Teaching – An Honor and A Responsibility

It has been a couple of months since my last entry here.

Workshops, teaching, and seminars took most of my time in addition to school readings.

Last August, I conducted two HIV&AIDS workshops. One in Cagayan De Oro City for two and a half days. The other one is at this private company in Quezon City through a pastor friend’s invitation and connection. Since it is just a half day, I have decided not to share my testimony as first planned. However, I was moved (by the Holy Spirit) to share it towards the end. People who were so grateful with what I shared! Some were touched and cried but mostly were blessed. Last Sunday of the month, I was invited to preach at this house church in Caloocan. The message was about “Embracing the Pain.”

Early of the following month, I was given an opportunity to share “How to love our LGBT neighbors as we love ourselves?” at this forum. Then I traveled to Pangasinan for another Channels of Hope HIV workshop and another with the staff of this private hospital in Tondo. All were great and blessed experiences, a testimony how God can turn things around even the worst situations into our favor when we trust Him.

The month was capped off with teaching on “Understanding Depression and Positive Psychology” at this college in Munoz, and “Stress Management Workshop” at our counseling and training center. I believe that Mental health should be focused on including wellness through stress management especially nowadays. This has become part of my advocacy since I got a calling into helping profession of counseling and psycho-education. Thus, motivated me to pursue my doctorate degree in clinical counseling.

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Counseling and teaching on topics that address our total well-being are truly my passion and calling. Truly, speaking the truth in love is both an honor and a responsibility especially doing it all for the honor and glory of our Lord Almighty! And there’s more to come. In the meantime, as I have mentioned already about my studies, coming middle of this month my classes start. It is time to be a student again and focus. Shalom and God bless!

CoH at DZAS and BukSU

 

“Oras Na Pilipinas” was the morning program at FEBC – DZAS 702 where I got invited to talk about HIV&AIDS on its “advocaserye” segment last week. Although it was not my first time to be interviewed at the said station, this particular guesting has become both a good and bad experience. Due to poor judgment regarding time, traffic, and bad weather, I failed to make it on time and lost the first fifteen of the short twenty-five minutes of the slot allotted to me as representative of Micah Challenge, which made it bad. I was not able to do what I have planned to do. However, lesson has been learned. On the positive note, while it was only a little over ten minutes, I was able to speak about HIV through a story and promote the upcoming event of Amara Center for Family Counseling. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the whole thing. Nevertheless, I still believe it was good based on the few positive feedback I received. 

More on the brighter side, my trip to Malaybalay City, Bukidnon was indeed a memorable one. For the first time, a two-days Channels of Hope or CoH for HIV workshop has been conducted to a non-church or non-FBO or faith based organization. Our participants were teachers, Gender and Development Staffs, one DOH representative, and guidance counselors of BukSU or Bukidnon State University! Honestly, I was a bit apprehensive at first for they are not faith leaders so I slightly modified and removed a few topics that are not relevant to them. But the core foundation of this ministry is the Word of God and the Bible so it is quite impossible not to include the spiritual aspect of this response to HIV&AIDS. Moreover, they have witnessed that it is the missing link that could possibly address the issue of stigma and discrimination through what it has done on my life…and what the Lord has done through my life as I have shared. It turned out that they have appreciated and liked this part very much through their expression of how much they were blessed. In fact, they want us back in a few months for another similar event praise God! 

Also, this trip has become a reunion of my spiritual mother doctor and me. We spent one evening together just simply sharing and talking about our own struggles and other deep personal stuff. We have missed each other so much that we ended up schmoozing past twelve midnight! But it was worth it.

Prior to my departure, with friends who are responsible for this trip and who led me to the life I am enjoying at present respectively, I was able to conquer the longest zip line in Asia at Dahilayan Adventure Park. Bukidnon is the home of sweet pineapple (Del Monte) in the country and the climate is somewhere between Baguio and Tagaytay City. The mountains, the wide road, the widespread plantation of pineapples, corns and other crops, and the peace brought by its natural countryside would be loved by anyone who is thinking of retirement or place for vacation. Indeed it is a cool place with warm people. All these are more than enough reasons to go back, visit the places and experience the things I have not been able to see and do.

Till next time...shalom!

Few Trips and A Talk

After passing the licensure board exam for Guidance Counselor, I have been into few trips that I have missed the recognition at school for us board passers. It was a little ceremony celebrating the successful first attempt of the Bible school and its counseling department. The book “Dare to Journey” by Charles Ringma with Henri Nouwen was the token given to us and I just got mine this week when I visited the school.

