A Reflection by Sunday Samuel Work, IFFAsia Batch-7

(Sunday who hails from the Paitan Missionary Area, Sandakan is currently pursuing a one year formation program in IFFAsia, Quezon City, Philippines and is expected to graduate on 24th November 2013)

During my first few months here in IFFAsia, we were taught to build strong foundation of faith and prepare ourselves to be primary initiator on facing the challenges of the church through series of sessions. For the first phase, we went through the human module that helps us to deeply understand ourselves, explore our inner-selves, discover our talents. We were also taught on tips about building relationship bonds with others. We experienced a 'Weekend Retreat Towards a New Life' that really helped us to discern, think and have a break to re-look at our inner journey and to have time to talk with God. All of these really led to spiritual renewal and preparation of oneself for the Holy Week. Likewise, we joined the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by conducting a Faith Walk. It was a long walk with very precious purpose for each and everyone.

Children play on the streets as there is no space for recreational facilities.

As we continue to journey in community living, the Social Immersion as part of our Social Module helped us a lot to understand what community really is. Not only by knowing its complexity and to know its profile, it is also important for me to experience the love, care, kindness and hospitality that we shared among us, the host parish and our foster families. Through these, it gave me an impact and to dig deeper about understanding society, in all aspects and appreciating the people who were involved in the program. We continued to feed ourselves with knowledge and compassion to the society as we started to study about the principles and perspectives about social development. By applying what we have experienced and learned, we are now making a Developmental Action Plan that would help our community to enhance their lives and empower every individual in the light of our Lord.

Payatas, the dumpsite in MetroManila - children live by the streets

Moreover, Spiritual and Pastoral Modules were also given to us so that we could have an integral formation in order to become better Christian servant-leaders. We finally share and attest our knowledge, skills and attitude when we conducted our Professional Internship. As I prepare and discern, I have asked myself, if I am really going to achieve my objectives? Do I really have the character to be a lay pastoral worker? I need all the formation, the grooming to be more confident in my mission as I return home to my parish where I will serve the parish as a whole and the youth ministry in particular.

Furthermore, I felt that I may achieve my objective through sociological skills in the actual application of knowledge and work in the community. A parish-based work is truly pastoral work. This is not just sitting and holding a pen inside the office but the opportunities to interact with the people on ground. I know deep in me that service is also a journey. Moreover, not only as pastoral work, but I could also open myself for the social realities that are visible in the ecclesial community of the Parish. Serving the poor and the marginalized allows me to serve Christ himself. I realized that this internship is truly and fully pastoral work.

Having to serve at two work places is fine with me. As I had mentioned earlier, I will meet Jesus in the parish because I will encounter with the poor, the oppressed and those living in the margins of society. I am happy with my choice and the only challenge that remains in me is how I could put all of these into action, bringing fruits and meaning to my life.The work entrusted upon me is challenging. I’m also expecting that through this internship, I will gain more skills like facilitation, administration, management and communication. Also, I hope to acquire good attitudes such as self-confidence, competitiveness, passion to work and develop the right spiritual life.

I will have to journey with the youth for they are the future of the church. With this in mind, I will keep on learning and do my best to lead the youth in the right track ~ the Christian way. I am much eager to gradually transform myself as an effective Christian leader, a primary servant of God in building His Kingdom. To be able to work with the young fills me with joy and compassion. As I mature, I realize that there’s a lot more to learn. I wanted to be involved in a wider arena. These insights gave me the vision of truly working for a Christian community.

