doodles and babbles

Sunday, April 29, 2007

OUTING!

Woohoo!!! I feel like fresh from the oven!!! I'm toasted!! haha!!

Katatapos lang kahapon ng outing ng TMC sa Eagle Point Batanggas. Adventure ito...

* * *

The 6-hour trip to the edge of Batanggas...
We left TMC at around 4PM with 3 buses plus a coaster for the big bosses. The bus was really neat. Brand new, 2 months old, with 3 LCD screens, "sosy" look, neat dashboard, (with a screen, glowing buttons, radar, and all)... kayalang, hindi mapaandar ang TV dahil wala daw satellite. Puwede daw VCD lang. And dala ni manong driver na mga movies ay DVD. Nag-iisa lang ang VCD niya. Finding Nemo. Haha! Eh no choice, bugnot na bugnot na ang mga pasahero kaya yun na lang ang pinasalang. Since favorite ko, ok lang. Nagenjoy pa rin ako. :D

Ang tagal ng biyahe kasi medyo traffic. Tapos ang tatagal pa ng stop over namin. Lumipat pa ang mga pasahero mula sa coaster dahil naflatan sila ng gulong. Twice sila na flatan. Nung pangalawang beses, dun sila lumipat. Kaya squeezed in kami dun sa bus. Buti nalang nasa front seat ako, I have enough space to breathe, kahit 3 na kaming nakaupo dun sa 2-seater na upuan.
Hindi lang yun, pagdating sa Mabini, Batanggas, kumikitid na ang daan. Ang bababa pa ng mga cable ng kuryente. Minsan huminto pa kami para lang maggive way sa kasalubong na sasakyan na hindi makadaan dahil kinakain ng bus ang 2/3 ng kalsada. Tapos, sumabit pa yung isang bus namin sa hose ng tubig na nakabitin across the road. Kala nga namin cable ng kuryente. Buti nalang hose lang ng tubig. Yun, mga siguro 20 mins kami naghintay dahil gumawa pa sila ng mahabang kawayan para maiangat ang hose at makadaan ang mga higanteng bus sa ubod ng kitid na kalsada.

Pagdating sa Eagle Point, tumambad samin ang isang seemingly isolated parking lot. Dun pinark yung mga bus. From there, hindi na kasi makakapasok ang sasakyan dun mismo sa Eagle Point Resort. Kaya sinundo kami ng mga shuttle (jeeps and van) ng Eagle Point para dalhin kami dun sa resort proper. Ay... grabe... panalo ang 3-minute drive na iyun. Isang jeep lang talaga ang kasya. Hindi na nga kakayanin ng bus. Tapos sobrang tarik, sobrang sharp ng mga curves. Kailangan pang umatras ni manong driver para lang makaliko na hindi bumabalandra sa pader (na nagsisilbing hati sa kalsada at bangin). Thank God... thank God... at nakarating kami ng matiwasay sa resort. (expert talaga ang mga drivers ng shuttle. No sweat!)

The Shindig Party
Supposedly, 8pm ang aming ETA sa resort. Kayalang 10pm na rin kami nakarating. Kaya pagdating dun, kain nalang ng dinner tapos tulog na. Hindi na namin alam ang nangyari sa shindig party... May nag emcee sandali at nagfacilitate ng video okray, pero karamihan ng mga tao ay natulog na sa mga kwarto...

The Hotel
Ganda ng room! Very cozy, at malaki. 8 people ang capacity, pero napagkasya pa namin ng 11! May mezanin floor tapos sa mezanin floor may bed pa ulit. And its spacious enough para makapaglatag ng mattress sa floor. Tapos may veranda, overlooking the sea!!! Haaay... may dream house... ganun na ganun ang gusto kong room. Yung early in the morning ocean ang tatambad sa iyo... (naalala ko si Orange. ;p)

A Cloudy Sunrise
I went to bed at around 12mn. I think I fell asleep at around 2am dahil ang iingay pa ng mga kasamahan namin sa room. We woke up at around 5am para abangan ang sunrise. Pero, hindi nagpakita ang haring araw dahil maulap ang kalangitan... sayang.

So, nagstroll nalang kami along the shore. Actually, hindi talaga shore. Kasi nasa cliff yung hotel, so batuhan na agad. Pumunta nalang kami sa gilid gilid ng breakwater (yun nga ba tawag dun?) at inenjoy ang picture perfrect view. Syempre hindi mawawala ang kodakan. ;p (kayalang wala akong dalang sariling digi cam nun eh. Kaya yung mga pictures namin nasa ka-officemate ko pa. saka ko nalang ipost).

The boat ride to Sepoc Island
7:30 am, pumunta na kami sa Sepoc Island. Nagcheck out na kami dahil after lunch na ang balik namin sa hotel. So dala na namin ang aming mga damit. It was a 20-minute boat ride to the island. 50 pax ang capacity ng boat. Umupo kami sa outer side ng boat para mas masaya! (as in nakalawit na ang inuupan namin sa dagat... pero safe naman.) Hindi naman masyadong maalon. Oks na oks lang.