                           

I was in Cebu attending the Channels of Hope refresher course that week when the recognition took place. It was a week of reunion of old friends serving in the same ministry and fun with a new close friend from the locale with food tripping, coffee and yes…little wine. The following week was spent at Hacienda Gracia Resort and Hotel at Lubao, Pampanga, a quite nice and beautiful place for strategic planning of Pinoy Plus. Also it was a week of reunion and getting to know more friends from the positive community.

Two weekends ago, the first out of town trip and staff meeting of our newly found counseling center was held in Pilar, Bataan, the hometown of our head colleague. We have done some amendments on the proposal for our first major client, which is a research company. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac and the cross or the shrine at the top of Mt. Samat was the two beautiful and historical places we have visited. The former showcases the Old Spanish houses in the country in which some of them were made into hotels while the latter tells the Japanese-American war history.

Last Saturday, I got invited to speak before a group of dentists and their staff in a fellowship. I shared a message, which I have entitled “Being There: The Quest for Integrity.” The sample story I used was my story and journey with Christ as we discussed achieving integrity in our daily lives. Most of them, if not all of them, were blessed to hear from someone like me who is so open and honest about my life. Reflecting on the teaching I have shared, I truly praise the Lord for finally bringing me to this point wherein I can blatantly tell both the good and dark side of the path I have chosen to walk into. There’s no more shame and no more fear but courage knowing that all this is for the honor and glory of God. There is really freedom in the truth of being who you are in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the midst of challenges, struggles in life and weaknesses, truly that living for God and His purposes is the key to an amazing and fruitful life!

CDO 2013 Hope Workshop & Adventure

If my memory served me right, last week was my third visit to the city of golden friendship Cagayan De Oro City.

For the first time in more than five years of doing this ministry of Channels of Hope, I have shared not just how God brought me back to life through HIV. Also with confidence, courage and conviction, I mentioned the same-sex attraction or SSA that I have and how I am living my Christian life. I guess the Lord has truly released me from shame on this struggle that I do not care anymore what other people would think after hearing who really I am. It is just feels great to be free, be myself and show to people that this is me and God still loves me anyway.

One of my small dreams came true in this trip. I was able to do the wall climbing and I love it! I thought it was not that hard but actually it was that I have failed to finish the last two of the six vertical lanes I need to climb as a beginner for my arm muscles and hands were all in pain after the fourth lane of the wall. So I have decided to stop and not force myself after all, I have enjoyed it already. Perhaps next time when there is another opportunity I might be able to climb them all.

Most of all, the experience doing the workshop again after several months with my best friend in this ministry and other good friends, new friends, the food and the bonding moments, and what God has done to all of us especially to the participants were simply great and wonderful!

What a journey I must say for God was and will always be good so all the thanks and praises to our dear Lord.

Road Trip to Ilocos

Two weeks ago, my friends and I had a road trip to the northern part of the country. We visited Vigan in Ilocos Sur and Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte and it was my second trip since 2007 that was not a business or work trip. It's pure pleasure and relaxation. Funny because that first pleasure trip was in Davao in 2007 and as I write this blog, I am in Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City!



Five of my friends from the office and me first visited the historical Vigan City. It's been years since I dreamt of going to this place because I love very old places and stuff that speak origin and history. We went to Baluarte which is more like of a mini-zoo, then we had our first jump shot at the Bell Tower and finally we spent more time in my favorite Calle Crisologo, a place which will bring you to the old Spanish time because of the old structures. We had our dinner in one of the restaurants there and tasted the famous bagnet! I really love this place!


Next morning, we took a less than a couple of hours travel from Vigan to Laoag where we had our lunch and then travel for another hour and a half to Pagudpud. We first visited the Patapat Falls and Bridge, the Rock Formation and the Bato Cave and finally we took our swimming time at the Blue Lagoon.


Another jump shot was took at the Pagudpud road signage before going to the famous Bangui Windmills the following day. This was also a dream came true! Afterwards we travelled via tricycle to Kapurpurawan, another very beautiful rock formation where the rock itself and the ocean where it lies is simply breath taking! And finally, we have ended our trip in Pagudpud visiting the light house before traveling back to Laoag.


We missed Fort Ilocandia, Paoay Church and Sun Dunes in Laoag when we travelled back there where we took the bus going back to Manila. That's another reason to go back in this region and explore nearby places next time. This trip was another realization that my country is rich in beautiful places, culture and histories that we Filipinos can be proud of.


It's good to travel sometimes which the purpose is just to relax, enjoy the sceneries and appreciate God's wonderful creation. God is truly a God! Thank you for these blessings and for blessing this trip.