Eyes and Hearts Cleansed by Tears

Part 3 of My Reflections About My Tacloban Trip

Of all the events during the Holy Father's apostolic and state visit to the Philippines, the Holy Mass in Tacloban officiated by Pope Francis was the most moving for me. It was amazing how, even while he was delivering his homily in Spanish, his heart spoke to the hearts of all of us gathered there. The translation of course was a big help. But his words were not meant to be understood by the intellect, but of the heart.

The Catholic Faithful undeterred by the strong winds and rain.
The Faith of the Filipino people is storm-proof!

I suppose that the human mind and heart can only stand so much grief and anguish, and once we reach that limitation, the tears are necessary to help us come to terms with our losses and struggles. It takes a strong person to express one's overwhelming sorrow in tears. It takes courage to declare our unspeakable love through tears to a beloved who refuses to accept us. It takes dauntlessness to be able to cry and have our tears wash away our blindness.

The men and women present there at the papal Mass were people full of courage, faith, and hope. They were unafraid to cry and to show the world that they are still in deep pain. In showing their vulnerability, I saw very clearly that they draw their strength from and dependence on Jesus who suffers with each of us. I was a witness to their  resolutely fearless disposition, deeply rooted in their unwavering faith in God. 

I have my own battle wounds, and though some have healed, the scars remain to remind me of its lessons. Although I had my own reasons to cry before the Lord, at that moment I allowed myself to weep for my brothers and sisters all gathered there. 


Healing Tears

In a Mass held in Casa Santa Marta in 2013, Pope Francis said that, "All of us have felt joy, sadness and sorrow in our lives, but have we wept during the darkest moment? Have we had that gift of tears that prepare the eyes to look, to see the Lord? We, too, can ask the Lord for the gift of tears. It is a beautiful grace... to weep praying for everything: for what is good, for our sins, for graces, for joy itself... Weeping prepares us to see Jesus."

People moved to tears.
Photo credit: http://scjphil.org/ 

I can only imagine the pain every single person present in that papal Mass in Tacloban was carrying in his/her heart. And what great consolation it was to have the pontiff in our midst. Indeed tears help wash away whatever "dirt" we have in our eyes: our indifference, our biases, our disillusionment, all our frustrations, our fears, even our sins. "Sometimes in our lives, tears are the lenses we need to see Jesus", Pope Francis said in one of his homilies.

In my own experience, reaching the place of tears is like being set free from something that stifles and/or imprisons me. Crying helps me cope with emotional and physical suffering, helps relieve me of grief and pain, and seems to always contribute to my healing.


Becoming Wounded-Healers

As a Christian, I know for a fact that there is the joy of the resurrection after suffering and death. That is why I know that as long as I am alive, I will have to go through my Gethsemanes, carry my crosses on Calvary, and finally arrive at that glorious resurrection promised by Jesus.

In Gethsemane, we wrestle with our own will and with God's will. We struggle, we ponder, we weep, we pray, we even question God. But it is with His grace alone, not by our own might, that we are able to surrender to Him without counting the cost. It is with His mercy that we are able to abandon ourselves to Him. When we obey His perfect will, we are able to behold the intensity of His struggles, share in His sufferings, and realize the depths of His love. On Calvary, we carry our crosses, we fall, we rise again, we are stripped of our perceived securities, we are mocked, abandoned, and die to ourselves. At the resurrection, we are redeemed, made whole again, and become able to see clearly and deeply the value of our sufferings, and our very existence. We are drawn closer and deeper in Love of Him. 

A man crying during the pope's homily.
Screen-captured from a video by CTV-Vatican

Even the saints spoke of having "dark nights". But in darkness, we are purified, and we learn to trust God more. We realize that devastation can bring about hope and renewal. We get the reassurance that God will never leave us alone.

Pope Francis, in humbly saying that he did not have the perfect words of comfort for the survivors of typhoon Haiyan, pointed us to Jesus. In a world now too caught up in advancements in technology, in instant gratification, and doing things "our way", the Holy Father challenges us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of Faith. He reminded us that Jesus knows exactly what we are going through, for He also lost loved ones to death. He was also betrayed and abandoned by His friends and family. He knew loneliness and ridicule, for He endured all that while He hung on that cross. "Let us look to Christ", the pope said. "He is Lord. He understands because He underwent all the trials that we, or you, have experienced."