Sepoc Island
White sand sha. Pero di sing-ganda ng Bora. Di hamak na mas pino ang sand sa bora. Dito kasi, white sand nga, sakit naman sa paa. Daming pebbles. Kaya, naka tsinelas ka dapat pag swimming kung ayaw mong maging chopping board ang talampakan mo. Malinaw ang tubig. Maalat siyempre. We had kayaking din (tama ba spelling). Sand castle making contest and cheering rin (pero yung iba lang sumali dito nakinuod nalang kami habang kumakain ng sitsirya). Tapos swimming ulit. Tapos, lunch time, kainan na! Inihaw ang mga pagkain kaya masarap. Sulit na sulit ang food. Tapos yun, banlaw na, tulog sandali, then uwi na. 1:30 pm kami umalis ng island.

The Crashing Waves
Nagpatihuli na ang HR sa pagsakay ng boat. Pinauna na namin ang iba. So pagdating namin sa maliit na daungan, wala ng space sa boat. (hindi ko alam kung pano nangyari yun. Samantalang, nagkasya naman ang lahat. Siguro yung mga naunang boat hindi punuan.) Sumakay nalang kami (8 kaming taga HR) dun sa harap na harap ng boat. Open na yun at walang upuan. So nakaupo nalang kami sa edge ng boat. Humawak nalang kami sa hawakan. Safe naman sya kasi may harang rin naman yung edge ng boat. (yung parang plank na nilalakaran ng mga manong bangkero sa gilid ng boat). Tapos lahat ng bag namin dun sa floor ng boat. Sinabihan kami ng mga manong bangkero, "Mababasa ho kayo jan." *with Batanggeño accent*. Pero ayos lang samin. Kaya hindi na namin masyado pinansin ang kanyang warning.

Heto na... pumalaot na ang banggka. Medyo maalon na kasi hapon. Medyo tumatalsik talsik nga ang tubig. Since naka-upo kami sa gilid ng bangka, basa na ang mga shorts namin dahil inaabot ng tubig. Dumating sa point na super lakas ng alon. Tapos bigla nalang kami nagulat nang may parang balde-baldeng tubig na bumuhos samin! As in basa kaming lahat. Basa ang bagahe namin sa sahig, basa ang mga sarong namin naka balabal samin, basa ang handbag namin, basa ang mukha namin, basa kaming lahat! Tilian kami ng tilian dun sa bangka. Samantalang ang mga manong bangkero... NR. And amazingly, tuyong-tuyo sila. Ni talsik ng tubig wala ata. Kasi nakapuwesto sila dun mismo sa pinaka tip ng bangka. Sa loob loob siguro nila (Yan, sinabihan na kayo eh. Ngayon titili-tili kayo jan. *with Batanggño accent*).

So pagdating sa daungan sa resort, nagbanlaw na naman kami at nagpalit ng damit. Buti nalang may extra pa kaming damit. Kaya ako, hindi talaga ako mapagta-travel light. Never. I will always bring extra clothes. Ang mga ganitong pagkakataong ang aking pinaghahandaan. Buti nalang...

Homeward Bound
After nun, uwian na.

***THE END***

Salamat sa pagbabasa! Sorry sa mga sumakit ang mata. Heto, nilakihan ko ng nga ang font. Mas humaba nga lang. Salamat sa mga nagtsagang bumasa... yan ang gusto ko sa inyo eh. ;p.

Sige, sa susunod ulit na nobela. Paalam! Sana makasama rin ako sa outing ng class... May 19 and 20... We'll see...

Miss ya! God bless!!!

2:49 PM
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Friday, April 27, 2007

It's 2:30 PM... 1 hour to wait before we leave for our outing! Yey!!! Excited na ako!!!

Hm... for me, this is going to be a little different. Kasi, I'm used with our church outings / retreat, na more on kabusy-han ang aking inaatupag. But at the same time, I get a lot and lot of things from the Lord. :D Kahit nakakapagod, in the end, it's all worth it. With all the refreshing presence of the Lord. :D

Heto naman... hm... bihirang bihira akong makasama sa outing. Yung outing lang. I mean, bukod sa family outing. Eh yun naman wala namang programa yun at kayo kayo lang naman. Eto may program. Games and all fun. It's gonna be a little different than what I'm used with.

Fun is all I'm expecting here. Fun with the nature, with the people, with the white sand, with the water, with the sun, fun with the people...

... But still, there will be still something missing.

Well, ganun talaga. Sana magenjoy ang lahat!

2:34 PM
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007

"But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal or like a strong soap that whitens clothes. 3 He will sit and judge like a refiner of silver, watching closely as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold or silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord."-- Malachi 3:2-3

Fellowship of Ministers and Christian Churches
Family Camp 2007: FIRE OF GOD

Woohoo! Home sweet home!!! My soft bed awaits me!!!

After our 4-day camp in Paenaan, Antipolo, at 4:00PM, Sunday, I went straight to my room, unpack my bag… but not completely, then stashed it away somewhere in the room. Then I stretched on my bed… Ooooh!! How I miss my sweet bed! My soft pillow… my soft covers… I closed my eyes and just felt the joy snuggling in the covers… Then the soft breeze of the electric fan rocked me to sleep…

Ok. Ano ba ang nangyari bago ang aking mahimbing na tulog? Apat na araw din yun… 4 unforgettable days of refreshing, rejuvenating, recharging, refilling, refueling.

