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EdbE in Guyana, South America
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Mon, 03 Mar 2008
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 62. PAGBABAGONG ANYO at PUSO ( w/ new albums) |
PAUWI NA. Matagal din bago nakakuha ng
inspirasyon para magsulat. Naging abala din sa
pagdalaw at pamamaalam sa mga pamayanan sa
kailugan. Puno ang aking puso ng galak at
pagmamahal sa lahat ng mga handog ng pagkilala,
pasasalamat, at papuri. Tatlong taon din ang
paglilingkod na ito na maraming kapalit. Yan ang
totoo. Sa aking tantiya, mas marami akong nakuha
kaysa sa naibigay. Uuwi akong mayaman sa
karanasan at pagkilala sa sarili, simbahan at
Diyos./////
KUWARESMA. Talikdan ang sala, at sa ebanghelyo
sumampalataya. Nabatid ko sa pagbabasa na ang
Kuwaresma ay halaw sa salita na ang ibig sabihin
ay SPRING. Ito ang panahon ng bagong buhay mula
sa panahon ng kamatayan dahil sa niyebe (snow).
Ito ang paanyaya ng Kuwaresma, magkaroon ng
bagong buhay. At dalawa ang yugto ng paanyaya,
PAGBITAW at PAGKAPIT. Bumitaw sa anumang hadlang
sa Kalooban ng Diyos at kumapit sa Kanyang
Kalooban. Ito ang magbibigay ng bagong buhay./////
TRANSFIGURE. Kung susuriing maigi, hindi naman
talaga si Hesus ang nagbago sa Bundok ng Tabor.
Ang paningin o pananaw ng mga alagad ang nabago.
Si Hesus ang Alpha at Omega, Diyos noon, ngayon
at magpasa walang hanggan. Nabago din ang
kanilang puso kasi nga ay nakita nila ang totoo.
Ito ang aral ng misyon sa akin. Sa katunayan ang
pagkapari, simbahan at Diyos ay ganito na noon pa
subalit kinailangan ng misyon para mabuksan ang
aking mga mata at mabago ang aking pananaw,
kasama na ang puso. Ang misyon ang Bundok ng
Tabor. ////
Marami sa atin ay nakaranas na ng ganito. Ang iba
ay sa Marriage Encounter, Life in the Spirit
Seminar, 30-day retreat, etc. Ganoon na talaga
ang Marriage, Espiritu Santo, All-loving God
etc., pero di pa lang nabubuksan ang ating mga
mata. Ika nga, pikit tayong nabubuhay. O bulag sa
nandito o nandyan ng katotohanan. Tulad ng mga
alagad mababago ang puso kung mababago ang
pananaw. Ayon kay Mike Murdock, “Everything you
need is already in your life, merely awaiting
your recognition of it. Anything unrecognized
remains uncelebrated by you. Anything you refuse
to celebrate eventually exits your life. Don’t
miss that chance./////
NAKIKINIG AT NAGMAMASID PALA. Nasaling ang puso
ko sa ginawa kong powerpoint summary ng missions.
Naiyak ako sa sarili kong gawa nang mapanood ko
ito nang buo kasama ang mga Lay Ministers.
Nabatid ko na ang aking pinapanood ay mga alaala
na lamang, larawan ng lumipas.. di na mauulit.
Natanto ko na ang mga taong kapiling ko sa misyon
ay magiging “noon,” at marahil ay di na
makakasama muli. Kasama na roon ang mga ilog,
dagat, manok, halaman, sariwang hangin, walang
kuryente atbp. Hindi ako makapagsalita, kaya’t
lumabas muna ako para tipunin ang sarili./////
Marami sa mga pamayanan na naghandog ng
palatuntunan at piging makatapos ang misa ay
nagpahayag ng pagkilala sa inyong abang lingkod.
Pakiramdam ko talaga pinaka-pogi at pinaka-
mahusay na akong misyonero sa mga sinambit nila!!
