all misfits

interesting use of the word, "misfit," but more importantly, this reflection stood out to me because lately, sr. terezinha and i have been reflecting on inculturation and our own personal experiences in learning the ways of the people here in the Cordilleras, but more specifically with the different members of different tribes that we work with, here in Baguio City. it has been SUCH a beautiful learning experience. everyday, sr. terezinha and i seem to be enlightened in new, radical ways.

the outcome of these experiences? we are writing a book on mission and inculturation. so excited!

enjoy! :) thanks for journeying with us, foreign missioners!

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Foreign missioners are misfits regardless of the culture in which they live and work. Having lived, worked, and loved in both home and host cultures, they feel at home in neither. Missioners arriving in a host culture see that culture from an outsider's viewpoint. They also take into their lives values of the host culture that reveal less than satisfactory truths about their home culture.

Foreign missioners' lives are the locale where the winds meet: the winds of two cultures and the winds of two worlds. Because of this, foreign missioners are profoundly connected to the fundamental mystery of humanity. While serving as beacons for the misfits of this world, they in turn receive direction from the very same misfits.

Called to be beacons for the misfits whose lives carry the void that brings them to the gateway of eternity, foreign missioners need some magnifying of their call. Indeed, it is in the mirror of the misfits that foreign missioners are reminded that they have been called and sent by Jesus, a misfit who stretched toward rather than away from the waiting void of God's promise. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection offer not protection but the sustenance, the radical support of knowing that God's promise is best remembered in the void.

- Larry Lewis, MM from The Misfit (taken from A Maryknoll Book of Inspiration by Michael Leach and Doris Goodnough)

firmly resolved

Let us accept God's will and be firmly resolved to build our whole life in accordance with what our faith teaches and demands. We can be sure this involves struggle and suffering and pain, but if we truly have faith we will never feel we have lost God's favor. In the midst of sorrow and even calumny, we will experience a happiness which moves us to love others, to help them share in our supernatural joy. - Christ is Passing By, p. 139

When someone accepts only a part of what he considers to be his vocation from God, then it ceases to be a way of responding to God and becomes rather a way of responding to oneself. - P. Rodriguez, op. Cit.

do you know Him?

Happy Feast of Christ the King! Check out this video. I love it!

wings

The poor are your brothers and sisters in Christ. You must never be content to leave them just the crumbs from the feast. You must take of your substance and not just of your abundance, in order to help them. And you must treat them like guests at your family table. - Blessed John Paul II (Homily at Yankee Stadium, New York, 1979).

Commit yourselves without getting exhausted because of the difficulties that you will naturally meet. When they tell you "no," just keep going as if they said "yes." Continue to hit the nail on the head so that eventually it will just go through. Our trust must remain strong, and even increase, despite the difficulties because this is the way of the saints. 'If you would have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move mountains' (Mt 21: 21-22). Continue to move forward, laugh over the difficulties and you will have even greater energy! - Mother Cabrini (Letter form NY June 30, 1899)

My dear daughters, be detached from all things and all persons and also from yourselves, from your desires and inclinations, and then you will enjoy true peace...the soul full of earthly ties and attachments is always narrow, small-minded, understands little, is often cowardly and depressed and is never able to throw herself into the immensity of Divine Service...I want you all to have wings so you can fly and rest in the peace of a soul who is all for God. - Mother Cabrini (Travels, Apr. 20, 1890, Le Harve-NY)

Be careful that no one is afflicted by extremes of joy or sadness because such moods are unworthy of religious. Moods belong to those of the world who have not tried to detach themselves from certain impediments: excessive guilt, the senses that are not under control, the need to be thought well of and restless, disturbing fantasies. - Mother Cabrini (Letter, March 10, 1891)

How many times you feel yourselves sad, troubled, depressed, agitated and you don't know the cause. Enter into yourself and look at your feelings, your tendencies, your inner movements and you will discover that you have begun to separate yourself a little from Jesus, the Fountain of Life, loving yourself and creatures more than him. - Mother Cabrini (Feb, 1892 - Granada, Nicaragua)

Daughters, we all make mistakes, but now let us begin to go ahead on the journey with courage and energy to please our Jesus and console his Heart. - Mother Cabrini (Nov 7, 1893, Genoa)

Jesus, strengthen my weak and unstable will, so that it can energetically desire what youw ant and know how to reject what is not pleasing to you. - Mother Cabrini (Travels, Sept 17, 1894)

She is animated in her undertakings, firm and constant in doing good, doesn't get pulled to left or right. Praise doesn't puff her up, humiliations don't pull her down, contradictions don't make her collapse, storms don't cause her to drown...She arrives at discernment, sound judgment, a vision of what is her duty and the task before her, without paying attention to human respect. - Mother Cabrini (May, 1910)

Mother (Cabrini) thinks it will be much easier to do good for the souls of our immigrants when their material needs have been provided for, so she will do everything possible to establish a school, orphanage, nursery, etc. - Annuls of the Sisters

Mother Cabrini's Message to her Sisters Today: The humble religious is similar to a bouquet of spikenard, which although the smallest, most obscure and lowliest of flowers is also the most fragrant. - Mother Cabrini (Spiritual Diary)

Jesus' hands

i meant to blog this entry about a week ago, to be exact, but alas, preparations for mother c's feast day and other matters in this beautiful journey of life, have pushed this entry to the bottom of my "to-do" list. and so now, with a candle lit to the right of me, i will now dedicate time to blog about this beautiful day which i experienced a week ago. let's call it, an unforgettable full day of ministry! :)

i don't want to forget this day, which is why i am choosing to blog about it. many beautiful moments happened on this day, and i pray that this may serve as a reminder to me of what a full day, dedicated to ministry, can turn out to look like - surprises and all.

the day started off pretty bad because i lost my ipod. either it fell out of a pocket on my bag or someone snatched it out of my backpack either as i was walking or on the jeepney. so i was pretty upset. i wanna say the first hour that i was at work, i was a zombie, trying to replay what could have happened to it. and i was also pretty upset because after not using my ipod for what seems, the past 2 months, i decided to bring it to work that day so that we could have more access to the music so that the kids could practice for their performances on the feast day. and so, that was that.

well, eventually, i moved on and got my head in the game. norlyn and i are in charge of the 3rd and 4th graders and teaching them, "The Jubilee Song," but even more than just teaching them the song, we are in charge of teaching them the hand motions too. now THIS is a task. for the past couple of weeks we have been working with them, and well, it's super difficult! attention spans are short, it's hot, and let's face it, they just wanna play and run around. well, "NO children, not yet! there is no time for that right now!"

there came a point to the day when it was so frustrating, that i started to get all scary teacher-like, and told a few of them that they would have to behave, otherwise they could not be a part of the performance. well, i always end up laughing at myself afterwards because half the time, 1) they are not listening to me and 2) they don't understand me (my language!). so i decided, i needed to take a breather - so i left the room, did other things, and then came back, and saw that they were practicing all nice like. they weren't screaming, and they were calm, and they were like absolute angels doing the hand motions and gestures. it was perfect! i was so happy! it's also nice to work with a partner, because when norlyn got frustrated and tired, i was able to take over. it's a nice exchange!

