And we're back!

After an unexpectedly long blogging hiatus, I've finally returned! It's been a whirlwind of a summer, and while I managed to record a few stories to share with you, they never actually made it onto my blog. Well, it's time to get your reading glasses ready because they'll be coming soon!

And while you wait, a few pictures to get you started:

Singing with Cielon, one of my best students (now a graduate!) who accompanied Fr. Joe and the entire parish staff to serenade me on my birthday morning. 

Speaking with the women of Bagdal, a mountain village that has no available water except what flows from this one small hose. They must walk from their homes to this spot to wash clothes and to fetch water for cooking and cleaning.

Hamming it up with my missionary sisters, Joanne and Genevieve. What started out as a day of prayer on the beach quickly turned into team shenanigans.

"All who trust in You will be glad and forever shout for joy" (Psalm 5:12). I pray that you're being filled with the joy of the Lord as well!

College dreams

Getting a college education here in the Philippines is a luxury that many young people cannot afford. After graduating from high school, they may take up jobs such as farming, fishing, or working for a small business. Because impoverished families earn barely enough money to buy food and immediate necessities, they have no savings available to spend on college tuition.

Mark Jeperson and his family celebrating after his graduation ceremony.

Teaching at Holy Rosary High School last year, I fell in love with many of our students, but in particular with the senior class. As their English and religion teacher, I learned so much about them, their families, and their daily struggles. These are young men and women who deserve the chance to make a better life for themselves. They hope to complete their education so they can secure good jobs and provide for their families.

I want to make their dreams possible! I believe in these students. I am so proud of their hard work and even more so of their strong faith in Jesus, which has sustained them through the many obstacles they have faced.

Will you consider sponsoring one of my students to attend college? One semester of college costs approximately $350. Please follow this link to read more about our campaign and how you can donate!

A God of miracles

I remember, pre-missions, I used to pray for the sick, for ailing relatives or elderly neighbors. I would say a quick Our Father and then pat myself on the back, having done my duty as a believing Christian.

But what exactly DID I believe? Did I believe in signs and wonders? Did I believe that my God is a loving Father Who can and does answer my prayers?

Patients in the outdoor pending ward in Northern Mindanao hospital.
Some may wait for days before being admitted to a room.

No. I believed that somehow, in His mysterious way, God would hear me, and the sick person might or might not subsequently recover. But if that person had, before my eyes been healed of his or her illness, I would have been stunned. Miracles like that don't happen anymore, and even if they did, I'm certainly not holy enough to ask for or expect them.

This week, Richelo (read his story here) had to be re-admitted to the hospital. He contracted a staph infection from an open wound and was diagnosed with sepsis, a serious blood infection that can be fatal if left untreated.

During the worst of it, Richelo was convulsing with fever and could not look at us or speak. We stayed at his bedside with his family praying and reading Scripture. 

No passage was more fitting than that of the death of Lazarus. Just as Jesus delayed two days before going to see him, so we had also for two days delayed our trip to the island of Mindanao to visit Richelo. Just as Jesus wept, so we now wept at the bedside of this feverish man whose mental capacities, the doctor explained, were deteriorating before our eyes.

And yet, we had hope! As Jesus says of Lazarus, "This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it." Reading those words, our faith grew stronger, and we knew that the Lord had heard us.

In the middle of the night, Richelo's condition worsened and the doctor prescribed yet another expensive medication. But at 3am, the hour of mercy, Richelo miraculously opened his eyes! When I returned to the hospital the following morning, he was talking and looking at us. He required neither the extra medicine nor the recommended blood transfusion. Praise JESUS!! We all prayed in thanksgiving for this remarkable improvement.

Jesus told the disciples that the reason He allowed Lazarus to die and then raised him back to life was "so that you may believe." Perhaps it is the same with us. Not so much for Richelo, but for our sake, that we might believe.

Please pray for Richelo's continued healing from this infection and for a miraculous healing of his kidneys.

Richelo, holding the crucifix we gave him.

"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." - John 11

Jesus on the ferry

By its very nature, Camiguin Island is quite remote and separated from the mainland. Our primary means of transportation to and from the island is by ferry boat. There is a gang of boys ranging from ages 6 to 14 whose livelihood consists of jumping off the tops of ferries and diving for coins that passengers toss into the water.

I spy two little ferry boys...

