One Decision Changes Everything

The decision to lay Isaac on the altar made Abraham the father of many nations.  The decision to stay two more days in Jerusalem gave Jesus the opportunity to show God's glory by raising Lazarus from the dead.  Joseph's decision to take Mary as his wife allowed for the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah was to come from the line of David.

One decision changes everything.

What if Abraham chose to withhold that which gave him security?  He wasn't a father of many nations but at least Isaac made Abraham a father.  Isaac was a deposit of sorts for the old man.  But sometimes God gives us a dream, a vision, and then He asks us to kill it.

What if Jesus had gone to Bethany right away to heal Lazarus?  That would have been good as well, but healing the sick was something Jesus had been doing for years.  What would be so special about that?  God's "delays" and man's waiting allow for time to become ripe for God's glory to be manifested.

What if Joseph, after that message from the angel, still divorced Mary?  What if he couldn't pay the price of being the father of the child that Mary was carrying?  Joseph needed to see with eyes of faith in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled.  God makes sure that there will be someone to support Mary in carrying that which the Holy Spirit conceived in her.

This year has been a year of giving up and letting go of personal dreams so that God can birth His dreams in my heart.  The decision to yield my rights in submission to God's will made this year the awesome year that it was.

I clearly remember the day I asked for my parents' release to go to China for the JRev summer outreach.  It was a few days before Christmas 2008.  I played the "it's my birthday" card on them.  It was my ace.  But Jesse Bacon did not like the idea of sending his only daughter to communist China.  I pleaded.  I was called crazy to even think that they would release me.  My supposed-to-be China teammates even suggested that I ask my parents again during Valentine's Day and play the "it's Valentine's Day" card on them.  But that would be grasping at straws.

I decided to submit to my parents and let go of China.

During the January 2009 JRev outreach leaders meeting it was established that I was the only one from Pastor Charlie's "dream team" who wasn't going to China.  I felt left out.  I was supposed to be going to China with friends I have gone to different outreaches with.  That would have been so much fun.  Pastor Charlie and Kuya John sent me to Davao instead.

And this is where I found myself before an altar with nothing to sacrifice except my heart.  I was stripped of everything that gave me security.  I was in a place I have never been to with a team I did not know and without a JRev coordinator.  It was the first outreach that I was with a lot of people yet I felt "alone".  I remember the tears I cried and the text messages and calls that gave me encouragement.

When Abraham offered Isaac he knew one of two things would happen.  Either God raises Isaac from the dead or He would provide a different sacrifice.  When I offered my heart I did not know what would happen.  In the end, God showed me my heart's capacity to risk and to love.  Nothing compares to the joy that one experiences in opening the heart and risking it to let others in.

This year has been a year of building and deepening relationships for me.  And that would not have happened had I not decided to love and risk my heart. Love as an act of the will is something we choose to do, certainly not an emotion we wait for to come.  There is no room for self-preservation; one either gives the heart completely or not at all.  And what joy it is to have new friends, deeper friendships, and a bigger "family".  I am blessed.

Relationships are not the only blessing I received this year.  I was blessed by a "delay".  I was busy trying to develop my graduate thesis topic during the first quarter of 2009.  I have been working on it for a year and my program adviser has been asking me why my progress was so slow.  I liked my topic.  It was something familiar and safe.  I was developing a small group curriculum for UP students.  Small group, something I have been doing for years.  UP, where I got my bachelors and where I was getting my masters degree.  The topic couldn't have been safer and more familiar.

If the Promise Land was safe and familiar, would Joshua have been driven to conquer it?  Would you risk your life fighting giants for a land very similar to the desert you have spent most of your life in?  Most probably not.  And would God birth safe and familiar dreams?  I don't think so.

I decided to let God birth God-sized dreams in my heart.  After months of wrestling with it, I finally made that decision to leave the comfort of the safe and familiar and venture out into the unknown.  I shut my eyes and with my heart beating so fast, I jumped off the cliff and changed my thesis topic.

That one decision led to something I would never have imagined for myself.  "Delays" can really be opportunities for God's glory to be manifested.  Who would've thought that I would have the opportunity to help a people in developing their own basic education curriculum?  And an indigenous school in Davao?  How glorious is that?

