ShinKayCoy sa E.K.

Ehemmmm. Testing.

Okay, pwede pa pala akong gumawa ng write-up sa sarili kong wika. Mahirap na , baka makalimot. Isa pa, mas madaling magpahayag kapag tagalog lang, may ibang terms kasi na mahihirapan akong itranslate sa English lalo pa at ginamit ko ito kasama ang dalawa sa pinakakwela at pinakamalapit kong mga kaibigan. 

Dahil nakarequest ang little girl na gumawa uli ako ng note sa mga escapade namin, eto na. Medyo delayed dahil yung unang meetup pa lang ang nagawan ko. Babawi ako ngayon, yung latest naman. Haha!

Welcome to Enchanted Kingdom, ShinKayCoy.

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25 November 2012

Sa wakas! Natuloy din ang matagal nang pinaplanong makadayo sa lugar ng mga pangarap. Matapos ang ilang buwang hindi pagkikita dahil sa kabusy-han sa trabaho, nakapagtakda din ng isang petsa para dito. Nakareserve na ang budget, nacancel na ang kung anumang lakad para sa parehong araw, at nakapaghanda na din ng mga gagamitin  (meron ba?) sa pagpunta sa EK. Tayo na!

Na-late ako ng dating sa meeting place namin. Malabo na kasi ang mata ko, maling jeep ang nasakyan ko. Imbes na MRT eh Rob Galleria lang pala yun. Napilitan tuloy akong maglakad mula Galleria hanggang Starmall. Isang magandang ehersisyo ang paglalakad, looking at the brighter side :D Naghihintay na ang dalawang little girls sa big boy :p . Halos 10:00 am na ako dumating, diretso na sa van at ilang minute lang ay nakaalis na din. Sinimulan namin ang araw sa usual na kwentuhan, biruan, at stolen pics. Mahaba pa ang araw, madami-dami pa kaming mapapag-usapan.

EK. Pang apat ko nang balik dito, kasama ngayon. Last year pa pala yung huling punta ko dito, nalimutan ko na ang date. Naaalala ko pa naman yung huling punta ko dito, pati yung kasama ko. Nagsimula nang manukso yung dalawa, baka daw may namimiss ako. Magkaiba naman yung naaalala sa sa namimiss, di ba? Syempre, hindi naman madaling burahin ang mga alaala, lalo pa kung masaya. Dito nagsimula ang minsan kong kabaliwan. Nabalot ng mahika sa loob ng mahigit isang taon. Naging masaya naman ako noon, kaya normal lang na bawat makita ko sa lugar na ‘yon ay nakakapag-paalala sakin sa minsang nakasama ko. Tapos na ang kwentong ‘yon, masaya na ako ngayon (pati siya), at hindi ko ugaling dugtungan ang isang kwentong tinuldukan ko na. Sapat na ang alaala, nakatingin na lang ako sa ngayon. Mahika ng pag-ibig ang una kong naranasan dito, ngayon, mahika ng pagkakaibigan at kabaliwan naman.

Kain sa Mcdo, sakay ng tricycle, at andito na kami! Nabitin ang picture taking dahil sa sobrang init. Babalikan ka namin, Eldar the Wizard. Nagmahal na pala ang entrance kumpara last year. Antagal ko na talagang di nakapunta dito. Halos isang oras din kaming nag-ikot ikot, yung dalawa ayaw pang sumakay. Kelangan pa ata ng pampalakas ng loob, haha! Dahil sobrang init, unang stop-over namin sa Rialto na agad. Pampalamig din yun, covered nga daw sabi nila. Matapos makakuha ng ilang pictures sa may No Entry na sign at St. James Bank (na supposedly ay para sa iba pa naming kaibigan mula sa Uzzap world), diretso na kami sa pila sa Rialto. Now Showing: Polar Express. Nadampian din ng lamig ang nasusunog na naming mga balat. Yung isang bata, lumupagi na habang nakapila, nakahawak sa binti ng nanay nya (Peace Kwek ;p) . (ilagay ko na din ba dito yung pics? Haha!) Ayos naman yung mini movie, nakakaexcite na magspace shuttle dahil sa riles na nagmukhang roller coaster. Isinunod na namin ang iba pang rides.

