Church Bashing

I have a friend who makes "unpopular" life choices. Friend X feels judged by family and friends. Especially the Church.

Person A claims to be a Christian but would readily question Friend X's lifestyle.

Person B doesn't claim to be Christian and would readily accept Friend X.

And thus the church bashing shall commence. Anti-organized religion people would say that Person A is not living the life Jesus called us to live. A life of acceptance and love. This blogger creatively drives his point home.

SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mick-mooney/wwjd-what-would-jesus-do-_b_6010114.html

Wouldn't it be great if people readily accepted other people's brokenness and "sins"? Like Jesus did. But the linked article above doesn't tell the complete story. Relating to others as Jesus would isn't the end in itself. These people that Jesus interacted with all came to know a deeper, more meaningful life through the relationship He nurtured with them. And they went out and lived that within the context they were in. If our relationships don't lead people to step into a deeper understanding of who they are and of how they were created and WHO created them and opens their eyes to how they should live with the rest of creation and drives them to contribute to the work towards the restoration of God's kingdom on earth, then we too have missed the point of relationship building.

I'm tired of "bashing" the church because it's imperfect. I'm tired of questioning how Christians can't behave Christianly. Yes, we are all messed up. Even those who claim to be Christians have difficulty being Christ-like. I think we all know that already.

In the same way that I wouldn't want to raise kids who behave contemptuously towards "non-Christians," I wouldn't want to raise kids who have a disdain for people who are churchy. That's like reverse pharisaism. 

For a more appreciative take on things... Here's an article that talks about Millennials staying in church (which for me applies to both institutional/organized church and organic Jesus-centered faith communities) as opposed to the popular "more-and-more-people-leaving-church-so-there-must-be-something-wrong-with-it" articles that the anti-organized religion people gravitate to. https://www.barna.org/barna-update/millennials/635-5-reasons-millennials-stay-connected-to-church#.VEs-3YuUfV4

Kinnaman explains, “In part, it is a failure of not connecting Jesus and the Bible to the other outcomes identified in this research—relational, missional, vocational and cultural discernment. In other words, the version of ‘Jesus in a vacuum’ that is often packaged for young people doesn’t last long compared to faith in Christ that is not compartmentalized but wholly integrated into all areas of life.”

The End of 100 Happy Days

No, I didn't decide to be sad or angry or any other emotion. I just found it extremely difficult to juggle real work, online work, home life, mountain trips, etc and still be conscientious about posting what made me happy for the day. But I did make it to Day 42! That's almost halfway. :)

I am pregnant these days. Pregnant with a lot of dreams. That makes me more than happy. It makes me alive. It makes me radiate from the inside. It gives me so much joy to be standing on the threshold of greatness. There's so many possibilities that I cannot begin to imagine how I ever thought my life was mundane and boring.

I did go through a "my life is mundane and monotonous" phase. This blog is about married life but it reminded me of how, when we make commitments, there are seasons that we just have to get through the everyday-ness of things. And that is not a bad thing. I really like how the she writes...

The world has taught us to just categorize routine, work, responsibility and obligation as boring--when in fact they should be moments that are celebrated as well. These are moments wherein our character is being polished, where we can show kindness, integrity, honesty and yes LOVE. 

And it's true. I find that it is in remaining faithful, even in the mundaneness of things, that we see what we are made of. This realization is what makes me more than happy. I am grateful. I am grateful that I am in a place where my character is being polished. I am grateful that in this place as well, God shows Himself to be faithful to me and my dreams.

He hasn't forgotten His promises. He is the God who sees me, who cares for me, and who hears my cries. I believed that I am being ushered into a new season. It's so exciting to be looking across the expanse of the "Jordan River" and realize that He has brought me to this moment. Where I can trust and obey and believe that the impossible can become possible. That there is a "Canaan" for me. A new place to be conquered. :)

I found out from a friend that the co-founder of Jars of Clay's non-profit was only 21 years old when she started the organization. Fresh out of college. This young woman believed in something so much that she was willing to work at it for a really long time.

It is very encouraging to read of people's stories. Stories of faithfulness and mundaneness. Of excitement and possibilities. Of hard work and perseverance. To be committed to something and work at it and have one's character polished. I hope that one day, when I look back at my life, I would be able to say that I did the same.

Cool Notebook

Day 42 of 100 Happy Days

Somebody gave me a cool notebook with a quote today. It was very me. The notebook AND the quote. Haha. I love well-thought of (AND RANDOM!) gifts. :)

On the cover is a quote from Joseph Joubert, "Writing is closer to thinking than speaking." People who know me well, know that I NEED to write in order to think. If I speak right away, I end up losing my thoughts. Haha. The notebook pages are cream, not white, which I really like in notebooks. White pages are too stark for me.

Bullet Journal. CHECK!!!

Day 41 of 100 Happy Days

At the start of this year, I decided to try out the bullet journal note-taking system. It has been very helpful with work productivity. When I plot out what the following work-day looks like before I go to sleep at night, I find that I am able to accomplish more and am less overwhelmed.

I just got back from a week-long vacation leave from work and I had to jump right back in to work mode because of back-to-back field work that involves a group of students from Manila. Bullet journal has been a great way to make sure I don't miss anything as I prepare for these trips to the field!

Back to Work!