Mary and Martha never thought Jesus would raise Lazarus.  They were resigned to the fact that Lazarus was dead.  Jesus' command to move the stone away was met with an incredulous look.  It would smell.  But Jesus surprised everyone and commanded Lazarus to come out.  Never in the sisters' wildest imagination did they consider the possibility of Lazarus coming back to life.  Yes, they believed in the resurrection at the last day.  But NOW?  That was just too incredible.

But God is the God of impossibilities.  And so even the things that we did not dare dream or hope for, He can give us.  Not because of our merit but because He is God.  The chance to be a small part of such a big legacy was something I only dreamed about but never knew would be a reality.  For that kind of legacy I would be willing to jump off a thousand more cliffs.  I would close my eyes and dream until I think I have dreamed outrageously enough. And then I shall dream some more.

As the year closes I realize that God-sized dreams and legacies to the nations and generations need Josephs to be birthed.  Mary needed the support of Joseph and God made sure that Joseph would come through for her.

And you are my Josephs this year.  I take this time to honor you and thank you.  I wish I could speak a hundred different languages so I can say "thank you" in countless ways.  Thank you for journeying with me.  2009 was a blast and I believe that 2010 will be even more glorious.

This year God has blessed me with men who offered me their strength when I was weak, who shared with me their wisdom when I was at crossroads, who gave me protection when I was vulnerable, who encouraged me to dream God-sized dreams when I was hesitant to do so.  I honor you and I praise God for your lives.

What's amazing about you is that you never treated me as if I was some fragile thing that had to be taken care of.  You pushed me, encouraged me, entrusted me with work, and expected me to produce output.  I was surprised at what I can do and would never have discovered what I was capable of doing had you not given me the opportunity to try.  And I thank you that when I tried and I wasn't very successful you were gracious enough to give me encouragement and support that I would have the heart to try again.  You gave me time and space to blossom into the woman I am now.

You are also men of very powerful "few words" I must say.  Some of the most remarkable lines that spoke to my heart this year were from you: I can feel you all the way here in Naga; I'm so proud of you, girl; purpose, my dear; it's working towards the dream that's important; look at this as a touchstone; if the dream is that impossible it can only come from God; you are a grafted branch; you have to have that unshakeable peace...

I am very blessed to have spiritual fathers, kuyas, brothers, and friends from so many places.  Men I can count on.  Men who I know will always come through for me.  It is my heart's deepest joy to have worked with you this year.  I look forward to partnering with you and supporting you in whatever way you need me to in 2010 and the years to come.

And God blessed me with sisters.  I am very grateful that though I do not have biological sisters God has given me a lot of spiritual sisters.  Women and young girls each with their own personalities, characters, and desires.

You are the women who prayed with and for me when I needed wisdom.  I could not have asked for more powerful intercessors.  You cried with me when I was frustrated and when my heart was pained over something.  You did more than sympathize with me.  You felt what I felt and you were generous enough to let your heart beat with mine.

You listened to my dreams and you would even dream outrageous dreams with me.  You cheered for me as I pursued my passions, encouraged me when I felt like giving up, and helped me when I did not know how else to continue.  You rejoiced with me as I experienced victories and breakthroughs.  You shed tears for me as I experienced loss.

For sharing your stories with me.  I thank you.  For sharing your rhemas and insights that I might learn from them.  I thank you.  For the times we met up to pray together and just catch up.  I thank you.  For the times we would sit together and not have to say anything.  I thank you.  For making time and sacrifices in order to be one with me in pursuing the dreams God has given.  I thank you.  For being your ate, your sister, your friend.  I thank you.  I look forward to sharing more of my life with you in the coming years.

One decision indeed changes everything.  Submission, faith, and love.  The decision to love Jesus above all and choose that which is best for Him unlocks the floodgates of heaven.  This has truly been a blessed year for me.  I praise God for birthing dreams in my heart and raising up men and women to support me in seeing these dreams through.  I approach 2010 with my heart and faith secure.  I know and believe it will be even more glorious for all of us. For the praise and glory of our God.

