Journeys – Part 3
Albert Camus once said, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
Autumn begins with that crisp chill you feel when you take your early morning
walk. There is a subtle change in the light, with skies in deeper blues and early
evenings suddenly comes with clearer brighter skies and often chilled. The heavens
are often filled with migrant birds on their journey from the North to the Southern
states. There is crispness, ripeness and a sense of maturity everywhere you look.
And to an artist – it is colors galore. Vibrant hues of golds, purple and reds become
your daily view. And my heart is always happy and thrilled.
Autumn has always been my favorite season. This particular autumn will be very
special to me. When I became a mother and wife, the season of harvest became an
important family affair with tradition: Apple-picking, leaf-painting, pumpkin
carving, driving to Skyline Drive and thanksgiving dinner. But for the past eight
years, all these celebrations at home have been incomplete because Katie, our oldest
child refused to take part of it. As a teenager, she decided the autumn celebration
and family traditions were no longer important. She preferred spending it with her
friends and not even participating with our family thanksgiving feast. We still do
all these – minus her presence. And as a mother, my heart was broken to a thousand
pieces yet hopeful that one day, my daughter will come home and do it again.
I remember reading a book where Robert Browning once wrote, “MOTHERHOOD:
all LOVE begins and ends there.” Although I consider motherhood as a great
honor and privilege, it is also bedecked with challenges on how to really show your
unconditional love and accept your child’s journey as you accept yours. As a
mother, I discover reserves of energy and patience and unparalleled love which
always hopes for better things to come. In my personal journey, I realized that a
mother-child relationship requires the most intense love on the mother’s side
knowing that this love will help the child grow away from the mother to become
fully independent but it will also be the reason for the child to come home.
This month of October was a real blessing. Katie decided to come home for a month
to rest from the ordeals of living on a yacht out on sea and be on dry land. She rearranged her room, cooked and baked every day, took over my job of taking care of
Kristina’s mini dachshund. On rainy days, she spends most of her time reading in
her room and browsing at old photographs. On sunny days, we take walks to many
parks around the area. On cold nights, we watched movies together till dawn. She
took me to yoga and Zumba classes and gave me a rigid regimen of exercise. She put
me on a special ‘almost raw gluten-free diet.’ We argued, we exchanged heated
discussions on religion and she ridiculed me about spending too much time on
Facebook. She lectured me about privacy rights and said she does not want to be
posted in Facebook. She “unfriended” me several times from her account. Although
she told me years ago that she no longer believes in God, she allowed me to do my
prayers with her while she listens without a word.
Then on a beautiful autumn morning last week, she told me, she wanted to go apple
picking and visit a pumpkin patch. So, we did. And then she did the unthinkable.
She asked a lady at the pumpkin patch to take our pictures together. And to a mom
who had been waiting for years for such a priceless gift, my heart overflowed.
1 Corinthians 3: 7 says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.”
Truly a mother’s heart is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which is unconditional love
acceptance and forgiveness. So, in spite of the challenges, the heartaches, the
unceasing moments of bended-knee prayer sessions, the journey is always worth the
taking. I would not trade it for anything.
Devotional by the editor
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord...will award to me.” (2 Timothy 4:7 -8)
The modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a
battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news
of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the
momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died, thereby setting a precedent
for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.
When the modern Olympic games were inaugurated in 1896 in Greece, the legend of
Pheidippides was revived by a 24.85 mile (40,000 meters) run from Marathon Bridge to
Olympic stadium in Athens. Traditionally the final event in the Olympics, the first
organized marathon on April 10, 1896 was especially important to all Greeks. Greece was
hosting those first modern Olympic Games. The Greeks had yet to win a medal, and had one
final chance to bring glory to their nation. Twenty-five runners assembled on Marathon
Bridge. The starter mumbled a few words and fired the gun, and the race was on. "The
excitement of the crowd waiting at the finish line at the newly constructed replica of
Athens' ancient stadium was beyond description" writes the Greek historian Quercetani.
Spiridon Louis, a Greek postal worker from the village of Marusi and veteran of several
long military marches, crossed the finish line a full seven minutes ahead of the pack. His
time was 2 hours, 58 minutes, 50 seconds for the 40 kilometer distance. When it was all over
nine runners finished, 8 of them Greeks. The host nation was ecstatic, and the marathon
was born.
As the apostle Paul neared the end of his life, he looked back on his journey as a
completed marathon. “I have finished the race,” he said. God had marked out the
course Paul pursued, and he never deviated from it. From start to finish, he kept
his eye on the goal of completing God’s will.
He looked back on his apostolic ministry with the satis faction of having “fought
the good fight.” The Christian life is not for the faint of heart. It involves
struggles. But the dedicated believer puts up a good fight in the strength of the
Lord and emerges as a victor. Paul also had “kept the faith” and had faithfully
declared the truth throughout the Roman Empire in spite of severe opposition.