Day 40 of 100 Happy Days

It's a holiday in the Philippines today. We are commemorating the bravery of tens and thousands of Filipino and American soldiers who marched 128 km (80 mi) during the Japanese occupation of the country in 1942.

It was a semi "work" day for us. It was a day of catch up and story sharing and eating Cebu lechon together. :)

Tiara and Turbulence

Day 39 of 100 Happy Days

Today was spent in airports and airplanes. My Cebu-Davao flight got re-routed to Cebu-Manila-Davao. I am not a fan of flying alone, especially during bad weather. It was just my lucky day that there was a typhoon east of Davao. Sigh.

But the AirAsia Zest pilot was amazing. Read about the context of my fear of turbulence and how Capt Ronaldo Sevilla made my flight a happy one even with the typhoon. :)

Puso

Day 38 of 100 Happy Days

They say that you haven't been to Cebu if you haven't eaten at Larsian. I will simply say, you haven't been to Cebu if you haven't eaten "barbecue ug puso" wherever street corner that you fancy. Tonight, we ate barbecue and puso to our hearts' content!

Making puso is both an art and a science, very cultural. I personally think it's one of the greatest inventions of the brown man. :)

Hooray for Introverts! Cheers!

Day 37 of 100 Happy Days

You know that you're growing up when you get to sit at the adults' table.

And when your Aunties and their friends (and significant others) become your sort of friends as well. Haha.

One of the most enjoyable nights I have had recently. :) Great food, good conversations, fun people.

What REALLY made me happy today though was the discovery that my nephew was an introvert. :) We attended a children's party and he found the party music to be too loud. Haha. All the kids were dancing at the center and he didn't want to join them. He stayed with his mother on the side and danced away. He wasn't shy. He just really liked his space. ;)

I'm excited to see other introverted behaviors he will exhibit in the coming days.

Dauin Marine Sanctuary

Day 36 of 100 Happy Days

I have gone diving a few times. Marine life has always been fascinating to me (although I prefer the mountains to the water because of vanity with the hair and skin LOL) but I cannot afford to get SCUBA certified. Haha. So snorkeling is the next best thing.

We were supposed to cross over to Apo Island but the aunties didn't want to so we settled on the Negros island side of the marine sanctuary instead. I have gone snorkeling in Apo Island a few years back and I was blown away by the things I saw. It was amazing! We were told that what you see in Apo Island would be the same species in Dauin. It did not disappoint. If only we had an underwater camera. :)

Apo Island in the distance

History and Dumaguete

Day 35 of 100 Happy Days

Everybody's sentiments. Yes, we love Dumaguete

Today, we visited the Silliman University Anthropology Museum. Museum. 'Nuff said. :) I am a happy girl.

We walked around Silliman University after the museum visit. Silliman for me is like a great "what might have been." If I didn't qualify at UP, I would have gone to Silliman for university studies. And every time I am in Dumaguete I always wonder what my life would have become if I had.

Silliman Hall behind me, where the museum is housed.

I looove Dumaguete City. It's small and quaint and people are friendly. It's so low-key, the great antithesis to the party islands in the Philippines. It's a university town; the city just vibrates with academic life. It doesn't call attention to itself; it's a city that has to be "discovered."

If I were a city, I'd be Dumaguete. :)

The beauty of Silliman University :)

Remembering Papa Johnny

Day 34 of 100 Happy Days

This morning, we had a memorial service for my grandfather's 10th death anniversary. People shared what they remember most about Papa and his impact in each of our lives.

I will always remember Papa as a great story teller. I always looked forward to going to Dumaguete in the summers or him and Mommy going to Cebu for conferences because I knew Papa would always sit with my brother and I and tell us funny and exciting adventure stories. I can't remember most of them but I remember that he was a very animated story teller. I was transported to a different world every time he started telling his stories!

Another memory of Papa that I will never forget is of him and Mommy having morning walks to Silliman Beach. They would let me and my brother come along. Watching them together, in the wee hours of the morning, always made me feel secure. It also gave me a lot of hope. Just the picture of two people growing old together makes you believe in love that is "till death do us part." Papa and Mommy did that for me. :)

Early morning memorial service at the cemetery with family and close friends

Homecoming

Day 33 of 100 Happy Days

My mother is from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. This year is my grandfather's 10th death anniversary so the family decided to have a memorial service for him. US-based family went home to the Philippines for this memorial service. My whole family who is Manila-based also went home for this.

It's such a nice thing to be able to have a place to come home to. AND family to come home with.

Crossing over from Cebu island to Negros island on the barge

Fourth Anniversary

Day 32 of 100 Happy Days

Today is my fourth anniversary at work. I can't believe it has been four years already since I moved to Davao to work for this indigenous community and leadership development non-government organization. It feels like it has been a very long time and very short as well.

I am so blessed to have experienced and learned so many things in the past four years that I sometimes wonder how often it happens that a job can combine all your life passions.

Here is an excerpt of an email I sent to The Boss when I accepted the job offer four years ago:

Just so you have an idea of why I (and my accountability partners) think this job is so awesome, I shall share with you my "triad of life passions". The things in my triad did not materialize overnight. I got to realize my passions over a period of years. Looking back at how God led me to where I am now and what I have been doing and what I could be doing, I cannot help but praise Him. I praise God that He is showing me how He can give us the desires of our heart if we delight in Him first.