eventually i thought to myself, see crystal. don't get worked up so easily...give them some time to get out their energy, and eventually they will get it...and they did! so it was a blessing. it was a blessing in my personal realization and it was a blessing that i was able to talk myself through my angst and frustration too. thank you Jesus for granting me that grace of patience that morning!

i think it was also a stressful morning because as norlyn and i were teaching the 3rd and 4th graders and also acting as disciplinarians (seriously!), i also had parents coming in to practice for the choir (that i was organizing), and i also had other parents coming in to also practice reading, since they would be serving as lectors. so i was thinking to myself - oy vey, i'm in charge of 3 things that are simultaneously happening at the same time. is this for real? the readers also had to translate some things into their own language and have their work checked, so i had to orchestrate that as well! my mind was going crazy, but then i realized. no crystal, you are NOT doing this on your own. so what did i learn to do? delegate! sr. terezinha worked with the parents, the other social worker helped translate, the choir of parents were good sports and helped with the other activities while they waited for the others to arrive, and i got to finish up with my Jubilee group. phew! that sounds so easy like clock-work, but dang, when you are in the moment, it was NOT that easy!

well, then there was a guitarist that was going to help us with the preparation for the feast, and he did not show up when he said he would...so i continued with my parents choir practice, and then all of a sudden, the other staff told me, "crystal, brother is here now to help with the music!" phew! thank goodness! so we all went outside, we had our new sound system in place, and he was leading the songs. PERFECTO. i got a break! you see, it was very frustrating too because for the past year-ish that i have been here, we did not have a sound system. that changes things A LOT. well, we finally really pushed for one, and it finally came this day, that hour for the practice. thank God!

so brother is a liturgist himself, and so he knows pretty much all the music, and not to mention he coordinates his own choir. sooo he is in the know, and i was able to take a break. and a breather. of course, as the person who has been coordinating the choir though, i have my own particulars and my vision of what it looks like. he definitely did not know who i was, but there i was, right in back of him, and also trying to coordinate with the kids. haha, eventually i was like, "crystal. let him do his thing. but you should probably introduce yourself to him because for all he knows, you are some random girl trying to bark orders from the back-seat." so i introduced myself, and eventually i let him take charge of the practice - part of the difficulty in that moment was my pride - i didn't want to let go of controlling the situation, but at the same time, i was like, um, no, maybe it's better that he leads it! and so that happened. :) oh the beauty of being me, and trying to have my way sometimes. but, if i knew what was good for me, i had to let go!

so then as that was going on, i also realized that i had to organize some of the materials that i was going to go over for confirmation class that afternoon. (yup, it was a packed day!) so we finished up choir practice, everyone was organizing the food for lunch, and i was busy making copies and printing off materials for confirmation class that was gonna happen in one hour. but first, i had to eat! that was a great time for me to catch up with brother, learn more about him, and find out that he is one of the DJs on the local radio station, which meanssssssss, yours truly shall be making an audio appearance. i just love how the holy spirit works sometimes! (all the time!) so that brought my energy way up, especially given that there was a lot of laughing involved, and a lot of jokes, and discussion on mission. pretty freaking cool if you ask me. :)

so then i hopped into a taxi on a crazy high of being filled with joy at the success of the morning's activity (despite any of the stresses that i caused myself), and was happy, as i also had a box of jelly beans with me in my bag. i love jelly bellys. so i was chomping on my jelly bellys, and my taxi driver seemed pleasant. i even offered him some of my jelly bellys, which NEVER happens (pretty rare to talk to taxi drivers), but i figured, hey, share. AND it would be nice to change up his day a little bit. eventually we got to talking about my mission and what i'm doing here, and i learned that he is from a province about two hours away and works in baguio city during the weekdays (this is pretty typical). he has three kids all in catholic school, and he was happy with the fact that i was a missioner.

i think i was also interested in conversation at that time, too, because sr. T wasn't with me, and it is pretty rare that i roll solo. i'm used to her striking up convos with the taxi driver, but i suppose since it was so silent in the taxi, i needed to step up my game, and we were both up for conversation. it was pretty traffic! as usual.

eventually we got to the church, and it was a pleasant drive with nice conversation. i gave him a 10 peso tip, and he was very grateful. :) i get to the church and am greeted with a bunch of smiling faces! my confirmation kids!

ok, so i re-energized myself and got to assembling everyone in the church for confirmation class that day. i went over the rite of confirmation and the symbols of confirmation: the laying of the hands and the chrism. the kids listened and were very attentive. i was just going to teach for a little bit because the liturgical director was going to do a run-through with them for the actual day. well, she wasn't there yet, and so i didn't know what to do! we were stuck just waiting...and i think that while i was getting impatient waiting, they were actually fine with it, and we ended up rehearsing the songs for the mass. and well, that was FUN! :) it really energizes me to see young adults really excited about their faith and to see them take initiative. when we started practicing the songs, some of them just picked up the guitar and started playing along to help guide us. it was awesome!

the liturgical director eventually came, and i was just like, dang, thank goodness! as we were going through the motions with the students, she was asking for my input and my ideas, and so i gave them to her, and helped her organize the different aspects of the rite. i remember stopping to reflect and thought to myself, "whoa, crystal, you're like, doing it! you're helping to coordinate a liturgy!" it was pretty cool. and then i thought about working with mish at mother cabrini high school and how she was in charge of all of the liturgies and how there were small glitches that may have happened (though no one noticed), but because you know that it happened, it can cause some stress and frustration over it. and so i ended up even having to remind myself, "crystal. don't worry. it will all be well, and at the end of the day, the kids will be confirmed and it will be beautiful." so that calmed me down. :) thank goodness! let's see how it goes on the actual day!

so then, we did a simulation of the "laying of the hands" and the rite with the oil being placed on their forehead with the sign of the cross by the Bishop. so there are about 26 of them, and so they each had their turn coming up to the "Bishop" (the stand in was one of the college kids!), and i remember just watching from afar, and immediately what came to my mind, was this exact picture:

i posted this picture a few weeks ago, when i blogged a reflection on world missions sunday, and this exact moment came to my mind this very day at the church. except it was in real life. i watched the college kid, stand in as the bishop, anointing the forehead of the eager confirmation candidates, and i realized, when the Bishop confirms these candidates, when he places his hands on their heads, when he anoints their foreheads with chrism and makes the sign of the cross, Jesus is standing right in back of him, also, offering that same rite. immediately what came over me were tears of joy - i was overcome with serenity and absolute joy. i thought to myself and felt in my heart, "oh my goodness! the holy spirit is real and SO powerful and how much i want these candidates to truly feel and understand the power of the holy spirit in their lives! and on the day of their confirmation, the holy spirit will just fill this church!" i remember just smiling and being so grateful and realizing again, "wow, crystal. you are getting way more than you ever thought for yourself!"

