Leaps

Jumped off a few cliffs after this semester ended.

Sunday School- If the second semester starts, Saturday will be the only day when I won't be teaching. I have been given the privilege and the wonderful task of teaching Sunday School at Church until December. The Christian Education department gave me the Intermediate (10-12 y.o.) class for girls. The director told me that it was originally a co-ed class. But, since the boys LOVED wrestling and pestering the girls more than any other activity, she had to separate the girls from them. My first preparation was a bit of an adjustment because I had to prepare visual aids, treats and a lot of interactive stuff. It was tedious and fun all at the same time.

We are currently studying about Elijah, and the lessons are becoming true to my life lately. 

Scholarship applications- one was sent to Sweden, and the other to the Netherlands. There might be a few kilig moments along the way; when I asked a former boss who is now a vice president of some company to make a recommendation letter. Nakaka star struck lang really when a Vice president of something tells you na FOR YOU.. ANYTIME after lunch (read with emotions). hihi

But I am ending up officially five digits poorer because of these applications and I am expecting positive results while keeping myself from becoming heart broken. After two years, this endeavor puts my heart out in the open. This is pursuing another dream after seeing the other one crumble two years ago. There is this constant struggle of hoping and keeping myself from disappointment (parang lovelife lang... kaya nga non-existent pa rin); whatever the results will be, since I have already sent them and there is practically nothing I can do about it, I am resigned that these are all in God's hands. In Him should I hope and it is my prayer that I obey willingly this time... even if I get heart broken again.  

    

Spring Cleaning- Since the crazy teacher periods are over. I was able to clear my table and decorate my room such that it looks more like an office than a cluttered paper warehouse. Plus I get to put up a working wind turbine from one of my student's projects. It was the most outstanding and nice-looking.

Asian Frontier Missions Conference- this was one of my "sariling patibong". I actually didn't know why I went to this conference, maybe because of some encouraging sisters who told me to go because they were planning to go but eventually did not. Or maybe because I was desiring to fellowship with Christians in such a setting. Or maybe because I wanted to rediscover the heart that I might have silenced along the way while dealing with my mundane self. Only God knows why He wanted me to be there, I was there incognito I wasn't even able to take pictures of anything even myself or my table group mates and I even forgot to get their contacts.

This is the only evidence that I have to validate my claims of going to the event.

The conference was wonderful, it was like the grown up camps that I used to attend to during my undergraduate years. However, this time, the people are more serious and by serious I mean living their lives out serious about pursuing the agenda that God has laid out before them even if it costs them their lives and careers. It was an encouraging and humbling experience, because it felt like most of the people there are able to go beyond their personal issues and struggles to pursue the mission of making God known through-out all the nations. 

I struggled a little bit when the conference started because I sort of went there incognito, I was again forced to sit with strangers and talk with whatever we can come up with to break the awkward silence. But with that I have rediscovered the joy of making new friends and sharing my heart out to strangers. As the conference went along I was able to listen and bask to the richness of God's word being rebuked at always keeping God's agenda first before mine, inspired through the rich conversations at our table group and touched at the stories of God's faithfulness to His servants. Although I wasn't able to finish the event, I am leaving, as I searched my heart, with the realization that the Lord wants me to teach; my current mission field is my classroom. Maybe at this time, it is here in LB; maybe someday it will somewhere else like the upper part of South East Asia or something. Maybe someday and I hope that when that someday comes I'll be able to say Here I am send me (or send us if there's an us someday).

that Alumni gathering- now this has been keeping me light footed these past few days. Errr one of the greatest leaps of faith so far this year. There were a lot of times when I wanted to back-out and stop organizing this event, because it was not practical and it was not the smoothest as relationships are concerned. But as an ate said, "feeling ko kailangan nating ituloy to kasi may hindi magandang consequence kung magbabackout tayo" and another one pointed out that the greatest negative force will be really happy if we gave in to the pulls of not pursuing this. It is a blessing that I get to work with wonderful people that are just around the area. Hopefully things'll turn out better than I am imagining; I am completely resigned with this one. I am completely at a loss with handling the messy relationships that are tangled with this endeavor. I really really hope for the best.