I am very happy. It's a sober kind of happy. It's not the giddy I-think-I-found-my-dream-job kind of happy. It's the it-feels-great-to-be-able-to-commit-to-something-for-the-long-haul kind of happy. And I am thankful for it.

Highlights from the past four years (clockwise): Bringing an Obo Manobo team over to Northeast India to join the Tribal Christian Gathering; New Zealand Osmosis; living up in Mt Apo for 10 months; and organizing the first Indigenous Theological Symposium in Mindanao

I also felt it very fitting that today, I was back in UP to conduct a training for the fourth batch of our Osmosis participants. :) The university that challenged me to fight for social justice and to give back to my fellowmen through serving the marginalized in the country is where I was on the day I celebrated four years of building pathways for holistic transformational development to take place in indigenous communities. Yes, that was a mouthful. I don't know how else to say it. Haha.

The University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. My home for four years of undergraduate studies in the university

Free Dinner

Day 31 of 100 Happy Days

I have finally tried dining at Vikings and got to find out for myself what the hype was all about. Vikings is an eat-all-you can buffet place in the Philippines. They have a Japanese station, Filipino, Italian... There's lots of fish, a carving station, salad, breads, cheeses, and dessert.

The food is good and I am very thankful that someone else paid for the meal. Hehe. But I just realized that eat-all-you can buffets do not really give you the opportunity to enjoy the food. Because there's so many choices, you kind of try a little bit of all that's served (that pique your interest at least). So the experience ends up being overwhelming. I think, to be able to get your money's worth, you should be prepared to stay in the restaurant for at least five hours so that you get to enjoy the variety of choices.

Free (good) food is always good! :)

Sunday is Family Day

Day 30 of 100 Happy Days

My father was invited to speak at a church in Cavite, a province three hours south of where we live. The nice thing about these speaking invitations is the opportunity to experience a different liturgy/worship service. This church had a big tambourine dance team! It was so fun to watch these young girls dance. There needs to be more dancing in church. :)

After the church service, we went to Tagaytay City (an hour away from Cavite) and introduced my nephew to the Taal Volcano. We had an early dinner at this place with a great view of the lake. :)

University of the Philippines

Day 29 of 100 Happy Days

Today, I met up with two friends who are also from UP Diliman. We are from different colleges so we didn't actually meet IN UP. We became friends because we all volunteered for this organization when we were already out of university.

It was fun to go back to UP and do very UP things (like eat isaw), things we never really actually got to do together when we were in UP getting our degrees. The conversations made me so happy. I love catching up with these friends. It's amazing how paths can converge, diverge, and converge again only to find out that you have all changed and yet you are still great friends.

I am so blessed to have had these two friends journey with me in my discovery of what it means to be a follower of Jesus as we are engaged in "secular"jobs in media, research, community work, etc. The conversations are so honest, rich, and life-giving. It is also a great privilege to be able to journey with each other in the ups and downs of our personal lives. :)

I don't have pictures of the food so I'm borrowing a picture from this blog. No picture with friends either. We were so busy catching up we forgot to take pictures. Haha.

Manila-Bound!

Day 28 of 100 Happy Days

One week with the family!

Family (and friends) is the only reason I like going to Manila. I love going home to my parents because I get to be a daughter again. I get to, for a time, have other people take care of me. Thank God for parents and brothers. :D

Throwback Thursday

Day 27 of 100 Happy Days

I was going through old pictures because I needed a few for this book we are publishing. I found pictures from my 2007 Thailand trip with some of my closest friends. Remembering where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going put a smile to my face and lifted my spirits today. :)

Girl on My Right is now married with a four-month old baby girl. Girl on My Lap is in China getting a masters degree and might be going to Brunei after that to teach in university. I am now in Davao, working for a community and leadership development organization where I get to design programs for indigenous communities. I am so blessed that God has allowed our paths to cross and that though we are on different roads now, we are still privileged to journey with each other. :)

On a bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Summer 2007

Burger Burger Burger!!!

Day 26 of 100 Happy Days

There used to be a McDonald's ad campaign in the Philippines where even the smallest thing can be celebrated by buying cheeseburgers--from a new outfit to finally snagging a seat in a crowded bus/train. So it's a very Pinoy joke to say "burger, burger, burger!" when a person does well and wants to be rewarded.

We have been joking about how The Boss cannot understand references to Philippine pop culture, like the famous McDonald's ad campaign. For the very obvious reason that The Boss is not Filipino and, although living in the Philippines, is not really "masa." But we really wanted to celebrate the publishing of our first Conversations on Faith and IP Culture book! I personally wanted to have a staff lunch since April will be a very busy month. We'll hardly be able to sit together and catch up in April because we're all doing field work and a lots of traveling.

So today, we got burgers. :)

I am celebrating...

Day 25 of 100 Happy Days

Tuesdays for us are staff meeting days and since this is the first Tuesday that The Boss is back from traveling from New Zealand and Australia after being gone for three weeks, it was a long catch up. It was fun to listen to people's stories. We completed the sentences: I am celebrating... and I am journeying...

It's nice to hear how the other staff are doing and what they are currently thankful for and celebrating in their lives as well as areas they are still in the process of working out. It gives us space to be human and develops relationship and a deeper understanding of each other's contexts.