We don’t know how near we are to the end of life’s journey, but if we emulate
Paul, we too will receive a crown of righteousness.
(http://www.haventoday.org/end -lifes-journey-dv-2225.html)
A non-Gardener’s View
By Meriam Cadiz-Fabriga
GREEN THUMB?
I grew up in the farm and know what it is to plant vegetables, fruit trees, and
flowers. I enjoy harvesting and eating the produce. I also appreciate beautiful
flower gardens and take pleasure in taking pictures to admire the different array of
vibrant colors.
I thought I have a pretty good green thumb. Or so I thought…. until I married a
man with super green ten fingers. See what I mean? The pictures will show that I
can enjoy beauty, sit and relax even by being a non-gardener.
Luther Burbank once said, “ Flowers always make me happier, better, and more
helpful: they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”
I could not agree more. My moments spent in the garden are my happiest.
A Mission of Love
By Gwen Ferraren-Cabrales
Sometime last year, Nanette Rambano, of Eons group invited me together with some
fellow believers to hold a medical mission trip to Biliran Island. This certain town,
Cabucgayan, is one of the towns of Biliran has only a few Adventists. One of its
barangay has no Adventist at all and Nanette has a burden for her relatives to hear
about Jesus and His love. So we planned the event for May of 2015.
There were only five of us who went on this trip. Nanette made the necessary
preparations and the four of us arrived in Leyte in May.
We held the meetings for ten days. My sister and I were in charge of the health lectures.
We did not give out any medications. We only taught health and checked blood pressure
and blood sugar. Pastor Jim Acebedo is the preacher.
Most of the attendees have not heard about the eight laws of health and so they were
very attentive and very eager to learn. There was one particular person that stood out
during this mission trip. I forgot his name. When he first attended the meeting, he can
hardly walk. He went to the meeting with a cane and his gait is shuffled. His has slurred
speech.This man is only in his mid fifties but due to vices he suffered a stroke. He came
every day no matter the weather to listen to the lectures.
Around the fourth or fifth day of attending I was so surprise because he came without
his cane and he walked better. His gait is not as shuffled. I asked what he did and he
said he practiced what he learned from the health lectures. He tried to eat healthier,
walked some more, and drinks more water. We were so happy that someone applied
what he heard to change his lifestyle. There were several who gave their life to Jesus
and is followed up by the Adventists over there. The townsfolk were so happy that we
chose their town for the medical mission trip.We went home feeling blessed that we had
an opportunity to share God's love and healthy lifestyle.
Cabucgayan is a very laid back small town. This town is very small. The people are
mostly Catholics or LDS,aka Mormon. This town was twice affected by big typhoons,
Yolanda and Ruby. So food is scarce. The fishermen can hardly catch fish because of
illegal fishing practice that destroyed the natural habitat of the fish.
Alumni Gatherings around the World
**Association of Friends of Thailand (AFT) Reunion, Oct 24, 205 at Thai SDA Church
0855 New Jersey St, Redlands, CA 92373. For more info call Zee Postrero at (909) 5569084.
** MVC Alumni potluck on November 14, 2015, to be held at AIIAS Gym, Lalaan 1,
Silang, Cavite.
** Illinois Chapter Christmas Potluck, Greenwood Avenue, Niles, Illinois. Contact Nora
Munda, Leslie Rosendo and Vicky Osorio-Ybanez.
**GYC December 30 – January 3, 2016 in Louiseville, Kentucky.
Please check http://gycweb.org/conference/information/
Joy in Serving
by Loida Estabillo-Cruz
I was a part of the Zephyrs Class of 1978.
After graduation, I got my first job at Manila Adventist Hospital now called MAMC.
Then in November of 1981, I went to Thailand to work for World Vision. This was a
project under the initiative of the former First lady Imelda Marcos. There, I got the
privilege of helping refugees from communist countries such as Vietnam and Laos, who
went to Thailand for refuge. It is during this mission that I cried tears of empathy and
sympathy to families displaced due to political reasons. As volunteers, we were first
housed at the beautiful hotel Marriott in Bangkok for a few days and then moved to the
Governor’s mansion for a week or so while the refugees live in their tents. Thousands of
children were born here and died here.
Then the housing made for all foreign volunteers were finally done. We got excited we
got to commune with these refugees and live close to Van Vinai Refugee Hospital. It is
also during this mission that I realized all the blessings I have been receiving all my life.
The experience was life-changing. Together with 3 other MVCians, we volunteered with
just a “stipend’ to live on. But it was all worth it. I truly believed that God has a plan for
each one of us and one event lead to another to my life’s journey from MVC to where I
am now. I have always been grateful for the privilege given me.