(hahahah) Pero isa ang napatunayan ko, nakikinig
sila sa homiliya! Inulit nila ang ilan sa mga
nakasaling sa kanila. Hindi lang yun, nagmamasid
din sila ng kilos, salita, pakikitungo
(cf www.mspguyana.zoomshare.com/blog)/////
PINOY POWER. Pag-alis ko sa Northwest,
nanatili ako sa Georgetown para makapapag-paalam
din sa mga kaibigan at sa Obispo. Naghanda rin ng
tanghalian ang mga Kabataan. Pero napakaraming
inihanda ng mga Pinoy para sa Despedida sa bahay
nila Joel-Arlene. Naulit pa muli ang Despedida
kasi hinintay ko pa si kabayang Rene na magsasama
sa akin sa Suriname (a.k.a. Dutch Guyana).
Talagang may Pilipinas sa Guyana: karaoke,
inuman, madjong, kainan, kantiyawan, sayawan.,
higit sa lahat DAMAYAN. Kapag merong may sakit,
kailangan ng matutuluyan o kontak, text o tawag
lang, parang magkakapatid. Nagtulungan din kami
para sa mga Pinoy na napagsarhan ng kumpanya, at
inipit ang passports nila. Maayos na sila ngayon
sa tulong din ng Embahada sa Brazil. Sa
kasalukuyan, nandito ako sa Suriname. Nagmisa ako
sa mga Pilipino na nagtatatrabaho sa Caterpillar
at sa Fishing Company sa bahay ng isang Pinoy na
Duktor. Ayun kay Dr. Abulos, sa 37 taon nila
dito, ito ang kauna-unahang misa ng mga Pinoy sa
Suriname(LIMASAWA pa ang dating!) Bahagi pa tayo
ng kasaysayan, o di ba? /////3March2008
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Posted 07:41
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Mon, 04 Feb 2008
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 63. RIVERAIN LAST VISITS |
ORDINARY TIME. After all the festivities of
Advent, Christmas, Epiphany etc., the Church
invites us to live what we have celebrated in the
ordinariness of our lives. The Wise
Men “manifested” this to us when we read in the
Epiphany gospel: “…and they returned to their own
country by a different way.” (Mt2:12) Paying
homage to the King didn’t end with gold,
frankincense and myrrh. They could not live the
same way as before anymore. They change their
ways after the encounter. We too are called
to “Arise and Shine out!” (Is60:1) We cannot live
as if we are still in darkness, pretending that
Christ has not been born and has no effect in our
lives. We to move (arise) and show (shine) this
light that we have received and make a difference
in our ways. We cannot just be the same if we
have the light. We cannot just give our gifts
(share what we have) but be gifts (give who we
are) for others. After all saints are ordinary
people who gave themselves more after receiving
the light. And they become Patrons of different
ordinary walks of life: Carpenters (Joseph),
Fishermen (Andrew), Farmers (Isidore), Parents
(Joachim & Ann) and so on… You don’t have to do
great things to shine. In the ordinary, you can
make a difference. /////
BEATITUDES. Just as Moses gave the 10
commandments to the chosen people from Mt. Sinai,
Jesus (the New Moses) gave the 8 beatitudes to
the chosen disciples from a hill. Both are
commandments in a way. Both are attitudes in a
way. Christians have to act in a certain way
different from the rest (Cf. above). We follow
commands and must have certain attitudes. We can
find happiness even in the difficult and testing
situations we find ourselves in if we have the
right attitude. The Beatitudes are counter-
cultural if not counter-reality. We don’t
associate happiness with poverty, hunger,
mourning, abuse, persecution and calumny. These
tough situations can only find “happiness” in the
reason or the cause. I feel happy though hungry
after visiting the river villages. I am happy in
the “poverty” of missionary life. As I’ve written
before, happiness is about who you are not in
what you have. /////
A priest was very happy and thankful after
robbers took away all his wallet and wristwatch.
People asked him, “Why are you still thankful?
You must be cursing them!” The priest replied, “I
am happy and thankful that I am not the robber.”