I like "leading" these more relational conversations. Those who know me well know that I am not the type to initiate. Oh INFJ self! :) But I like to have a "structure" or "framework" in place where relationship building can happen (it's less stressful on my INFJ non-initiator self).

Today, I am celebrating the impending end of the work week (I am really looking forward to getting this book published) and going on vacation with my family! :D

And The Boss brought back cookies and chocolates so we had stuff to munch on while people shared. :) These are pictures I got from the internet because taking pictures of food isn't really my thing. Haha. But these are really the brands The Boss got saying they're "the best" in Australia. Haha.

When the Exec Director Directs

Day 24 of 100 Happy Days

The amount of work that gets done when The Boss is around is just phenomenal. Things get discussed, decisions are made, plans are put in place, ideas are heard-evaluated-affirmed/scrapped. Right then and there. Oh! Happy day!

No picture. Because who uploads pictures of their boss in their blogs? 

It is Finished

Day 23 of 100 Happy Days

90% of it. Haha. But it is essentially finished, content-wise. I just need to look at the text formatting in detail and place pictures here and there and then I can finally move on from this! Celebrations!!!

Endorphins

Day 22 of 100 Happy Days

Today was swim day for me. I have a love-hate relationship with swimming. I like it as exercise because it's in the water, meaning less impact on my knees and lower back, but the water dries my skin and hair (yes, I'm quite vain in that aspect). So I only do it twice a month.

I have to bring a team of four students up the mountains of Davao in two weeks for a community immersion and I AM OUT OF SHAPE. I have been out of shape for the last two years. Haha. But I am slightly worried about this coming trip. I really feel that my heart is going to give way. LOL. So I have been slowly doing my cardio exercises. "Slowly" is the operative word. :)

A friend joined me for my day's exercise. But what made me SUPER happy was having Friend there to debrief me with all the busyness that has been going on with my work, to offer insight on how I can make my program designs better, to encourage me to dream new things, and to challenge me to pursue the other things that are close to my heart. We talked until it was time for dinner and we chanced upon this nice little restaurant!

Today was an endorphins-filled day. Happy!

Diners have a variety of options on where to sit :) Each "table" is unique!

Our own hut!

Throwing in the Towel

Day 21 of 100 Happy Days

What made me happy today was having an AirAsia representative call me to rebook my flights. I am supposed to fly out of Davao in April for a family reunion but they have suspended their flights from their Davao hub.

I was supposed to go to their ticketing office and get it done because their call center hotline is ALWAYS busy. Unfortunately, I have been working 10- to 14-hour days this week so was never able to go to their ticketing office. And then "Arnold" from AirAsia called me! And re-routed/rebooked my flights. So no need to go to the office and queue!

But the REALLY good thing that happened today was me "throwing in the towel." This is not a "happy" thing but it is a GOOD thing. There just comes a point in a person's life when the person says, "Enough." And that's what I did today. I decided that there are things and people who are more deserving of my energies and personal investment. There are things that shouldn't cause me pain and heartache anymore and the only way to make the "pain and heartache" stop is to walk away from the battles that are no longer worth fighting. Sometimes you have to "lose" in order to truly win. Walking away from the battle frees me to pour out my life on things and people who will be more appreciative of who I am and who will accept me for being me.

Today, I said, "Enough!" and walked away with my sanity intact and my head held high.

Words of Affirmation

Day 20 of 100 Happy Days

My (receiving) love language is words of affirmation. Nothing fuels me more than hearing people tell me I am good. It's different when people talk about your output/product and say that it is good. That's not what I need. Haha. I think it's because I know that my output/product will always be good. I will never turn in substandard work. And that is what I like to hear. That I am good because I never turn in substandard work. Because I put my heart into what I do. Because that is who I am. I like hearing words of affirmation about me (not about my output/product). LOL.

God has blessed me with such an amazing family and faith community who know me really well. People who will look at a screen shot of my work and say, "You are a great lay out artist" or "You've worked really hard and that should be appreciated." Amazing words of encouragement at the end of a 10-hour work day. :)

I'm sure some other kick ass lay out artist will do a much better job but considering I just learned how to use InDesign... This is an amazing feat I should say. And my family and friends agree so that's all the opinion that matters. LOL.

UPDATE: And then my cousin sends me a super encouraging message! My heart is full. Amen.

Safe Flight

Day 19 of 100 Happy Days

The Boss arrived today and I was so happy. Because I'm kind of paranoid that Boss was flying Malaysia Airlines so I was thinking the plane will also vanish like what happened to MH370. Haha. A Boss who is there, alive and well and present, is cause for happiness.

Adobe InDesign Yeah!

Day 18 of 100 Happy Days

When I was in highschool and I had to do the layout for our class "newspaper," I used Microsoft Publisher. I moved on to Adobe PageMaker in my college days and the first couple of years that I worked for a civil service organization.

Then I became a college instructor and had no need to do layouts for any kind of publishing task.

Working for a non-profit organization, I need to publish newsletters but Microsoft Word for Mac has been a good enough "cheat." But now, I need to publish a book. A book! And so I had to find a better way of doing the book layout than just Microsoft Word. Haha.