"Certain realities in life we only see through eyes that are cleansed with tears", Pope Francis told the youth who were at the encounter at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas the next day. Speaking for myself, seeing Pope Francis up close was like seeing Jesus in the flesh. He is after all Christ's Vicar here on earth. Yes, I saw Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit's gift of tears, I have seen God in my heart. 

By Jesus' wounds, we have been healed. And by His example, we are called to be wounded healers ourselves to a world so immersed in injustice, oppression, and pain. We are able to journey with others in their sufferings because we are also wounded and in need of healing. We are able to become truly merciful and compassionate with others because God has shown us His infinite mercy and compassion. We are able to overcome our weaknesses, and are healed of our wounds, because of God's love; for His only begotten Son shares in our suffering. In John 16:33, Jesus assures us, "...in Me you have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." 


Carpe diem. Savoring the Faith. 

I made a list of what I must do while in Tacloban : where to go, who to interview, questions I can ask the people, places I need to take pictures of, among other things, I had plans mapped in my head. But ever since I left the corporate world and decided to dedicate my full time to pastoral work in the service of Holy Mother Church, I have learned, often serendipitously, to let God work things out for the good of all those who love Him; and especially in my life. I admittedly enjoy the way He always surprises me with His better plans and His blessings, and I look forward to more! 

I truly am blessed to have been there in Leyte to witness the way Pope Francis and the survivors of Yolanda were moved by each other's presence and declaration of solidarity and love. And I cannot help but think that perhaps, that was how Jesus had been every single time He was with the least,the lost, the last,  the most deeply wounded, the poorest of the poor. 

In Tacloban that fateful and memorable Saturday, I chose to seize the day and savor the moment of seeing the Vicar of Christ up close. Not to downplay the other events in Manila, but in my own opinion, if I am to compare the way he smiled and waved to everyone during his visit, I think he seemed happier being with the survivors of typhoon Yolanda. Ultimately, my whole experience in Leyte was not just seeing Pope Francis, but hearing Jesus' words, seeing the Lord, and feeling God's love and mercy through our Holy Father. 

I have seen the two other popes, and attended Masses celebrated by Saint John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and they have all left a lasting impact on me. The Mass in Leyte with Pope Francis, I am sure, will also leave a indelible mark on my heart, soul and entire being. And I only have God to thank and glorify for this very humbling blessing He has bestowed upon me. 

Ad majorem Dei gloriam!

God Who Suffers With Us

Part 2 of My Reflections About My Tacloban Trip

The Eucharistic Celebration with Pope Francis

I have deep admiration for all the people who attended the Mass in Tacloban. I was in Luneta the following day, and I cannot help but compare how more reverent and more solemn the Eucharistic celebration was in Leyte. I was only able to reach a certain area, one of the quadrants nearest the media platform far back facing the altar, and yet as I walked around, I observed that everyone was in a prayerful mood. No one was holding up his/her cellular phone. Not one! Instead, most were clutching their rosaries. I felt embarrassed to bring my phone out to take pictures, not where everyone were so focused on what was happening in front.

There was just too much to take-in during the Mass at the airport. I tried to strike a conversation with a couple beside me who came all the way from Borongan, Samar, and had been in the area since the previous night. I wanted to ask more questions, but they seemed to be deeply moved by the mere presence of Pope Francis that they were barely able to answer me. At that point, I decided, I will also actively participate in the Eucharistic celebration. Never-mind if I don't get to interview anyone attending the papal Mass about their own experiences and reflections. Never mind if I do not get to take pictures. I thought, maybe I still have time to do that a little later. 

When the Gospel was proclaimed, I felt my heartbeat go faster, and I braced myself. I knew I could not stop my lacrimal gland from producing tears once Pope Francis delivers his words of comfort. He travelled that far just to be with those people present there. Those people were the primary reason he decided to come to the Philippines. 

Pope Francis' moving homily 
(Delivered originally in Spanish)

"We have a high priest who is capable of sympathizing with our weaknesses. But one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. Jesus is like us. Jesus lived like us and is the same as us in every respect, except sin, because He was not a sinner. But to be more like us He assumed our condition and our sin. He made Himself unto sin. This is what Saint Paul tells us.