Before I left for Thailand, I already was a CGFNS passer and was already assigned a
work place, a Nursing Home. But I told myself, I wanted something better, so I
volunteered instead for Thailand. While there, I sent out more applications and after two
years, I was on my way to Texas. I fist worked at a huge hospital in Conroe, Texas but
after some unforeseen event, I left and moved to Reeves County Hospital in Pecos,
Texas which at that time was run by Adventist Administrators. Here I met two other
nurses Eliza De Guzman and Cecille Sant, whom I took under my wings and they
became my little sisters. I helped welcome them to the world of Nursing in a foreign
country and we became the closest of friends. After 3 years I decided to move to a
bigger hospital and closer to the city and started working at Odessa Medical Center.
After one year, I was forced to leave the hospital and the country due to a not-renewed
working visa. This was December 1985 and I was distraught. But God has other plans
for me. It was during this homecoming that I finally meet in person my husband who
was a pen pal while I was still in Texas. We got married and God gave us a son we
named Jason.
Then in 1990, I was approved to go back to Odessa Medical Center, but this time with
my husband. At 2 ½ years of age, our son had to stay with my family in the Philippines
until his papers are processed and until our life is more stable at work. That was a
difficult situation and decision to make as a mother. It was a risk knowing that we may
not see him for years. But as usual, God has His own plans. He led us to the right lawyer
and made it possible for my son’s papers to be processed at an earlier date. Then my
very good friend Eliza, whom I have previously helped during her first few years in
Texas, realized that I needed her and she volunteered to bring Jason back to the US
which is not easy. She had to stay for a month in manila to bond with him before they
flew back together to the US. I have been a nurse in all areas of Nursing: labor &
Delivery, ER, Critical Care, Chest pain management and has been a CCRN with Cardiac
Medication Certification. And I thoroughly enjoyed my journey as a Registered Nurse
Looking back, God has been so good to me. He provided me the right people at the right
time when I needed them. Finally, my family was complete. Now, I have retired from
Nursing. I am now enjoying my freedom from waking up on a schedule. For the first
time in my life, I am learning to play the piano, take Photography course and enjoy
travel. In 2013, I toured all around Europe to treat myself. And I am looking forward to
more travelling in the near future. My journey from the MVC hilltop was full of
challenges and trials, but I also have fun and enjoyment meeting friends along the way.
I considered myself blessed and loved by God.
Quotes for the Week
“Enlighten everyone you meet in your journey of life with the light of your
love and kindness.”
― Debasish Mridha
“Life is a journey with almost limitless possibilities.”
― Ken Poirot
“Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.”
― Erol Ozan
Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one's journey is easy. It's how they handle it
that makes people unique.
Kevin Conroy
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/journey.html#oGhoGW16F1WErMuY.99
The Unexpected
by Vilma Llanos-Halder
I got married to a Bengali Theology student while studying at then, Philippine Union College, Silang,
Cavite. We met at Philippine Union College while I was studying for my Master in Health Science
while he, Master in New Testament. After a month of marriage, I went with my husband to his
country, Bangladesh, to work for the SDA Mission. I had to say goodbye to the Philippines and start
embarking on a journey to the unknown, fully trusting on God’s guidance.
I have so many stories while being a foreigner’s wife in a Mission field. In 1988, my husband was
moved to a big boarding school as a principal. We had two children already when we moved out. The
eldest girl was four years old and the second girl was two. Then, I got pregnant in 1989 with the third
one, who happened to be a boy. Initially, I was assigned as an English and Health teacher. Then
later on, they added some duties such as being a librarian and also in charge of Guest Rooms in
campus. My hands were really full. As most of you know, life in the school can be very hectic. We
have to be disciplined, stick to our schedule, prepare our lesson plans and so many other extracurricular activities. My children were still small and needed my foremost care and attention as well.
On the other hand, my husband was very busy also as a Principal. However, he was so concerned of
me, especially for my health, after undergoing three Caesarian sections during my three deliveries.
So he decided to find another helper in addition to two existing helpers to help watch our youngest
child while the two helpers are busy in their daily chores-cooking, laundry, cleaning and other house
work. Remember this is in the mission field. There were no washing machines, dryer and other
conveniences we now have. I had to come home between class breaks to supervise the house work,
feed my baby, bathe him and then go again to school when the bell rings. Luckily, our house was just
inside the premises of the school campus.
Finally, my husband found one ten-year-old girl from a neighboring village. This girl came from a
Hindu family whose father died earlier. She had a lovely hard-working mother and brothers and
sisters, but they are very poor. My husband introduced her to me. Looking at this thin, little girl to be
my help for my little kid, I was shocked! I was used in the Philippines that helpers are grown-ups. I
told my husband, the girl is supposed to be in school. Why she will work for us? My heart was crying
inside but I did not have any other choice but to do the best of her. I oriented her to our house and
her simple work aside from helping watch my little boy. She was so eager and cheerful and filled with
wonder as she went around a big house. By the way, this is a mission house which was made
according to British model. We lived upstairs and downstairs was a guestroom for visiting
missionaries or guests of which I was in-charge too.