Today, I learned how to use Adobe InDesign. :)

77th Araw ng Dabaw

Day 17 of 100 Happy Days

March 16 is the charter day of Davao City. Since it fell on a Sunday, the local government declared Monday a special non-working holiday.

The joke goes that Davao is Davao's best kept secret. Haha. This is a great city for reasons one cannot easily itemize. If I had money, I'd buy real estate here. LOL. Seriously, it has been a great four years living in this city. I love Davao more than I love Manila. If only I could relocate my whole family here.

Today, I hibernated. Slept in until noon and did a bit of work afterwards. Re-charged and ready for another full workweek ahead!

Weekend Drinks

Day 16 of 100 Happy Days

The best thing about getting drinks with equally introverted women?

Getting the drinks from the store and mixing 'em at home. Haha.

No fuss, no dressing up needed. Buy and mix your own drinks, buy chips, order a box of pizza. And sit around the table sharing about your family's quirks and dysfunctionalities. And then you end up appreciating the weird but amazing family you are each a part of. Awesome weekend. :)

Hair Day!

Day 15 of 100 Happy Days

My hair stylist came today and did a touch up on my hair color. He likes my hair because "it's easy to style." So he ended up playing around with it for a bit and gave me curls!

Phone Calls

Day 14 of 100 Happy Days

I talked to two of my closest friends (who aren't in Davao) because I needed prayers for my family. It was great to hear their voices. Although the situation I was sharing about weighed heavily in my heart, it was so good to hear familiar, encouraging voices.

I am blessed by an amazing faith community.

A Legacy of Love and Acceptance

Day 13 of 100 Happy Days

I was writing my younger brother an email and it it just struck me that our parents have always loved and accepted us for who we are. We were never told to be something else in order to be loved. We are never told to achieve this and that in order to be accepted.

We were never told not to do this or that as well. Our parents have always encouraged us to rely on our personal inner compasses. To think, make decisions, and act based on Christ's life within us. They have never presumed to take the place of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

I am blessed. Because their unconditional love and acceptance have brought me to where I am now today. They have allowed me to explore and take flight and have always welcomed me home no matter what.

Food! Finally!

Day 12 of 100 Happy Days

Today I finally got to eat real food. In the Philippines "real food" is defined as rice and vegetables and/or meat. All other meals that don't have rice are just "snacks." Haha. I haven't had real food in a couple of days. It was just water, plain crackers, and last night's rice porridge.

But for lunch today I had a bit of rice and sauteed vegetables! This means I am recovering from my stomach flu! Yey!

No picture of "real food." Party because I find taking pictures of food funny and mostly because I was so hungry I forgot. :)

Team Debriefing

Day 11 of 100 Happy Days

I really enjoyed our team's debriefing of our recent trip to Bukidnon. It was the first time that I had three other people to share my thoughts with! Gotta love having new staff. Haha.

We shared about our experiences and our observations in the community, the stories we heard, the questions we had, as well as the funny and weird statements by the chief. LOL. We talked about the implications of these to the respective projects we were involved with--a cultural advocacy project, a cultural preservation training, and a land conflict research.

It was fun to share and hear stories from four different perspectives. It was also fun to try to piece them together. Kind of like the four Gospels in the Bible. LOL. Four stories, one person.

No picture. Because why would I take pictures of four people talking in the office?

Good News!

Day 10 of 100 Happy Days

Two of the pastors in the community that we are wanting to work with in Davao City came today and brought the news that the IP representatives in their respective areas are going to support our organization's presence in their community!

This means they will certify our organization, giving us their free, prior informed consent (required under the Philippine's Indigenous People's Law). This is very happy news as we have been trying to get this certification for almost two years now! We can finally go to the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) and say, "The locals have welcomed us!"

Hospitality

Day 9 of 100 Happy Days

I realized over the weekend that it has been quite a while since I have found myself in the shoes of a guest. The indigenous communities I regularly go to now, I have been going to for three or four years. I am still a guest, as I will always be an outsider in these communities, but I have been privileged enough to have moved relationally closer to my host families over the years.

In one of the communities I went to, I have become the confidant of a few women. I had become someone they shared their family problems with, not so I can fix these, but because I am a trusted friend. In another community, I have been invited to participate in ceremonies (weddings, birthdays, etc.) as well as the mundane household chores (washing dishes, doing the laundry, helping the kids with homework, etc.). I have come to treasure all of these relationships and have gotten so used to going into these communities as a friend, younger/older sister, or distant relative that I can weave in and out of the fabric of community life somewhat unconsciously and sometimes effortlessly. I can even understand what people are talking about 50% of the time! :)

Going to a Talaandig community in Bukidnon for the first time required a few cultural protocols. As a first time guest, I had to go through the welcoming ceremony. The ceremony included three chickens (which became dinner a couple of hours later), wine, tobacco, inapugan (a kind of betel nut offering), and some coins. :)

It was a six hour trip back (which consisted of a motorcycle, jeepney, and bus ride) to where I live and I had originally planned to leave no later than 8 o'clock this morning. But breakfast wasn't served until 8AM. Haha.