confirmation practice ended, we had merienda, and i think i skipped to the road as i waited for a taxi. i was filled with joy! i got in the cab and thought to myself, "ah! i can't wait till i can see sr. t (i was going to their house), so that i can share with her these reflections that i experienced today!). i spent that whole cab ride home just replaying moments of the day and really feeling full of the holy spirit. i paid the taxi man, ran upstairs, yelled, "HERMANA!" (per usual, since WYD!), ran to sister's room, threw my stuff down on her bed, and just gave her a big hug.

i shared with her my experiences in teaching confirmation that day and witnessing them practicing the rite, and i also shared with her how Jesus was really smart in sending people "two by two," in pairs. it is so necessary on mission! but Jesus was a good companion with me that day and took care of me. i told her how i feel like God really is giving us more than we truly would ever have thought of receiving. i never knew that i would learn so much about the sacraments. and really, BECAUSE i teach baptism, first communion and confirmation, this means i need to prepare and i need to be an expert. and what ends up happening? i learn SO much! but really journeying with those preparing for the sacraments is where the gift lies. that is what i am finding. not to mention, i think i have a better understanding of the sacraments that i received growing up. my goodness, if only i knew this stuff more strongly back then!

sister t and i eventually started talking about the gift of that community where we serve. it is as if God had it really planned all along. sr. t calls it our "frontier." it is a place that was really untouched, but was in great need. and what ended up happening? as soon as sr. t and i came, a missionary priest was also missioned to that parish, he welcomed sister and i, and we have been involved in the parish community and its extended community ever since. i still can't even fathom how everything has worked out the way that it has - so beautifully. sure, there are the mishaps and the unfortunate turn of events that are inevitable, but really. wow, what a gift!

one of the best parts of mission, i think, is the "processing" part. this day was full of go-go-go. and it wasn't even done yet, because we concluded with our community book discussion, that evening, so that was still awaiting us at the end of the day. but really, some of my best experiences so far on mission have been the times when i just plop down in sister's room, and we just process our experiences from a single moment, from a visit to a community, or when we evaluate some of our pastoral ministry experiences.

sometimes when we go-go-go, it is easy to get lost in those times, and so easy it is to forget about the great graces that were within those "go-go-go" moments. at least this time, i didn't want to let this day go without it being put down on copy somewhere. like my blog. :)

but all in all, this day was a grace. and i felt really good about all of it. knowing that Jesus literally had his hand on everything that day and just continued to whisper to me, "crystal, don't get ahead of God's grace. let the Holy Spirit move..." and that's exactly what happened.

wow, i guess great things do happen when you give up control and offer it up to God. who woulda thought? :)

AMEN.

commit.

I’m not sure if anyone knows what is the best political strategy for making life more livable for all… but I do know that we need a critical mass of people who will respond to suffering, who are ready for long term commitment and who will make wise choices along the way. Without such new human beings… no amount of money, sophisticated strategies, religious programming, social education, even structural change, will make our world more human. - the late Fr. Dean Brackley, SJ

there are people. these are not just countries. go where the people are.

Sr. Terezinha and I began our day today by reflecting on this quote by the late Fr. Dean Brackley. What part did we really focus on? The phrase, "long term commitment." We discussed how important it is to be committed. Sure, it is always great to have volunteers for a day, for an event, for a month at a time, but really, to make some substantial, livable change, we need individuals with a "long term commitment" to this very cause. Sr. T and I reflected on our experiences working with the barangays in our pastoral ministry work. When we first started, we had all this momentum going - we had all these plans, and then through careful weekly, monthly evaluation, we learned how to go with the flow, and worth within this cultural context.

While still progressing, we also had to get used to the pace of and way of life, around here. Most of all, we had to work with the people, learn how to do so, and be committed to this. While we have been missioned here for a couple of years or so, wow, does this define long-term? If you asked me a year and a half ago, I would have thought of two years and thought, THAT IS A LONGGGGGG TIME. well, I suppose it is. But now that I am living here in the PI, on mission, and I have lived here for over a year now, I am realizing, wow, two years is really not THAT long. Crazy that I can come to that realization and say that confidently.

What I do know though, is that this "long term commitment" that Sr. T and I spoke about so passionately this morning, this is what I want to be about. While I may not be in the PI for forever, this "long term commitment" to responding to suffering, to making the "wise choices along the way," I want to do that. And I want to be part of this revolution of God's love that is making its way to all the ends of the earth. I want to serve and make that happen.

Some people have a fear of commitment, but I suppose when you find a cause worth committing too, it lessens the fear a bit more. And before you know it, that fear lightens itself with love, passion, dedication, and grace-filled boldness, courage and strength. To all the ends of the earth.

open the doors

read this, and afterwards thought to myself, wow, i can connect with this. i have these daily experiences! what a blessing it is. i must be in the right place.

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We Are All God's Children

Soon after moving into my two-room, mud-brick house in the village of Piela in Brukina Faso where I was serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, I realized that I had moved into the section of town where many of the women who worked as prostitutes were also living. They were mostly foreigners like me. Despite this fact, a lot of neighborhood kids would often come and visit me.

One day I started to play Frisbee with a young boy who had stopped by for a visit. While we were playing, one of the young women who worked in a bar as a prostitute started watching us. After a little while, I threw the Frisbee to her, and she joined in with our fun. Then a little while later, an old man came walking by and started watching us play. Pretty soon the young woman threw the Frisbee to him. He dropped the Frisbee and his cane too, but then clumsily picked it back up and threw it to the young boy.

And there we were, the most unlikely mix of people in a little African village: an old man, a prostitute, a little boy, and a foreigner,, all standing together in a circle, throwing a Frisbee, and having fun together. When I reflected on this experience later, I realized that I had received a vision of what the reign of God is all about: love, equality,, beauty, and enjoyment with no one excluded or left out.

- Dennis Moorman, MM, from Why Not Be a Missioner? - edited by MIchael Leach and Susan Perry (taken from A Maryknoll Book of Inspiration by Michael Leach and Doris Goodnough)

not by chance

it's pretty amazing what can happen while sitting in a coffee shop. this is a story of my meeting with a complete stranger, and by God's grace, i'm pretty sure, 200%, everything happened just as it was supposed to, in fact, as i sat, talking to this complete stranger, i thought to myself, "wow God, you knew this was gonna happen, didn't You?" and so, here is my story:

walked into my favorite coffee shop (aka the only coffee shop in baguio city, so it sometimes seems), tired from a long day at the office, and just needed to catch up on work that i had procrastinated on. i look around for an electrical outlet to plug in my battery-drained laptop, and i find one - right in the corner, next to a guy who could have been my age, long hair, flip flops, friendly-looking very much surfer like. i put a book down in the chair, and asked him if he could save my spot, while i went to buy a cookie, and i think he was alarmed mostly that i did not sound like a local filipino.

