IT'S TIME TO GO BACK

A couple of weeks before our flight back to the States, I happen to watch a Discovery Science feature about UFO sightings by military and commercial air pilots.  On a couple of instances, these "thingy" flew close to the aircraft and another "followed" an American Airlines flight and apparently when the pilot reported it, he was fired from AA.  That got me thinking - what if it's true?  What if there really is such a thing or things?

I remembered years ago when the boys were little and we drove back and forth to Omaha from Andover, Kansas - we lived in Kansas but Mike's job assignment was in Nebraska.  We were a home schooling family so occasionally we loaded up the van with the books and headed to Omaha for the week and then drove back to Andover on Thursday so I can be at work the next day.  I worked 3 12-hour shift at Cessna Aircraft back then.  Mike then came home every Friday night and drove back to Omaha Sunday afternoon.  During that year, Chevy had a commercial of cherubims flying along - one on each side - a van on a highway.  I clung to that image in my heart as I drove to and back from Omaha and for extra measure I asked the Lord to add more angels to go before us, behind us, beside us, over and under our van for added comfort.  And because He is faithful, I believe in my heart that He did just that.

Now back to the Discovery Science show I watched.  If it is really true that some aircraft people saw what they saw then I have to do something on the defense.  I started praying that God would, once again, send His angels to clear the road for us as we travel from our place to Tacloban for our flight to Manila.  Then I prayed that, when it is time for us to fly to the States, He would send His angels to clear the skies for our aircraft to go on to our destination.  Once again, the image of the Chevy commercial years before came back to mind.  And as I settled down for the long flight, I was imagining angels, not cherubims, beside, behind, over, under and before our aircraft to take us safely to America.  No alien aircraft dare fly alongside us.  We have the heavenly hosts guarding us.

We were midway between China and Los Angeles when the aircraft experienced turbulence that lasted for what seemed a long time.  Starting to feel uneasy, I turned to Michael and whispered to him "we are over the vast Pacific Ocean are we?"  He nodded and I got to thinking, there is no other way but down if something happens BUT I know that even in the deepest abyss of the Pacific Ocean, God is there.  So I settled down knowing that God knows where we are or where we will be.  The rest of our journey was smooth, checking through customs in LA was a breeze and we were even ahead of schedule when we landed in Kansas City.  I know our church family -Joy In Christ Hinunangan- prayed for us for months and I thank them with all my heart for that.  And most of all I thank the Lord for sending His angels to go before us, behind us, beside us, over and under us, AND answering our prayers for a safe journey.  He is faithful indeed!

Thanks for following and let us continue to pray for each other.  For God does answer prayer!  Until next time --- God bless you and yours.

MARLON WANTS TO COME TO AMERICA!

Six months after my mother passed on, Michael and I both agreed to come back to the States. Marlon, my youngest brother who has a Downs Syndrome is living with us. Now that mother is gone he is the only one we need to take care of. He always told me he wants to come to America with us. I wonder sometimes if people with Downs Syndrome know how to dream, and here is Marlon letting me know he wants to come to America.

Well, let me tell you a little about Marlon. When he was born mother knows he has a disability. He looked different and had developmental delays. He couldn't do anything by himself, he has to be assisted to roll over or supported to stand up. He was almost like a rag doll – no strength in his muscles whatsoever. I was 11 years old when he was born. After his first birthday I remember us taking him to the beach, dig a hole in the sand deep enough for my little brother to stand up to his lower chest. Then we heap the sand back in the hole.  Watching for his cue that he's not happy about it anymore we would then un-bury him and take him for a swim. That was his “therapy” that we continued to do until his muscles gained strength.  The warmth of the sand acting as cast for his lower extremities probably did his muscles good.  He started to roll and crawl before his second birthday. Then he started to walk and we were elated. He had speech delays as well. He made sounds but never a word as far as I can remember. When I went off to college in 1977 he still didn't talk, he was 6 years old by then.