As I was having breakfast with my hosts today, while light banter was being made, I was reminded of a meditation on hospitality. I was hyper-aware that I was a guest in an indigenous community. I had to make sure to keep my mouth shut unless I was directly spoken to, nod in agreement with everything the chief said, reserve my comments for myself, laugh and smile politely, and eat the food that was served to me with gusto. I wasn't sure what was appropriate half the time so I had to "feel" my way through the social interactions. I didn't know what the elders were talking about when they spoke in their native tongue. I didn't know exactly what was in the food I was eating. Most of all, I did not know when to leave the table. :)

It was a good trip. Though I arrived home a couple of hours later than I had planned, it was good to re-learn how to be a host and a guest--a core principle in our organization's Osmosis process. What best way to re-learn that principle than being in the shoes of a guest? :)

Songco, Bukidnon, Philippines

Fertile Grounds

Day 8 of 100 Happy Days

I attended an IP-Moro (Indigenous People-Moro/Muslim) ceremony and a meeting with leaders of a Talaandig School of Living Traditions over the weekend. I had to travel six hours on the bus! That wasn't so fun. BUT I was treated to amazing views of mountains and plantations. Bukidnon is such an amazing place to be. With all the fruits and other crops growing, it feels like the land is so alive!

And because I don't like taking pictures of places I have been to (I somehow feel that I miss out more if I view the place from behind the camera) I borrow a picture of Bukidnon from this blog. :)

Rice, corn, sugarcane, pineapples... 

Being Invited to Join the Conversation

Day 7 of 100 Happy Days

Christ and Filipino Cultures: The Faces of Christ in the Philippines

I really appreciated being able to attend this forum with two people who have been in the ministry of contextualizing the Gospel for the lumad (indigenous people) in Mindanao for a couple of decades now. The conversations after the plenary sessions were very helpful for me who have only been in this kind of ministry for four years. It's a privilege to learn from those who have gone before us in the journey!

The forum itself was a hit-or-miss. There were really good papers presented and then there were those that I couldn't understand how it made the cut.

Coming Full Circle

Day 6 of 100 Happy Days

In 2006, I was working for a church ministry and one of the biggest projects that I helped to organize was a missions awareness campaign. It was a week-long event and one of the performers we had invited was a local singing group called Prasia. It was the first time I heard about them and after that missions awareness campaign, I never heard about them again.

Today, I attended a theological forum on Christology in the Philippines because the organization I am working for is planning to organize a series of conversations in indigenous communities on faith and culture. The team that led the singing at the start of the forum was Prasia.

Priasia's booth at the missions awareness campaign eight years ago

It has been eight years since that missions awareness campaign. I have been living in Davao for four years now, serving in indigenous communities. It's amazing how I "arrived" where I started and it seems like I know this place for the first time. Today, God reminded me that my journey is His story. I may not always know what lies ahead but what matters most is that I am sincerely journeying with Him.

I started on this path four years ago overly confident of my abilities and viewing the mission field from very rose colored lenses. In the past four years I have gone through romance, negative reactions to cultural differences, recognition of cultural differences, and finally a resolution and acceptance of differences. Through the difficulties of having to reframe and rethink old worldviews, God has humbled me a lot. This journey has led me to have a deeper and a more authentic understanding of Him, making me more intimate with my Creator, and of His love for peoples.

Triumphing Over My INFJ Self

Day 5 of 100 Happy Days

My personality type has always been INFJ for as long as I can remember. One of the weaknesses of INFJs is being extremely private. It has always been difficult for me to meet people and build new friendships because I don't know how to make "small talk."

Today, I was on a meeting with someone who volunteered for one of our organization's projects. I "had" to meet with Volunteer to share updates on the project, to invite participation in planned projects this year, and to request more volunteer work hours.

The two hours went by and it was painless! We exchanged lots of stories and I did not feel discomfort (although there were a couple of lulls but silence never bothered me anyway). Today's triumph makes me want to hibernate though, now that I have reached my weekly quota of human interaction. ;-)

Meeting at my favorite coffee shop.
The mudslide and cappuccino were great.
We got free dark chocolates too!

Additional Program Staff

Day 4 of 100 Happy Days

I work for a small non-profit organization. It's so small that there are only three people--The Boss, Admin Assistant, and me. I work on developing the organization's programs and designing the projects under these. I also work with communities to implement these projects. It's a lot of work. The good thing is that we also slowly built up on the work load. It wasn't this busy four years ago when I started with the organization. And then we got "bigger" in the sense that we had more projects happening.

We currently have three active projects under one program and two active projects under another program. Last week, The Boss finally hired two more people to work on the organization's projects! This frees me up a bit.

Today, I met with the new staff and two of our volunteers and we discussed the documentation output of one of our projects. It's so fun when there are five heads working on something. The work pace is so quick! We were done with the major discussions and decisions after two hours! Yey!

Our new staff being briefed by our admin assistant on office procedures

Productivity is ALWAYS a Happy Thing

Day 3 of 100 Happy Days

There is something internally rewarding about successfully completing all of the day's task. Even if it means staying in the office an hour past work hours.

I just completed the initial re-designing of an indigenous education curriculum for university students. Yes, it is only the initial step to the re-designing process but it's the "biggest" step--crafting the education philosophy of the program. I have shipped it off to The Boss and should get comments in the next couple of days. Yey!

