Finally I am home. Just got home. I arrived in Manila 9:30AM this morning. Went straight to church because our core has a cellgroup meeting at 10. Had lunch at Kim & Zarah's place. Had Young Pro cellgroup in the afternoon. Practiced band at 7PM. Now I am home, home at last! Tired but all worth it.

At this moment I'm already aboard ship from Iloilo to Manila. Right now we just stopped in Bacolod City port. I had the greatest time in Iloilo, though I didn't got the chance to see its popular sites. I so wanted to go to Miag-ao, Guimaras and Boracay, but time restrains. Nevertheless, I was able to try their famous La Paz Batchoy, city sight-seeing - there are quite a lot of old colonial houses and churches in the city. One particular structure was the Jaro Church which boasts of Baroque facade which two towering spires. It's belfry is across the street. The city is a reminiscent of Avenida and Manila itself. I'm also curious about their dialect, Ilonggo. Ilonggo are also called to its people, which in the Philippines, we dub it as the sweetest-sounding people because of their distinct, sweetly (lambing) accent. I stayed in a guesthouse in Central Philippine University, who is celebrating their centennial this year. I slept in the guestroom of the National Youth Department. This was the greatest highlight, I mean GREATEST HIGHLIGHT, in my stay there. I am always starstrucked when I see and talk to Kuya Jerry Balbuena, our National Youth Department director. I am impressed by how he speaks, what he speaks, how he acts, how he relates. For nights I was privileged to observe, listen and interact with great leaders: Kuya Jerry, Kuya Sur (superstar), Kuya Chad, Kuya Alvin and Kuya Herman. I am driven to want to become like them, if not now, soon. I was also privileged to join them for pizza the last night. Pastors can have fun too. Kuya Jerry and Kuya Rodel contest in telling jokes. The event was called "C.A.L.L. to Harvest - Christ Ambassadors Leading Laboring" [view album] attended by over 100 delegates, youth pastors, workers and campus people, from all over the Philippines. I got too meet inspiring leaders and be further recharged in the spirit. I am geared toward reaching the Filipino-Chinese youth in Binondo. My conversation with God the last night was 'Lord, I don't know how, I may know how, but it doesn't count, I need your constant leading and guidance. Put every piece of the puzzle in place that I may see the picture clearly on what to do."

I'm now in an internet cafe in Iloilo. Been here for the past two days for our org's national youth leaders conference in Central Philippine University in Iloilo City. I'll be boarding ship back to Manila tomorrow morning and will arrive Manila Saturday morning. Life is exciting. Been AWOL at home for a month. God has blessed me to go to Palawan, Baguio and Iloilo this summer for His work. After this, I'll be settled again in Manila, back to school & ministry. Iloilo City is a beautiful city. A reminiscent of downtown Avenida, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo. Scattered throughout the city are good old but functional old houses and fortress churches. I wanted to go and see Miag-ao church.

I'm back home again. Finally I get to rest. I came in from Baguio last night after four days of youth retreat. It was great. There is still more to tell about my Palawan trip. this four days in Baguio seemed so short. I am very glad for my team, because God has moved mightily in their lives as God has moved in mine also.

Check out my pictures in Palawan... Haven't finished putting all captions. Leaving for Baguio for our Youth Retreat in 3 hours.

Just got back fresh from Palawan after two weeks of mission exposure in the Badjao Tribe in Bataraza in the southern part of Palawan... So much to tell. But I have to go to Baguio tonight. See if I can blog a little later...

Sailing Home

Sailing home at last, Morning breaks to shades to light; Foreign lands bid farewell, Hoping to glance at my face one last time; Tomorrow holds uncertainty. But my trust is in the Lord, my hope and my fortress. In Him all things are sure, All things already hoped for. Sailing, I am sailing home Sailing, I am sailing home. With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm, Until He takes me home.