As we finally enter into the last part of our formation year, we are going to Vietnam and Cambodia for our Mission Project themed “Youth Initiatives for Peace” which will be held on October 4-28, 2013. This program will make us aware and help us to understand the challenges of migration, human rights, and post-civil war rebuilding process and its impact on families, local communities and how the people are responding. This program includes inputs and workshops on inter-faith, visits to places of worship, stay in with foster families, dialogue with religious and civil society leaders, the poor, youth and families, exposure to the reality of migrants, and social development issues. In Vietnam and Cambodia, we will be collaborating with: Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS), Initiatives of Change, Vietnam (IofC), Caritas of Vietnam and Cambodia, the Diocese in Phnom Penh, etc. In addition, some tools on analysis, peace building and spirituality will also be introduced together with activities to facilitate peace building awareness among youth and families.

Our mission will not end inside the four corners of our session hall or confined within this formation year. Our mission will continue as we journey with the people, with the community of the faithful because we, as missionaries believed that mission is an issue of faith, a living faith. Being a community-in-mission is a matter of faith, love, hope and prayer, of sharing our deepest Christian and human values

Posted By dospo to NEWS UPDATE ~ Diocese of Sandakan at 9/23/2013
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Everyday-Life Cooking

I still remember the first time I cooked in the restaurant that I was working in. I was very worried because I didn’t have the experience. I prepared the salad, mixed everything and made it presentable, and then I tasted it. Oh, wow, it tasted good! That was the first time I discovered that I can cook. I had been working in the restaurant since my first year in the University to help finance my studies. I started as a waiter and then after only one month, I was given the chance to be a cook when the assigned cook got sick, and I volunteered to be pan assistant cook because no one else wanted to. Thus, I started my journey into cooking.

Today, I am a student at IFFAsia, and I have a big responsibility to my classmates. My task is to prepare the menu and estimate how much we need to cook. I am very happy every time I cook and see the smile on their faces when they eat my food. Every time I cook, I remember my family, because I give joy to them. In my family, everybody cooks together and helps each other to prepare the food. After, all of us join to eat together. My mother motivates me to cook for each other. She said, “Learn how to cook and have more patience because wherever you go, people will LOVE you if you know how to cook and you know how to be a servant for food.” Yes, it is true that my skill in cooking helps so that others can build their trust in me.

Cooking is part of my life. Whether I feel happy or sad, I just cook. I want to make others happy through cooking; it defines my service to people. Since I am a flexible person, I act depending on my environment. My life is just like the food I cook. It will taste depending on how I want it to be; but it doesn’t always taste good. In life, I sometimes struggle and it doesn’t go my way; but I try to find ways to make it better.

In relation to God, cooking is an act of giving love. Every time someone cooks, his goal is to make another person happy. This is also one of the characteristics of God. He makes our life happy. Cooking is a way of sharing one’s talents with others; similarly, God shares himself with everyone through his son.

We can see God in our everyday life, no matter how ordinary it may be to others. So, if you want to eat, I can share my time with you and cook for you. 

Sonesacksith Solaphong (Baow)
(Baow, 25 years old, comes from Laos. He is a civil engineering graduate. Before coming to IFFAsia, he was serving actively in the youth ministry of his diocese.)

Encountering the Forgotten God of the Trinity

“Since I was a child, I had always been happy whenever I received gifts; there’s always a joy in my heart which brings a genuine and vibrant smile of thanksgiving for those who gave me the gifts. However, when I grew up, I began to think that maybe it’s time that I be the one to give gifts rather than receive or ask for them. But, I deeply realized that even when I was still in my mother’s womb I already received a very precious gift from my Father, a gift that was waiting to be accepted and unwrapped - the gift of life and love.”

Last July 17-18, 2010, a Life in the Spirit Session was conducted for the students, interns and staff of Institute of Formation, Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia). It was animated by members of Fondacio Philippines. The session was an empowering and assuring weekend; it was an encounter with the forgotten God of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. It helped me to reveal this beautiful gift of life and love from Christ Jesus and allowed me to experience the unconditional love of God through the Holy Spirit. During the session when we had our solitude, we reflected on three parables in the Gospel of Luke, which talks about how much God loves us. Pondering most especially on the parable of the prodigal son, I received this message, “I will always carry you in my heart. I love you as you are and I will never stop showing and letting you feel how much I love you.” It really assures me in my personal journey today.