The pure of heart can see God (6th beatitude)
even in the negative intricacies of life. Again,
attitude makes the difference. /////
ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED? I started to bid goodbye
to the riverain villages for my eventual
departure in the Northwest. I sat foot in the
Northwest 21Sept2005. I’ll be leaving on
15Feb2008. I arrived on Martial law (Phils, 1972)
leaving on Valentine’s day. I started with a
mission order and end up loving the missions. One
of the villages gave me a gold ring! as a
souvenir w/ Guyana map. My word of thanks dwell
on the relationship between priest and
people: “Your priest has no wings or halo. We are
human beings. Just like a father coming from
working in the farm… his tired worn-out body is
energized when wife and family are there to
welcome him and wait on him. Imagine if this same
father will go home on an empty house… We draw
strength from the community we serve. Imagine
your “father” traveling from afar braving the
rains and the hot sun in the rivers to give
service to an empty church without anyone to
welcome him? How shall we feel? But when you make
an effort to come just like us… we forget the
long tiresome trip, we only remember your effort
to be here with us.” /////
Here is the text message I sent to friends: River
ministry – Bidding farewell not that easy.
Turning the next page means leaving the mission,
its rivers, its forests, its people and
my “better” self. /////
THE BEST OF WHAT WE CAN. Having the tour of all
our thirty villages is taking its toll on me. I
feel I have to pace myself or I will fall into
fatigue. This 47-year old body is not the same as
before. I need rest so that I can be of good use.
There are still many needs, many deeds, many
weeds but time has come to respond to another
call. The only consolation anyone can get is that
you did your best in the time given to you to
make a difference. Just like all the others that
came before me did their best. I also believe I
became different in the
process… /////
4Feb2008
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Posted 11:09
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Fri, 28 Dec 2007
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 64. CHRISTMAS 2007 THOUGHTS |
SMALL GOD. Pope Benedict said that God decided to
come as a small baby to fit in a manger because
He is infinitely immense for us to grasp and
understand. A baby is someone who needs help,
care and love. And that is what I believe is
still what the world needs and what we can give.
But most people wanted to be big. That is why
they cannot understand “small” people and “small”
people cannot understand them. The possibility of
help, care and love becomes small. The shepherds
and the magi were able to see the “big” in the
small child. “Big” Herod and the whole of Judea
didn’t, even they know what the Scriptures
say. /////
Someone commented that the MC Sisters are not
known to be intellectuals. I said, that is why
they can do without much intellectual protest
service to the poor. Intellectual pride prevents
us from doing the “small things” because we think
we are big. We don’t want to do house chores,
dirty our hands, ride public transportations, and
eat in the sidewalk. We don’t want cheap ordinary
clothes and gadgets. We miss our small God in
these big opportunities. We get big heads and
small hearts. Small babies and mangers don’t
matter, only big egos and bank accounts. /////
WORD MADE FLESH. If God is love, He could not
remain as Word only. Necessarily He has to be
tangible and actual. That is why God lived among
us. Jesus did not only talk about love but lived
it. That is why He could tell us: love one
another as I have loved you. Love then has to
shown not only to be talked about. I am always
amused with our chickens. There are good and bad
hens. A good hen will break the food thrown to
them so that the chicks can eat well. She
scratches the ground and calls on her chicks to
feed first. She will even build a perimeter and
protect the food of her chicks from others. A bad
hen will just eat by herself not minding if her
chicks will eat or not. She doesn’t mind if
others beat her chicks to take the food from
them. A bad hen will be the first to run and
abandon her chicks when the chicken hawk attacks
the herd. A good hen will safeguard her young and
even fight for them. Our best hen died defending
her chicks against the chicken hawk. /////
If you have the chance to purchase or borrow the
DVD “The March of the Penguins,” I guarantee that
you will be amazed how Emperor Penguins take care
of their young to preserve their species. They
are better than us: “walking” 70 miles to the
nesting ground in the chilling Antartica, and not
eating for four months all for the sake of their
young. The female and male Penguin take turns
making sacrifices for their young. This is love,
shown not only told. Christmas invites us again
and again to make actual and tangible the words
of our faith. Priest, parent, child, Christmas
remain only words, they need to be en-fleshed!