Next: Flying Fiesta. Nagkasya na kami sa tig-iisang upuan. Ang hirap palang kumuha ng pic pag nakasakay na dito. Panay pa ang pose nina Mardz at Kwek, nakaharang naman yung mga chain ng upuan(anong tawag dun?) Medyo nahilo ako ng konte this time, nagtatry pa kasi kumuha ng pics. Konting pahinga, inalok ko sila na mag roller skater na para light lang uli. Eh mukhang natipuhan na nila yung Anchor’s Away. Eh di go (with an evil smirk ^_^). Sabi ko, maghanda na sila. At doon na nagsimula ang pagkahilo ko at pagsakit ng ulo… sa katatawa :DD Peace Mardz at Kwek! :DD Buti na lang hindi masyadong mahaba ang pila. Ilang minuto lang nakasalang na kami. Dun kami nakapwesto sa bandang gitna, sayang. Mas enjoy sana kung sa dulo. Nagsimula nang gumalaw na parang pendulum yung barko. Nagsigawan na karamihan sa mga kasabay namin, lalo na yung katabi ko (di ba Shin? :D) At dahil ilang beses na din ako nakasakay dito, parang di na ganun katindi ang tama sakin ng barkong ‘to. Siguro dahil isa na akong pirate. Haha! Ehemmm. At ‘yung isang bata, bagaman hindi sumisigaw, nangangatog na pala ang tuhod. Nakakatakot ba talaga dun Mardz? :o Para lang akong si Luffy sa One Piece na mas nageenjoy kapag nasa panganib. Mauutas ako sa kakatawa :DD Enjoy! Huminto din ang barko, mukhang back to normal naman sina Shin at Kay. Umupo muna kami sa may Bump ‘n Splash, nagparecover. Back to normal naman nga sila, medyo lumamlam nga lang ang mga kulay. Sabi ko nga maglipstick sila para hindi halata :P .

Matapos ang isang crazy ride, nagpagala-gala lang muna ulit kami. Sumubok ako dun sa shootout. Malaking ring, malapit, maliit na bola. Ang 100 ko, ½ lang nashoot ko. Good for one small prize. Hindi na talaga ako marunong magbasketball. Haha! Halos naikot na namin ang buong EK. At ayun, nakaramdam din ng gutom. Nagkasya na sa isang regular size na pizza at carbonara. Solve. Dagdag pampagana pa ang performance ng Zion Show (yung mag-asawang sirkero na nasa Hall of Fame ng Talentadong Pinoy).  Ayos. Round 2 na.  Pinagsunod-sunod namin ang roller skater, dodgem at jungle log jam. Halos isang oras na pila para sa tig-isa hanggang dalawang minuto ng kasiyahan. Sulit na din, madami naman kaming extra curriculars. Enjoy kaya panoorin yung mga sumisigaw habang nababasa sa log jam, pati yung bungguan sa dodgem, pati yung reaksyon ng mga beki sa EKstreme. Palakpakan talaga yung ibang nanood pagbaba nila mula sa tuktok. Nakipagkulitan na din dun sa nagma-mime. Ubos na hininga ko sa kakatawa.

Ambilis ng oras. Malapit na pala dumilim. Bagaman nakailang rides pa lang kami, sulit na din. Madami na din naman kaming mga pics. Madami ng itetakehome. At kapag nasa EK, hindi dapat pwedeng mamiss ang Wheel of Fate at Space Shuttle. Nakabukas na ang mga ilaw sa ferris wheel. Mas lalong gumanda ang view. Pila ulit, at nakasakay din sa Gondola # 34. Anlamig sa taas. Mahangin pa. Pictorial ulit, nililipad-lipad pa ng hangin. Hindi pa tapos ang araw. Pang-finale na ride ang Space Shuttle. Low batt na si Mardz, kaya kami na lang ni Kwek ang pumila at sumakay. After 45 minutes, nakasakay din. Nakakakaba pa din pag paangat pa lang, pero pag umaandar na, ayos na. Nakakatawa ulit! Sarap sa pakiramdam na ambilis ng galaw tas tumitiwarik, umiikot at bumabaligtad ka. Salamat sa One Piece, naeenjoy ko na talaga ang mga extreme na ride :D . Naubos na ata ang boses ni Kwek kakasigaw :D.

