July rushed for August, it was Raucous!

I was craving for this post. Seriously.
My mind is all over the place now I’m afraid I have even forgotten things.

Okay let’s look at how July went by.

1. The classes started the 3rd of July and I can’t believe we are on our midterms now. My classes are awesome, haven’t I said that before? The only major problem is my time coz I figured out that reading 1000 pages in a week is just impossible. Today, I am still in the middle of those 1000 pages for some annotated bibliography. Lord have mercy on me.

The classes are fun and enlightening. There’s a mix of cute debates and funny statements made by students, precious teachers (right now I am so allured at how Dr. Mc Ewan teaches at our Theology Class, I wanna teach like that someday), and surprises (there’s always something fresh with what I thought I already knew). Add to that the scholarship that the Lord has graciously given; I am still amazed until now how God affirms my call, and how He so lovingly answers prayer. Thanks for all your prayers!!! Even if I’m tired and overwhelmed, God always keeps me excited.

2. I’ve officially had my first move out of the house– sort of. I somehow like the idea and it’s dawning on me. If I would be following the Lord where he would lead me, it would mean movement; it’s gonna be twists and turns, and like a rollercoaster it can be crazy and exciting at the same time. I believe there would be more “moving” in the future. So the first would be leaving our house in San Mateo to stay at the APNTS dorm which I now call home. It actually works well for me having to work in the evening and study in the morning. I don’t have to worry about travelling 3 hours each day and worry about the transpo fares which have gone up insanely, that would mean 130 pesos each day just to go home and waste 3 hours. urrgkhh! if you think my schedule is weird and exhausting, it is actually way better than what I was doing before when I travelled alot, and I don’t miss it at all. Another thing, I guess the depression was cured since I live where I can be with people all the time and not live “by myself.” Abby’s presence is well appreciated- I have a family inside this community where we are a big family too. I must add here the Koinonia group which is great, they are like my sisters I get to meet every other week.

Just an update on my dogs and house in San Mateo: they are abandoned!
haha, last week I went home after 2 months maybe, and I was scared to see my dogs because they might be mad at me, but they are still as sweet as they are; the neighbor is now taking care of them. I was surprised to see that our house looked different. Little by little we are taking our stuff and I was glad that I finally got some of my books, and the house was set up like nobody is living there. So no, I can’t go home there anymore to sleep.

3. I met new friends when the new batch of AEP students came over from Korea. I had the chance to tutor Kim, Hyo Jin and with my crazycrazy schedule I still managed to hangout alot with her. Abby and her student Han Ul would join us too, and since we are very influential (ehem ehem) yes we are, the other students would be envious and eventually one by one they would join us too when we would go out and watch a movie or hangout at the mall or go to Ice monster or eat at different places. It was funny that the first time I brought them to Megamall, they thought we don’t have what they have in Korea like signature clothes or branded items. I brought them to Glorietta one time to satisfy their cravings for expensive stuff and it was funny, all this time they thought I was rich! haha. I am not any near to being rich. 2 weeks ago, the time has come for them to leave and it was once again a sad moment. Sad. Very sad. I actually miss them now. Please pray for Hyo Jin. I was able to share with her the good news and though repulsive at anything related to religion at first, I believe God worked in her heart and she eventually asked me to pray for her heart and family. I hope she will continue to have that spiritual hunger and have a genuine encounter with our Savior.

Nathan Figueroa is the other guy from Mount Vernon Nazarene University that visited the Philippines for internship. He worked at our office to help develop the website and we were able to hung out a bit and share stories. I like his genuineness, when he visited our church, I saw in him a heart for mission work and with one of our talks he said He is realizing that. It is amazing that when God calls us, he places a desire in our hearts. It is to be remembered that we ought to be always available. It is always sad that when friendships are made and the bond gets stronger, people leave. Nathan, you will be remembered and the gang misses you. 🙂 (halo halo too)

4. I was able to attend the RE-WRITTEN WORKSHOP. I was sad when I first heard about this because my crazy schedule won’t allow me to join, but it was “meant to be” haha that I made it (happy that I can make adjustments to the workshop schedule). I really like to write and I know that I have to develop this skill. The workshop was worth it and it stirred in me a desire for more. I just have to open my eyes for more opportunities to be used by God to write, keep on writing, re-write, and communicate life, love, and other mysteries in a way people would appreciate and understand.

5. Miracle Church’s 15th Year Anniversary Celebration happened the last Sunday of July and I am always thrilled at How God unfolds his plans in our lives. Please pray for me as I follow God’s leadership at the church and serve the church. There are times that I feel very inadequate and unworthy and discouragements are as real as wonderful moments. Sometimes the enemy would still create doubts in me and taunt me with his “you are just a kid, and you are a woman” lines, but I believe God will be with me, and He is my strength.