And Jesus always goes before us. And when we pass an experience, a cross, He passed there before us. And if today we find ourselves fourteen months afterwards here, fourteen months precisely after the typhoon Yolanda hit, it is because we have a security of knowing that we're not going to weaken in our Faith, because Jesus has been here before us. In His passion He assumed all our pain. 

I'd like to tell you something close to my heart. When I saw from Rome the catastrophe, I felt that I had to be here. And on those very days, I decided to come here. I'm here to be with you ~ a little bit late, I have to say, but I'm here." 

Panoramic shot of the people in attendance at the papal Mass
 held at the Tacloban Airport last 17 January, 2015

I tend to cry easily. More so lately, whenever I hear stories of loss and survival related to typhoon Yolanda. I have heard the harrowing stories of strangers-turned-friends who survived the super typhoon. I have seen them cry, even after more than a year. I know it's nothing compared to what the survivors of typhoon Yolanda had gone through, but I experienced how it felt to be battered by a storm, especially while in Leyte. I was in Alang-alang, about 20 minutes away from Palo, when tropical storm Seniang (Jangmi) made a landfall in late December of 2014. 

By the time Pope Francis humbly apologized for coming late, I was crying a river; good thing the rain masked my stream of tears.

There I was, in solidarity with the survivors of tyhpoon Yolanda. I cannot, even now, describe accurately what it felt to be there. The people were intrepid. They were undeterred in their resolve to attend the Mass, unworried (at least as I perceived them) by the imminent onslaught of typhoon Amang. And the pope, buffeted by the rain, was one of us, too!


Emmanuel, God with Us

"I've come to tell you that Jesus is Lord and He never lets us down. Father, you might say to me -- I was let down because I've lost so many things, my house, my livelihood... It's true, if you would say that, and I respect those sentiments. But Jesus there nailed to the cross, and from there, He does not let us down. He was consecrated as Lord on that throne, and there He experienced all calamities that we experienced. Jesus is Lord, and the Lord from the Cross is there for you. Therefore He is capable of understanding us, as we heard in the First Reading. In everything, He is the same as us. That is why we have a Lord who is capable of crying with us, capable of walking with us in the most difficult moments of life.

So many of you have lost everything. I don't know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silence. And I walk with you all with my silent heart."

(L) The Crucifix at the altar in the Tacloban Mass;
(R) Pope Francis points to Jesus on the Cross, who suffers with all of us.

I thought, it really must be a blessing in disguise to celebrate the Mass even during that torrential rain. For sure, Pope Francis and his entourage have never experienced a battering downpour. I overheard from one among those from the media platform that it was suggested to Pope Francis to celebrate the Mass inside a chapel where he won't get wet, and it will be shown in the big LED screens outside, but he insisted to be one with the people. Under the drenching rain that made me shiver to the bones, I felt a surging warmth in my being upon hearing what I heard. Our Holy Father wanted to share in the sufferings and struggles of the people of Leyte and Samar. The presence of the Vicar of Christ in our midst was a reassurance that truly God is with us in our sufferings. 

God is with us in the tempests that batter our lives. We have all cried out to God and questioned Him why He allows suffering and pain. But Pope Francis has reminded us all that God is able to bring about good from something evil ~ Jesus Himself carried His Cross on Good Friday and brought forth victory over death on Resurrection Sunday. God the Father showed His deep love for us by sending His only Son to suffer and die that we may truly live.

"Many of you have asked the Lord, 'Why, Lord?' And to each of you, to your heart, Christ responds from His heart upon the Cross. I have no more words to tell you. Let us look to Christ. He is the Lord. He understands because He underwent all the trials that we, or you, have experienced."

Sometimes, when we are overcome with heart-wrenching pain, we cry like Jesus, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  But in the Mass, Pope Francis reminded us all that God is truly Emmanuel. From the Cross, Jesus knows our pain, our loss, our frustrations, and our disappointments. He is one of us, even in suffering and death. In embracing our heartaches and sufferings, and offering them back to Almighty God, we are able to participate in the mystery of Christ's Passion.  

Suffering, according to Saint Paul, also sanctifies us. We are "burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope." (2 Corinthians 1:11)

In my head I thought of all those people who I know have suffered so much, have lost so much, and yet have also endured and persevered in the Faith. Their strength is truly inspiring. 