I don't have a picture of the curriculum. Haha. But I do have a picture of today's runner up. New Staff bought milk tea for all of us. It was 32 degrees C today, felt like 41 degrees though. With lots of humidity too. So the cold milk tea was really appreciated. :)

Cold milk tea with "pearls" (sago/tapioca marbles/balls)

God is Faithful

Day 2 of 100 Happy Days

The past few months I have been reflecting on my life choices and God's promises. I am becoming more and more convinced that my life journey goes in circles. It's like I always find myself back where I started. It's not a bad thing. It's not like I didn't grow. It's more like I seem to take the long road and yet I was already home in the first place.

TS Eliot said, "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." I really feel like it was written to describe my life journeys. Haha.

Recently, I have been asking if I should make a "drastic" decision in order to "change" my journeying in circles. Sort of "take matters in to my own hands" because it seems that God is taking too long to give me closure.

Today's church message was on Numbers 23:16-26. This is my "happy" for today because it reminded me that God is faithful. I might feel that certain aspects of my life are going nowhere or are just going in circles. This is reassuring because it focuses on God's character instead of my circumstances.

My circumstances may change but God remains constant

I have runners up too! Other things that made me happy today are: 

1. A friend giving me a very summery skirt! I love summer dresses and skirts! :)
2. Staying within my 800-peso food budget for this week's grocery shopping. :D

100 Happy Days

The 100 Happy Days Project is a challenge to people to intentionally "see" the good things in life. The idea is to upload a photo of what made you happy each day for 100 days in a row. I am not really a fan of the social network options so I am uploading my photos on this blog.

Here's Day 1 for me! :)

Dry Martini with Co-Worker

I met up for drinks with a former co-worker tonight. Co-Worker had to leave the job quite abruptly because of the need to personally attend to family business. We didn't even get the chance to say goodbye! Co-Worker just sent Boss an email and stopped showing up for work. We haven't seen each other in three months.

Now that the family business craziness has mellowed and the office is beginning to transition with three new staff (one replacing Co-Worker), I just felt the need to meet up with Co-Worker to establish some sort of closure and to share updates on where we are now in our respective endeavors.

It was a happy occasion because, given that I am slow to form relationships, I have realized that Co-Worker and I have really become friends outside of work. Work is good but if interactions are strictly work related and work-induced then there isn't really enough space for depth to develop. I enjoyed hearing about Co-Worker's present job, wedding plans, relocation plans, and family life. Lots of work-related conversations too but it was refreshing to not talk about work tasks.

Here's to forming deeper friendships!

Tiara's 2013 Travels

Here’s a summary of where I’ve been (literally) in the past year. Short review and travel tips included!

January

Flew to Iligan City from Manila to spend a few days with my friend. Went to see Maria Cristina Falls for the nth time. Got on a Rural Transit bus and traveled six hours to Davao City and spent the night at Costa Marina Beach Resort in Samal Island.

Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City. Costa Marina Beach Resort in Samal Island, Davao del Norte

Costa Marina: Nice cottages, reasonable price. Food is okay. What I like about this place is that they have maintained the nature-y feel of the beach and “forest” instead of clearing the land to build concrete structures. If you like, you could also bring tents and camp at the beach.

February

I had friends from Manila visiting me for a few days! Yay! They did the usual tourist-y day-trips—Paradise Island in Samal, Eden Nature Park, Malagos Garden Resort, Philippine Eagle, Jack’s Ridge. I threw in a few not so usual eating places in their itinerary—Coffee for Peace, Casa Munda, PonceSuites, Backyard Burgers, Bankerohan Market. We also visited the Davao Contemporary Art Gallery! They stayed at Green Windows Dormitel.

Buying fruits at Bankerohan public market

Green Windows: Rooms are kind of cramped for four people with two beds but price is okay. Not for the claustrophobic. The room they stayed at in Green Windows ironically did not have windows. I'm not a big fan.

April

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan

Went to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan for a day trip of visiting heritage houses. I like old things so I had a lot of fun. This place is a bit pricey but we got a voucher from MetroDeal or CashCash Pinoy (I can’t remember). We also went to Mt Samat; there’s a memorial for the soldiers during the Death March. Overall a good day of history. It's a loooong drive to Bataan so make sure you have a good driver. My awesome father was our driver. :)

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar: They have a batis-inspired pool which focused more on aesthetics rather than safety. The pool looks really beautiful but it’s slippery and you can easily bump your head in the big decorative rocks. There were also some corners of the pool where water was stagnant. The heritage houses looked really well restored.

June

A friend from Manila spent a weekend in Davao. We went to a resort in Samal owned by the family of my former workmate. It was a chill, beach bumming weekend. The resort is also near Hagimit Falls so we did a little side trip. Just make sure that it didn't rain the previous day/night to have a better appreciation of the falls.

 

Fernandez Beach Resort is well-known in Samal, accessible by public transport

Fernandez Beach Resort: Accommodations are cheap, nice, and clean. The beach is okay, though waters are not as clear as in the parts of Samal Island I frequent. The resort has a lap pool! Food is delicious and cheap but food service is not very efficient. The resort can get crowded and noisy on weekends.

July

Lawyer friend visits me and stayed less than 24hrs. Haha.

Another friend from Manila spends a weekend in Davao! We went to the default touristy place—Paradise Island. I have been to Paradise Island countless times for a day trip but this is the first that I actually stayed the night.

