My Soul's Restlessness

   It is literally a long and adventurous journey for me to get here, but its all worth the effort and the risk. Each moment spent with people we have met for three days and some for just couple of hours was equally as important and special as to the moments we have had with people who had been part of our lives for three months, for three years or even for years equivalent to our age. I constantly pray that God will continue to use me and my life to be of help in any way I could and in anywhere possible at any time, despite of my limitations and brokenness. Oh Lord, let my soul's restlessness produce goodness and let love overflow from it so that more beauty can be revealed by and through it...

the habal-habal ride

with the active youth in the community

with Joey

Pipo and Jam preparing the gifts and the goods for distribution

   On my way there, I rode in a habal-habal, with the driver sharing to me his story of how he longed for his wife who never returned after working abroad, and his son whom he was not able to see for the past eight years. He talked about how heavy his heart has been, and how days became a struggle for him. He then told me to pray for him...The ride was bumpy, just like his life.

   On my way there, I saw a child climbing halfway a coconut tree, trying to catch some signal for his cellular phone. I found out from my friend, who had been assigned as a priest in the area, how communication has been so difficult. Sometimes, people pay for the motorcycle to bring their phones in the town to receive messages. On our second night, we experienced climbing towards that spot of the highland where there is signal. There was no electricity that time, but the stars and the fireflies had given us a wonderful view. I was surprised to see several people going there just to text. 2014 is coming very soon, but we still have places in the country where communication system is not accessible.

   But I must say too, that despite all of these curbs, the people there have a good glimpse and experience of life, with all their simplicity, sense of neighborhood and deep spirituality. I thank God for allowing me to immerse into their stories and join them in their celebration even just for a while. I thank God for the kind and generous family who had planned for such activity and really made it happened.

Fr Michael giving the prize for the game

with Joey, Mapeth and Fr. Arvin

During the gift giving

   During those days, I had tried stopping myself from reflecting, but each word, each bumpy road, each embrace of the wind on my face, each line from any song, each story I heard, and each smile I saw from the faces of people who were once strangers to me were naturally taking me to a journey of talking to God to ask for wisdom behind circumstances. And that was how I decided not be afraid of reflecting again, because that is the way I had appreciated the clouds, the tears, the joy, the shadows and mysteries. That is the way I had learned about accepting and giving back gifts with courage and love.

Some more prizes

with Fr. Michael's family