Every day we had family worship of which I am in charge of telling Bible stories with illustrated
pictures. I had to mix English and Bangla language for the children to understand. This little girl
helper was listening attentively to the wonderful stories especially stories about Daniel, Joseph,
David, character building stories and so forth. I was surprised because I thought she would not enjoy
our worship time because she came from family who worship idols. Our children were taught how to
sing, memorize Bible verses, pray during the worship hour and finally she tried to follow them as well.
After a while she could sing, recite memory verses and pray when she was asked to take a turn.
After several months, an Australian missionary couple who worked at the Bangladesh Union Office, in
the capital city of Dhaka, came for a visit to our school. We entertained them at our house, as
normally done by the institutional head. He, was a pastor and the wife, a nurse. There was a friendly
conversation going on, being on the similar profession. So, I happened to mention that the little girl
who is helping us is a Hindu but she is very interested in our Bible stories and other activities. I told
her that we are helping her go to our mission school because previously she could not go to any
school because the family could not afford. The couple felt bad about the little girl’s situation-being
ten years old without having gone to school yet.
One day my husband had to go to the Union Office for official work. He met this couple again and had
convivial conversation. He was told that they were interested to adopt the Hindu girl helper we
have. My husband could hardly believe what he heard. But he assured them that he would help them
as much as he could if the girl’s family would agree for her to be adopted. At any rate, the news was
conveyed to the mother and the whole family. They agreed after much thought. Although, they
would miss her, they did not mind because it would be for a better future.
Arranging for adoption papers was not that easy. It took lots of money and time. But it was done
successfully after much struggle and challenges. She was able to go to Australia with the Australian
couple after their term as missionaries in Bangladesh. They loved her very much as if she was their
biological daughter. She was baptized and educated in our SDA College there. Finally, she
graduated with a degree in Bachelor in Elementary Education and later got married. Not only that,
when she had work, she sponsored her brother to our Mission School in Bangladesh to finish his
studies and he was also baptized. She sent him to Philippines for further education. Now his brother
is a nurse and is a faithful Adventist, full of energy with great passion in preaching God’s Word.
Praise the Lord for the silent influence of a Christian home. In our Christian journey, people come and
go through our lives and we became part of their journey. We will never know that kind of influence
we have over such meetings. We never know the result of simple actions or random form of kindness
we do every day. Challenges come and make us stronger during our journey. But we are assured that
God has a plan for each one of us and we rely on His leading because with Him, nothing is
impossible.
Shining for Jesus
By Evelyn Gabutero-Pelayo
As missionaries we are privileged to be able to travel during our annual leaves to see places.
Africa has always been one of our favorite places to visit. It is a beautiful continent, not just
to see and explore but to also share God’s love for those people who have not known Christ
yet.
In 1993 to 2001 we were assigned in Yuka Mission Hospital in Kalabo, Zambia. It is a very
remote place in the territory of Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division. We are proud to
say that many MVCians have been assigned there. To name few of them are Dr Alex and
Nelli (Pelayo)Llaguno, Dr Isagani and Meriam Manuel, Dr Ellen Porteza and Harvele
Valenciano, Diony Moscatel plus several others. All of them keep shining for Jesus till Jesus
comes.
Missionaries who graduated from Mountain View College are everywhere. They come and go
with one goal: to share and reach people for Christ. They build and construct churches
and hospitals, dispensaries and clinics to help improve health problems, teach health
practices to the locals.
Presently, we are in Adventist University Zurcher where Roger was part of the big project
of the 2012 13th Sabbath Offering. Two buildings were constructed, a Library and
Computer Science Building for the students. In this University many MVCians have come
and gone shining for Jesus! They hold positions that helped the school prosper. Rupilin
Delgado Pichot helped the Culinary and Health Care departments; Gabriel and Forsythia
(Catane) Galgao taught and keep the Finance and Business and Academic affairs. And
recently Alphie Cana Payet helps in the Nursing Department, trying to help make changes
and improvement in health care. Dr Joe and Becbec Dial were once there too.
I have often been asked whether I ever feel lonely as a missionary. And yes, there are
moments when we miss home and our families. But we always find something to entertain
us through programs we make ourselves. Above is CULTURAL NIGHT!
Then we get visitors and see other missionaries. Many have indeed come and gone at this
University to help win more souls for the kingdom. Each one comes with high hopes of
being able to shine for Jesus. Each one has a different story to tell about his/her journey as
a missionary. Each experience is different and unique. Our stories may never be written in
novels and history books but it is our hope that to those whom we have encountered in our
journey, they will keep the stories in their hearts forever. Mabuhay MVC!
Confession of a Photo Addict
by Lily Lare
I just love taking photos. I call this hobby, “documentation”. I always document the places I go to, the
people I am with, the food we eat, and the trips I take. When I see single individuals or groups trying
hard to take “selfies” (without selfie sticks), I usually offer my services because I can relate to their
dilemma.