I believe it is true when Manny San Luis, of Fondacio Philippines, said, “Real transformation can only happen in our lives when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.” That is, when we don’t fill our emptiness with worldly things that surround us, and instead allow ourselves to be open to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit that is in us and let Him be the one to fill our emptiness and brokenness. He added that in every person there are two wolves, the black and the white, that always fight within us, and then he asked, “Which of those two wolves do you think will win?”, which he also answered, “the one you are feeding is the one who’s going to win.”

He describes the Holy Spirit, the God in us, by using imagery of Milo, a chocolate drink. When we prepare a cup of Milo and just put hot water without properly stirring it, the tendency is that it just settles at the bottom of the cup. Similarly, when we receive the Holy Spirit, but don’t allow Him to lead us or become part of our lives, He gets stuck in the very core of our lives, waiting to be stirred and consulted.

Through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the process of allowing the Spirit to pray in my behalf, using my body in praising God, it touches the very core of my being which makes me say that I am truly a child of God.

Rod Babiera
(Rod, 21 year-old Filipino, belonged to Batch 2009-2010 of Basic Formation at IFFAsia. He is currently undergoing a 2-year internship program at the Institute.)

Come Together, Share the Word, Live the Eucharist

A Reflection on the Asian Youth Day 2009

During the Days in the Diocese in Kalookan, a wonderful and beautiful opening mass was presided by Bishop Deogracias Yniguez. In his homily, he mentioned a few important points: chosen, learn, see beyond, personal growth, enthusiasm, youth needing company / a group coming together. These words touched my heart and brought me closer to the heart of God. And they were important also because I realized that my heart was awakening from this point onwards to yield to God’s words. It seems I have been away from God; I only just seek out my interest rather than God’s will, even though I am in the mission field.

On the first day of AYD, I saw the local citizens standing at the roadside and dancing to welcome us. With fireworks in the sky, all the AYD delegates, and the many bishops and priests, gathered at the Imus Cathedral for the opening ceremony and the celebration of the mass. It was such a significant moment for me, even though I had to sit on the floor (and disliked the fact that there were only two toilets in the area!). Bishop Tagle, who presided the mass, said that he was once touched when Pope John Paul II told him that Jesus, Mary, Moses… all came from Asia. It is a time now for Asia to lead the spiritual movement in the world. I liked the presentation of a little blind girl; she had a wonderful voice, and she said that all are in a JOURNEY OF THE HEART. I fully agreed with what she said, about being rather than doing.

I liked the morning prayer – the sharing of rice with one another. Bishop Dominic shared that THE EUCHARIST IS THE GIFT THAT JESUS REVEALED TO US, THE EUCHARIST FORMS THE CHURCH; JESUS IS THE FOOD OF THE JOURNEY. I liked these sentences the most – GOD IS RICE; HEAVEN IS RICE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EUCHARIST AND THE COSMOS IS LIKE BREAD & WINE; AND THE EUCHARIST HELPS US TO SEE THE UNITY OF GOD’S PLAN. While sharing with Fr. Frans from Indonesia and Ruth from the Philippines, I realized that my selfishness is not easy to let go. GOD IS RICE, and rice is for everybody. But I just look for those who are Catholic or who I feel comfortable with. I hope that this realization can motivate me to do something new towards my life’s direction.

The Pope’s message to us was “DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU". These were words from the scripture of the wedding at Cana. When Mary said YES to Jesus, MARY EXPRESSED HER JOY, TRUST, AND HARMONY WITH HIS WILL; SHE NEVER SAID NO. Standing up during Jesus’ trial, Mary showed us how. To be intimate with Mary, then, is to decide to say YES. I thank God for this message and for giving me a model to follow.

Another significant moment for me was when I saw Bishop Tagle shed tears in front of us. He thanked those volunteers who helped in the event. I witnessed a humble care and love from him.

