spending a lot of money for the NEONINETY8 party we planned for was very impractical…and insensitive. 

And so, we opted for a grand gift-giving activity and just a simple Thanksgiving Celebration with the teachers. Thus, renaming the activity “Light Up a Life”. When we presented this plan to the administration of PNU, they couldn’t agree more. It was exactly what the school wanted to embody – an attitude of helpfulness. 

I am tempted to write down all the criticisms we received because of this decision. But, I will skip that. Instead, let me paraphrase what Winston Churchill said; if you have enemies, it means that you have stood up for something in your life. We were glad to have stood up for a cause that was beyond us. 

The gift-giving was fulfilling. Other batches came to join us, too. Some brought gift packs, tubs of ice cream and even hygiene kits. It was a joy to see the kids (and the adults, too) have fun and enjoy the food. They all received gifts wrapped in Christmas paper. To many of them, that was the only gift they would ever receive that Christmas. 

I am posting the photos below to share with you the joy that we had experienced. Had we pushed through with the party, the only thing we would have gained would be a bad hangover. But this, it has doubled our joy knowing we have made an imprint in the lives of these kids. Hopefully, they will cherish the memory they had on that day and when an opportunity like this comes to them where they would be on the giving end, they would share their joy too. 

Acts 20:35 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Our Class. PNULHS Class of 1998. (Some were absent though)

Enjoying good food. Spaghetti, sandwich, and hotdogs!

Paul, my classmate scooping the ice cream for the kids.

The smiles that made our day!

These are bosses in their companies. But here, they were tasked to hang the balloons. haaaa!

GAME TIME!

A mother and Child. Happy!

Representatives from other batches who helped us. Thanks guys!

I drink juice like a boss! hahaha!

Even the mothers enjoyed the bounty!

The smiles after receiving their gifts.

No bad day that ice cream can not cure. :)

Future Chess Champion!

Us with two of our High school Teachers.

Fely Grace and I leading the singing

EVERYBODY!!!!

With our teachers during the Thanksgiving Lunch

Photo Credits: Eugene Lacuesta, my favorite photographer (who happens to be my clasmate too )

31: The Kick Off

I turned 31!!!

Yes, on the 10^th of April, while my parents celebrated their 32^nd wedding anniversary, I gracefully turned 31.

Quiet. That’s how I always wanted my birthdays to be, and quiet it was. Except of course,  that my heart could not contain the explosion of joy in my heart for how the Lord has shown me grace through the years. This reminds me of a verse from a song I so love to sing:

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where I’d be

Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere

With my salvation up to me

I know how that would go, the battles I would face

Forever running but losing the race

Were it not for grace

And grace it is, too, that I do what I do now. April is Youth Camp month and God had lined up for me my engagements. These kicked-off my year!

I had three youth camp engagements over the past two weeks. I am blessed to have had the time and the energy to speak at the said events. One was on the topic “Come and Find Rest, another was on Missions and last Friday, I conducted a storytelling workshop with a group of young people.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit is what enables me. Speaking about ‘resting’ to a group of energized young people was a challenge. But I trust that His word always achieves it purposes and I am certain that the sowing will have its time of harvest.

The young people at ETCSD Camp, listening to my lecture on Storytelling

One of the things I always look forward to when I  have such engagements are the traveltimes. Bus rides are always my best times, like how I mentioned it in my previous post. However, for the past two weeks, I had interesting travels. For example, to reach Baja-baja, I had to ride a pump boat, walk a few hundred meters through the bushes and climb steep stairs up the hills.

The Oh-so-challenging route to Baja-baja Baptist Church

Last Wednesday, I challenged young people to respond to missions at a youth camp in Naga-Angela, Cadiz City. To get there, I  had to take the bumpy tricycle ride through the sugarcane fields at about 7 in the evening. The sky was star-strewn. The night was beautiful….until, the motor died. We got to the venue on time, and thankfully, I discovered how much peace I have in the dark.

The young people at Naga-Angela , during the Circuit John Youth Camp
where i spoke about Missions

My best time was taking an hour ride through the mountains of Don Salvador Benedicto on a motorcycle on my way home from another youth camp last Friday. Beholding God’s wonderful work is an experience that adds to my wonder and faith in Him. It was my first long-distance bike ride and I enjoyed every second of it. I’d like to make mention of my friend, Pastor John who made it possible for me to take that ride… and be home in one piece. Ha!!!!

A quick-stop along the DSB Highway, my first ever long-distance ride
on a motorbike

And all these green....if you can see the highway, that's where we travelled!

On the 16th, I started as the registrar of CBBC. I would like to do a separate post on that, so please, allow me time to brew it. hehe :) 

I recently wrote a Ministry Update mail to my partners and friends and directed them here. So, if it is your first time here, WELCOME!!! 

Together, let's rock my 31st  :D