The beach where we took Marlon for his therapy:

 

Mother takes him to church with her on Sundays when he was older. He is a quiet little boy, never bothering anyone during service – he is in his own world. Looking back I would have wanted to be in his “world” to see what it would have been like. Years later mom told me that one day Marlon suddenly raised his hand and said “pisaluk” --pronounced PEA-SUH-LOOK-- in Visayan. And for a while mom didn't understand what he meant or what he wanted. And every time Marlon uttered the word, mom would just repeat it to him. Until one Sunday at church – in the middle of worship and praise songs – Marlon raised his hand mimicking the song leader, who, with eyes closed and right hand raised to heaven was saying “Praise the Lord” and “Hallelujah” in between songs. Mom was watching Marlon who was looking at her with a big smile. Without skipping a beat still with hand raised, he said “Pisaluk” as if telling mom “this is exactly what I mean when I say “pisaluk.” Since then, whenever Marlon says “pisaluk” mom would echo “Praise the Lord” back at him. Marlon was in his twenties when he “talked” where he can be understood....Praise the Lord, indeed!

When my parents came to America in 1994, Marlon was left under the care of my sister and her husband who took really good care of him. Sandy, my brother-in-law, worked at a big school and office supplies store in Pampanga. One day he needed to bring home a box but Marlon laid claim to it. He started cutting and snipping the box into uniformed rectangles. When asked what he's doing he told them he is making checks. When he had a stack he would then tie the “checks” into neat bundles. He would examine the bundles making sure all four sides are uniform and tidy. He is always busy cutting, snipping, and tying his “checks.”

After 8 years Mom and Dad came back from the States and settled again in our hometown. Marlon continued his hobby of check making. Whenever he gets a box, he would carefully examine it, sniff it and touch each corners with his palm and then he goes to work. He would pile all his bundled “checks” and somehow knows when a bundle or two is missing. He brought a lot of “checks” with him when he moved in with us. And here too he continued his hobby of making “checks” so much so that it didn't take long to have stacks of checks in the house. JJ and I did a lot of pleading and coaxing before we can throw some of the bundles away to reduce the clutter.  I provided a large “balikbayan” box for him to put all his checks.


Last Christmas I gave him a box of colorful strings to tie his “checks” and he couldn't be happier:

Marlon, I found out, can be taught to do things. One day I told him that we normally do a lot of baking in America and it would help if he knows how since he wanted to come to America. I asked him if he would like to learn to bake some muffins for breakfast that morning which he eagerly said yes. It was a messy experiment but he did well, and yes, the muffins were tasty.

He loves to be around children. Maybe because mentally they are his level and he also likes to tease them. Well, he teases us adults too. He is very caring and very concerned for everybody's welfare. He loves to tag along with us when we do our Saturday feeding program for the children of Nasa and Talisay. Whenever we go on a trip, he makes sure everybody on the trip are accounted for before we could leave. He'll make a roll call every time.

Marlon loves to swim. He would spend hours on the shore among the waves. He would beach himself and let the waves beat on him. That seems to be his favorite pastime. When he comes home from the beach he would be sporting red eyes and even darker skin. And then he does it again the next day and the next. He seems to know when rain is coming or when there's a bad weather. He'd forecast it and lo and behold here comes the storm the next day or two. Our neighbors would be drying out rice on the street and Marlon would tell them to get ready for it is going to rain. Most of the time he's right. The neighbors wonder at how Marlon could tell...I don't. My brother is a gifted man. Where else can you find a person with Downs Syndrome who can speak Visayan, Tagalog, Kapampangan and understand a bit of English? And yes, even dream of coming to America!

I love you my dear brother, Marlon....and I can't wait for you to come live with us in America!

Thank you all for following.  God bless!