Although the events made me tired because of lack of sleep, I thank God who gave me the chance to witness 4,000 youth and volunteers come together to sing and dance, and hand in hand say OUR FATHER. It was such a beautiful and touching moment for me; it gave me much hope for the future. I am happy also to have the chance once again to meet my fellow graduates of IFFAsia. It was like encountering the spirit of TOGETHERNESS. When I saw Vian, Nga, Ngui, Toeur, Sophal, Mary, Nestor, Alice, Chieko, Wilfred, Zack, Lucy and some students from the 4th batch, I felt the spirit jumping in my heart. I believe that there is something more for us in this encounter, especially for myself. I long once again for all of us to COME TOGETHER, SHARE THE WORD, LIVE THE EUCHARIST IN COMMUNITY.

Sometimes I ask God how much of the impact or fruits of the event will the youth bring back to their countries. Will these give influence to the youth? But, I believe that the first part of the theme - COME TOGETHER - means a lot from the beginning. For the rest of the theme, God will move and touch the hearts which are thirsty for HIM.

I thank God for allowing me to witness and take part in this wonderful event. I received marvelous graces from God through the youth. I also thank Him that I witnessed HIS LOVE for the youth of Asia.

Mag Chin
Fondacio Malaysia

For more information, please visit the official website of the latest Asian Youth Day 2009.

Intercultural Sensitivity

If I want to live well with others, I must know and learn to appreciate, accept and understand other people’s cultures and way of life. This means that I myself must understand my own culture. I must know what are life-giving and death-dealing elements/aspects of my own culture. Only then can I learn from others and help others learn from me. Therefore, the art of understanding others becomes very important in any situation because everyone wants to be understood and it is extremely important for us to know others’ culture. It is necessary and a must!

We must see the whole world and open our heart to everyone and everywhere. Unfortunately, every country also can not avoid bad practices like corruption. We can correct ourselves from this shortcoming. These negative elements can improve our own culture. You can help by avoiding falling in the same situation. If you feel something is not right about what is being done or asked of you, you can stand by your principles by doing what is right. Even though different cultures or countries have different ways of life, they all have common ground – Love. Love is for the whole world. Nobody can understand this world without it. Love can deal with anything. To love and to be loved is what matters. That’s what we stand for as Christians, and humanity, for the world!

Lina Han, China
IFFAsia

You can read Lina's full reflections, and other related articles in Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009.

Can You Do This for Me?

Whatever circumstance I find myself in (with all the concerns, issues, problems and struggles of my life), I find God asking me: “Can you do this for me?”

This is what I feel continuously and I keep asking myself, “Can I trust in Him and in His divine promise for me? Am I willing to give my life to Him and for Him? If yes, then why do I find myself resisting? Why do I feel that I cannot really give in to Him?”

It’s through asking myself these questions, meditatively pondering upon what it means for me to respond to His call, that I realize how He is drawing me to grow and develop a close relationship with Him. It makes me understand why He seems to disturb me and make me experience all kinds of conflicting situations and struggles. It is for this reason that I dare to say, “Lord, disturb me even more”, because then, I get to know what it is I have to offer and sacrifice my life for!

What this means for me is that my prayer life is, indeed, a way of communicating with God. And each and every time I start to pray and ask God’s intervention in the day-to-day events and happenings of my life, I ask for His constant faithfulness so that I can remain in Him as He remains in me all the time. I do not have to question anymore what happens to/in my life, and why it is happening. God has His own reason which is beyond my human comprehension; He is the one who gives meaning to everything. This becomes my guiding principle about God’s assuring presence and intervention in my life and the whole of life. He Himself has spoken to us through His Son Jesus Christ: “I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).

If I have this assuring presence of God in Jesus Christ, what then is preventing me to go deep in prayer and build a close relationship with Him? I have come to realize that, many times, my attitude, limitations, weaknesses, and of course, my laziness lead me into darkness, thus I become unfaithful in the little steps I know I am supposed to take and do for the good of all.