Francis of Assisi has this to say, “Preach the
Gospel at all times, and sometimes, use words!”
See? Preaching is about the preacher himself and
his actions. Words may help, sometimes. ////
LIGHT INTO OUR DARKNESS. “Let there be light!”
are the first words in Creation. “The people who
walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon
those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has
shone.” (Is 9:1ff from Midnight mass 1st
reading) “I am the Light of the world,” says
Jesus. And he adds, “Your light must shine before
people that they may see your goodness and give
glory to the Father in heaven.” There was a time
that I wanted to stop making these blogs. I was
thinking about just keeping to myself this
journey. A friend even asked me politely if the
blogs don’t brag about myself. I still continue
to do so because of the encouragement of many.
Actually, the blogs are my way of sharing the
breaking of the Light into my darkness. The
mission is my Christmas. I read somewhere that
darkness in our lives happen more of our own
choosing. We experience darkness because we turn
off the Light. It is of our own making. Unmaking
it will also be our choice. /////
I don’t know why I was sad this Christmas.
Homesick? Maybe. I celebrated Christmas alone
because Jimla slept over in Mabaruma. After the
midnight mass, I went to the Presbytery, reheat
some food, ate alone, watch a movie, and slept at
2am with nobody to share Christmas with. I just
thought of the many who celebrated Christmas the
same way I did. And I am okay again… /////
28Dec2007 Holy Innocents; FRJimla's 11thyr
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Posted 15:20
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Fri, 14 Dec 2007
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 63. BAMBOO LANDING FOOT PATROL |
Bamboo landing has been asking us to visit them
for a while now. I saw an opportunity and I asked
one of our PLA’s to accompany me. We went to C-
Kumaka and parked the car. We asked Charles to
guide us. We started the trek around 11:30am. The
first hour of walk was on plain sandy tractor
road. Surrounding us are Palm Trees. The second
hour was inside the forest through a rough trail.
I asked for 2 breaks to drink and eat biscuits. I
walked longer than this trek but the pace of the
two were fast for me. I also don’t have a regular
exercise, that’s why. //////
Finally we arrived in the village around 2pm. The
first house belongs to Halford (whom I met in the
market the day earlier but he was intoxicated). I
reminded him about what happened in our
encounter. He just smiled, scratching his head.
The second house belong to the “Father of the
Clan,” Charlie Williams. There were a total of 6
households in the area, all family to Charlie.
There were around 30 little ones who play around
the house, or were with their mothers. The houses
have no walls and were open to the elements. I
notice the bulging bellies of children. Melinda,
Charlie’s wife, working at the back on the
cassava, went to the house to pay her respects.
In no time all the others were there. I asked
them if they want to celebrate mass in the
afternoon or in the morrow. They decided to have
it around 4pm. They offered us wild meat pepper
pot for lunch. /////
I set my tent up and had rest in one of the
vacant houses. The walk sent me to sleep at once.