Just like a soldier, worn out from the battle, then going home to the sweet haven of his own camp, meeting with the other sweaty, greasy, and bloody warriors who have fought with all their might. It felt like that. You greet each other with old familiar smiles you haven’t seen for sometime, while bearing your blood-soaked swords and tarnished shields; a scrape on one knee and a cut across the arm. It didn’t matter. It’s good to see the other warriors who have been fighting all this time. It’s good to be together again to take a rest in the presence of your Great Commander.

So much for this metaphoric picture… We had a 4-day camp in Paenaan, Antipolo during the Holy Week…

…and it was a BLAST!!! Wooohooo!!!

The theme was “Fire of God”. Too deep? Too heavy for a youth? Yeah, maybe, at first. But it was just the right theme.

I don’t know how I am going to tell the entirety of the camp… but what I can say is that God once again moved in the midst of His people as we all cry in one voice singing praises and worshipping Him at the top of our lungs! We danced before His presence; our hearts pouring out with inexplicable joy and our body ignoring every muscle that ached. It’s so amazing…

God also moved in our youth cells (ages 15-16). Nung una, iniisip ko pa, ano kaya ang message na puwede kong ishare sa magiging youth cell ko? God gave it to me just in time. Thanks rin sa aking co-leader na si Rems. Meron pa dung pasaway nung una sa group namin. But by God’s grace, we were able to endure him… hehe. By God’s grace, Rems and I lived up with our group name: PATIENCE. (From the 9 frutis of the spirits). Alam ko namang may kabutihang natatago sa kanya. Haha! Kaya yun, at the end of the camp, mabait na sha. Although makulet pa rin. But I believe God also spoke to him and moved him in some way. Kaya alam ko may nagbago rin sa kanya. Praise God for what He did in our youth cell! Sana i-treausre nila ang munting token na binigay namin sa kanila.

Then there’s the revival nights. All campers gather in the auditorium and sing praises and dance in worship before the Lord. Afterwards the Word of God (freshly baked with God’s holy fire!). Then altar call to respond the word and to the move of the Holy Spirit. Then more praise and worship ‘till the end.

In the first night, many people received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The heavens must be rejoicing! Then those who want to be filled with Holy Spirit and speak in different tongues were also prayed for. It was just awesome!

In the second night, the speaker did not have a chance to share the Word. Diretso na agad sa altar calling. First, pinagpray ang mga worship leaders, cupbearers (backup singers), musicians--lahat ng part sa worship team to be filled fresh with the fire of God.. Hindi ako papahuli! Then afterwards, tinawag naman ang mga involve sa computer. Hindi na ako umalis sa puwesto ko! Hoooo!!! Double blast of fire! Haha! Tapos marami pang sumunod na ipinagpray. Parang ngang last day na nga eh.

On the third night… heto na! There’s this new thing that we learned from our visitors (missionaries: the team of Ptr. Dennis Teague). The Tunnel of Fire. The pastors / ministers from our different churches formed two lines, facing each other. People will pass through the line and each pair of pastors / ministers will pray for that person. The person will pass through the line… through the tunnel until he reach the end… if he reach the end…

Because of the strong presence of God, people just could not stand on their feet. They all just fall down. And if they fall down while in the “tunnel”, they have to be carried out of the “tunnel” and give them some time with the Lord. Thank God I reached the end of the tunnel with my knees strong and stable. (The presence of the Holy Spirit manifests in different ways in different people.) At the end of the tunnel, Sis. Dianne met me and she just touched my head and prayed for me. Pinapakiramdaman ko ang knees ko kung magsheshake or manghihina. Pero stable pa rin. Tongues lang ng tongues…. Sige lang. Pinapakinggan ko ang prayer ni Sis. Dianne. Then she whispered to me… a word from God!!! She said, “The fire that God is giving you is the fire to stand up on what you believe… That is the fire that He is giving you.” I took hold of it and claimed it! Thank you Lord!

Haay… words are not enough to describe God’s amazing and awesome power. When He reveal Himself to you through His glory and magnificent power… it’s just… indescribable… no vocabulary could fit its description. Parang ang gusto mo lang sana ma-experience nalang nila ang naexperience mo para maintindihan nila…

Thank God for another refreshing camp. Indeed, indeed… the warriors were able to rest and refresh themselves. And they were all ready to get back into battle. But the battle is not that which is seen. But it is a battle within.

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12).

Back to my room...

...the next moment I opened my eyes, guess what time was it? 8:00 AM, Monday. 16 hours straight of sleep! Lahat ng pagod naitulog ko na. Grabe. dalawang araw ko ring tulog yun!

Kakapagod talaga camp. Pero hindi naman matatawaran ang kapalit nun...

7:30 PM
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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Dagdag post lang...

Tagal ko ng hindi nagpopost eh. :D

Kmusta naman sa lahat?

Ako ok lang! :D

Miss ko na kayo!

9:05 PM
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