one stormy CLP friday

July 17, Friday:

5:00 am - classes in NCR suspended due to storm Isang
7:30 am - miss Friday mass with my wife due to strong rains, I decided to leave early for work
8:20 am - arrived in office. Flooded street in Dimasalang, Andalucia and Tomas Mapua streets
8:30 am- sent mass text msg to my CLP service team, exhorting them to pray for better weather later in the day
9:15 am - my wife texted me that government offices in NCR are suspended. Rains drizzling. Will we still go ahead with our CLP?
9:30 am - busy preparing for our deliveries. worried about board orders for ATC as the streets going to the warehouse where we purchased the boards are flooded and the item is critical to our customer's need that day
11:20 am - our delivery pickup stalled in Quiapo. called our friend mechanic, sent my van to replace the pickup for the delivery schedules to proceed. Rains just started to pour again
11:45 am - delivery van that picked up items for ATC just left the warehouse

12:30 pm - photocopied our CLP participants handouts
3:00 pm - under time from office. surveyed Dimasalang - flooded but passable, Laonglaan - no flood. Traffic generally light. Rains still pouring non-stop
3:30 pm - arrived home, somebody parked from across our the front of our gate. had a hard time parking.
3:40 pm - a participant called to ask if the CLP will push through. I told him I will call him back
3:45 pm - ATC called, citing problems with assembly of our items delivered. I arranged with the office to work back on it tomorrow. ATC agreed
3:50 pm - participant called back again. I told him to wait for my return call.
4:00 pm - consulted bro Eric about the situation and the CLP. he gave inputs but I will be the one to decide.
4:15 pm - called the participant to inform them that we will push through with the CLP. I leave it to them to decide whether or not they will attend as they are from Payatas, Fairview.
4:25 pm - Suzette arrived and said traffic in Quezon ave is light. Car still parked in front of our gate. Grrrrr!
4:45 pm - borrowed water jug from my mom and went to buy purified water for our CLP
5:00 pm - got back from the water station but our jug's spout is dripping. Went again to my mom's place to borrow another jug. I asked my aunt, who's knees are hurting and have a hard time to walk if she know the telephone number of the water station. I remembered I left my umbrella there. After I learned it was secure, I plan to get it back immediately. My tita requested if I can buy her bread along the way.
5:10 pm - went back to the water station to get the umbrella, then bought bread for my aunt. Rains are pouring as I was buying bread.
5:35 pm - arrived back home. went to look for the owner of car in front of our gate. introduced myself and explained the situation nicely. he moved the car, i then proceeded to my tita, gave the bread, went up the second floor to get some thing at my sister's room. I saw the floor wet and the roof leaking. I proceeded to get a pail and ask for rags from my aunt.
5:45 pm - opened the computer to print some attendance form for the CLP. my family is preparing for early dinner.
6:00 pm - drove my daughter Isay to the Cruzadas for their YFC gathering.
6:20 pm - got back home and started dinner. my family already finished eating when I arrive.
As I sat and eat alone, I notice the quietness of my surroundings. The rains has stopped!
6:30 pm - final food and materials check preparation. So far, so good - drizzles only. But deep down, I'm very worried we will have only very few participants

7:00 pm - proceeded to NSOLL. in my mind, am praying, it's up to you Lord. I tried to be faithful in the little things you asked of me.
7:10 pm - arrived at the Seraphic hall. bro Marvin, the Delos Reyes and Ricafrentes (from CFC Central) are there. a new HOLD participant is there to register ahead of us.
7:40 pm - my service team is not yet complete. bro Arnel (speaker) just arrived. First couple participant also arrived - the one who texted me earlier.

Then the Lord gave us a lot of surprises that evening.

• bro Let and sis Talavera came to help in our music ministry.

• bro Nards and sis Ellen Reyes (originial household of Joe Yam) was there to sing with us too.

• we are glad bro Ogie and sis Candee were there too after a long while

• YFC was there to assist in child care

• a total of 16 couple and 6 HOLD participants came that day. The room was filled from all ends.

I'm still awed that I have to record the events of this day. We are but his instruments and we praise and thank Him for this wonderful opportunity. To God be the glory!

Doubting Thomas

Yesterday, was the feast of St. Thomas. He's known as the apostle who wants to see first, to believe. And when Jesus came to visit their group, he saw and touched the wounds at the side and hands of our Lord and proclaimed, "My Lord, and my God!". (Jn 20:24-29)

July 3 is a blessed day for me and my wife. We started the day going to mass after the kids were sent to school. The homily was given by one of our favorite Capuchin priest, Fr. Tonet. He said that while we see Thomas as the one who doubted, perhaps there's another side of him why he wanted to see the Lord first before believing. Deep inside of him, he has this 'expectant faith'. He is claiming that he wants to see the Lord who is risen and so he was given that extraordinary chance of even touching His wounds.

This day also marks the start of our annual Christian Life Program at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Our group, Couples for Christ, has been ironing it out for the past three months and just a week before, I was appointed as the new team leader (talk about surprises!). We are scheduled to do two CLPs this year and I was supposed to handle the second. Though I have reservations doing a second one because of our limited manpower, I can only agree to the work that God has given us.

I went home early from the office to be able to prepare for our event. Around 3:30 pm I went to the church to check first on the venue. Mang Jerry, the caretaker, cannot be found. Two guards assisted me to look for him but still no mang Jerry, and our venue is closed (padlocked is more like it). Oh well, the guard promised to remind him of our schedule when they see him and I went on my way home.

A terrible traffic jam occured at the stretch of Quezon ave and Araneta after a truck had an accident. My wife, who is now on her way to pick up our children texted me for help. She's already stuck for more than an hour and was worried she can only pick up our son over at Tomas Morato but not our daughters at Examiner street, which is just a short distance across Quezon ave. So off I went to pick the girls via Delmonte which is now also at a crawling pace but I had to pass by the church first to see if mang Jerry got my message. The guard welcomed me and said that everything is already set. Whew!

I was lucky to get through to the girls but going back is something else. Traffic is now a big mess and covered even the secondary roads. I panicked as I saw the time on my watch reads 6:30pm. My wife, who by this time already got Jiego, is still stuck on now E. Rodriguez avenue after ditching the route where she came from. I even had to detour to Baler instead of my route earlier when traffic then was tolerable. We texted our brothers and sisters about our situation in hopes of getting them to come early and be aware of the traffic jam. I was home 7:25 just a few minutes later than my wife.

Moving on to our CLP, Suzette and I arrived 10 minutes before the schedule but the place is already being filled with participants! I was overwhelmed! God never ceases to amaze me. The hall hasn't seen this number of participants in ages! In the past, the ratio of service team to participants is around 4:1, now it's the other way around. We even ran out of info sheets!

As I started the opening remarks, I remembered the day's gospel. I remembered how I doubted but at the same time, had this expectant faith that God will bless us with participants. I am humbled and overwhelmed as he called on all these people from all over to attend this gathering. Truly, "My Lord and My God!".

Indeed, it was a Spirit-filled affair. Fr. Monching Atanacio, our parish priest, welcomed our guests much to their delight and our speaker and member of the CFC board of elders, bro. Mon De Leon gave everybody a wonderful orientation night. Bro Larry and sis Rory also willingly gave their personal testimony on why the CLP can be a tool to enhance love and relationships. God truly gives and it pours!

This morning I read the gospel with God's message: "pour new wine into new wineskins" (Mt.9:14-17). Now the work begins. All praise be to God!