I feel so blessed to be connected with Maxwell Adventist Academy because for the first time in my
whole teaching-abroad experience, my vacation trip to the Philippines last summer was all paid for.
As soon as the school year ended, I left the campus. I was so excited to visit my family and friends in
Bangkok again before I proceeded to the Philippines.
My flight was scheduled past 11:00 PM so I knew my sleeping hours that night will truly be lacking.
My plan was to go to the departure area as quickly as I could so I can catch some Zzzz’s before we
leave Nairobi Airport. My focus was on my much needed sleep that I failed to document the airlines I
took - Emirates. When our plane reached Dubai, my sleep-deprived body walked like a zombie
through the arrival tunnel, into the shuttle bus, and finally through security check and the immigration
counter. As soon as our departure gate came into view, I looked for a comfortable sleeping place.
I stretched on a padded chair in the airport lounge and slept for more than an hour despite the loud
chatters of the other passengers around me. After recharging, I went to our departure gate’s counter
to take a photo of the sign signifying our destination, with the airlines’ name and logo on it.
While I was concentrating on taking the right angle, an Arabian woman came near me and whispered,
“Just two minutes and we’ll open the gate.”
Oh dear, if I did not take that photo, I wouldn’t have had the chance to be the first in line. I smiled and
told myself, “Oh, yes! Photo addiction is not ALL bad!
Amusing, Embarrassing and Unforgettable Travel Experiences
This week, I decided to share to you some short, amusing and unforgettable travel experiences from
several countries that I have traveled. Please enjoy!
A few days ago, I had two experiences that really caught me by surprise. While flying in airplanes,
from time to time, I always visit the toilet to relieve myself especially during long flights. You can
determine whether the toilet is empty or not by looking at the color of a small sign in an aircraft toilet
door. Green with the word “vacant” means there is nobody inside. Red with the word “occupied”
means that somebody is inside using the toilet.
On my recent trip from Manila to Singapore, I needed to go to the restroom and when I saw that the
color is green (meaning the toilet is empty), I immediately opened the door. To my surprised, a middle
age Asian lady was desperately trying to hold the door so that it will not be opened. I waited for her to
finish and when she came out, I told her that I was sorry and I demonstrated to her how to close and
lock the airplane toilet door next time she needed it. ***
Same situation happened a few days ago while traveling in a Singapore Airlines flight from Brisbane
to Singapore. I went to the toilet after seeing the sign of the door was green but when I opened the
door, I saw an Australian lady inside. She also did not lock the door. She did not see me but I
immediately closed the door. These two experiences taught me a lesson that the word “vacant”
doesn’t always mean it’s empty inside. It’s still a good practice to knock and say if there is somebody
inside because there are people do not bother to close the door.
On my recent trip from Manila to Davao, I was seated next to two old ladies from Davao del Norte
who I assumed were new to riding airplanes. The plane was delayed for two hours in Manila and
when we departed it was almost getting dark. As the stewardess was instructing the passengers to
buckle up, she did not know where to get the seat belt so I decided to help her. I told her to stand up
a little bit because she was seating on her seat belt. As she did not know how to connect the seat belt
I also demonstrated to her how to use it. When the plane finally descended to Davao, I saw that it
was very dark outside and it was raining. The plane kept on ascending and descending at intervals,
and moving a little bit left and right because of the gusty winds and pouring rain. Then the turbulence
became more frightening. I just closed my eyes and prayed thinking that this is not way to die.
The lady beside me was praying loudly with her rosary and I saw her making the sign of the cross.
Then at last, there was a small clearing in the clouds and we lined up with the runway but then I
realized that it was really raining. When we are about 20 meters to the ground, I felt a sigh of relief
that very soon, we will be touching the runway. Suddenly, there was a big bang and the aircraft hit the
ground so hard that we felt like being jolted from our seats. I told the two ladies to hold on to their
seats and I heard both of them saying “Jesus Maria Josep”. Both of them were very afraid. It was an
unforgettable experience with these two ladies. Frightening for them and for me.***
One day in Suva, Fiji, we were strolling and walking along the beach towards the market in Suva
which is very near to Suva port. We were talking with my fellow MVC’ian colleague and my other
Indonesia staff. It was getting dark and while walking on the bridge as we approached the market, I
saw that there were three people talking to each other. Suddenly, without warning, one of them – a
very big, dark and tall Fijian guy blocked the road and said “immigration” and they were asking for my
passport. I did not believe right away that they are real immigration agents because they wore dirty
clothes. They were “hold uppers” or simply thieves trying to steal money from me. My two other
colleagues were able to run and pass without problem but I could not evade him because anywhere I
go, he was there to blocking my way. Suddenly, he was able to hold my left pants pocket because it
was budging as I always place my pair of eyeglasses there. He was desperately trying to hold my
eyeglasses thinking that it was my wallet but my wallet was in my right pants pocket.