he was nice enough to help me plug in my battery charger, and when i got back to the seat, i saw he put the wireless password right in front of me on the table, as a subtle way to share the knowledge. nice gestures all around, and so i started some conversation - where are you from? what are you doing here? etc...the usual small talk. he answered, was a little reserved, but answered the questions, and i learned that he was "just chillin in baguio for some vacation." he didn't really elaborate, and i didn't think i knew him well enough to keep probing for questions like my usual curiosity likes to do...so then we went back to doing our work, but because we were facing each other, we made sure to avoid awkward moments where we could potentially make eye contact. and no, this wasn't like a, oohh coffeeshop love story potential moment - in fact, very far from it. if anything, the aura i felt, was that, homie wanted to make conversation, but there was a fight within him to start.

so his way of starting conversation and breaking the silence was by saying, "hey, we can share the table so you could put your laptop on it." i said, "no, it's ok, but thanks! i'm fine." ten seconds later, he said, "can you not refuse my offer? i might get mad (he said it jokingly, don't worry. haha)" and so then i was like, "haha, ok, fine!" so then i put my laptop on the table, which was a big help actually, and then he removed his laptop, and i said, "no! we have to share!" so then that opened up conversation. it was a situation. but it worked out!

so then in a half second moment, he said, "so, do you live here or are you vacationing?" i told him i was a missionary, and he said, "WHOA! like, vocation?" and immediately, i was like, oh hey! you're speaking my kinda language. he told me he was catholic and went to a catholic school and what not, growing up...he asked me what my work was, i told him all about it, and he was all ears. i think this was the first time i saw someone get so excited (like, wide open eyes!) about hearing the fact that i was a missioner, and hearing the details regarding the work i do out here...he asked questions, and he definitely showed interest. it was really bizarre, but i thought it was pretty cool, so i went with it! we know how i can just talk...

so then, i asked him again, "so what are you doing here again? i don't get it." he then opened up to me and told me, he actually ran away from home. after he heard my schpeel about the foundation that i work at, he said, " hmm maybe i can visit sometime? " i said, "yeah, sure!" and he said, " i think i need a counselor. do you think there's someone that i can talk to?" as soon as he said that, i closed my laptop, and said, "ok, homie, you can talk to me. what's goin' on?" within two seconds, he just started on his situation. he shared with me the stories of his family, why he ran away, how he feels, what he wants, and he just continued sharing his feelings.

what i was blown away by, was his true authenticity and how i could feel that he really was troubled emotionally, by the problems he had, and how he just wanted to be loved by his mom. he felt that his mom was spending too much time at work, and as a result, he abandoned home and just went off doing his own thing. he then showed me a fb message of how his father misses him and just wants to know that his son is ok...beyond that, was a series of messages that his father sent him, but he didn't reply to any of them. he shared with me his family history and background, and i just listened and listened and listened.

let me back up a moment - that very day, i spent that morning at a counseling seminar and learned about its psycho-spiritual relation to Jesus' approach when mentoring others...not gonna lie, i zoned out many times and only attended the half-day because i could not sit there for the whole thing. so i am sitting with this kid, 5 hours later, counseling and advising, and i think to myself, "really God?  dang, Holy Spirit, you work quickly!" (i also probably should have paid more attention at the morning session!)

and so, he asked me what i thought, and it was so surprising because many of the things he shared with me were similar things that i have experienced in the past - separated parents, trying your best to do well and excel, pretty typical teenage things. i affirmed what homie shared with me, and i shared with him too some of my same experiences from the past. when i shared those moments, he was so surprised that he was able to relate to me - he kept asking me questions about how i dealt with this and that and the challenges...and i just shared openly with him. it was very comfortable, and i told him, "listen, you just need to be honest and speak from your heart and no matter how your mom reacts to what you say, she can not deny your feelings - if they are honest, AND if they come from a place of love. at least she will know how you feel." after sharing with him some stories, he told me that he wishes he could muster up the same courage that i had. i told him to pray before he talks with his mom, and to make SURE that he comes from a place of LOVE, otherwise it may not necessarily be received as well. / really vague overview of our conversation, but that was the gist of it. :)

our conversation went for a good forty minutes or so, and i kept thinking, dang, who is this kid? i found out he is 18 and he was just going around baguio, taking some time away from home to think. he lived 8 hours away by bus.

as he was packing up, he showed me a book he had in his backpack. it was "purpose driven life" and he said he wants to start reading it with his mom, so they can read it together and then discuss it, like a "normal family." i told him the author lived near to me in southern california, and he thought that was a cool connection. i thought so too! when he showed me that, i thought to myself, "wow, God. is this You telling me to not be scared of this kid?" it was as if i heard in my head someone saying, "don't worry. it's ok to talk to him." of course, i always have to be on guard with these random conversations, but this one was different.

he had to leave and asked if we could meet up again to keep talking. and i said yeah, for sure! we made plans to meet up for breakfast and then he started to walk away, and i was like, homie. you don't even know my name! and then he said, "you're seminary girl." and he walked away.

he walked away and the whole evening i replayed moments from that chance encounter. it just seemed so too ironic that that very morning, i was attending a seminar on counseling, and then this afternoon, this kid straight up talks about his need to speak to someone about some life challenges. some challenges that i was very much able to relate to. i was glad to be there, and i feel like it was not just by chance. i kept thinking to myself, "i hope i said the right thing. i hope i said the right thing." and i felt like i shared with him the best that i could.

the next morning, i showed up to the spot for our breakfast meeting, and he did not show. now, while that usually would make me feel super rejected and make me feel as if i totally got stood up (which i DID get stood up!), it did not bother me one bit. why? because i ended up using that time to write in my journal about it. and to reflect about it. and to eat a good breakfast. :)

i came up with the conclusion that i'm glad he didn't show up. there wasn't anything else that needed to be said or discussed, and the rest was up to him, and i listened and i said what i felt that i needed to say - to help him (as best as i could). moreso, i prayed that he was on a bus home.

and so my conclusion?

i have concluded that he may just have been an angel. i don't have any other explanation, and i don't believe it "just happened" for the heck of it. nope, he may have helped me reveal part of my vocation and he has definitely left a mark with me. to this day, i still pray for him and for peace in his family. while i will never know what is, why that happened, and what comes next for him, no doubt that we had a grace-filled conversation.

upon beginning to reflect on this conversation and this space that i shared with this 18-year old, the first verse that came to my mind was: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2). yup.

that and/or Blessed Pedro Calungsod decided to hear about my missionary travels all for himself in real life. which i think would be a great explanation too. :)

and with that, AMEN. thank you Holy Spirit!

kapatid pedro, pray for us!

Blessed Pedro Calungsod is one step closer to being canonized as the second Filipino saint! He was a sacristan, misionary, martyr...died when he was a faithful 18-year old assistant missionary to Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, a Jesuit priest who he was missioned with to the Marianas Islands and Guam. Educated with the Ignatian spirit, also filipino (from ilo ilo, the place where my dad grew up) and reading about his life of mission, Blessed Pedro Calungsod is automatically my new bff.