The smallest of the boys, Jun Jun, prefers to do this completely naked, and from time to time will even clamber onto the main deck of the ferry to cajole passengers into giving him a peso or two. On my last ferry trip, he came and sat on the row of chairs in front of me, evidently feeling rather friendly and wanting to chat.

“Hey Jun Jun, you know what? Si Hesus nahigugma kanimo.” [Jesus loves you.]

He nodded knowingly. “Oo, taas sa langit.” [Yes, up in heaven.]

“Ug salud sa imong kasing-kasing,” I had to add. [And inside your heart.]

Raising his eyebrows in agreement, Jun Jun proclaimed emphatically, “Nabanhaw Siya!” [He is risen!]

Earlier that morning, while meditating on the birth of Jesus, I found myself bewildered that the shepherds, knowing little of the Scriptures but having heard what prophets foretold of the coming Messiah, were the first to bear witness to His coming. Why did the heavenly host of angels not appear first to the learned scribes and Pharisees, to the priests of the house of Levi?

Because it is the simple, pure-hearted, trusting souls that Our Lord desires. Because it is the poor that He loves.

And so today. It is the uneducated, poorest ones who hold the strongest faith in His Resurrection. Theirs is a living faith that depends upon Him, from waking til sleeping, for their every need.

The engines are thrumming as the ferry begins to pull away from the dock. I give the few cookies I have to the boys, who in turn share them with each other. I wave goodbye to them as those still atop the ferry dive into the water and swim over to the next boat that has just arrived at the port. 

Johnver, the oldest of the group, calls out, “Rebecca, God bless you!”

And God bless you, all of you, heirs to His kingdom, children of the Most High God. May you seek Him and find Him, and may He abide forever in your hearts!

Jesus in the ward

My friends Richelo and Luz were admitted to the city hospital last week for seven days straight. Richelo is only 31 years old but is suffering from kidney failure and will now need weekly dialysis treatments for the rest of his life.

Waiting for the doctor to arrive.

This changes everything for their family. Can he ever farm again? Will they have to move to another island where dialysis is available? What about their three little kids?

I arrived at the hospital Monday morning to give the downpayment so Richelo could be cleared for surgery to insert a permanent access port in his forearm. From 10am until 7pm I stayed with them, first in the ward, then waiting outside the operating room, and finally back to the ward post-op. Nothing extraordinary, but something beautiful.

During Richelo's operation, I sat with Luz and her sister-in-law Kimberly outside the operating room. Clearly she was worried for her husband and her family. What could I say?

"Nag simba ka gahapon?" I asked. Did you go to church yesterday?

No, was her answer. "Wala ko nag simba." She had wanted to attend Mass but could not because she was taking care of Richelo.

I pulled my missal out of my bag. I always carry my Bible with me, but this time I had forgotten it at home and was pretty upset about it. It's a rookie missionary mistake to leave your Bible behind when doing ministry, especially if you expect to be in a hospital all day long. But God had a plan.

Kimberly came along to support Luz and Richelo during their hospital stay.

I found in my missal this Sunday's Mass readings and showed them to Luz. Together we read the first and second readings and the Gospel. Her concerned face lit up as she pointed to the last lines of the Gospel passage: "These are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in His name."

Luz's quiet, worried voice grew strong and sure as she spoke the name of Jesus. In the midst of it all, the uncertainty and pain, she was brought to tears by the reminder that Jesus is still Lord! Indeed,we have a Savior Who can do all things if we believe in Him.

After spending two days - a total of 20 hours - at the hospital with their family, I was overjoyed to pay the final bill and secure the discharge papers. I waved them happily at Richelo: "Ulit na ta! We're going home!" 

Finally discharged -- freedom!

God is truly good, and, although the road ahead for Richelo and Luz is full of unanswered questions, their faith has not wavered. Blessed indeed are those who believe, for they will have life in His name!

Watch and pray: A Holy Thursday reflection

"Gethsemane" by Carl Bloch

The vigil after the Mass of the Lord's Supper is a solemn one. Most people in the church have dispersed, gone home for the night, and only two dozen or so of the "holy ones" remain in the darkened church, kneeling in front of the alternate tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament has been reposed.

Two little boys, aged about seven and nine, file into the first row. They sit on the pew with a little space between them, gazing straight ahead at the tabernacle surrounded by white cloths, flowers, and flickering candles. The scene is not exactly picturesque; the boys chatter quietly with each other from time to time, and one of them is munching on some chips that he has brought with him, but it inspires me nonetheless. As I have often witnessed on mission in the Philippines, young children here display a devotion to Our Lord that I have never seen before, unparalleled by most children in faithful Catholic American homes.