With my adrenaline rushing in, I shouted for help from my two other colleagues but they were far
already. I said, if I cannot move forward, why not move backward. I backed off and after that ran in
the other direction. I was able to escape from the three thieves and upon reaching a safe place, I
prayed thanking for the Lord’ protection.
Lastly, in one of my visits to one of Thailand’s premier tourist destination – Phuket, I decided stay in
Patong beach. Patong beach was very famous area in Phuket because of the beach, souvenir shops
and hotels. Even after the December 26, 2004 Tsunami where hundreds of people died, this is still a
popular destination. One evening, after dinner, my wife and I decided to stroll to the beach passing by
the famous “International Walking Street” of Phuket. We were amused watching so many ladies
(prostitutes) on that street trying to entertain tourists from all over the globe.
Then we saw 3 “lady boys” (“bayot” in my mother tongue) parading with their feather costumes and
making a lot of noise. As we pass by them, one of them suddenly came to me and suddenly grabbed
me and touched my private parts. I was stunned. I did not expect that act. My wife stared at me and
said, “bastos ning bayota ni”.
These are some of my travel experiences which although seem scandalous and embarrassing to
share, yet they do happen to us in our life’s journey. We can either just shove it off and charge it to
experience and make a humor out of it, or take it with cynicism and contempt. In our journey, it is up
to us to make the experiences unforgettable and meaningful. It is our choice.
Poem For The Week
As we journey through our lives,
We all take separate paths.
Sometimes they’re filled with sorrow,
Other times they’re full of laughs.
There’s no exact destination,
We just follow where it goes.
We travel until our journey ends,
When that is, nobody knows.
We all make big decisions,
As to different roads we’ll take.
We all learn from accomplishments,
And mistakes that we will make.
What will lie ahead of us?
No one can make that call.
But we all need someone with us,
To pick us up, after we fall.
In life our paths will cross,
We won’t always be alone.
We’ve seen what’s behind us,
But our future remains unknown.
By Jon Nelson
Something out of Nothing by Selpha Sabas
SULADS Comprehensive High School for the Lumads
September 2015
Teaching here in SCHSL is very challenging. Students here are from different
backgrounds with parents who can't afford to provide money for their projects and other
needs in the school. God is so good to me and helped me open their minds to think of
something from the natural resources around with which to earn a livelihood. I started
demonstrating to them how to make something out of what seems like nothing.
We made noodles from corn. Students had a fun time learning to provide something
good to eat. We have “rattan” growing in the forest around us so we learned to make
curtains and other objects from these vines.
When food sources are limited, one has to learn how to make various dishes from
available sources to avoid monotony in the menu. We demonstrated how to make at
least five different dishes from papaya. Foods can be displayed in artistic designs to
make them more attractive.
We have corn husks and leaves in abundance. These items can be used to make
various artistic designs and toys for children. Even used plastic bottles and containers
can be formed into attractive decorations.
Gleaned from facebook:
I pride myself on my home-cooked meals, and I've always made that extra effort to
keep the cookie jar full. I was therefore surprised at my four-year-old's reaction
when he was offered store-bought cookies while we were visiting friends.
"Oh, look, Mommy, real cookies!"
A village pastor, known for his weakness for trout, preached against fishing on
Sunday. The next day one of his members presented him with a fine string of fish
and said hesitatingly, "I guess I ought to tell you, parson, that those trout were
caught on Sunday."
The minister hesitated, gazed appreciatively at the speckled trout, and then said
piously as he reached for his gift, "The fish aren't to blame for that."
An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright
freckles, spent the day at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their
cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.
"You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!" a girl in the line said to the
little fella.
Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head. His grandmother knelt down next to
him. "I love your freckles. When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," she
said, while tracing her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are beautiful."
The boy looked up, "Really?" "Of course," said the grandmother. "Why just name me
one thing that's prettier than freckles."
The little boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his grandma's face, and
softly whispered, "Wrinkles."
(From Doc's Daily Chuckle and From Da Mouse Tracks)
)
Experience of a Lifetime
by Merlyn Mariquit-Valloso
From Mountain View College to Saudi Arabia
1982 was an unforgettable year. I went to Manila alone, in the hopes of applying for a job
as a casual worker at Manila Sanitarium & Hospital. At that time, a lot of MVCians were
applying for available jobs for Saudi Arabia. It was never part of my plan to go there myself.
I was about to be made a regular worker at MSH but one thing led to another and before I
knew it, together with other MVCians, I was interviewed and accepted.
In October 28, 1983, together with Helen Perral, a classmate from the Zephyrs class, we
were accepted for assignment under the Ministry of Health. Assignments were posted and
with luck and God’s providence, Helen and I were assigned together for Sulaimaniah
Surgical Center, Sulaimaniah, Riyadh, KSA.