Jesus gave us His Mother Mary to be our Mother too

"Please know that the love and tenderness
of  Mother Mary never lets you down."

"And beside the cross was His Mother. We are like this little child, just there. In the moments when you have so much pain, when we no longer understand anything, all we can do is grab hold of Her hand firmly and say, 'Mom', as a child does to her mother when he or she feels fear. 

It is perhaps the only word that we can say in such difficult times. 'Mother. Mum...' Let us together hold a moment of silence. Let us look to the Christ on the Cross. He understands us because He endured everything. Let us look to our Mother, and like that little child, let us grab hold of Her mantle, and with a true heart say 'Mother'... 

In silence, let us say this prayer; say to the Mother what you feel in your hearts..."

At that point, I remember bowing my head, unable to stop the tears. I allowed myself to weep. But I knew I was not alone in crying. The people in that field were crying their hearts out to God too, albeit in silence. I suddenly remembered a dream I once had, in which Mother Mary took me into Her arms, embraced me, then allowed me to sit on Her lap. 

In whispers, I prayed for the people there. I prayed for those who died, especially during the recent calamities that wreaked havoc upon our country. I prayed for my family, my relatives, and all those I love. I prayed for the sick, the lonely, the alone. I prayed for friends and strangers, and especially the nameless people who had helped me one way or the other. I thought of mothers contemplating abortion, and prayed that they would choose life instead. I thought of abandoned children and elderly men and women in the streets who have no one to look after them. I prayed for people blinded by their power and wealth that they may find in Jesus their real treasure. I prayed for those whose hearts have hardened and  have become incapable of being vulnerable to love again. There were just too many people to pray for. I allowed my tears to flow, and begged the Holy Spirit to cry out to God all those unspoken prayers I could no longer express from my heart. I offered all my pain, my fears, my uncertainties, my doubts. I offered to God all my sins. my flaws, and my weaknesses. I surrendered my heart, my soul, my entire being to my most loving and Almighty God!

"Let us know that we have Mother Mary, and our senior brother, our Great Brother Jesus. We are not alone. We also have many brothers who in this moment of catastrophe came to help you. And we too, because of this, we feel more brothers and sisters because we helped each other.

This is what comes from my heart, and forgive me if I have no other words to express this. But please know Jesus never lets you down. Please know that the love and tenderness of Mother Mary never lets you down. And holding on to Her mantle and with the power that comes from Jesus' love on the cross, let us move forward, always forward, and walk together as brothers and sisters in the Lord forward. Thank you very much."

Encountering Jesus

In a homily given by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Divine Mercy Sunday in 2012, he said that "Christian worship is not just a commemoration of past events, or even a particular mystical, interior experience, but essentially an encounter with the Risen Lord." He said that in the Mass, Jesus "lives in the dimension of God, beyond space and time."  Jesus is truly present among us, as "He speaks to us in Scripture and breaks for us the bread of eternal life."

Being there in Tacloban City for the Mass with the people who survived typhoon Yolanda, and to have Pope Francis with us, felt like a foretaste of heaven. In my head I saw what it would be like to be before God in His kingdom. I imagined the seven choirs of angels all around us, praising and glorifying God unceasingly. Of course, Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, and all God's holy saints will be there too. In the cold, I felt God's love and embrace. It had been days of anxiety and sleepless nights prior to the papal visit, and right there during the Mass, Jesus has embraced me and assured me of His mercy and compassion. 

God has filled my being with love, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, has guarded my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

When God Makes A Way

Part 1 of My Reflections About My Tacloban Trip

Pope Francis' infectious smile!
Filipinos affectionately call him "Lolo Kiko"
(Grandpa Francis)
Photo credit : http://edition.cnn.com/

For several days now, I have been attempting to write about my trip to Tacloban City last January 17, 2015; a most blessed day when Pope Francis celebrated the Holy Mass with the survivors of typhoon Yolanda. It felt restrictive to have to write about a very profound experience in a limited number of words. I tried several times, but tears would flow first that I would end up not being able to organize my thoughts. I would get the mixed emotions of feeling so unworthy and yet also feeling so humbled by the fact (and blessing) that God made it possible for me to be physically there with the people of Leyte and Samar.

