Camiguin and Cambodia Trip

The past two weeks were a busy but blessed days! It made me realize that God is truly gracious to put me in this work ministry to serve His people.

First, the team where I belong in the Philippines had a meeting and team building for three days which was held in the beautiful and peaceful island of Camiguin. After we finished the day's schedule, the team was able to visit the sunken cemetery and enjoy and feel both the cold spring and hot springs! It was a very relaxing and wonderful experience.

Then the following week I have to go to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to provide technical assistance to the HOPE people there on their implementation plan and to learn about one project on improving the quality of life of people living with HIV in Battambang province, which is five hours away from the city capital. I felt very fortunate and blessed to meet those people and I really learned many things from them and about the project. I wish we have the same kind of project for PLWH in the Philippines.

When I found out more than a month ago that I have this trip to Cambodia, I was hoping to see the famous Angkor Watt Temple which was located in Siem Reap, five to six hours away from Phnom Penh. Learning this fact, I gave up the idea of seeing it but to my surprise.....the project team had decided to bring my colleague friend and I to Siem Reap on our way back to the city from Battambang province! Of course, I was so thrilled and elated in anticipation for this was really unexpected! I said God, you are simply amazing!

So I must say that God is more than gracious enough to turn this temple in my Asian history into a reality! In addition to that, back in Phnom Penh, my friends brought me to the Royal Palace, Genocide Museum and Russian market to buy gifts and souvenirs.

Indeed truly another great experience from this South East Asian country, Cambodia, the seventh nation I have visited. Thank you Lord for this blessing!

Kalibo CoH & Boracay Trip

Last week was indeed a blessed week for me! After almost three months of absence from doing the "Channels of Hope" or CoH workshop, the Lord brought me to Kalibo for the first time to do it for three days.

Once again, God did a marvelous job to all of us there especially to the participants! My co-facilitators were very good and virtually all of them were touched, felt very blessed and deeply moved with God's work in my life. It's really amazing to be a vessel of God's divine grace and truly an honor to be chosen to serve Him no matter how unqualified and unworthy of me as a dispenser of God's hope!

The Lord allowed my Pastor friend and me to see Boracay at the end of the workshop. It was our first time both to see this beautiful God's creation, a small island at the northern part of Kalibo, Aklan. We're not able to see its real beauty under the sun because the weather was a bit cloudy with occasional rain showers. But it was good enough for us to feel the very fine white sand and ocean water! At least we did not need to apply sun block protection.Also I was able to experience para sailing finally! A little bit expensive but I must say it's worth it.

When you're approximately 200 to 300 feet up in the air and have the view from the top, it was simply astounding! I can't help but to praise God and thank Him all the time while I'm up there and at the same time praying for His protection for the whole fifteen minutes! My fate during that moment relies on the rope holding me under a parachute on the boat.

Side trip such as this was indeed a blessing from God. The Lord was really with us all throughout this wonderful experience! Living a life for our Creator through Jesus Christ is exceptionally a blessed life!