The Power of the Spirit withstands the Floods*

It was a powerful week of giving. CRL members came to give off their resources and most importantly their time. We give you a picture of what it was like to be a volunteer during the CRL weeklong relief operations. From packing relief goods to driving around the metro to praying for church members and communities, CRL’s visitation teams got the chance to be God’s hands and feet.

Blessed to be a Blessing: The Sunday Special Offering
Last Sunday Pastor VJ talked about birthing new lives. In order to birth new lives one must be willing to make adjustments, with time and budget. It was with this exhortation that Pastor VJ called for a special offering for those who were affected by typhoon Ondoy. CRL members’ generous giving yielded more than Php100,000 and numerous relief goods. Most importantly, such giving became seeds with which the visitation teams could plant the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Two Generations: Packing Relief Goods
It was a blessing to see two generations of CRL members come together in unity to answer to God’s call. Mothers came with their sons and daughters. Spiritual fathers came to support and guide spiritual children. No one was too old or too young to help in packing relief goods. The youngest volunteer was seven years old! Everyone—big and small, young and old, had the same heart.

God Allows Detours: Stories on the Road
There is a special place where individuals who hardly know each other get to interact and build relationships, i.e. inside a car stuck in traffic going to Provident Village, Marikina. There is also a way of reaching a community that has never been reached by government or by television network relief operations, i.e. driving around Cainta and randomly picking Barangay Marik as a drop off point.  

It was a week of great humor and awesome adventure. New friends and unexpected places make relief operations more exciting. Relief operations became a joy as God allowed “detours” to reaching those in need.

Seeing Through Christ’s Lens: House Visits
Listening to stories is very important. It gives the story teller a chance to impart his heart to whoever cares enough to listen. To the CRL team members that were deployed to visit church members in Cainta, San Mateo, Marikina, and many others, it was a chance to get the heart of other church members. Visitation teams got to share in the lives of those who were affected by the calamity.

The physical world shows damage to physical property, but the Christian spirit sees the restoration that God can do. In the mud one sees dirt and muck alone. A Christian sees clay with which God can form new things. The world sees a physical hunger in the people. The Church of the Risen Lord satisfied this and fed their spirits as well. It was a time of valuable learning as CRL members shared stories of the extent of damage but were still joyful and very optimistic about their situation.

One Body: Networking with Other Churches
It is in these trying times that the Body of Christ gets the chance to show the world the unity Jesus prayed for. It was a joy to be able to bless various churches that were in need. Not only was CRL able to give relief goods to these churches but was also able to sow in the ministry of these churches to their respective communities. We believe that individuals in the communities where partner churches are based will be reached for Jesus Christ.

Pressing On: Continuing God’s Work
There are still a lot of people who are in need. CRL continues to give its members opportunities to help. Members who would like to be part of next week’s clean up operations are very welcome to be God’s hands and feet by cleaning up houses of church members affected.

We do not end in just giving relief goods to communities. Beyond the dole outs, it is our hearts and our Savior’s love that we give. We are in the process of identifying areas where CRL can lead small groups and eventually have small house churches similar to the early church in Acts. We will continue to do God’s work of Kingdom-building even after the flood.

*Special article for the Church of the Risen Lord bulletin (October 6, 2009)
Edited by Cookie Calaguas (who put up with the major dips in my brilliance. haha)

Finding My Heartbeat and That Which Makes My Heart Beat

Beginnings: Flashback, four months ago

I wave goodbye with tears freely flowing from my eyes as I enter the departure area of the Davao international airport.  It felt like I was leaving a very large part of me behind and not knowing when I would be able to go back was heart wrenching.


Chapter Endings: Fast forward, September 11

I cry buckets of tears as Carla, a very dear friend, the younger sister I never had, gives her testimony during the church's prayer gathering.  She shares what going to Davao did to her and she bids farewell to us who have been her family in the seven years that she was away from home.


Somewhere in Between

I think majority, if not all, of us have been tempted to skip to the end of a book we are reading.  There is that anticipation and desire to know how things end that make skipping to the final pages very tempting.

But reading just the beginnings and the endings never make sense and it somehow robs one of the joy of experiencing the opportunity to completely involve and engage one's self in a story.  This testimony is what is "in-between" my beginnings and chapter endings of my Davao saga.

