A wonderful gift ...

...of life.

This morning we received a text message from my brother in Toronto. He said that my sis-in-law (his wife) would have CS operation in advance. In a couple of hours. Actually she was due to give birth in a few days' time. He was asking us to pray for the safety of both mother and baby, and for safe delivery.

I forwarded the text message to my sisters in the Philippines and to close friends here in Bangkok for prayers. We did not inform yet our Mom so she would not worry.

I immediately called a sister also in Toronto. Good thing I have deedial on my phone, which charges very cheaply for international calls. I still had more than 100 baht load and I was informed after dialing her number that I have 4 hours and 20 minutes to talk with her!

A few hours later around lunch time, my brother sent another text message to inform us that the delivery went well! Healthy baby and mom! All praises to God for answered prayers and for the gift of life - a bundle of joy. According to my bro she looks just like her older sister when she was born. We are all excited to see the photos!

So I also forwarded the message to my sisters in the Philippines, and this time also to my Mom. She has now 17 grandchildren! Of course I also informed the friends here to thank them for praying.

It is good that over there in Toronto they also have a support group among fellow pinoys, composed of relatives, friends and colleagues at work, and also non-Pinoys. For e.g. before going to the hospital my bro and sis-in-law left their eldest daughter with another sister and her family who live nearby. They will help to take care of her until the next day to prepare for school. Then another sister will help out during the weekend. I am sure many more will be coming to help out, relatives, friends, brethren at church, colleagues, in so many ways.

This is great that even though they are far they can still experience this family relationship among themselves. People learn to reach out and expand their 'family' unit, keeping the Pinoy spirit of helping and encouraging one another alive. May this be always the case wherever there are Pinoys who are in need.

Congrats bro & family ... and thanks to all who are helping out over there and for those who are praying! Praise God for He is in control over everything!

^"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:8-11 NIV

About PEBA

Something is astir in the blogosphere, at least among us Pinoys and our families & friends. Most of us know what that is. It is the Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, now on its third year. From a small beginning among blog enthusiasts way back in 2008, it has grown phenomenally. It is a tribute to the Filipino talent that is recognized in many aspects, through the world of blogging. This year's theme is focusing on the family, the basic unit of society (watch video). This was taught to us way back in our Social Studies classes in school. I hope it is still taught now. But whether taught or not, the fact remains - the family is the basic unit of society. Thus, strong families make for a stronger community or society. That is why it is great for PEBA to focus on this theme, to bring the perspective back regarding the reasons for doing things as they are, especially the reasons for the "Pinoy diaspora". There is always a home for us among our families, wherever we may be. Even in the blogosphere, we can find it in so many of the Pinoy blogs scattered all over. And thanks to the many like PEBA and Kablogs for the effort in bringing them all together.

Know more about this event and the many sponsors and supporters by visiting the PEBA site. Join and have fun!

The -ber months have started

1st September. Today. Messages about Christmas start to flood my wall in FB. I start to have that nostalgic feeling that Christmas brings to one who is away from home. Nostalgic because of not being with family/loved ones in the Philippines; because of not being in the Philippines at Christmas time. There's really nothing like it. You can feel it, hear it, see it, live it.

What is 'it'? It's the spirit of Christmas, of celebration, of expectation. I just hope that it is the celebration of the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into this world as part of His plan for salvation. That it is an expectation of His second coming, which He promised before ascending to heaven. And His promises never fail.

At the same time, it is also a celebration of love. Because of love. Because He loved us first. Because He loves us with an everlasting love. So we have learned to love and be loved. It is a celebration with loved ones, near and far. For those abroad, going home at Christmas is one of the highlights of our lives. Months of preparation for some. But for others it could also be a spur of the moment decision, though the consequence would be a more expensive air fare and an unacceptable schedule. But no matter, if one really has to go home.

For those who can't go home, well we can show love to those around us. There are so many people needing love and kindness. We just need to look around. And if they ask why, we can share to them about Christmas, about love ... the language of Jesus.

Listening and especially singing along with Christmas songs, alone or with friends, surely can give us that great feeling of celebration. I would often do this, much better now with youtube and other media. But sometimes we could get sentimental while singing them, as memories of former Christmases flood our thoughts and hearts, recalling that wonderful feeling with loved ones as we celebrated Christmas many, many years ago. It's when the feeling of homesickness is also strong. Pulling at our heartstrings, and we could not do anything at first but to cry, and let it out. But a sort of peace comes after the release of tears...and we can be strong again, knowing that God has been faithful in taking care of us, and of our loved ones.

So this year, let us celebrate Christmas, with expectation of great things to come, and with open hearts to show love to everyone. Because the message of Christmas is hope, and love.

The youtube vdo below is an old one but it fully reflects what is in our minds and our hearts during Christmas...