With my crazy schedule, I was able to find a way to connect with all of them, and this is one of my favorites: writing love letters. I do love to write letters and I did write love letters which were personalized to each brother and sister at our church. This would help me check myself too how much I know what’s going on with their lives so I can pray for their needs too. If I’m clueless with what’s the latest with them, it helps me check up on them. So if I can’t make it to visit them at a particluar month, I would also be able to send them encouragement through my letters. Haha, did I want to be like Paul? Well, I love it and I plan to do this monthly and I really find it exciting. I wonder if they would write back.

THEN AUGUST CAME…

6. God gave me the chance to attend the Passion Conference in Manila which refreshed my soul. It was a wonderful night of singing and worship and Louie Giglio challenged the youth of this generation to live lives that would make a difference. I was able to hear about Ashley and the Fruitcake and it’s a cherished story til today. Before this conference I also had the chance to watch Lifehouse perform at Araneta and then a week after the Passion was Sonicflood. God is good and these moments are always wonderful experiences to worship with other believers. These make my lil heart giddy. 🙂

7. The APRC team bulding/retreat happened at White Rock Subic. I was at some point disappointed with the weather because I prepared for the sun and it rained. I am a bit disappointed that the beach wasn’t as good as Puerto Galera and it’s gonna be tough because it has become a standard for me. But, it was fun because the APRC peeps are fun to be with. We had games and we were like kids when we were at the trampoline sorta thingy on water. haha! Food was great and the sleep at the hammock was awesome. I wish it will happen again soon. The conversations at the bus was a highlight too especially when  we all talked about the games we used to play when we were a kid. I have forgotten about shake shake shampoo and it made me laugh really hard that the guys did play it too hahaha! The talk was fun and I felt relaxed!

Our campus also have fellowships which I greatly enjoy and recently we played different games from different cultures. We were like kids at the Basketball court and it’s always great to unwind and just be like a kid again.

8. Reunions were made. In what seemed to be years, I was able to meet up with Ate Candy, sit and talk over coffee just like the good old days with Abby (and her sister Deb). It was still as good as before, with a sense of encouragement. The talk has changed but the sincerity was still there, and it was genuine. God has also shown his grace to us for His protection. we could have been robbed on the way home, and worse, Ate Candy could have met an accident.

Mom and Dad came over last Saturday and they stayed at my dorm til Monday morning. It was nice to sit down and hear stories again from my Mom. After hearing from her, I asked myself, where have I been? Have I been that busy that i didn’t have a single clue that they were going through a lot of things lately? I felt like the daughter again having heard mom’s reminders and shared the good old talks with Dad, even angering him when at first we thought I erased the AVP he needed to show to the churches. I knew I didn’t do anything wrong, and at the last minute he was all frustrated. I left for church, as they too would head to another church for a speaking engagement, and he found out the file was just saved there at the same folder. I got scared and it looked like the same scenarios we would always have at home before and then it was funny.

Sunday night came and we hung out a bit at Mocha blends to talk about serious matters. In a long time, I finally had the chance to say what I have in my heart about their plans to migrate and serve in the States. I know that God has a plan for them here in the Philippines and that I am sure. Please include my family in your prayers as they provide leadership at the Bible School and face tough decisions.

9. It’s amazing that I am already on my 2nd month as Child Sponsorship Specialist, and it’s always a challenge. New tasks were added to our load and we are learning new things again. Please pray for me as I try to make things work, and pray especially for my health. I haven’t been getting any exercise lately and I am gaining weight though going through stress. God is also good because He is teaching me what kenosis really means as moments would come and I would like to assert myself to people around me.

10. It’s a month away before the Centennial Celebration! Now we are busy with our preparations for our District-wide celebration. Please join us in praying for a fruitful and meaningful celebration. The planning sessions would always make me think and reflect on a “faith issue” and how doubts and fears can greatly hinder us to accomplish great things.  God is always on the go, and we have to keep up with his pace. I think the movement is never running backwards but forward. I pray that this generation would make a difference in our denomination. God is faithful for a 100 years and I am blessed I get to be a part of this celebration. A 100 voice choir will be singing and more exciting things are on the way. Oh my goodness, I am sure time’s gonna be fast.

11. Random stuff: I am loving the Tagalog Blog. The nail spa and body massage have become an addiction. I NEED a laptop. I want to go to Baguio or Tagaytay to unwind and just free my mind of worries. I have paid 3/4 of my dues and I am now rich! (haha just kidding). I look forward to my grandparents visiting the Philippines on October. I will have my hair straightened again soon. Starbucks with our Youth. I still need to catch up on my late posts.

I pray that September would be more fruitful!