It's Tuesday morning, I'm in front of the beach, reflecting, meditating on God's Word. It's been already five days since we came to the Badjao village. Though they want to be called Good-jaos because they are already made alive in Christ. I can only hear the calm waves of the sea, the birds, the playing of Badjao kids in the sand. The gentle wind kisses my cheeks. It's warm. All the fishing boats were already out to sea anticipating a great catch. For days we have been feasting on the fruits of the sea: large groupers, tangs, rays, octopuses which would cost much in the city. The Badjao people is one of the eight muslim groups in the Philippines. They are the poorest and deemed lowest of the groups. They would leave their Islamic faith for a foreign one. Here in the village, the tribe is headed by Nany Kesha, a chubby lady. People here are good natured. They have beautiful eyes and great smiles amidst their sun-scorched skin. They are divers of the sea. Divers of pearls. They bathe in the sea. And their culture is passed on from generation to generation. Every night since we came here, we would have pakiring', it's like he nightlife of the urban. We would dress in their traditional clothes called malong and learn how to dance the 'igal' or eagle dance which reflects an eagle in flight. Men here are most graceful dancers of the igal. Btw, this place is called Bataraza, after a datu or tribe chief. Across the sea, are the Balabac Islands, the southernmost tip of Palawan... As of now kids have been watching me write this - Toto, Janel & Aries. Our group is 20 in all made up of teams from Pangasinan and Binondo. In the morning my group is assigned in fetching water in the poso which is two minutes away from the village. We would carry it by twos on a bamboo shaft with the water jugs in the middle. It's hard waking up early to fetch water. I like pumping the water though. It's my only way of exercise which works the upper body. We cook lunch in the afternoon and wash the dishes in the evening. In the afternoon we would bathe in the sea. There was once a night when I slept not having washed the saltwater in my body because it's already too dark to fetch water. There is no electricity her, everything needs to be unlearned. I have learned a couple of phrases and greetings...

Acacia Tree

Acacia tree, spread thy arms above me, Ease my agony under thy leafy crown; I am God's chosen. In the evening as I dream, Fold thy hands as a prayer for me; And rest as the dark passes by.

We're off to our mission filed today in Bataraza, a badjao community. God has really moved the past few days, confirming and affirming my call to leadership and missions. Last night we arrived at our worship time in colorful costumes, it was fun. I hear we'll be doing some dances in the village. The travel is five hours.

Just woke up. Last night we had a good praise and worship. Pastor Joedy called it 'Babad Nights'. And we were definitely soaked with the Spirit of God. It was a joy to see young people kneeling and surrendering unto the Lord. It's our third day now since Sunday. The place is serene. Mountains backdrop the city. Sitting at the window looking at a lone enormous mango tree flowering. We had fish since the first day. Last night's dinner was awesome: Yellow-fin tuna in coconut juice. Karis.

So far so good. I've witnessed for the first time the testimony of tongues when one of our motherly Filipino mission-mates spoke Chinese during worship time. God also reaffirmed my relationship with Him. It was a feeling of freedom. It's becoming hotter in here than in Manila. I assume it's becuase we are now nearer to the equator. Our speaker Pastor June Alonzo is truly a man of God. We are together with the Dagupan team and they are great. We began to get close during our orientation and in a game of Uno cards. We're staying in the church's school.. In sleeping bag on hard cement floor. I experienced stiff neck which is now healing. I notice in Palawan there are lots of flies, not mosquitos. It's as if I'm still in Luzon in the rural. Been missing few comforts: a soft bed, a good bath and someone doing my laundry.

This afternoon I played badminton with my friends. We met at church. Left late, and made later due to a 12-hour fire in downtown Binondo. It was very traffic because a significant road was closed due to the fire, we had to walk some distances. It was very embarassing because our host reserved us for 3-5pm, but we arrived quarter-to-four. I saw Jillian Teh in the sports complex and talked with her for a while. So we played. My partner is Annie, she plays good badminton. We won all our matches. We finished at 6pm. Went to McDonalds after.

Wednesday.. 3 more sleeps to go and I will be in Palawan. Will be checking in South Harbor 1PM of Friday.. Hoping to still blog when I get to Palawan through GPRS. I'll be gone there for two weeks. Yesterday went to market with youth to buy sarong and toiletries. The day before there was a jeepney strike and sunday we watched together Five People You Meet in Heaven in the Hallmark channel and played monopoly. It was there when I learned how to play monopoly.. it was fun. We played badminton in the park. Today I will be playing badminton with youth in Columbian Sports Complex in Plaza Dilaw. Sigh.. life.

JP's Despedida

Last night from church I went to dine with my college peeps in Greenbelt 3, Makati. JP is going on a 3-month architectural project in Dubai. We ate in Banana Leaf, which has good Penang fried rice and beefsteak. Afterwards we had dessert in classic Cafe Briton. Tonight our peeps will be meeting again because last night turned out to be too short for a despedida party. Bubu lent me Dan Brown's Deception Point. Earlier I met with Hopenet client and he has with him a guy from Florida whose position I have a faint understanding, but I knew he is someone in a high position. They were inquiring about putting our Philippines Hopenet team in charge of doing the US site. I learned as we lunched in Fridays Sta. Lucia that the Philippine Hopenet has been adapted by other countries (which before they had they're own Hopenet sites) as far as Ghana, Brazil & Russia, because our site is good. Hopefully I'll be doing the design for the US site. God is so good.