Lattana (Noi), Laos
IFFAsia

You can also read Lattana's reflections, and other related articles in Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009.

An Endless Overflow of God's Love and Blessings

Three months is just enough time to initially settle down and enter into a way of life which I call spiritual journey. This is an experience I carry in my heart as I look at another phase of formation this year at IFFA.

When I reflect on each of the various sessions, I realize that each has been designed in such a way that it makes me sigh and say to myself: how meaningful and useful this is for me and for my life! It is very important to know the beauty that it brings to my life and to the life of the others.

I can say that this journey of discovery through sessions and daily encounters with people and realities is valuable for me and for my mission. I am not only acquiring knowledge and skills, but it also helps me to change my attitude towards life and to have a greater appreciation of the wider needs of society. The discovery that I am blessed and that I am God’s gift to others is one of the most significant realizations for me. I am indeed a blessing from God. This has never dawned on me before, and I thank God for IFFA and the yes to the process.

Sometimes when I face difficulties I can not stand up by myself. I even forget to pray to Him, the author of my life. Yet, His blessing is never-ending; it continuously overflows, flowing like a river. I know, and I can feel that this is not of human making, but a divine blessing and sanctification. It is the same thing with his love. It is when I believe that God’s love is endless in my life and I can not even afford to pay with the efforts that I am making. And I start growing in his likeness, appreciating his embrace for me and the rest of humanity. Such is the wonder of God, our Father!

Pale Phyu, Myanmar
IFFAsia

You can also read Pale's reflections, and other related articles in Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009.

Am I Becoming More Mature?

As I grow older day by day, I become more mature physically and mentally. My body changes in structure, my muscles begin to form, and my mind continues to acquire and accumulate more knowledge. I begin to see with a wider perspective. However, there is one area of my being human that I somehow have forgotten to pay attention to – my emotions.

To develop good relationships with others is, first, to take care of our own emotions, to be responsible for our own actions in total freedom and choice. There is no need to be afraid or shy about how we feel. But, we have to make sure that we express it in the right place and time, and with the right person involved. Second, it is good for us not to allow ourselves to be affected by the feelings of others and our own past, especially negative experiences. They say “Experience is the best teacher”; we can all learn from our own experiences and those of others. We can also remember that “Pain is the teacher from whom we can learn much”. These are hard lessons in life, and our negative experiences are meant to help us develop a more positive outlook in life. We can learn from them so that we do not commit the same mistakes in life again and again.

Rodrigo Babiera, Jr., Philippines
IFFAsia

You can read Rod's full reflections, and other related articles in Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009.

Like a Boy

After participating in some of the sessions offered here at IFFA, I have come to realize that, really, the Holy Spirit is inside me, working within me.

I had my encounter with the Holy Spirit in February. This was indeed very personal. When I was praying during the retreat, someone approached me and told me: “Don’t use ‘I’; don’t use ‘you’!” After some time, I realized that it was the Holy Spirit talking to me.

The Holy Spirit spoke to me like a child. He never used difficult words. And I felt HE looked like a boy. Through that encounter and some other sessions I have attended, I now start thinking and making a decision to be HONEST to myself like a boy. I want to depend on the Father like Jesus. My poem expresses this better:

There is a small boy in a small village,
He wants to grow like a little flower
He uses blue water,
The water is lighter than air
His dress shines brighter than sunshine,
His name is SHIRO
Now he is dancing to grow like a little flower.

Johya Paul Kijima, Japan
IFFAsia

You can also read Paul's reflections, and other related articles in Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009.

Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009

We're happy to share with you the initial issue of Asian Hearts Speak, the newsletter of the Institute of Formation, Fondacio Asia. Please read on and learn more about our institute and its students.
IFFAsia - Asian Hearts Speak - Sept 2009