Paradise Island: I really liked how they took care of the small details showing they have really studied the behavior of Filipinos who go to the beach—foot wash at the entrance of all cottages, clothes line in the yard, plastic bags to store wet clothes, etc. Paradise Island is the default tourist destination because their food is good, their beach is nice, and their accommodations are very comfortable. Good value for money. Just be prepared to be with a lot of tourists though.

July

Blue Waters Beach Resort in Samal Island

I did my mid-year retreat at Blue Waters Resort in Samal. I always do a mid-year retreat as it helps me “get away” and take stock of the year so far.

Blue Waters Resort: Accommodations are okay, nothing spectacular; structures are quite old. I had a good view of the sea though so I wasn’t complaining. They have a saltwater swimming pool! Food is forgettable, nothing special. This resort is not as accessible as Paradise Island.

September

I went to Bohol with friends visiting from China and Nepal. Bad time to travel by sea because of the monsoon rains. I was traumatized riding the SuperCat from Cebu to Tagbilaran, Bohol. Worst time of my life, I really thought I was going to die. Best thing about this trip? Free food and accommodation! It’s always fun (and cheap) to have a friend who is a local. Had a lot of fun snorkeling. We arranged for a boat and snorkeling guides with Panglao Tropical Villas. We travelled to Panglao by finding random motorbike drivers willing to drive us. Haha. We haggled for a bit and settled on a good reasonable price for bringing us over to Pangalao and fetching us after our day of snorkeling. We also did the customary Bohol city tour—Chocolate Hills, heritage churches, tarsier, man-made forest, Loboc River cruise. This was a couple of weeks before the big 7.1 earthquake that hit central Visayas.

Chocolate Hills, Loboc River cruise, Panglao beach in Bohol

Panglao Tropical Villas: Staff is accommodating. The snorkeling fee (gear and guide) was only PHP300/head. We snorkeled at the Bellevue side of Panglao because the winds were too strong to go over to Balicasag Island. I did my first dive in Balicasag Island three years ago and I fell in love with marine life so it was sad that our friend from Nepal couldn’t experience that. We also went over to the famous sandbar. Two years ago it was a public place, now it is fenced with a sign that says the name of the guy who has bought the island. Sad.

City tour: We booked through a car rental service. It was a good deal with five of us splitting the expenses. The Loboc River cruise is the height of being touristy, I think. But it was entertaining enough so it was okay.

September

I did a side trip to Cebu on my way back to Davao. I visitedthe Cebu of my childhood. For the most part, Cebu has changed a lot. It has become a highly urbanized city. The Cebu I know is Jones Ave, St. Theresa’s College, and Urgello-Aznar only. Interestingly, these places haven’t changed much. I find it funny that tourist-friends go to Cebu and when they find out I am Cebuana they assume I know the Cebu they know. No. The Cebu I know is small and unassuming. I’m still the small-town Cebuana, not the flashy party girl Cebuana most tourists know. Stayed at Cendet.

UCCP Cendet Guesthouse: Straightforward backpackers dormitory at PHP300/night, along Jones Ave.

November

Diving group (big picture), the view from our villa,
intro/discovery divers with master diver/instructor,
swimming with turtles!

Went to El Nido for a few days to accompany a couple of foreigners visiting the Philippines. We went diving; were also supposed to go island hopping but there was a storm on the first day we were there so the Philippine Coast Guard cancelled all boat trips. The diving was amazing! El Nido unseated Balicasag in my heart. Haha. The dive was arranged by Submariner Diving Center/Habibi. The dive masters were awesome. I really appreciated how they weren’t just doing it as work but were really passionate about marine life. Saw a hawksbill sea turtle, green sea turtle, and a huge stingray. I am a "master" intro/discovery SCUBA diver because all my dives in the past three years are all intro/discovery dives and still no money to actually get certified. Haha. We ate all our meals at the “strip.” Nothing spectacular, everything is sort of the same. Spent a couple of days in Puerto Princesa and discovered Casa Nieves owned by director Dante Nico Garcia. Lunch at Ugong Rock was the best food we had in the whole duration of our Palawan trip.

Makulay Lodge, El Nido: Great view of the bay! You’d have to walk up almost a couple hundred steps though. The villa we stayed at was spacious and quaint. I really liked it. Plus, it wasn’t in the “center” of El Nido so it wasn’t as busy.

Princess Armicha, Puerto Princesa: Nothing fancy here. Straightforward “locker room” in the city. Good cheap accommodations if you just need a place to sleep in and are not really prissy. Staff is accommodating too.

December

On the speedboat to neighboring Malipano Island, snorkeling,
"birthday" dinner, sunbathing :P

A friend treated me to Pearl Farm for my birthday. I am not really a fan of expensive, flashy things. Opulence makes me feel uncomfortable because I can’t get it out of my head that the Philippines is a third world country and it’s not right that I “squander” money when so many kids are going hungry. But my friend really wanted to try Pearl Farm. The service was awesome! I have never met a happier staff. They were accommodating and pleasant and fun. Made me wonder how much a Pearl Farm employee gets paid since they seemed to be very happy with their jobs. Haha. The food was great. The beach, accommodations and resort facilities were really good. Pearl Farm is somewhere I’d go to once. Because it’s too expensive to go there more than once. Haha. And it’d be an insult to (my) poverty. Big thanks to my friend who took me though. I really appreciated it.