Then at 4pm, everyone gathered in Charlie’s house
for the mass. I can only hear Uncle Mike’s (PLA)
responses in the mass. I believe it is only
Charlie who can read and write. And because they
are very far from the schools, no single child
knows how to read or write or pray for that
matter. We held hands in the Lord’s Prayer but I
observed no one is following me as I pray. No one
took communion except Uncle Mike. No one was yet
married in the clan. ////
After mass, we had picture taking and they love
to pose for pictures. I took pictures of the
birds and the monkey that seem to be part of the
family. They offered tea and baked for dinner. We
learned that they settled here for over 40 years
now. There live on cassava bread and fish they
catch in the nearby creek. They sell some of
their cassava in the nearby village. No priest
had ever set foot on Bamboo landing. They go to C-
Kumaka or Whitewater for baptisms. I baptized two
babies in the mass. Now Charlie and Melinda want
to be married. I told them that it would be
better if all the others will be married on the
same day with them. I suggested that we will come
back and stay for a week. That time it will be a
mission team: priest, catechists, ME couple. They
were very excited by the idea. ////
Darkness fell. We retired around 7pm. I used the
other clothes I have as pillow and cushion. We
prayed the rosary while lying down. The floor
boards become very cold in the night. I have to
turn many times to beat the cold, alternately
sleeping on my side or on my back. I didn’t bring
the sleeping bag because it will be additional
weight. I survived the rainy night. That was a
long night. It was still dark in the forest at
7am. That was 12 hours! Breakfast was served in
Charlie’s house. After the fish pepper pot meal,
they requested pictures of children with the
monkey. I obliged. I also asked if I can have my
own picture with the monkey. Then we had a group
picture again and off we go. The trip back was
easier and faster, maybe because we became
familiar with the trek by now. My feet hurt and
the razor grass scratched my hand. But all went
well. /////
Back to Hosororo I still wonder why they chose to
settle in so remote a place. Maybe they
found “peace and prosperity” there compared to
where they were. No complains. In fact when I
left to them our sardines and sausages, Melinda
in return, gave me 2 small bags of flour and
noodles. Poverty, I learned is relative. If we
are to use our standards, Bamboo landing will be
destitute. But for them they’re okay. Maybe they
are richer in many ways than us. Their resilience
is amazing! Halford told us that he was up at 3am
to catch fish for breakfast. Fresh fish is just
nearby. The music of the forest lifts the spirit
up as you hear different birds singing. We are no
better people than they are because we can read
and write (maybe it is the reverse). Their
children are contented with playing “wooden
marbles” from forest fruit trees, naked or half-
naked. They run to the creek to bathe and wash
their own clothes anytime they wish. They talk to
the birds and the monkey. Their smiles and
laughter brighten the place. The peace and
tranquility in the surroundings gives you a well-
earned rest. Poverty, after all, is not about
what you do not possess, it is something about
who you are. It is not about the “haves and have-
nots.” It is more about being not about having
(or not having). ////
I think I have partly answered my own question,
why they chose to live in such remote a place…
With all these abundance in Bamboo landing, we
end up being destitute… They are rich and we are
poor. ////// EdBe, 14Dec07:John of the Cross
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Posted 07:28
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Sun, 11 Nov 2007
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| 62. MISYON PATOK, TOPAK, POTAK, TAPOK |
PATOK: “Kumatok ka at ikaw ay bubuksan…” Sa
misyon, magbukas ka at maraming kakatok…
Pagbubuksan mo ba? Nalalapit na ang pagtatapos ng
yugtong ito ng ating paglalakbay. Malinaw sa akin
na hindi lang ako ang nag-misyon kasi sinamahan
n’yo naman ako sa tatlong taon ko sa Guyana.
Biruin n’yo yun, nakatagal ako (ay, sila pala!).
Patok ang misyon kasi nabulabog muli ang aking
idealismo. Habang tumatagal ka sa anumang
piniling kalalagyan, magkakaroon ka na doon ng
kasanayan. Sanay at nahirati ka na sa mga
nakagawian at ayaw mo na minsan ng pagbabago.
Parang ang lahat ay maayos na, kontrolado,
plantsado. ‘Ika nga, mayroon ka ng kumot-
pangkaligtasan. Gusto mo na lang manatili sa
iyong “kubong-ligtas.” Aalisin ang kumot at
papalitan ang kubo ng misyon, kaya’t
kakailanganin mo talaga yung tunay na
Tagapagligtas. At sa totoo lang, literal na wala
kang kontrol at plantsa dito (wala ngang kuryente
eh!) Madarama mo muli na Siya ang may kontrol at
nagpa-plantsa na maraming bagay. Di ikaw. Yun ang
patok! /////
TOPAK: Di naman talaga kailangang sira ang ulo mo
para maging misyonero. Konti lang. Kasi nga pwede
namang hindi, bakit ba naisipan ko ito? Tatlong
taon na yang tanong na yan sa akin ng marami, May
sagot na ba ako? Meron na. Pwede sigurong
sabihin, tinopak ako. Marahil kailangang merong
dapat isuko, di lang sa mga nakasanayan, kundi
pati na rin ang angking karunungan para magbigay
daan sa “katopakan” ng misyon. Kasi nga wala ka
namang kita (pero marami kang makikita sa sarili,
pagkapari, simbahan at Diyos); malayo sa mga
mahal sa buhay (pero mas dama mong mahal ka);
mahirap (pero masaya). Kung kalokohan ang misyon,
may kinalolokohan talaga ang mga misyonero!