First time ko inabot ng ganto kagabi sa EK. Nakapamili na ng souvenir si Mardz. Halos 8:30 na at sa wakas, naabutan ko din ang fireworks dito. Huling hirit, nag-ikot ulit kami, nag DQ, and it’s time to go home.

November 25 on the books. Nasulit ko na ang isang araw kasama ang dalawa sa pinakamalapit at pinakapinagkakatiwalaan kong mga kaibigan. Madami pa kaming pagsasamahan. Sana matuloy ang Cebu at Bohol adventure. Cross Fingers :D 

Eleven

That’s the count. It was Talk 11 of CLP, The Life and Mission of Singles for Christ. I’m almost there.  Just one more step, and I can finally reach what I am aiming for since Day 1.

The day started with a (cancelled) practice session for our Lord’s Day presentation. I won’t make it to the practice tomorrow so I made sure to attend this one. Unfortunately, we weren't able to have this today. I guess I’ll have to try to make it up some other day, at least within the week.

The CLP today was held at Saint Joseph the Worker Chapel, the first time we had it there.  We had to wait a couple of minutes outside the chapel for the Homeowners were still having their meeting. A few cleaning chores within the chapel and off we go. The Music Min immediately practiced the songs for the night. Since I attended the Thursday practice, the same day they initially prepared for the eleventh, I already knew the songs. Time to sing again:

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It’s you that I am living for

For you Lord I will worship more

I will raise my hands and worship

Worship you

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I will follow Your way 

For Your love has taken my heart

My life, my praise is all for You

And Your heart has captured me

For I am taken by Your

Endless mercies and Your graces, my God

 ===

You are the Lord let my heart sing praise

Oh, oh let my heart sing praise to you

Halle, Hallelujah

Halle, Hallelujah

Bro. Jerico was the talk giver for the eleventh. It was also a brief talk. He started with a question on what Singles for Christ is. My first idea is a community. A better term would be “a support group” for every man and woman, to help them in preparation for either the married life or single blessedness. He also discussed about the history of SFC. Bro. Echo shared some experiences on how SFC made wonders for him. I believe every member of the community has his/her own story to share. I can’t wait to hear those, and I know I will be listening to lots of them by next week, and in the coming months, after being certified as an SFC member.

I found a community where I enjoy every single moment of my stay. I may be silent at times, I may be smiling without any reason at all, I may be talking nonstop, and I may look serious and have my game face on. All these are just manifestations on how I really loved being here. I have found my peace in the community, with the new friends, and with the Lord God in the center of our lives. I look forward to the coming days, weeks, months, and years to come as a member of this community. 

A Short yet Meaningful Session: CLP Talk 10

I came earlier than my usual arrival time at the Risen Christ Chapel for the Talk 10 of CLP. There were only a few Service Team members for the other chapter will be holding their baptism today.

Summary for the day: Short Yet Meaningful Session.

I was introduced by Bro. Den to one of the ST members who I have noticed for quite some time, Sis. Angie. She’s bubbly, energetic and has a good singing voice. I hope I can have more conversations with her as well as the rest of the ST whom I still haven’t had a chat with. This, after all, is one of my reasons for joining this: to belong to a community where I will be accepted and just be myself.

Sis. Angie led the practice along with Sis. Zel. I’m quite surprised, or better yet delighted, because one of the songs we will be practicing today is Grateful. I have just created another note earlier this day with the same title, and have posted the song in my FB account last night. What a coincidence! Anyways, this highlights my gratefulness for all the blessings I received this week. Thank you, Lord God.