VBS 2018

Flor planned Vacation Bible School at our church, Joy In Christ Community Church in Hinunangan, for the local kids. She enlisted the help of the church members and the youth.  Several weeks before VBS they went house to house to enlist children who want to attend and then they got busy to prepare the handouts that will be needed as well as improvising the badges for the awards.  They made copies, cut, pasted, sew, etc., etc..  Flor improvised a lot of the games materials since the church doesn't really have any games equipment of any kind.  Months before she had asked church members to start collecting empty 14oz. cans, soda bottles, boxes [large and small], any shiny/metallic wrappers and other stuff for craft.

The VBS materials used was Agency D3 and they practiced the songs and moves for several weeks prior to VBS. We want to thank First Southern Baptist Church, Topeka, KS, [fsbctopeka.org] for providing the materials. First Southern had used the materials in 2014 and they passed it on to us last year.  Flor translated it in Bisaya, the local dialect here.

They started the daily VBS with the opening song, Agency D3 that became a hit.  But the kids' favorite among the songs was "More Than Just a Good Man."

Flor then tells the kids the agent's assignment that day and that they need to listen well to their teachers so they could report to her what they discovered and the evidence they learned at closing time.

The kids then break up into small groups. Since it is a one room church, the youngest group, taught by Sister Jocelyn, stays in the building:

Another class [Pre-teen] taught by Sister Deborah is in the shed outside the church:

The third class [8 to 10 years old] carries chairs through the coconut trees and down the road to our store and holds class on the store porch.

After their lesson they play games on our driveway.

The youngest class push their chairs to the side and the teacher set up their game:

Lorenz was there during the 8-10 years old class' game time and was playing in a big box.

And then they return to their small group to finish up their craft project. We want to thank the folks at Midway Wholesale, Topeka, KS, (link  MIDWAY WHOLESALE), our FSBC Sunday School class for providing art supplies used for the crafts.

The kids then return to the church for closing and snack. Flor talks with them about what they learned.

The kids then recite memory verses.

They have a closing prayer and thanksgiving for the snacks.

Then everybody's favorite, snack time....

Lorenz got his drink before everybody else.

There was a closing ceremony on Saturday, April 14. A lot of the kids had dressed up for the ceremony. Some parents were also in attendance.  One little girl had worn a pair of pink snow boots.  It looked like a prized possession of hers.

They had some of the crafts finished during the week on display for everyone to see.

Flor and JJ had a post-closing discussion.

We had lost electricity and we would not have music to go along with the Agency D3 songs. Flor discussed it with some of her help.

The closing was started with prayer

Flor gave the welcome remarks to give the parents who were present an idea of what their kids learned that week.

The help was reluctant to do the Agency D3 songs without music. So, the opening songs were kid's praise songs that almost everybody knew.  Good thing Pastor Teddy was also there to accompany the kids with his guitar.

The classes all had presentations.

There were various awards where the kids earned badges.

JJ got a best in attendance award (like he had a choice).

JJ's class put on a skit about Jesus being nailed to the cross. JJ was the guy with the hammer.

Picture time allowed for pictures of the classes

Then everybody has to be in the picture too.

Before the snacks were served, Flor handed out little mementos for the helpers as a way of saying "thank you" for all the help.

Marilou, Lorenz' mom, for helping with the youngest class:

Sister Amapola for helping teach the pre-teen class:

Our pastor, Pastor Teddy Jualo for transporting kids to and from Nasa.  And playing his guitar:

Richie JR for helping with games:

Ms. Jezliah for teaching the 8 to 10 years old:

Sister Deborah for teaching the pre-teen class:

The two energetic youth, Kang-kang and Bajoy for helping Ms. Jezliah's class:

A group picture of the entire staff.  Sister Jocelyn [second row far right] was the teacher for the youngest class:

Snacks were served by the staff. Pancit, bread and juice.

...and it would not be Filipino without a dog involved.  Lorenz' puppy decided to make an entrance and socialize.

Thank you to all the people that made this VBS possible.  To God be the glory.

Thank you for following.  We love y'all.