Philippine adventure...

I'm in the Phils now....since 13th of May.  Currently here for my sisters' wedding.  It's been pretty good...i jsut don't like it when i get a bit restless and not much to do, i can't stand to shop for too long in a day hahahah it's so tyring!  Plus too much expenses hahaha!

Finally had my Cadbury hot chocolate with marshmallow in Qantas flight! hehehe!

But the good thing though is just the time spent with family.  I've really jsut tried to spend the time with family and relatives.

On the first week, we went to Bohol!  Yup yup the land of Chocholate Hills, tiny-big-eyed Tarsier monkeys, nice resorts and amazing dolphins!!!

Check out these tiny and yet big-eyed monkeys!

...during our river boat lunch ... pretty good buffet!  check out those Coconuts!  wanted to take them home to sydney...but can't! hahaha

...try feeding these fishies!  mad! :)

..and we FINALLY found Nemo and friend!!!!!!!!

It was a blessing that the time we were there - 17-20th, it was also Dolphin season from 17th-21st!  How kewl is that...i think thye came around to just hang out with us....you agree?..yeah i thought so!  I have proof that we hung out together!!  God makes everything so beautiful!

Last night, we went to treat my sister and us too of course to The Spa!  Everyone had something different, i had a Seasalt Body Scrub...it was awesome!  and a Peppermint Reflex and foot scrub---Great! sorry no pics for this one...just gotta treat urself to one of these ones in a blue moon! hehehe

Went to Divisoria today and it was crazy!  Couldn't stay there the whole day just only in the morning...happy i was able to get my supplies for earring making stuff hehehe  It's such a bargain! :)

Still currently preparing for the wedding...and next week i'll be going to SIngapore for a week to visit ate Sarah and Julia!

..till next time...

a moment of the present..

I know i said that i'll be doing some flashback, but for now let me share some thoughts with you...

Last night during the MCG (Mission Core Gathering), it began with a mass celebrated by Fr. Brendan.  It was a great mass!  The message of yesterday for me was on Leadership ...Missionary Zeal and Conversation (with our God) and how these were shown to us by St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier and Blessed Peter Faber.

It's amazing learning about these 3 (of many) great Saints and Blessed people that lived before us.

This was all linked with the Gospel and the readings about St. Paul.  Who was originally named Saul who persecuted the Christian church (practically the enemy of the Chruch) but later on experienced the love of Christ, heard the voice of God and was then converted. 

What benefit will it be to you
if you gain the whole world
but lose your own soul?
(Mark 8:36)

In today's readings, Jesus told those he followed..“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” (John 6:60-69).  Upon hearing this, many left him but when He asked His disciples, their response was...“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Living a Christian life is tough and have difficulties that comes along with it, just what the disciples faced.  But the more i reflect on this, do i walk away because it's difficult and spend the rest of my life without Christ in my life?  or continue to walk with Him? 

Despite the difficulties, it is much better to walk through life carrying my share of the cross with the one who gave His life for me, who carried my BIGGER cross first and showed me His love for me through that and spend eternity happily (mind you, 'happily' is no where close to describing with Christ than what our eternity with Christ will be like) with Christ, than walk through life taking the easy way to gain the whole world's pleasure without Christ and spend eternity in pain and torture.

The great thing in choosing to follow Christ is that, though he warned us that it won't be easy following Him, He promised the Holy Spirit to guide us and strengthen us.  All we need is to really stick by Him and follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit and the graces (through prayers and sacraments) he gives to us to endure all that we will face for His sake.

Life with Christ is the best option...we may not understand just yet all the trials and challenges we face or why we have to deny ourselves of some of things we want now but Christ says for us to wait...but what can you lose when you follow the one who gave His life for us?

Everyday, God wants to bless us and manifest his power and majesty in our lives and for people to see how great and loving and powerful He is.  All we have to do is allow Him to do live and manifest that in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving me.  Despite of my sins and shortcomings, you have always been there, loving me and never abandoning me.  In times i feel distant from you, i know you didn't go anywhere but it is I that moved. Thank you for the gift of the sacraments (esp. confession and communion) that allow me to come back to you and be closer to you. Through your Holy Spirit, help me to see you in all things and to discover Your grace in the ordinariness of my life.  Help me to be faithful and to alloow you to show your power and majesty in my life so that i can allow others to see you and encounter you through my life.  Bless and protect all my loved ones and those who are abandoned.  Grant me the grace to follow you and trust in your plan for my life. 

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriem!

ONCE A UPON A TIME IN FIJI....

well...going back to March-May of 2005, I was in Fiji for about 3 months or a bit over...i think i can actually say i'm partly Fijian now hehehe...

It was a great 3 months of mission...serving the CFC community especially through the family ministries..

Some highlights...

YFC SHOUT ..this was the 1 week in-house leaders training that we had at the Brown's Residence!  SHout out to Uncle Tim and Aunty Stella for providing their beautiful home!!  It's really a mission house!  you'll find all sorts of yfc..sfc hahah boarding there once in awhile..free of charge! Talk about hospitality!!

