"IN EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON..." -- AND A REASON

It truly is good to be back to see family and friends but at the same time it's been a heartbreaking season in our lives also.  How does a person move on when one's heart bleeds with sorrow? It's hard to accomplish something when you are just trying to "go with the flow."  That is why I did not feel too excited to blog about anything lately.  But it would not be fair to all of you followers to leave you hanging. Y'all have been with us through our journey.  So here it is but forgive me if occasionally you'll detect a "sigh" or a "sob" here and there.

We flew to Manila on April 5 for our April 7 flight to the US but since JJ's passport had expired (just found that out on our way to Manila - see our previous blog "To Grandma's House We Go"), we had to postpone our flight.  I am glad it happened that way because my mom had been admitted to the hospital in Tacloban, Leyte the same day we were supposed to fly to America.  Had we not have the passport problem, I would not had been there the days she was at the hospital until  her passing away.  Thank God for the "oopps" and mistakes in our plans.

My family buried my mom on April 21, the day we flew to the US.  This flight had already been rescheduled so there was no way I would reschedule it again for the third time.  I am pretty sure I will have my time of mourning when I come back and see our parents' house again without mom. I've spent the last two years spending time with her and taking care of her up until her passing and to go back knowing she's no longer there saddens me.  My only consolation is that I was there most of the time and the whole week she was at the hospital before she passed on (thanks to JJ's expired passport).  And my brother and my sisters all came home to be there and I was very glad.

I was glad I was able to sing her favorite gospel songs and recite favorite Bible verses at her bedside even though she was no longer responsive.  On April 12, I came to relieve my brother Edgar.  She hadn't woken up since yesterday I was told.  When I started singing to her I knew she heard every words even with all the tubes that were attached to her very frail body.  She opened her eyes and she was staring at me the whole time.  Whenever I move she'd follow me with her gaze.  So I kept singing to her and I know she tried to sing along with me especially when I sing one of her favorite songs "I Trust In God...(I know He cares for me)" and the Visayan song "Basta Ikaw Ginoo Ana-a" (which is translated as "As Long As You're Here My God").  It was a very tender moment for me that I will treasure for as long as I will live.

My sister, Annabella, watched her the evening of April 14th. Like me, she too sang songs to her and quoted Bible verses to her.  She told me that her prayer that evening was that if the Lord wants to call mom home that He would just "make" her go to sleep.  And He did, because the next morning, April 15, mom went quietly to be with her Lord.  Mike, JJ and I were on a van just 15 minutes away from the hospital when I received the call that mom passed on.  When we arrived at the hospital, the staff had just finished wrapping mom's body to be taken to the morgue while we contacted St. Peter's Mortuary.  It didn't take long for the representative to arrive and they took the body to be embalmed.  My sister Annabelle went with them to the mortuary to take care of more paper works.  Mike, JJ and I went to catch our 10AM bus to Manila.  We need to be in Manila for our April 17th appointment at the US Embassy for JJ's passport.


And then a week after our arrival, a very tragic incident happened to one of our closest Filipino friends here in Topeka, Kansas.  They, just like me, are from Leyte.  We used to be neighbors, just three houses down the street from us here in Topeka.  My husband kept saying this is another reason why our trip had been rearranged so that we are still here when the incident happened.  I didn't give it much thought but God, indeed, had planned all this.  I spent most of our 2nd week at our friend's house, just being there for her and her mom, trying to console them and to give them support even after the funeral.

So here we are, now on the 5th week of our 6-week vacation in the States.  Soon the 31st will be here and it will be time to go back to the Philippines.  We've visited and dined with some dear friends in Wichita and while there attended worship service at Sunnyside Baptist Church, the church we considered our home church.  The  boys grew up attending this church.  The dear friends who helped shape them spiritually in their growing up years, most of them are still there, although we miss some who are gone to be with our Lord.

Our original trip was April 7 through May 3.  I planned to be back to the Philippines for mother's 90th birthday, May 14,  but since all the above things happened (and I call them all God-ordained) we're here until the end of May.  On Mother's Day morning my mother-in-law greeted me "Happy Mother's Day, Flor.  I know this is hard for you since your mother had just passed away."   I started to choke up then I hugged her and tearfully I told her "it's okay because I have you, mom. Happy Mother's Day to you too."  So you see how God's plan fits so perfectly?  If I were back in the Philippines I would have been by myself without a mom to say "Happy Mother's Day" to.

We asked our FB friends in Kansas for donations of art supplies and personal hygiene items, blankets and towels to bring back to the Philippines for our ministry in our neighborhood.  The response is overwhelming!  Midway Wholesale, Michael's former employer, (www.midwaywholesale.com) have donated a bunch art supplies and also money for shipping.  Thank you, Kim L. for mobilizing the office ladies.  And thank you, Bruce Myers for paying for the shipping fee.  We truly appreciate your generosity.  The kids have more than enough art supplies to last for a long time.  Thank you also to Terri Conner of Sunnyside Baptist Church in Wichita who mobilized the church to donate toothpaste, toothbrushes, bath soaps, wash cloths, towels, and sheets.  I also want to thank Dolores Wells and Gary and Edna Barngrover, who graciously donated towels, wash cloths, bath soaps, toothpaste and toothbrushes.  Thank you also to Phil and June Hicks from Wichita and to my in-laws, Owen and Lenece Smith who donated money for shipping. So many households will be blessed.

Last week we had a packing party at the Rojeros. Thank you, Rojero and Abellon family for the donations and the yummy food provided.  To my sister-in-law, Lynette Beebe, who brought a bunch of art supplies plus cash to buy some more if I need to, thank you.  This Sunday we're getting more art supplies and personal hygiene items from First Southern Baptist Church - thank you, Brenda Lewis, for mobilizing the Sunday School class.  We also received cash for whatever else we will need for our ministry.  We will have 3 boxes full of stuff to ship by the time we get this done and I can imagine the delight the kids and our neighbors when they get them.  I will sure share the experience with y'all.  ETA for these boxes is three months from June.

In the book of Ecclesiastes is a passage that states:  "In everything there is a season.  A time for every purpose under heaven.  A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.  A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance."  Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)

We all go through the ups and downs in life but let us not also forget that there is a reason for everything...and through it all, God is still at work in all of us.  Thank you all for following.  We love you..........mwah!