Here is his prayer:

Blessed Pedro Calungsod,
student, catechist, young migrant,
missionary, faithful friend, martyr,
you inspire us
by your fidelity in times of adversity;
by your courage in teaching the faith
in the midst of hostility;
and by your love in shedding your blood
for the sake of the Gospel.

Make our troubles your own
(here mention your request)
and intercede for us
before the throne of Mercy and Grace
so that,
as we experience the help of heaven,
we may be encouraged to live
and proclaim the Gospel here on earth.
Amen.

And...a wikipedia link! :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Calungsod

my top 10

yay! yesterday, i got to listen to my radio interview for World Missions Sunday on the station of the Diocese, and so, i thought i would reflect and write down a few things that i have learned during my years on mission - mostly as a personal reminder for me, as i continue and persevere...it was interesting to hear myself talk. i think i should follow my own advice more often. and so, here's my list and lengthy explanations (oops.)!

10 Things I Have Learned On Mission:

 * in no particular order - but just as they came to my head! :)

1) Listen to your heart: while i have found that spending time with people, reading spiritual books and seeking the advice from others is something that really helps me (anyone, really!), i have also learned that at the end of the day, listening to my heart and following my heart is my best counselor. seeking to be inspired by the holy spirit, speaking through my heart - this "heart" check-in is usually the best deal-maker/deal-breaker/indicator of next steps...

 2) Take a time out: there have been many times on mission when i just get burnt out. or i get easily stressed out, or better yet (unfortunate for those around me), i get easily irritated. there is a four-letter acronym that was introduced to me at a seminar during my mission year in new york, and that is H.A.L.T. - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. this has stayed with me because it helps me identify with myself as to why i am feeling the way i am feeling: am i hungry? angry? lonely? tired? or is it something else? BUT, of course, to reach these conclusions, i need to take a time out. sometimes i take time outs daily, or multiple times in a day just for this check-in. it is so important to check-in with myself and then be honest with healthy steps to continue keeping on! of course, during my time-outs, journaling is one of the best tools for me. pretty sure i'm on my 3rd journal already from life here in baguio. it is a good and healthy discipline.

3) Pray: too bad this was not the first thing that came to my mind as i started to compile this list, but i suppose it goes hand-in-hand with listening to my heart and taking time out. prayer is the best medicine - sometimes it is hard for me to have faith in simply talking to God, but really, i have found that THIS (prayer) is KEY. when i am walking on session road, when i am sitting on a jeepney, when i am in my room, or in front of the blessed sacrament, prayer is the best. while i may not see these prayers answered immediately (sometimes i do!), this constant conversation with God is something that i very much value. / sr. t and i teach catechism in an area where there is hardly any taxi activity and sometimes we are waiting for an hour, just to get some transportation back to town. well, sometimes, when i throw out a prayer, usually to mother cabrini or st. anthony (to find us a taxi!), within five minutes, the taxi comes down the road, empty, and waiting for us. one time the taxi was called, "faithful love" (they name taxis here), and i KNEW it was a gift and the fruit of prayer after a long day of teaching catechism! prayer is conversation. with a heart of faith, it's as easy as that!

4) Remember your intention for mission: some times on mission are more challenging than others. sometimes it may be easy to just throw in the towel and say, the HECK with it! and the next thing you know, you leave the office because you need to scream and you need a change in scenery, so you take a walk around the block, and then when you are calmed down, you are able to return to the office. yup, let's interchange "you" with ME. cause that has definitely happened to me more than once. :) when moments of frustration happen, challenging moments or at any time when i think to myself, "crystal, you know you don't HAVE to be here," i remind myself of what my intentions are for mission. i ask myself, "crystal, why did you want to be on mission in the first place?" i remember during international service orientation, that we wrote down an "intention" statement. that way, during tough times, this is something that we can keep going back to, in moments of desolation, doubt, and/or confusion. after time of reflection on my intention, i am brought back to my heart once again, and while it is tough to sometimes get back on my feet, the grace is given to continue.

5) Be open: openness. be open to learning and accepting that you do not know everything about the new culture, about the ways of living, about the language, and understand that your western ways may not necessarily translate the same in this new culture in which you are serving. just when you may think that you got a hold of it, you don't. be resilient and be ready to get back up! be open to understanding that yes, there are some things that you may do that are offensive, and be able to identify these moments so that you can try your hardest next time, not to repeat them. be open to being challenged, to having your patience be tested, and be open to constant change and an un-ending series of "learning moments." sometimes it's frustrating, really frustrating, but openness is essential.

6) Identify your network: identify key people - geographically close and technologically close that can serve as your network of support. it is so important to have key people that you can talk to, and trust with your thoughts and feelings. while technology (facebook, skype, twitter, etc...) have made it easy to stay in contact and have check-ins with our friends and family from back home, it is also important to make sure we do not depend solely on staring at our webcam, in moments of trial. i have found how it important it is to identify certain individuals from within this culture, that i may include in my network. why? to be able to have some of my questions answered freely and honestly, and to be told what is right/wrong within the culture, and to also be able to LEARN. having this connection from within the local culture is important. of course, these people should be individuals that you wholeheartedly trust and feel comfortable with being "called out" by.  and perhaps, even someone who understands you and your intentions on mission. that helps also.

7) Mission is relationships: how important it is to build community among your mission. how important it is to build relationships with the people you come to know and meet. the way to mission is through relationships...when i worked in sales, something i was told is that "people don't buy from people they don't like." now, i never directly even sold ONE thing in my life during my two and a half years in business, BUT, my director at the time did tell me that all of the clients loved me. :) and for some reason, that was enough for me, and i know my co-workers appreciated kindness too, despite the fact that they would have also liked me to have a "go get em" attitude with making a big sale. but that wasn't for me. i digress...BUT, while i am not selling anything on mission, all i can offer is myself, and my mission to serve myself to others...now, if my brothers and sisters don't care for me, or if i have damaged relationships with them, well, they will say, "no thank you" or probably not acknowledge my existence. in other news, if i offer myself, and i have healthy rapport within my communities in which i serve, i will be welcomed, accepted, taken care of, and loved! / and perhaps, that is why one of the hardest parts of being "missioned-out" is saying good-bye to the people. it's because of those meaningful relationships, connections, and memories with the communities.

8) Identify your priorities: i have been graced with being missioned to pretty "happenin" cities...new york city and baguio city, philippines. i don't know if it is that these places are so "happenin'" or if it is that my nickname as, "crystala, the butterfly" (from here in the PI!) is pretty telling of the way i work. there's just lots that i like to get involved in, lots that i like to learn about, new things are introduced to me, and lots of people to meet and get-to-know. now balancing that with my community at home, my ministry, and making sure that my own personal spiritual life does not suffer, that is when i must be sure to identify my priorities and to maintain that balance. when i identify my priorities, then it is easier to say NO to one thing, and YES to another - but also learning to be confident and honest with identifying these priorities.

