The wind wasn’t just blowing on the evening of July 14, it was HOWLING!  i had to charge the re-chargeable lamp, raise the tolda on my veranda and assemble my emergency bag in less than an hour after i realized that the storm had hit Metro Manila too instead of just the nearby areas.  And then, before 10pm, the lights went off, and stayed off for the next 30 hours.  Time to ditch the house and “slum it out” with friends who had water and electricity.  (Thank God i have an ample supply of such good friends.)

But i must confess, in the middle of this all, my thoughts went to my recently visited, and now beloved, Batanes.

Ah, Batanes… i think of you and my heart aches to return.  Such beauty.  Such rawness of nature.  Such a kind and gracious people.  How can you be so far from me?

My mind could not escape the thought of what Basyang’s winds would be like from the Batanes group of islands.  Would i shudder in fear or would i roar back and say, “Bring it on!”  Would my heart be able to stand the screaming winds and pitch-black darkness over there?  Would the roof have come off of the place where i was staying?  Part of me wanted to know the answer.  Maybe someday i will.

It took me five years to get to Batanes.  But when i finally did, i was able to take with me memories that (barring Alzheimer’s) will last me for a lifetime.

i will remember the rocks and churning waters of Chapidan Beach.  i will remember the cloud-covered lighthouse on Basco island.  i will remember sunsets right outside Bunker Cafe.  i will remember the rolling hills of (well, what else?) Rolling Hills.  i will remember the Abad’s personal chapel on top of a hill.  i will remember the simplicity of Sabtang island where their national highway was just about three meters wide.  i will remember the sheer rock face of the entire Itbayat Island.  i will remember my death-defying spelunking into Turungan Cave.  i will remember watching the boatmen catch the big Arayo fish.  i will remember eating pako salad, tipoho and fresh lobster for the very first time.  i will remember thinking to myself, “i want to come back again and again to this place where i see God almost everywhere i go.”

Basyang, you did us wrong.  You turned a kind old lady telling childrens stories into a vicious super lola.  But you somehow reminded me of the rushing winds on Basco’s Marlboro Country and i guess, just for that, i am grateful.

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“Me, assigned to the PCCC Prayer Ministry.  It’s like some kind of spiritual oxymoron!”  Those were my initial thoughts as the suggestion was broached for me to be re-assigned there last February.  It’s still sinking in for me, even today.  (Thus the very delayed posting on my blog.)

Who would’ve thought?  But, at the end of that February meeting, i did accept the “suggestion” that i be re-assigned to the Prayer Ministry of PCCC effective immediately.  And it’s still strange at times to me, how i am finding this new role quite enjoyable and (goodness) downright personally enriching.  My tasks include overseeing the PCCC monthly Days of Prayer which happen every first Saturday of the month and doing write ups for our monthly prayer calender called Incense.  (If you want to receive a copy of this, let me know.)  So far, so good.  My learning curve is picking up and i’m learning to “work the system” better. As you know, i am not exactly great with logistics.  So overseeing a monthly program is quite a stretch for me, brain-wise.  Haha.

What WERE they thinking putting me in this role?  Goodness.  Thank God for a great Immediate Director, Ate Lala Macapili.  (i’ll share with you more about her later.)  She is soooo easy to get along with and we share the same heart about prayer in our movement.  She trusts me a lot and basically let’s me run the DOPs (Days of Prayer) without much supervision at all.

Feel free to join us if you can.  Here’s the poster from the last DOP we had.  Next month, August 7, Saturday, 9am-4pm at the PCCC office, 4th floor, we’ll have “Bridal Intercession: Praying as God’s Beloved.”  Exciting!  =D

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i’ve always had the itch to travel.  Hence the Missionary Journeys title of this blog.  But one of the best things about this thing God has called me to do is that i get to do ministry AND travel at the same time.  Cool huh?

So far this year, i’ve been able to drop by for a weekend in iloilo.  While i was there, i got to help with a short Living Waters orientation course for some people at the Central Philippine University (CPU) – a leading school in the south which has a very strong Campus Cruade for Christ presence.  It was a lot shorter than i’m used to but i’m hoping i get to go back again later this year to give more talks for both CCC and LW.

February saw me in Bali, Indonesia – a place made (in)famous by the 2002 bombings.  The person we had hired to drive us around told me stories of how difficult life had become after the tragic incident.  i felt very safe moving around though – except for crossing the street as Indonesians drive on the left side of the street.  This trip was courtesy of Living Waters which asked me to assist the Indonesian ministry as they build their own national team.  i felt SO HONORED to be asked to help and readily agreed to go.  There is nothing like the feeling of being able to help build a ministry from the beginning!  i am asking the Lord to let me go back a few more times so i can have the joy of seeing the Indonesian team grow from where they are now to wherever the Lord wants to take them.  What a privilege to be part of such kingdom-building efforts!

So i want to thank YOU for making it posible for me to give in to my itchy feet.  Goodness, without you, i’d be scratching in anguish instead of soothing it with my missionary journeys.  Up next?  Cagayan De Oro in March.  Woohoo!

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25 plus years now – that’s how long i have been waiting to have one of my dreams come true, to be able walk “proudly” behind something that is a fairly decent showing at the annual UP Diliman Lantern Parade.  Not that the past lanterns were really that bad mind you.  It’s just that knowing the true stature of Jesus as the Lord of the universe, it made me feel quite mystified that we as those who profess to believe in Him could not muster up the funds or concept for a lantern that would bring Him even minor recognition as the truest reason for the December holiday season.

On December 18 last year, my dream finally came true – thanks to the generous giving of UPCCC’s alumni from all over the world.  (You know who you are folks!)  What made it even more special for me was that this was also a collective effort with the rest of the UP Christian Community – an umbrella group of ten recognized university-based Christian organizations.  Truly, behold how good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity!

Our lantern showcased how the Christian faith is relevant to UP students as they faced and continue to face the challenges of life: higher tuitions, academic pressure and even the floods of Pepeng and Ondoy.  As we marched all over the academic oval, it was a thrill as we saw so many onlookers wave to our mascots on the lantern who performed several times a short skit showcasing our theme.  Some of the UPCC (UP Christian Community) members distributed Christian materials to bystanders.

When i think about the future, i feel bold and courageous because i have seen that not only a decent but even a GREAT perhaps even award-winning lantern IS POSSIBLE for the UP Christian Community!  After all, we now have 11 months to prepare for it.  Whee!

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