Going abroad: for better and for worse?

All my bags are packed?

Lots have been said and written and discussed about Pinoys going abroad. As OFWs and as immigrants, and many other categories. Why do I specifically mention OFWs and immigrants? I have become conscious when to use each word when one time I went to visit one province in the Philippines. It was my first time there and I met one of the VIPs of that province. She said that they have a lot of people from there who have gone abroad, and some of them have come back to invest in some businesses like hotels, restaurants and the like. So I replied that it is good that the OFWs think of investing their hard-earned money. And she corrected me. She adamantly said, “No! They are not OFWs. They are immigrants!” She said it in a way that you would think an OFW was inferior to an immigrant. I did not know how to respond to it so I just let it be, and stored the information for use later. Such as now.

So whether a Pinoy goes abroad as an OFW or as an immigrant, the fact remains that he/she has gone abroad, has left the country, for better or for worse. Well I hope that it will be for the better, for both the one who left and the ones left behind. But we also know that there are worse things that do happen, if not to the one going abroad, then to the ones left behind in the Philippines. Eventually some OFWs decide to migrate and stay permanently in another country, and bring their families to stay with them. But there are countries that do not allow this, so the OFW remains in that country as a mere working person, with a renewable work permit, and remains there until retirement, unless he/she migrates to another country or goes back to the Philippines for good.   

We all know about the better stuff. Like a higher salary, better standard of living, better transport system, better environment, higher quality goods, better lifestyle. It gets much better if one can bring his/her own family and there are schools for their children, and the spouse could also work. But what about the worse things that happen to us when we are abroad, or to our loved ones left behind?

There are just so many we can think of, but only a few that can be written here. Being away from family, missing the growing up years of the children, missing the growing old years of our parents, not being there when loved ones need us most, missing memorable moments such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and many other milestones in their lives. Worst yet is for children to be a bit aloof to parents who are abroad. Or for a loved one especially a parent to pass away without you by his/her side. It just hurts not to be there. Just because we are far away and could not leave the workplace immediately, or could not leave at all due to other circumstances.

Am I ready to go?

The foreign workplace itself can also be hell for some OFWs.

Some worse things happening in the homefront could include a son or a daughter who grows up spoiled and expects to have everything, growing up without responsibility, squandering everything thinking that dad or mom will be sending money soon anyway, the remaining spouse giving in to temptation in the absence of his/her spouse, being cheated by others esp. those who know there is a regular allotment of dollars, being blamed when things at home are not going so well. These could be signs that there is a need to spend time with the family for a while to talk things out.

And yet many are still going abroad. The hopes and dreams of a better life, for the whole family, drive everybody to keep going, despite the worse things that could be experienced while abroad.

So what do we do then to avoid all these pitfalls? One of the most helpful things is to always keep communicating with each other. It is much better now with all the high technology available, so better invest in a good program or equipment which can help in making family members feel you are just close to them, just a click or phone call away. Frequent communication with real time video and voice is the best. But for those less tech savvy esp with older parents, regularly calling them brings happiness and a feeling of worth to them, knowing that their daughter or son, despite miles and miles away, still remembers and loves them, much more than just sending money and material things. And never mind that sometimes they complain about each other or about a sibling or something, they are just making “lambing”.

Sending greetings cards and letters is also good to keep the relationship warm among loved ones. Remembering birthdays and anniversaries is important to us Pinoys.

For families with growing children, the house should be filled with photos of the loved one who is abroad. The children should be constantly reminded of him/her so that when he/she comes home, the kids would not feel strange and be aloof towards the returning parent. The children would just feel they know him/her personally. This really works!

It is good that there are employers who provide paid vacations for their expat employees. But what about those who are not fortunate enough to have this kind of employer? Then you really have to seriously save for that much awaited vacation. Even if it is just for a couple of weeks, it is still worth it. Be updated of some promotional offers to reduce the cost of traveling. Or maybe if it is possible, let your loved ones come over to visit you abroad. That will be a treat but it would cost a lot of money. So you just have to consider and balance your options and costs.

Spiritually, praying for each other and together really helps in making things better. Praying gives one an inner peace, knowing that God has heard your prayers and this gives you the peace and assurance that He is in control. At the end of the day, there are things that are just beyond us, and we can only entrust them to Him who knows all things and can do all things.

These are just a few of the things to help in making things better, instead of worse, when one goes abroad, and leaves family behind. Whatever happens, it is important to remember the happy memories that have been created together, and to keep building up on them, so family ties will remain strong. At the same time not losing sight of the hopes and dreams that drove one to go to another country, so he/she can help in making life better today and in the future, for the family and the whole community.

Walking hand in hand - growing together!

"Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation."