I was supposed to submit an article to be posted in the Diocese of Cubao's website. But I needed to stick to a 500-word piece, and not write in the first person. I tried several times, but was not making any progress. I told myself, if I am to process my experiences there, I needed to just let the thoughts and emotions flow.

My blog is the perfect avenue for that. I deemed it necessary to make my reflections in three parts, because even I get too overwhelmed. This is the first of three.

God called, I answered.

When I volunteered as a writer six months ago with the official #PapalVisitPH media team under the CBCP, all I wanted was to be able to use this talent that God gave me and use it for His greater glory. I do not have Journalism credentials to boast of. I do not have an exemplary writing style, nor do I have an extensive vocabulary. During the course of the preparations, I would often feel out of place when attending meetings, and so I silently asked God several times in prayer if I heard Him correctly when He told me to go where He leads. My fellow volunteers were mostly experts in their fields ~ trained and experienced writers and bloggers, professors, veteran news anchors, editors, graphic artists, professional photographers and videographers. 

I am a nobody. It was worse because somehow, that  was how I felt I was being treated: that I am a nobody who has nothing new or good to offer; that they are more deserving than I was because they know what they are doing; they are learned and more informed, and I was not. My feeling of unworthiness almost always brought me to tears; and the Holy Spirit would be my consoler. God tirelessly reassured me that He wanted me to accomplish something for Him, that I was where He wanted me to be; and I only had to trust Him. 

Papal Visit Assignments

As early as July 2014, we were given briefings as to what we will be doing as volunteers. (Sadly, I have to admit, the mainstream media does not always give an accurate and unbiased reporting. More often than not, the media is out there like a mighty predator ready to devour the Catholic Church once they see a flaw or weakness.) The mission of the Papal Visit PH Media was to give the Church's perspective of the things and events that will unfold in the course prior to, during, and even after the pontiff's apostolic and state visit. It is the successor of Peter we are talking about after all. One builds up members of his/her family, not put them down. That's what we were set out to do: build up the members of Holy Mother Church through another Petrine encounter after 20 years.

We were assigned to do research about the venues where papal events will be held. We were told of these places earlier, so we could prepare articles about them even before they were publicly announced. The Palo Cathedral and the Pope Francis Center for the Poor were the first of my assignments.

I wondered then, would I also be assigned to go to Leyte when Pope Francis comes?

We were told that if we wanted to be in the venues to cover the events, we would have to shoulder our own expenses. In my case, since I wanted to be in Palo, I was told that I had to pay for my own plane fare. I actually was praying for the Lord to make a way for me to be able to go back to Leyte, especially when Pope Francis visits. I was thinking, I could still use my ticket allocation. (I was with PAL for several years and still have free-ticket privileges) 

There were uncertainties. As a volunteer, I could not simply decide to go anywhere I pleased, because I would have to anticipate that there would be tasks assigned to me, or places and events that I would have to cover. And being an ex-airline reservations-sales employee, I knew that I won't be prioritized at the check-in counter if I were to use my ex-airline employee privileges. I could get bumped-off. Other than that, I was not sure if my schedule at work would allow me to travel.


The Special Philippine Airlines flight

Shepherd One in Tacloban airport

Some people I know tried to book their own flights to get to Tacloban to attend the papal Mass there, and to come back to Manila that same day. Initially, I, too, made plans with my family. We have relatives in Alang-alang and Palo. But the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines implemented a no-fly zone in the air spaces of Manila, Tacloban and Palo, especially while the pope was travelling en route to his destination. No commercial flights were allowed to depart and arrive in Tacloban on January 17, except for the papal and government chartered flights. That being the case, we would have to go to Leyte a day or two earlier, and come back to Manila on Sunday or later. We all finally decided that we'll just have to go there another time, that way we can attend the UST and Luneta events here in Manila.

Everyone knew that Philippine Airlines would officially take the pontiff to Tacloban, his plane dubbed as Shepherd One. But no one talked about a second plane, (at least none that I knew of nor heard), of which would fly to Tacloban some media personnel, and some prelates, among them, Archbishop John F. Du of Palo, and Archbishop Jose S. Palma of Cebu. I didn't know that either, not until I was inside the plane and saw them a few seats in front of me. I could not describe the humbling experience of being chosen to be in that flight.