Sulaimaniah Surgical Center was a very brand new hospital at that time and upon arriving,
we were told to immediately work. There were only very few patients. On some days we do
nothing at all. The funniest part is that we do not know what to say and they do not
understand that much English either. So just by using signs and gestures we communicate.
Since it is a surgical center, we have to tell patients not to eat anything starting the night
before. We learned one very important sentence though “kunlo-kunlo mafi akil mafi ashrab
muya bukra kunlo fi amalia” which means ‘Listen everybody. Tomorrow you are for
operation, so no food, no drink.’ And we all laughed and have fun.
After two years, I was re-assigned with 9 other nurses to the main hospital Riyadh Central
Hospital locally called as Shemaisy Hospital. King Faisal was brought to this hospital when
he was gunned down by his nephew. King Fahd followed and reigned for 20 years. King
Abdulla Ibn Abdulaziz followed the chairman and at that time, we were getting more
freedom. He changed the strict national Head of Mutawa (Muslims’ Religious Police) to a
more lenient and understanding one and we were enjoying some religious freedom.
Prior to our arrival here, we were told not to bring Bibles or other religious books and
magazines. But that was unthinkable for me. So, I decided to make colorful covers of my
The Good News Bible just like I did with my Nursing books as well as the 28 SDA Doctrines.
I placed the Bible and other religious books and religious cassettes in between the Nursing
handbooks. With a lot of prayers, I was never questioned and I passed the Immigration
Officer. Those cassettes has helped me strengthen my faith and Helen and I listened to
those during our Sabbath worships.
Back in the early 80’s Thursdays and Fridays were considered weekends. Saturday was their
first day of the week so that meant work for us always. It was not until June 2013, that it
was changed and weekend became Fridays and Saturdays. A home division church was
started by another MVCian and my classmate Mario Balisnomo and other friends. So we
meet every Friday from sundown until 1000pm. It was never easy. There were others who
have no means of transport so there were a lot of planning and assignmnts to do as to who
picks up who at what time and place. But these are just few of the challenges that made us
grow stronger in our faith.
A real blessing to my life came 5 years later on October 28, 1983 when I was no longer
living in the Nurses’ dorm. I enjoyed more freedom. Then Pastor Bourg Schultz, a Norwegian
came to Riyahd for a Loma Linda University program connected to the Prince Sultan Cardiac
Center. He came to meet the few Adventists in the house of a new convert, Armand Ilagan.
There was a “Question & Answer” hour and this was the time when my husband asked so
many questions about hell and that was the beginning of his quest to learn more. And on
that beautiful February 21, 2001, my husband and my 8-year old daughter and 4 others
were baptized in a 4X5 foot diameter and 4 feet deep square drum in our friend’s home.
This was the beginning of our worshipping from one house to another. Because of space
limitations, we had to squat sometimes for hours on the floor. There were Canadians,
Americans and lots of Filipinos. Our numbers grew to more than 60 until Pastor Bourge
suggested that we split the group which we did. But yet the number still grew until we had
to rent an “esteraha” or resort where male and female can come together privately. These
places are usually in the outskirts of the city. We would come early Friday morning and on
sunset Friday, we start our Sabbath School program, then followed by Divine Hour of
Worship until late at night and then we bring back the brethren to their individual rental
homes.
We have always longed to have a spiritual leader or a pastor for the group. Then in 2007, a
volunteer pastor named Raeldayan (RD) Aplaon came. He was an active Theology graduate
of MVC but came to Saudi as a nurse. When he arrived, he did not even know we had our
SDA group in Al Khobar. So he was attending a Born Again group until he found out about
us. When a group of leaders went to Bahrain to meet the pastor from Middle East Union, he
was encouraged to volunteer. It was no easy quest. It wasn’t easy traveling from Jeddah to
Riyadh which takes about 12-13 hours, then he would rest at our home and then travel to Al
Khobar for another 3-4 hours. But we have been blessed with this man. God sent him to us
and these are the accomplishments he did for our group:
1.Three churches are now recognized by the Middle East Union: Al Khobar, Ruyadh and
Jeddah.
2. We were able to have our first SDA National Convention in Jeddah, and then Al Khobar
and Riyadh.
3. Many religious literature magazines and books have been brought inside Saudi Arabia
due to his fearlessness and bravery.
4. He was able to find a villa to rent where we can enjoy our Sabbath activities now.
I firmly believed that God has a plan for each one of us before we were even conceived. It
was never in my plan to be in Saudi Arabia. But God brought me here. I never dreamed of
marrying a non-Adventist, but God provided the husband who is now instrumental in
helping spread the gospel in this Muslim world. Our first Sabbath services were done
secretly in our small house but now we have a much bigger place for regular worship. We
invite friends and co-workers. Riyadh is stricter than Al Khobar. We also hold Pathfinders
meetings for the younger generations. There have been a lot of challenges in holding the
SDA group together. There was a split and some disagreements among members but only
the very few of us, MVCians and our closest friends remain steadfast and faithful.