 "Pagtibayin ang Pamilyang OFW: Mas Matibay na Tahanan Para sa Mas Matibay na Bayan" 

If you like this blog entry, please vote for Nominee #13 at

http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/p/vote-here.html

Visit PEBA website to read more entries. 

Remembering Dad

It's been six months since our Dad passed away. We continue to miss him and the pain of losing him is still deep in our hearts. Yet life goes on and we thank our loving God for His grace and love that bring comfort and healing to keep us going each day. Including as well the sympathy and love of some family and friends who understand us. We have the memories and memories. Even coming here to UK brings lots of memories, especially of the time in 2005-2006 when Key & I were here last. We would call home, send sms and write letters to Dad and Mom. I remember one time it snowed and it was very cold. It was still early morning here but already day time over there. Dad said to make sure we are warm and not become sick.

I brought with me his sweatshirt. It was his but he never used it as it was still new with the brand tag on it. It is quite big for me nevertheless I like using it. Keeps me warm and I always remembering his advice to keep warm. Some other stuff I have that I keep with me include a photo sticker he took with Mom when they visited Bangkok in 2001; and one of the birthday cards they sent to me. They would usually write their own message and seeing Dad's handwriting and reading his message bring comfort.

It helps to know the fact that in all the sadness and grief, Jesus, the Good Shepherd is here with me. It makes all the difference. There is light instead of darkness; there is hope. There is peace despite the chaos. So I thank the Lord that each day with Him reveals something new, His truth.

On Father's Day

By this time we would already have gone online shopping for some Father’s Day gifts for my Dad. We would usually send cards wishing him well and to express our love and gratitude to him as our Dad, send him text messages, call him and pray for him. At home, he would always wait for those greetings from all of us. And he would know who would not be able to greet him. Sometimes he would feel bad about it but he was mature enough to understand if we called him late, probably due to time zone differences or the phone network instability. The latter often happens on such occasions, including Christmas and New Year, as everybody is trying to call home.

But this time, we can only remember our Dad in our minds and hearts. As he is not here physically anymore. What we could do to honor his memory is to do what he would usually advise us to do – to live a life of integrity before man and God, to be strong and remain steadfast in our faith in the midst of difficulty and adversity, to trust the Lord at all times, to be happy, to do our best, to be compassionate towards others especially the disadvantaged and the oppressed, to live simply, to keep reading and learning ... so many more that he has taught us about life. So much treasure, but priceless.

And so, for our Dad’s memory, we would like to share this poem by D.J. Brown. He had already read this, because this was on a card sent by my sister to him way back in 2003, when she wrote to him during her (my sister’s) birthday to express her thankfulness and appreciation to him for all his love, sacrifices, care and goodness as she was growing up. She said that she thanked God for giving her a father like him, and she considered it a blessing really! She added in her P.S. that this came from her heart. I am sure that all of us children have the same words to say to him, time and time again, not only on Fathers’ Day but on every occasion that we have the opportunity to do so. I am sure that when he read this message he was also touched.

Dad, as I was growing up,

you always made my world feel safe.

The deep calm of your voice steadied me…

and the strong circle of your arms shielded me.

I never felt vulnerable or afraid,

Because for me, you seemed unshakable.

As I got older, though,

It dawned on me that the world you faced everyday

was a lot bigger and scarier

Than the one you had created for me.

And I wondered, sometimes,

if you felt like relying on someone else’s strength for a change…

Now that I’m an adult

and living on the outside of your safety net,

I finally understand what sacrifices you made

to make sure “my world” felt all right all the time.

Growing up in the sanctuary of your love is something

I will always cherish and a memory I could never forget.

Now, more than ever,

I appreciate you for that.

I love you, Dad.

May you all express your love and appreciation to your Dads on Father’s Day and every time that you have the opportunity to do so.

dNeero: Christmas / Holiday

I am grateful because ...

I got a tag from Rechie today asking what I am grateful for. Thank you so much Rechie for sharing this to me. There are lots of things that I am very much grateful for in this life.



1. God loves me with an everlasting love and has given me eternal life in Jesus.
2. I have a husband who loves God (and me, of course). An answered prayer.
3. I continue to experience the goodness of the Lord in my life, work, with my family and friends.
4. Each day is a gift from the Lord and His word reminds me to keep going and looking up, and to look at life through the eyes of Christ. Whether times are good or rough.
5. Christmas is coming and this will be another opportunity to share Christ with others.

Let me know what are the things you are grateful for. I am sharing this tag with the following: ultrapink, ztirfmanic, simplykane, lärarinna and linapuhan@starbucks.

How This Works:
1. Re-post the picture on your blog and pls. acknowledge where it came from. Kindly leave a comment on this post so I would know you've posted it.
2. Write down 5 things you are grateful for and the 5 bloggers you are tagging.
3. You may copy this or write your own quote regarding gratitude:
"The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made." - Psalm 145:13b