In the time between April 14 and August 18, I got to convince three of my closest church friends to go back to Davao and walk the mountains that showed me what my heart was made of.

It was very easy to convince one.  Cookie, being the very supportive friend that she is, readily ran with my heart.  I had to use the "travel the Philippines" card on Bobbie.  And on Carla, I had to get down on my knees to pray that she would decide to go as she was going through difficult times in her life and was prone to "change plans" out of the blue.

Why was I so bent on having my sisters in church go back to Davao with me?  I wanted them to see what I saw last summer as I walked the majestic mountains of Davao.  I wanted them to feel what I felt last summer as I lived with the Matigsalugs.  I wanted them to see the God of tribes and nations who was so real in the life and worship of this people.

Why was I so bent on going back to Davao?  Because it was in Davao that I found my heart.  And in any story of a journey to self discovery one always wants to go back to the mirror that showed a person his reflection.  I wanted to look closely into the mirror to see what else was in me.

God did not disappoint; He showed me His heart and I heard my heartbeat.

We were participants in the trial run of the Osmosis Project.  There couldn't have been a better opportunity for me to look closely at my reflection than this.  The Osmosis Project's goal is "to draw out from the participants their own desires and vision for holistic transformation of indigenous communities and to engage the participants' imagination so they might see what is possible for themselves as individuals, for the team as a whole, as well as for the community and social contexts from which they come and to which they will return."

We were to do what the Matigsalugs did, listen to their stories and dreams, and share ours as well.  Listening to and sharing of stories or what we call "pakikipagkwentuhan" might sound unproductive to many.  Admittedly, there is no tangible output after an hour of "pakikipagkwentuhan" but it is in the "pakikipagkwentuhan" that people's hearts get to connect.

It is in "pakikipagkwentuhan" that a mutuality of relationships is established, hence the prefix "pakiki".  It is in "pakikipagkwentuhan" that another person's dreams also become your own, another person's struggles yours, and another person's heartbeat the rhythm of your heartbeat as well.

God showed me His heart through "pakikipagkwentuhan".  I heard of stories that made my teacher heart bleed.
These are stories of children having only two school days because the teachers are not able to spend the whole week up in the mountains.  I heard of stories of mass promotion and no clear measurement of a student's readiness to be promoted to the next grade level.  I heard of stories of school children trekking under the heat of the sun everyday just so they can go to school.  I saw classrooms badly in need of repairs.  I saw torn textbooks and textbooks left to rot at the jeepney drop off point at the foot of the mountain.

After hearing these stories and seeing these things, I heard my heartbeat.  God birthed dreams in my teacher heart.  Tribal Mission Foundation is starting to develop a curriculum for pre-school indigenous children.  They call it Foundational Learning for Indigenous Children or FLIC.  I saw the opportunity to help and be part of something as grand as shaping the minds of young indigenous children, to help them be proud of their identity, and to spur them to claim their own destiny.  FLIC is something I would really like to work on and be a part of.  This is one of the reasons why I wanted to become a teacher and why Cookie and I want to put up our own school in the future.  This is shaping the mind of a whole generation for national transformation.


Chapter Endings and New Beginnings: Love and My Heartbeat

It is funny how going to Davao always amazes me.  It is easy to go on missions trips and say you are helping and giving because you happen to have the financial capacity to do so.  But in the two occasions that I walked these mountains, it was always I who went back to Manila with so much more.

The first time I went up, the Matigslugs taught me to open my heart and risk it in order to build relationships.  That was why I was crying four months ago.  I opened my heart and it fed on the love that easily flowed in the Matigsalug community.  I did not know if I would ever be able to experience such openness and love in the busyness of Manila.  Today, it is something that I experience with old and new friends, with students and co-teachers, with current and future family members.

This second trip showed me that the heart doesn't just have to be open but that it must beat in synchrony with other hearts.  To reach that point wherein you no longer keep count as to who is giving and who is receiving but the focus is on whether or not you have the same heartbeat.  And that is why I was crying last Friday.  The idea of missing the cadence of Carla's heartbeat was painful.