We, the Seventh-day Adventists in Saudi Arabia had our National Convention of SDA in
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, organized by our Pastor RD Aplaon, who is also a graduate from
Mountain View College. He was the pioneer pastor here and followed by pastor Noel
Nadado. We just had our Camp Meeting last September 23-26.We are definitely growing in
number. We have an organized choir and right now we are planning a concert in Bahrain
which is thirty minutes drive away. I know God has plans for this country. This is the story
of my journey from MVC to Saudi Arabia. It is still a story in the making. I know the best is
yet to come.
Prayer Requests
1. Prayer for healing
 Bermudez, Pastor Rudy (Loma Linda, CA) – radiation therapy
 Bingcang, Elmar (Chicago, IL) – recovering
 Ferrarin, Kharyssa (MVC Campus) – pain. 5th vertebrae injury during PE class
 Jimenez, Cocoy (Baylor Hospital, TX)
 Poblacion, Elisa (Bacolod Sanitarium) – pancreatic cancer
 Porazo, Pastor Nick (Cebu City
 Rachel Recentes Rivera (MVC Campus) – dialysis treatments twice a week
 Samson, Flor (Washington State) -- recovering slowly
 Segovia, Pastor Agripino (Loma Linda, CA) – pancreatic cancer
 Pastor Leonardo Asoy
2. Prayer for the bereaved families
Elizabeth Mejia Diesta
Pastor Albert Gulfan
3. For all our missionaries and workers around the world.
4. MVC administrators, teachers and students
5. For each other as we wait for the Lord’s coming soon.
Acknowledgment
With a grateful heart, I sincerely thank the following special people who contributed and
made this issue colorful, meaningful and beautiful: Loida Estabillo-Cruz, Merlyn MariquitValloso, Gwen Ferraren-Cabrales, Vilma Llanos-Halder, Meriam Cadiz-Fabriga, Lily Lare,
Evelyn Gabutero-Pelayo, Selpha Sabas, and to our regular contributors: Jessie Colegado for
his ‘Patch of Weeds’ and Romy Halasan for “Life of a Missionary”
LOLO & LOLA
1. Do you have (or know of) a Lolo or Lola who is MVCian?
2. Are you an MVCian who is also a Lolo or a Lola?
If so, the CyberFlashes editors are inviting to write a little something about being a Lolo or
Lola: your thoughts about this, the blessings & fun that comes with it, and/or experiences
with your apo(s). Submit your write up to Evelyn Porteza Tabingo via email at
etabingo@gmail.com Deadline: Oct 30.
This is for the Grandparents' Day issue of CyberFlashes. Thanks. [Photo credit: Dr. & Mrs
Abelardo Era.]
This week’s issue of Cyberflashes is coordinated/edited by Raylene Rodrigo-Baumgart.
Next week’s issue will be by Eddie Zamora. Please direct all entries to him or to any of
the editors.
Eddie Zamora……………………………………. ezamora594 at aol dot com
Evelyn Porteza-Tabingo……………………. etabingo at gmail dot com
Jessie Colegado…………………………………. Cyberflashes at gmail dot com
Joy Caballero-Gadia………………………….. watermankids at yahoo dot com
Lily EscaraLare…………………………………… Lily_lare at yahoo dot com dot ph
Melodie Mae Karaan……………………………Inapan melodieinapan at yahoo dot com
Raylene Rodrigo-Baumgart……………….. raylene.baumgart at gmail dot com
Closing Thoughts
This was a challenging week for me. Five more days to go, and I still did not get any
contribution for this Cyberflashes’ issue. I desperately sent emails and text messages
to those ‘reliable’ friends of mine who are always willing to send me stories and
articles whenever I need them. But nobody could commit. Then I saw this photo
from Facebook that really caught my attention which says, “I have a plan. Do you
trust me? ~God”. Then, I knew God will provide.
An hour later later, I found myself on a group chat for The Zephyrs Class of 1978. I
started this chat over about a month ago when I found out that our classmate Beth
Mejia Diesta was dying. So through Facebook, I immediately told my classmates
that I am desperate for stories about life journeys and before I knew it, stories about
their real stories from the campus to where they are now – came through the chat.
They said they do not know how to write but they can just give me some lines and
some experiences. Just like an interviewer I asked them questions and the results of
these conversations are all written down here. Stories of challenges and their
survival through them. There are lots of unexpected surprises in here. And the best
thing that came out of this is that I became a changed women. I learned that in
spite of all those happy photos we see posted in Facebook are some trials, desperate
moments and triumphs unknown and unheard. It is part of the journey. And yet,
for all of these, I am grateful….. Raylene
HAPPY SABBATH, EVERYONE!