a strange thing happened to me last sunday at our community's mission area in Kinoguitan, Misamis Oriental. the CLS (christian life seminar / 2nd batch) was on its 8th talk and all but one more session is needed to complete the seminar given out to 6 couples (cfc-ffl), 16 handmaids (hfl), 2 single's (sfl), 2 servant's (svfl). quite a harvest and a confirmation of God's awesome strength and blessings to a young, dynamic and vibrant community in esperanza... and while all the participants and service team was busy having fellowship with one another, i started putting back things that we used to their former order as was the custom after use of the chapel after each session. and while i was up to it, i noticed a group of elderly sisters (hfl's) converging on the chapel rectory for some much needed snacks. after finishing up, i decided to join them and had this lively little discussion with one of the sisters... to us from cdo she was sister freda, to the esperanzans, she was nanay freda. a sprightly lady a few years above 70 probably and as i came to know was one of the more notorious citizens of this seaside barangay during her heydays. she was beaming that day and was so animated in her stories on how our God answered all her prayers since joining up with the community as a member of the very 1st batch of CLS graduates of this barangay. i cant help but be amazed at how she was so thankful and even boasted how she was branded as a "maldita" once by her very own husband and neighbors. it was like that for about 30 mins and could have gone on if it weren't time for us to go back home to cdo. her parting words was what stopped me on my tracks as i was about to step out of the chapel rectory... she was thanking me/us for all the time and effort we have spent in going there week in and week out, she was likewise so animated on how she would look up to sunday to see us all and hear God's messages that are being given to her by way of each session's speakers. she was so concerned about us being tired and all in our weekly sojourn that she always makes it a point to include our lot in her daily prayers... what struck me is the simple thank you, so sincere and heartfelt. i just told her that thank you's are not needed because we are just doing what God inspired us to do... on the way home, i cant help but reflect on her profuse thanks... in a way, i kinda remembered how this mission started. looking back, it has been almost a year when we first came to esperanza... now, the fruits are being harvested! God is so good!!!
this piece seeks to honor those who spent time, effort and resources to do mission work in esperanza... i wont thank you because servants need no thanks... and this likewise seeks to honor all the full timers who have spent time here helping us out. the work that we do here is but nothing as compared to your lot and in a very special way, y'all have been an inspiration to all of us, to me specially. but our work never stops here... theres more to do... workers are few... and fewer still are chosen. and as nanay freda would put it... "manghinaut mi nga dili mo masumhan sa paganhi dari sa esperanza, salamat kaayo! (sana hindi kayo magsawa ng kapupunta dito sa esperanza. maraming salamat!)
it is through the eyes of nanay freda that i came to see how big the work is for all of us... my prayer is that, may we never tire doing the work that God asked us all to do and may we always find happiness in doing God's work!
this piece seeks to honor those who spent time, effort and resources to do mission work in esperanza... i wont thank you because servants need no thanks... and this likewise seeks to honor all the full timers who have spent time here helping us out. the work that we do here is but nothing as compared to your lot and in a very special way, y'all have been an inspiration to all of us, to me specially. but our work never stops here... theres more to do... workers are few... and fewer still are chosen. and as nanay freda would put it... "manghinaut mi nga dili mo masumhan sa paganhi dari sa esperanza, salamat kaayo! (sana hindi kayo magsawa ng kapupunta dito sa esperanza. maraming salamat!)
it is through the eyes of nanay freda that i came to see how big the work is for all of us... my prayer is that, may we never tire doing the work that God asked us all to do and may we always find happiness in doing God's work!
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