9) Know your boundaries: when identifying my priorities, i always ask myself too, "crystal, what would be most loving for you and life-giving for you?" in any situations where i have to make a decision. my director always reminds me of this. she's really good at not TELLING me what to do, but throws this question back to me as a healthy reminder. boundaries is something that i am still learning, especially my personal boundaries in different situations, and this check-in reminds me of my limits too. when identifying my boundaries, i am reminded to be gentle with myself and to accept the reality of what i am capable of, what i like and what i don't like. / working in prison ministry, pastoral ministry, and working in the realm of different social work activities, it is so important to identify my personal boundaries - social, emotional, physical boundaries, just to name a few. especially when working in a new cultural context, these boundaries may not be the same boundaries as to what i am used to, back at home. and that's ok. that's more likely, even better that they are different. they definitely may change.

10) Have fun!: i'm glad i did not forget about this one, but that's kind of funny that this was the last one that i thought of! but this is essential! yes, i said essential. it is important to make sure that you are enjoying yourself with what you're doing. no, sometimes it is not fun when you are mid-way of shampooing your hair, soap suds in your eyes, and then the water flow stops, and you forgot of course, to fill up the bucket with water the day prior. no, that's not fun, and there will be these moments of non-fun moments, especially when times are super busy and sometimes it may seem unbearable (yes, these dramatic moments happen too!), but make sure to find your place of "fun." perhaps exercise like yoga, or taking a walk, or treating yourself to some delicious food, or spending some time with friends...but FUN is important! laughing is a great addition too. and smiling. make sure that happens a lot too when you're having fun! natural and honest smiles only please. :)

and lastly, this is number 472927402, remember that YOU ARE NOT GOD. God sent you, but not because YOU are to take His place. NO. God was there, God IS there with you, and God will be there after you. with that being said, don't forget that God strengthens you to do the work that you do. this strength does not come from you...BUT, God trusts that you will carry out His work, as His hands, feet, hands, and heart. and that's pretty awesome. not to mention, doesn't that truth lighten that weight off your shoulders a bit? it should! this is always a good reminder for me. all we gotta do is be ourselves! phew!

while this is a list of reminders for me, i also throw them out and share them with you too, with the hopes that just maybe we can learn with and from one another. thanks for reading! :)

<3 crys

--
some quotes from my radio interview that served as affirmation for me, as i was listening to myself speak:

Question: how would you explore your experience here in one word?
Me: grace! my experience here, has been full of grace.

Me: the same thing that i keep going back to, is listening to my heart

Me: i always receive that consolation, that affirmation, that peace, that yes, this is where i belong.

:)

we are all called.

Happy World Missions Sunday!

on this day when we celebrate the mission of the Church, and those who work towards spreading God's love and the Gospel, in a way, i feel like it is a holiday! probably because this is what i have dedicated my life to for the past few years, and this is one of my most favorite topics to think about and reflect on.

this morning, sister t and i went to mass at our parish (yes, we are parishioners though it's super far away, haha), and we met up with brother fabio, a CICM seminarian from brazil. we met him a year ago, and right now he is missioned in another area of the cordilleras (the mountains here in northern luzon), about 14 hours away. yeah, pretty crazy. but it was such a delight to see him! he is like my big brother. it was so nice to spend our morning with that community because our family of parishioners there are so wonderful to us! hugs and kisses and lots of greeting to one another. :) this is the parish where sr. t and i teach confirmation classes, and i have loved my work with the youth there. they really give me so much energy! it was fitting to be there this morning for mass, because that area is the place that holds the hearts of sr. t and i - our place of apostolate, our community that has welcomed us and accepted us to be missioned into their parish.

during the announcements, Fr. was so wonderful in acknowledging the presence of sister and i, as the missionary catechists that are actively involved in the catechism of the church, and he thanked us for the job well done that we have been doing with our confirmandi. as soon as Fr. thanked us, sister t and i looked at each other, and we were affirmed - this is where we belong. God is good for sending us! we are so grateful. and for the past year, my name has been "sister crystal." go figure! haha.

after breakfast, sr. t, fabio and i caught up on our lives with one another and shared conversation on the beauty of mission and we discussed the call of mission and the vision of mission...we talked on the importance of having a shared vision on mission, and reflected on the fact that not everybody has the same call...we shared our experiences of international mission, and how, again, as baptized christians, ALL are called to be missionaries in their own ways...and we are to support one another in that realization. whatever that ends up looking like.

we talked enculturation - its difficulties, its joys, we talked on the fact that we are VISITORS here. that it is the filipino people - the community and the culture here that have welcomed us, and we are in no place to place demands or expectations on the people and IN the communities that we serve. i think this is something very important to always remember...we must not be oppressive in anything we do, and we have been gifted with such a grace to be able to serve and love the people here. we are not colonizers, and we are simply called to be who we are -authentically so. we are here for the mission, and the mission is NOT here to serve us. sometimes when i remind myself of that reality, it once again puts things into perspective. sometimes it is easy to get lost in intentions. God has continued to affirm and provide us with graces of consolation, especially in times of sincere desolation and moments of confusion. for that, i am grateful.

it is oh so important to have a partner in mission, and i am grateful for the MSC sister, Sr. Terezinha that i have been missioned with. (though i did not meet her until the moment i set foot in baguio city!) she is currently living 70 years of life on earth, and this sister is inspiring. she's brazilian, she is on fire for mission, and her critical thinking mind continues to always challenge my ways of thinking too. our sociology background definitely unites us. :) - among the many things! she has become the best personal catechist trainer ever, and i look up to her a lot. her dedication, heart of love, and patience with me is pretty amazing too. today she reminded me, "catalan, you can be a catechist anywhere in the world. you're ready." and that is awesome to me! Sr. T has become my utmost best friend out here, and what a grace it is to be sent two by two! the fact that she is here, and i am here, and we work so well together, and we share our vision on mission, that is affirmation enough that God knows what He is doing. :)

and so, happy world mission sunday! this has been quite the way of living. i would not have it any other way. :) thank you to all who have supported me on my mission...your prayers are working!!

grateful heart

so my sister came to visit me in baguio city last week, and wow, i think it was quite the experience for her. an experience in the sense that i think my stressing out stressed her out, she experienced the "community" way of life, she experienced the ins and outs of working as a catechist in and out of various barangays (teaching the rosary in the morning, then going to another barangay to teach confirmation in the afternoon, etc..), she learned how to jump on and off of jeepneys, and she also experienced the less than super smooth cab rides....BUT..the accomplishment for her, is that she survived a week. yes, that is an accomplishment. :) i was proud of her!

let me elaborate...

so when my friend ali visited, she had a lot of experience doing mission work and everything, so she naturally came along with me visiting all the children and teaching catechism just as i do. my sister has volunteered at various places in the past, but nothing like the life that i live here in baguio city - so i think it was somewhat of a culture shock for her too...in every way possible, and there was no time to stop and breathe. we were on the go, or situated someplace with an agenda...:) such is the way of my life!