Sadyang di kayang ipaliwanag nang lubos kung ano
nga ba ang narito, pero saksi akong nagpapatunay
na maganda at maligaya sa misyon. Kaiba talaga!
At maiiba ka rin depende sa pagbubukas mo sa mga
kumakatok. (Wag lang ikaw ang kumatok tulad sa
makina, ha?!) /////
POTAK (putak): Hindi ito tungkol sa mga manok na
alaga ko pero pwede ring isali sila. Pagkatapos
nilang mangitlog, abot ang putak nila. Maiingay
sila, na para bagang ipinababatid sa lahat na
nangitlog na sila. Ang misyon ay hindi na isang
salita na lumulutang sa alapaap ngayon. Hindi na
ito isang balangkas lamang. Pero mananatili itong
salita/putak (o “kalembang na hungkag”) kung
hindi ito magsasa katawang-tao. Nagkataon, isa
ako sa di karapat-dapat na maging misyonero,
Dapat tumuloy ang misyon na pumutak para mabatid
ito ng madla. Sana naman di lang itlog ang dala
ko pauwi. Nawa di lang ingay, sana. Ang blogs ang
nakasulat na pagputak sa mga nangyayari sa
misyon. Sa katunayan isa rin itong paraan para
lagi kong maala-ala ang salamangka ng misyon.
Alam kong mahikli ang memorya ng tao. Umaaamin na
rin ako sa pagiging malilimutin (di pa naman
ulyanin) /////
TAPOK: Mas matindi ang dagok kesa sa tapok. Pwede
kang malugmok sa dagok, sa tapok ulo lang ang
tama o batok kaya. Ang dami kong tapok na inabot
sa misyon. Mga panggising na mga paala-ala.
Magbibigay ako ng tatlo. Una, payapa ang
pakiramdam pag alam mo na ang Diyos ang bahala.
Yung bang sagot ka Niya. Na di mo naman talaga
alam lahat ang sagot. Pangalawa, sa parokya na
may 10,000 mananampalataya kasama ang pari, ang
tatlong magagawa ng pari na di magagawa ng 9,999
na mga katoliko sa parokya ay magmisa, magpa-
kumpisal, magpahid ng santo oleo. Hindi dapat
ipagkait ang panahon sa mga ito kasi ikaw lang
ang makakagawa noon. Pangatlo, malayo na ang
naabot at aabutin pa ng pananampalatayang Pinoy.
Nakakaaliw na isipin na dala-dala natin kahit
saan tayo pumunta ang ating pananampalataya.
Ipinagmamalaki kong lagi kung paano tayo sumamba
at magpahalaga sa Diyos. At talagang epektib tayo
kasi apektib tayo (effective ‘coz
affective). /////
Kahit ang mga pari at obispo pati mga
parokyano ay nagugustuhan ang ating personal
approach. Natutuwa sila na ang Pilipinong
misyonero ay mahusay pumutak (magpahayag); na may
konti o malaking topak (mapagbiro); handang
manapok o tumanggap nito (may tapang); at higit
sa lahat… patok siya sa takilya (artistahin
baga!) /////
Huwag ka nang umangal o kumontra! Kasama
yan sa tapang namin…as in tapang ng apog!
Mabuhay! /////
11Nov2007
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Posted 16:32
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