This was the main house i stayed at in addition to John and Louise Williams' house...with their adorable children...Liam, Elma, Zoe, Faith and now...they're youngest is Joy..yup! named after me! hahahaha

These are the YFC leaders in Fiji with the YFC Couple Coordinators...John and Louise William. (L-R:[back] Louise with Baby Faith, Gina, Balei, Letitia, Jaime, Joy; [middle] Dion,John,Justin; [front] Pete, Uncle John and Timmy).

1st SFC CLP...during my stay there, we also conducted SFC's first CLP on their own, led by Eke and Filo R with a small team of SFCs and a great support from CFC and it's family minsitries!....it was a moment of testing of character and faith but they stayed strong!  They are so prayerful and such a funny bunch of SFCs!!!  The funny thing is that this CLP was the first CLP i ever attended completely!! hahaha i had to go to Fiji to finish one??? Is it counted? hahaha.. Right now, the new sfcs from that CLP are very active and recently they had conducted 1 or 2 more CLPS!  Praise God!  Oh yeah and one of their new members back then went to the GK-YGAT (GK-Youth Great Adventure Tour) and he had such an awesome experience PLUS the SFC ILC (International Leaders Conference!)

This is the SFC household in Fiji before (some are missing form the pic), before they had their first SFC CLP. (l-r: Arthur, Eke, Joy, Filo, Norman and Jo)

Then SFC also had their 2nd SWR1 and first SWR2 with a team from Sydney to come and conduct it...that was Ray Villarica, Kathy Santos, Philomena Patel, Cocoi Padecio, Careen Orosco and myself.  It was great fun! Again, the first time to complete SWR1 &2....wats goin' on? hahaha i think it's just that im never in Sydney long enough - in the last 2 years only that is...

Got the chance to tour the SFCs from sydney to Beachcomber...that's one of the cool islands resorts there in fiji...(it was a gift from CFC Fiji).

Yummy Roti and bindi!!you gotta try it!

We had the Women's GLOW SUMMIT....it was very pretty!!!  It was nice to see all the women in the community glowing...as in!  You just had to be there!

Their music ministry is growing and it's kewl...especially when they wear their BULA shirts!  As you can see it's those nice polynesian/melanesian looking flowery shirts!

This is their music ministry (Uncle John is missing from the Pic), left - right: Timmy, Jo, Villiame & Pete)

In one of the music practices at Uncle Tim's house...he's the one closest on the left side.

Well 3 months actually flew...so many things happening back there...even took road trips to other towns to present CFC Christian Life Program...

Well...there's heaps more but then i might not be able to leave this computer hahaha...

Maisea, Filo and Mee!

YFCs: Shannae, Gina, Mee and Helen..

YFC @ the movies!

YFC at their 1st ALIVE assembly..

This is at the farewell that they gave me...it was such a beautiful farewell...i also had to drink Kava 3 times! hahaha i'm ok...

also they made this mat that i had to sit on too..wow!! they are really brothers and sisters with so much love!!!

Eke is now in the Philippines curently training for Fulltime Pastoral Work...so this means when he gets back to Fiji this May, CFC FIji will have their own Fulltime Worker too for the community!  In addition, there will be a trailblaser coming to fiji form Manila/US. Praise God!

Now CFC is also in Nadi (another town outside of Lautoka).

To my Fijian family...Vinaka Vakalevu! (Thank you very much!) for your warm hospitality for taking such great care of me while i was there i felt so well looked after!  You will always be family!!!

...return of the ...

hey hey hey....

Tapa!   (that's like 'wow' in Tualuan) it's been a loong while since i last updated this blog...so many things has happened and so i don't know where to begin!

Yea yeah...Ray V...yup i'm finally gonna update it mate!   hahah i bet you're laughing right now coz you've been bugging me about updating it and all...well hopefully i can keep going after this li'l blog...

let's see....the last entry was feb of last year!!! oh magosh!...ok..let me recollect myself ...

and i'll get back to you as i begin some flashbacks...

ey ey ey...see?  a blogspot that has flashbacks...yup...that's what you'll be getting for the next few entries...flashbacks...

......

Last Jan 3-17, we had the 2nd batch of YGAT - It was an awesome group and an awesome experience!!!  Praise God for the whole experience...Very inspiring and affirming!

It was a 2 week great adventure of immersion with GK! - a weekend of R&R at Palawan with the 65 other YFC OCeania GATers!!!  What a very inspiring bunch!!  Thank you for both groups for making it a great and learning experience!!  Continue to anchor yourselves in Christ always!!!

Great and life changing experiences:

* Making a difference in someone's life especailly to those less fortunate - to resotre their dignity once more!

* Being part of Nation building... Gawad Kalinga is much more than building houses, but it's about rebuilding lives of people, their dignity, their family, community and the nation...we can start with one person - one family - one community - one nation...and if we all take part in this great work, we can rebuild many other nations that are suffering from poverty and slowly but steadfastly, rebuild a world free from poverty and nations sharing resources, becoming one and a world with people's lives full of dignity and love.

..becoming a HERO to one another...

..painting with the Australian Ambassador..

... some more brick laying and excavation...

..having a break with the kids, families - the community...

TA-DAAA!!  One of the 2 houses the group built during the 2 week YGAT.  Finally a family has a beautiful home!  It's a privilege to help build them their home.