in reflecting on my sister's visit to the PI, it was an affirmation to me of the definition of "vocation" and how, truly, we have all been given different gifts and talents to serve others. my sister is a nurse by profession, and wow, after trying that route for a year in biology at USD, i knew immediately that was NOT meant for me. and she's a great nurse - but not me. i can't do it, no way! but for me, her visit really made me even more secure in my life and way of living as a missioner here in baguio city.

i enjoy the fast-paced, when the times call for it...no, i don't enjoy the stress, but sometimes that comes along with working in a culture that is not 100% familiar to me and when i am working within systems that don't exactly go according to MY plan and when things are not as efficient as i feel that they could be...but it took me a really long time to finally accept and get used to it. in this over a year that i have been here in baguio city, i have learned what to make a big deal, what not to make a big deal, and i also learned a lot about my boundaries and limits. at the same time, while i struggle with patience as an enneagram proclaimed, 8, being a "gut" person, i think i have also come to learn patience and deepen my "patience" characteristic...which helped me be more patient with my sister's visit too.

but, her visit really made me think, wow, i am so grateful for vocation - that some things are really so apparent, and that i have been gifted with this way of life, and that God has given me opportunities to live out my call to serve and love others. her visit made me more grateful for my vocation, and i think this experience also challenged her ways of thinking and operating also. so her visit was most definitely a win/win situation. especially in the sense that it was so good to spend time with her here in baguio city! :) it was nice to share this experience with her, despite any struggles that may have been presented. it was all a part of it!

after i dropped off my sister at the victory bus terminal yesterday, i reflected on her visit and thought to myself what one of the sisters from vocation week told me last year - "the harvest is rich, but the workers are few." it was a beautiful sunny day in town, after dropping off my sister, and i just thought, "thank you Jesus for continually revealing to me the things that give me joy - all steps towards becoming who it is that God created me to be!"

i think the flip side of that moment that i had that morning, is that in the evening during prayer, i learned it was the feast of st. luke, and what was the gospel on? exactly that! it was the gospel according to luke, when Jesus said, "The harvest is rich but the workers are few; therefore ask the harvest-master to send workers to his harvest. Be on your way, and remember: i am sending you as lambs in the mist of wolves."

God has been really good about sending me signs and messages through my day. i see it as constant affirmation that i am exactly where He wants me to be for now...i think the challenge is really ultimately getting to the point of total surrender and trust in Him...he's gotten me this far - what makes me think He will stop now? or later?

everyday i pray that i may continue to say YES to Jesus...and well, just see where that takes me. :)

bahala siya

 a couple of days ago, it was the feast day of St. Ignatius of Antioch. no, it was not the feast day of my man, ignatius loyola, but this gave me an opportunity to learn about st. iggy of antioch, most definitely! reading his bio, i learned he was a student of the apostle, John, he wrote lots of letters, and he was a Bishop after St. Peter!

st. ignatius of antioch was martyred by lions, and said, " the only thing i ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. i am the wheat of the Lord. may i be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ." i mean, dang, who says that? he had this incredibly trust in God and begged the Christians in rome to not try to stop his martyrdom. why was he martyred? because he refused to worship the official gods during the reign of the emperor at the time. in other words, st. ignatius of antioch had a profound trust in God.

for prayer on monday night, in honor of trust and a desire to faithfully abandon ourselves to God, i played the song, Be Not Afraid, and this verse stood out for me that night:

Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn, for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of me, blessed, blessed are you!

this may be one of the best hymns out there - for everyone walking and living their best to spread the Gospel and the love of God...this may indeed be the best anthem! at least, i think i connect with it pretty well, and what a beautiful reminder it is.

disguise in love

read this reflection below and was immediately inspired. how true this is, and how beautiful it is too! when i'm spending with the families here in baguio city, i don't necessarily think to myself, oh, i'm doing this because this is what Jesus would do....but i do it because we all just want to be loved and cared for, right? and i don't think identify with this word of "service." it always seems like an obligation, or like, a chore or something...i don't provide services. i kinda just live and it just so happens that i get to live in this beautiful way! :) learning and loving along the way with the people God sends my way! grateful for the life i live and the opportunities i have to grow deeper in love everyday with my brothers and sisters! blessings to you! :)

---

taken from Smokey Mountain, during Global Urban Trek-Manila in 2005

“We must therefore be proud of our vocation,” she says, “which gives us the opportunity to serve Christ in His poorest…in the slums, Jesus chooses as His disguise the miseries and poverty of our people in the slums.  You cannot have the vow of charity if you have not got the faith to see Jesus in the people we contact.  Otherwise our work is no more than social work…we do it for Somebody.” - Mother Teresa

--

Christ identifies himself with those in the most urgent conditions of need: the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, sick, and imprisoned. The lesson is simple. In responding to the desperate needs of others, we respond to him: "As you did the last person, you did to me."

Dorothy Day often said, "Those who cannot see Christ in the poor are atheists indeed."

It is not only in words that Christ identified with those who have nothing and regarded with contempt. He was born in a stable because no better place was offered for his mother to give birth. As a child he was a refugee. He was imprisoned and died a criminal's death. Given all that, is it a surprise that God's hospitality to us is linked to our hospitality to those who have little or nothing. If we avoid Christ in the poor, we are avoiding the gate to heaven.

- Jim Forest, from Confession: Doorway to Forgiveness (taken from A Maryknoll Book of Inspiration by Michael Leach and Doris Goodnough)

the bayanihan spirit.

this is a day that will stay with me forever. and here is it how it went:

taking the road less traveled, like never before!

one of the parents from yagayan came to the office to drop off the umbrellas that sr. t and i left at the weekend celebration (super nice, considering it's a super long trek for her)! haha, well, i was happy to see her and her 3-year old son companion!...i was sitting at the desk in front of the office, working on my laptop and getting angry at the fact that the internet was malfunctioning, and i was commissioned to get some answers from the agent who is handling our internet (on the phone), cause the connection was less than awesome...thank goodness that parent came - she helped me get the impatience away from my heart. haha, the life of a missioner. it happens.

so i asked her what she was doing for the day, and i thought to myself, i need to get out of the office today - i have an open schedule! so i basically asked her if i could tag along with her for the rest of the day, but moreso, i think it was more like, "can you show me where all of the yagyagan kids and their parents live?" she didn't think i was serious, cause well, it was so impromptu! well, before you know, she agreed, and we were on our way!

it was my goal to visit the homes of my god-children before their baptism, but because that didn't work out because of the weather...this was a perfect time to do it! and so, here is a recap of my adventure..an eye-opening adventure/journey/can't believe i did it experience.

so we were off, but had to pick up some rice first from the market. so we bought 10 kilos of rice..which is HEAVY! i have no idea how the heck she was going to carry that, AND hold her 3-year old son, but these filipina women are hercules in women form, i swear. so we started our long journey on the jeepney, dodged a couple of extended glances and stares, cause clearly i was an import, but i think it added some entertainment to their otherwise-super long journey to their destination.