I hear the boys mentioning the name of Jesus -- "Wala si Jesus....Jesus is gone" -- perhaps recalling a Gospel story or else repeating words spoken to them to explain this night when we commemorate the arrest of Jesus and subsequent abandonment by His apostles. Again my faith is strengthened by the simple yet profound faith of these boys who have come to spend a few minutes with their Lord, that He may not be left alone.

"My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." Matthew 26:38

Let us listen to the pleadings of Our Lord Jesus, Who bears the weight of our sins as He prays in the garden of Gethsemane. Can you not watch and pray one hour with Him today?

Jesus at the blackboard

With the arrival of final exams and graduation ceremonies last week, I’m reflecting on the past school year, the hard times and the happy times, and especially on the lives on particular students with whom I’ve had the privilege of journeying as they complete their high school career.

I’d like to introduce you to two of my 4th year students (now graduates!) who hold a special place in my heart. Elza is a beautiful young woman, affectionate, and extraordinarily intelligent. Last year she shared with me that she desires to be a nun, although she is torn because she also feels a sense of loyalty and responsibility to financially provide for her family.

Elza, class salutatorian, and her proud parents at graduation.

I love Elza because she is unashamedly in love with Jesus and willing to talk about her faith in front of her classmates.

In the final writing assignment I gave to my English class, each student could select his or her own topic. Elza’s essay touched my heart:

“A perfect day with my best friend”

The place I want to go always is the church, you know why? Because the church is God’s people, people He’s called and gathered. The church can bring a lot of good things into our life - friendship, fun, and comfort, for example - but in the end, there’s a bottom line, and this is what it is: the Church exists to continue Jesus’ ministry on earth. The church is my perfect place to talk to my best friend. Every time I feel bad, anxious, or discomforted, I pray to God sincerely and tell Him all my doubts and hesitancies in life. Every time I pray to God it makes my day perfect, wonderful, and full of hope. Does God already know how I feel? Sure. And God is everywhere, all the time. I want to express my deep and true love to God. God is my best friend. I love God and I’m dependent on Him, and I can’t really stop thinking about Him or talking to Him. That’s what my love is. It may not seem like it, but God always answers my prayer. The problem I sometimes, okay, usually have is that I can’t see the big picture. God’s answers may not fit into my plan. They may seem to go against what I think is best. The problem is like little kids begging from their parents; I don’t always know what is best. It’s hard, and there is no easy answer, but in the mystery, there’s trust. I know that Jesus Himself felt abandoned by God on the cross, but that God Himself told Jacob that everything works together for the good in His plan.

If I really believe that God created me an that God’s love for me is beyond reason, then I have to trust that God isn’t going to abandon me. God is my best friend of course; I should trust prayers that have helped others draw closer to God. I talk to my best friend sincerely and from my heart.

I am in awe of Elza’s growing relationship with Jesus! And I was surprised to find that she was not the only student in the class to focus her essay on her Catholic faith. The following essay was written by Melchoir. He is a 21-year-old student and a little behind in his studies, but he is very motivated and has worked hard to improve his grades in my English class.

“If I could live anywhere”

Everybody wants to travel to other places. We have different ideas in choosing what is the best place to live. If God gave me a chance to live anywhere, I would prefer to live in Heaven.

My one and only wish is to live in Heaven, for I would absolutely live with Jesus. I know that in Heaven there I could find the everlasting happiness, the everlasting joy.

I know it would be so great if I could live in Heaven, but before anything else there are so many sacrifices and trials on earth in order for me to go to Heaven. For now it is only in my imagination, but one thing I can say is that I will do my best to enter the gates of Heaven.

Melchoir (left) and his friends hamming it up at graduation.

I’m very proud of Melchoir’s academic improvement (completing a high school education is no small accomplishment!), but beyond that I am inspired by his great desire to be united with God in heaven. Even as a young man, he recognizes that the most important element of this temporal life on earth is preparing for his eternal life with Jesus.

I love being a missionary teacher because every day I have the opportunity to bring my Catholic Faith into the classroom. What an unexpected but welcome blessing it is to hear my students professing their love for the Lord!

Congratulations to Holy Rosary High School, Batch 2015! God bless you and guide you always!