Let’s continue with the musical:

I will lift your name on high

And I’ll forever worship you

And I will serve you with all of my heart

Coz you are my God

I’ll forever be grateful

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I will shout forever

You are my Lord

All throughout eternity

You are the king

You are praiseworthy Lord

You are praiseworthy

You are praiseworthy

Oh my Lord

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Here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You’re my God

You’re altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

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Bro. Jerome is the talk giver for the night. Growing in the Spirit is the theme of Talk 10. First, he asked us about our experience the day after baptism. I said what I really felt: that day I was overflowing, ablaze and overjoyed. I know that I have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, although they have yet to manifest in the most obvious manner. We had a fun discussion for Bro. Jerome facilitated like we’re in a teambuilding or Boy Scout session: a talk filled with a variety of Yes Claps. That made me feel young again (I’m still young at heart, anyway :D). Bro. further discussed the 5 tools (for Catholics) to grow in the spirit: Prayer, Study, Service, Fellowship, and Sacraments. I’ve been praying daily since my retreat. I just have to practice to be more spontaneous, which I think Bro. Den has advised me on in one of our sessions. I’ve been reading the daily Bible readings back on that same day. I think I still need to work on Service since I have some weak points for this one. Same goes with Fellowship. I need to improve big time for this since I am naturally an introvert. Bit by bit I’ve been enjoying and getting used to the fellowship within the community, as well as with my colleagues and other friends. I will be better at this in God’s time. I’ve been observing the usual sacraments during Sunday Masses and have experienced the others since childhood. There’s still a lot of work to do for me to let the see planted within me grow into a tree.

Metanoia: Accepting the changes. Not to miss this particular word since this is something that we should observe since the day that the Holy Spirit was reawakened within us on Baptism.

The fun never stops as we had a Pinoy Henyo type of game. It’s quite difficult to guess a word, well, congratulations to the other team for scoring a point.

We ended the session by 9:00pm, the earliest since we started the CLP. Most of the Service Team went to the other chapter’s session for the Baptism of the participants there. Before ending, Bro. Elmar announced that we won’t be having CLP next week. Talk 11 will be on the week after, and our Graduation/ Lord’s Day will be by December 1-2, together with the other chapters. We also need to prepare a presentation for the said day. I’ve got a full schedule ahead of me; I even have reserved those dates for our teambuilding. I pray to Lord God to help me decide how to manage my time. I will find my answer in God’s grace.

We’re almost there. Thank you, Lord God! 

Grateful

I attended CLP with the mindset of strengthening and further renewing my faith. Just like my first try, I was overwhelmed by how fast and effective prayers work, and if we chose to be by His side. A friend told me that nothing can go wrong if we are with Him. True enough, because right now, I’ve been receiving the blessings of my revived belief.

It’s been two months since CLP started. As of writing this, we only need to complete 3 more talks before we can be officially called “graduates”, thus becoming members of Singles for Christ. Three more weeks, and I will have finally accomplished something I really wanted to complete. Back on my solo retreat, I vowed to dedicate myself to serve Him in any way possible. Having experienced this before, attending the CLP was the first idea I had. Everything conspired to let me attend this program. And everything has never been the same since then.

Before CLP, I embraced silence to heal my broken heart from a failed relationship. Something so good had ended, and I can’t cope immediately back then. A beautiful music ceased from playing, and everything was just so quiet. I loved silence once more, but remnants of that music kept playing for seconds in short intervals. I can’t easily close a chapter from my life. The only way I thought of was to keep myself occupied with matters just to keep myself awake in reality. Then I found what I was looking for in silence. A voice called me, welcomed me once more despite me turning my back to Him so many times before. I was healed. I started listening to that voice, and I enjoyed it better than any music I’ve heard.

I have already received so many blessings since I started CLP. I’ve been doing well at work. My family has become united once more. What seemed to be a long shot to make this possible happened in an instant. I found ways to be open to others once again, something I restricted myself from when I was enjoying that wonderful music of a platonic love. I realized the mistakes I committed, my shortcomings to my family, friends, loved ones, and my former love. I asked for forgiveness, and I believed I was already forgiven by God’s great mercy. I enjoyed listening to a new kind of music. I enjoyed reading and writing again. I found a shining star and was inspired by its light. I found a community where I can be just myself. I was renewed. And right now, I am working on clearing any traces of my sorrow and suffering in the past, keeping their lessons but not the bitter memories. Everything happened according to God’s will. Everything I’m wishing for, I’m raising it to God’s will as well. I believe in His plans for me.

For all these, I’ll forever be grateful. I praise and I thank God for letting me experience His love.

I hope to finally complete CLP in the next two weeks. Just a little bit closer, I’ll be there in time.

To God be the Glory!