With Ms. Anna Cosio and Mr. Raymond Bandril
of CBCP Media/ Areopagus
during our Mnl-Tac flight

That early morning of Saturday when I went to NAIA Terminal 3 to take the PR8191 scheduled to depart at 0600H, I was without sleep; not even a wink. I had ministry duties at my diocese and didn't want to disappoint the eager youth who wanted to volunteer at the Luneta Mass and the UST events. I prayed for strength and resolve to do what I must, remembering always that in all these things, I must decrease so that the Lord may increase. Unable to finish praying my rosary because I dozed off right before the plane even taxied on the runway, still God did not fail me. God is magnanimous that way, always looking past my sinfulness and shortcomings, and always exceeding my grandest dreams. He filled my being with strength, enough to sustain me until Monday when Pope Francis left for Rome. 

Arriving at the Daniel Z. Romualdez airport around 0715H that stormy Saturday, my heart had many expectations. Who wouldn't want to be near the Vicar of Christ? I wanted to be as close as I could get to Pope Francis myself as everyone else did. I even had a picture of my nephew and niece, and of my immediate family, inside my bag pocket, accompanied by a short note for the Holy Father, ready to be given to him just in case I got the chance. But I was also constantly reminded that there was a lesson to be learned; that more than getting the chance of being near the pope, I needed to re-encounter Jesus among the faithful gathered there. 

I don't keep e-ticket printouts 
and boarding passes

of flights I took in the past. But these 

I will definitely keep and treasure!

When I was told that I was chosen to be among those who will be officially sent to Palo as a volunteer writer, the news did not sink in right away. It did not sink in, not until I was actually there at the airport attending the Eucharistic celebration, in my own yellow slicker given by a volunteer, amongst the sea of people, mostly survivors of Haiyan. (Thank God for my very generous benefactor who even travelled with us!)

It felt surreal being there, being truly one with the people, drenched in bitter cold rain, struggling to stay upright during the Mass as blistering winds hit me like someone was shoving me from all sides. The gusts would momentarily disrupt the audio of the broadcast. From where I was, there were parts of the Mass that I could no longer hear because the 80 mph sustained winds of typhoon Amang (Mekkhala) howled louder than the sound coming from the speakers. 


God Sends His Angels

Several days prior to our flight, I got in touch with one of the monsignors who was a member of the committee for the Leyte papal events, to assist us in getting a car pass. Our team from the Diocese of Cubao Media and Communications ministry would be there, too. I was told we would be getting our car passes. But when we arrived in Tacloban, due to unforeseen circumstances, the driver of our rented van couldn't come pick us up. The van had to be parked a good distance from the airport. I was able to get in touch with the priest with whom I will be getting the car passes from, but then security did not allow me to leave the airport premises not until the pope was in the area where he will be celebrating Mass. 

Prayer was my only recourse. I asked God to send people who will help us. Again, God did not disappoint. I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving for His providence.


The God of Surprises

Being there with the survivors of typhoon Yolanda... to have the Holy Father in solidarity with all of us...  to be buffeted by strong winds alongside them... to cry with them during the Eucharistic celebration... I cannot actually find the perfect words to describe what I felt. But one thing I was very sure of: it was not an accident that I was there. God ordained it beforehand that I be on that very spot where I was, to re-encounter Him. It almost felt like being in two places at the same time: be physically standing there drenched in the rain, and basking in the warmth of God's love in His heavenly courts. I felt God embracing me. I felt Mother Mary there with me. 

I was overcome with joy because of God's unfailing love for me and for all of us; for He has seen our troubles and He cared about the anguish of our souls. (Ps 31:7) And Pope Francis was there to make God's love known!

And then it finally sank that that was where God wanted me to be at that very moment. He made things possible for me when things seemed impossible. In my life, the Good Lord has always surprised me with the most wondrous gifts. He has brought me to places beyond my imagination. He has always protected me, has been blessing me exceedingly, and has been enlarging my territory. (1 Chr 4:10). Being in Tacloban that blessed day, God has once again done far more abundantly for me, beyond what I asked for in prayer!

All glory, honor, and praise be unto Almighty God alone!