we stopped by the school, and the teachers and children were so surprised to see me! it was so cute! some of the kids were playing in the street and then when they saw me, they ran inside to tell their teachers that "ate crystal" and "sister crystal" was here!

i think the most ironic part of visiting the school is that, i found out my god-daughter was so sick, and had to go home, but had no one to take her home...and so, it was perfect! i told her we were planning on going to her house anyway, so we were able to venture together! the teachers gave us some rambutan (a delicious fruit here!) for the hike...i had no idea that it would be SUCH a hike to take my little girl home!

so we were off, my little one was the leader, i followed, carrying her little pink backpack and umbrella that was bigger than her, and then parent and child in back of me. after walking 40 minutes along the road, staying as close to the side of the street as possible, then we started venturing down the hill! my goodness. that was indeed hiking! i watched my girl randomly pick plants and eat the leaves, watched her hop on down from step to step. wow...but after an hour, we eventually made it to her house, and she was all smiles to be home. girlfriend was sick :( she needed rest, and i was so happy to be able to accompany her home along the way!

the going there part wasn't so bad. i think it was the going UP HILL, back to the main road part, that was most challenging. i definitely called on jesus to accompany me...it was a trek - really! the blessing is that it was not raining (yet) and the weather was ideal. :)

we then stopped along random streets along the highway, cause tita knew them or she was related to them...and then we continued on our journey! we stopped at a temple, took a few pictures, then took a short-cut down a hill (the route of the carabou), instead of taking the "long-cut" along the street. i saw a dead possum along the way, and i almost fainted. i then explained to tita that i am the least outdoorsy person, but after moving to baguio city, things have seemed to change (despite the fact that i still screamed at the sight of the possum!)...she laughed..and she was really patient with me as i went super slow down the hill, but considering i have fallen on every mountain/hill that i have hiked in this benguet region, i had to be super careful!

this gate is supposed to stop you from continuing. haha

for real, this happened!

we then reached another home of my other god-child, then kept hiking down, visited some of their gardens, of course i was like paparazzi status, then kept going down the hill, stopping by the homes of my yagyagan family! they were so surprised to see me, and i was happy to see their faces light up! definitely did not think they would see me here, that's for sure! :)

the "secret garden" entrance to some of the coolest plants and flowers i saw!

prayer plants! they look like praying hands. :)

well, then, we continued, and it started raining...though we took the "short-cut" to cross across the mountain, we still had to keep venturing down and eventually hit up another one of our families, and it really did make my heart break. after another hour and a half, we reached one of their homes. tita told me that red cross came to donate ten beams/posts for them because the landslides from the typhoons ruined their shelter, and she described it as saying that they were like sardines in a pond...they were really thankful for the help and support they received. this will hopefully give you a better picture of what it was like:

afterwards, we started trekking back up the hill to the main road so that i would be able to catch a ride back to baguio...well, as we were walking up the super steep dirt road, i saw some of my kids, and it was pouring! :(  but again, it was so cute to see them and to see how surprised they were! they were like, "sister crystal! we love you!!!" and then "ate crystal! i can't believe she's here!" it was so precious! they greeted me with smiles and hugs, and i wanted to accompany them home! but alas, it was getting dark, and i had to trek back! ..ha, i definitely had no concept of time in those moments. i was just focused on getting back to the top!

...before the school year started, everyone stressed how important it was for the students to get raincoats and rain boots...and i learned, that it is absolutely necessary. the winds weren't even super strong, but the rain was crazy coming down...and here is how the kids cover themselves:

they take care of each other

always travel in groups!

my experience of trekking up and down the hill for the 6 hours was unlike anything i had ever experienced. tita's son was such a rockstar. he did not complain once, and tita was able to carry him every so often too - it was pretty amazing to me. i really felt like jesus was walking with us making our way visiting the families, and i think he really saw to it that the weather treated us nicely as we were making our visits.

after seeing what i saw, and now, truly experiencing the trek, my perspective has changed, and i understand even moreso now, why the kids are so tired everyday, why they don't necessary listen to everything i say! shoot, i was thinking, if i was them, and i had to sit through catechism with a fil-am speaking in straight english/struggling tag-lish, that would take up so much energy to even process and understand what she was saying. i would not be a fan. but i know they try their hardest to listen to me! :) so i'm super thankful. everyone told me, no, it's not so bad cause the kids are used to it and it's like they are playing when they go up and down the hill, and they're used to making the journey! but STILL...and seeing some of the homes, it is not ok with me.

i was stuck again with the question, ok, crystal, what are you going to do about this? what is my role in this? i understand while i can not transform these families and provide them with more stable homes, there are changes that i can bring to my life that will hopefully illuminate change around me as well.

i asked tita how the families were able to build all their homes, many are in secluded areas - she told me, it's all "tulong tulong" - helping each other - it is the meaning of "bayanihan" as in, the community spirit...and that is what has captured my heart about this community...there is that TRUE bayanihan spirit of everyone knowing everyone and the support system is strong, despite any gossip that naturally happens in every community, let's be honest. because these families do not have addresses, you can just ask anyone in the area where certain people live, and they will direct you. it's pretty helpful :)

almost there...

i was processing with some of my staff about my experience and told them how the kids are so different from the kids in the city, here in baguio. it's a different culture, it really is - city kids are different from rural kids...there's a greater innocence with the kids in yagyagan and they all go straight home right after school...cause there are no other distractions! here in the city, everyone heads to internet cafes or hangs out on the side of the streets...it's just, really different.

i think one of the funniest things though is when one of the women in the community (who has a store at the top of the hill) said she heard me from the bottom of the mountain, but she was so confused because she knew it was my voice, but was so curious as to why i would be there in the afternoon. hahaha, she's like, your voice is like mine, it's very strong! haha, i said, i know, i think i was the loudest thing in the hills that day. my voice definitely echoed, but they said it was all good :)

i woke up this morning a little bit tired, but i thought of seeing the kids again this morning and i got excited! :) when i went to school this morning for mass, the other parents had already heard about my adventure and told me they were all looking forward to my visit...i told them i would! haha, here we go. and so, in this new year of mission, my eyes have been opened in a greater way, and i am so excited to be here, once again (i think only a few moments on mission here have put me in a lull, but i usually get out of those moments pretty quickly. God is THAT good. haha!). though i live in baguio, it is such a blessing to have my yagyagan family be just 25 minutes away, and always ready with open arms and smiles.

they always thank me...but really, i am just full of gratitude for them - i always leave with fruits, vegetables, and some of their harvest that they give to their kids to give to me (this is their livelihood, but STILL they give it to me!), they give me the best hugs and the warmest smiles, amidst their super shy culture.

the hills, up and down, rain, animals along the way, being tired...that is nothing. it was all worth it - this is all so worth it. so glad to have been fulfilled by their bayanihan spirit.

my favorite.