But that is the way of the heart, I guess.  You risk, you love, and you feel pain when there is loss.  Because pain shows you that what was lost was of value.  But it doesn't mean that you will lose that rhythm, for "the heart in its purity knows no other thing but to connect and beat in synchrony with other hearts" (graffiti in a train seat as cited by de Guia, 2005).

Until I walk the mountains of Davao again and be reunited with the Matigsalugs, I shall be content with listening to the cadence of my heartbeat.  Right now, I like the way it sounds.  It has the rhythm of dreams that have just been birthed and visions that are waiting to come to pass.

I would like to take this time to say "thank you" in behalf of the whole team that went to Davao last August 19-26.  I thank you, Church of the Risen Lord for supporting me, Cookie, Carla, and Bobbie in this missions trip.  Thank you, Pastor VJ for sending us with your blessings and your covering.  Thank you to the missions board for your willingness to support and send us out into the missions field.  May God bless our church as we partner with Him in fulfilling the Great Commission.  And may we have even more opportunities to sow seeds and harvest souls in the vast mission field.  Amen.

Of Walks, Journeys, and Roads that Lead to the Heart

When I was still in college, studying to get my undergradtuate degree, I had a class called Psychology of Language. It was in this course that I learned about the different meanings a word could take in a particular culture and context. It was interesting for me that a word can take on many different meanings and connotations depending on how it is used or who uses it.

I think the words “walking” and “journeying” would be very good illustrations for this. One might say that the two words have similar meanings but if we look closely, the two are very different from each other.

“Walking” conjures up a picture of feet in motion. “Journeying” on the other hand conjures up a vision of a destination. A goal. A Promised Land. It is possible that one walks for years yet there is no clear direction or that one is merely walking around the wilderness. On the other hand, it is quite unfathomable for a person to journey without reaching a destination.

A destination doesn’t always have to be a physical place. One could journey to the deepest recesses of one’s heart. It is possible to journey to one’s soul. One’s desires. One’s hopes. Interstingly, we cannot say that we will “walk” to our hearts. It just seems inappropriate to “walk” matters that pertain to the heart.

In a journey it is quite expected that one would come across demons that have to be faced or even slain. This is probably why, as we journey to the deepest recess of our heart, we get the opportunity to face our personal demons and slay them. It is also in a journey of self discovery that one experiences miracles. We either embrace who we are or end up hating ourselves and wishing we were somebody else.

Walking the mountains of Davao gave me the opportunity to journey the hidden paths of my heart. I believe that it has also created new trails. Who would have thought that, as I walked under the heat of the sun, I would journey into my heart’s passions. It was in walking these mountains that I got to know myself, face a few monsters, and experience the miracle of love.

These mountains became a way for me to know myself and what I valued and held dear to my heart. These mountains do not have the comforts I am used to having in the city – toilets, water, electricity, beds, varied food… It would be very easy to say that the people in these mountains are deprived. But for me, it was the other way around. It was I who felt impoverished.

One can see a certain security in the midst of the people’s “poverty”. It is as if they knew a secret to living. It could be the knowledge that they were in the land that nurtured their hearts, held their past, and contains their futures. I, on the other hand, had to take a two-hour plane ride and walk for four hours to awaken my soul’s desires, to have a sense of history, and to birth dreams and visions in my heart.

It was in the wilderness that I found my heart. In the past, it had been easier to choose to protect my heart but in this journey it would’ve been foolish not to risk the heart. It was all about the heart. It was in this journey that I felt such a deep desire to give my life for a people. I wanted to be part of something so much bigger than myself.

Call it idealism. Is it wrong to want what is best? Is it wrong to desire what is noble? Is it wrong to pursue what and how things should be? I have always been jealous of those individuals who have found a specific cause they could give their hearts and lives to. Why not this people for me? I could give off myself without calculating, serve without hesitation, and love without fear of rejection.

In a few weeks I shall be walking these mountains again. The trails might be familiar by then. Or I might have an easier time adjusting to the living conditions. I might even be closer to the members of the community. The possibilities are endless but one thing is certain: this time, I won’t be visting. I shall be returning to where I left my heart.