THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...
On Monday, February 23, 2009, I was again the cook. Ahmad still could not come for the same reasons. Fr. Gianni and Sr. Dwella asked the help of a certain Caesar, a Christian working with the government who assured them that everything will be finished on the following Wednesday. I cooked again “paksiw” and vegetables with fried rice. In the evening, I made a fish d out of eggs, canned tuna and recycled potato from the Feast the other day. It turned out well again and I liked it very much.
On Tuesday, we had our community meeting in the morning. We arranged our schedules until May and reviewed our assignments in the house. We took note of the Holy Week activities and planned accordingly. We clarified our policy regarding pilgrims and visitors and finalized on the proposal of the SPC Sisters on the use of our Caseta for week-end apostolate to the migrant workers. We finished at 12:00, in time for our Mid Day Prayers. At lunch we had a nice chicken prepared earlier by Fr. Roberto. In the afternoon, I worked on my journal and later iron my clothes. Our supper consists of all the left-over food from the previous days. (Panga talaga! Pangalawang init.)
February 25, 2009, Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. It was the practice of the house not to have a common meal, so I was spared from preparing. Anybody could take his meal anyway and anytime (Bahala ka). At meditation after our Morning Prayers, I had thoughts of living in solitude in Balite, in as simple a lifestyle as possible, living close to nature and depending on the fruits of the land. I could organize the people in a kibbutz-like structure and at the same time take care of their spiritual needs, especially catechism to children. I could still join the community on our regular meetings and special occasions. This could be my Sabbatical. I left it God to unfold more if it is his will. At 5:00 pm, we had our community Mass, attended by the four of us (Fr. Gianni, Fr. Roberto, Fr. Sebastian, and I). We integrated the Vespers and dispensed the Office of the Readings and the Benediction. For meals that day, I took a fruit and a sandwhich at lunch and supper.
I also received an email from Dina, my sister about an update of her health which is bordering on the miraculous. I found it worth quoting. Thank you for all you prayed for her.
“Hello everyone!
God is so good!
Today, I went to see a surgical oncologist at UCLA. This specialist is recommended by my other doctors to finally evaluate the result of my latest test results and to perform the surgery. After viewing the images (on CD) of my PET CT Scan, the surgeon told that I don’t need a second surgery anymore because the tumor is responding very well to chemo. He said that all I need is more chemo cycles in order to completely eliminate the tumors. He was obviously impressed with the fact that it only took two months for the tumors to decrease considerably. He patted my face and told me how lucky I am!
I will be going back to my treatment team to discuss the next step and I will bring up with them about my plans of going home and how it would affect my condition, a few days from now.
Thank you all for your prayers. Please keep on praying for my complete healing and recovery. I will keep you posted.
Love,
Dina”
(Sr. Teresa, Sr. Dwella, Fr. Daniele, Massimo, Fabio, Laila during the Feast)
Thursday, February 26, I had my Mass at the Bridgettines sisters. After breakfast, I worked on the garden cutting and disposing those fallen trees. Fr. Gianni prepared lunch for us and it was very good. Caesar, called by phone to inform us Ahmad’s papers would be delayed until next week. It was found out that he had a blot in his record for entering Nazareth from Jenin last 1993. There was no mention of the latest incident. Then in the afternoon, I received a call from a certain Meng Canlas, who was in Jerusalem for a pilgrimage. She wanted to tape a homily for the 7 last words of our Lord to be aired on the Philippines on ABC channel. Her available time would be the next day at 6:30 in the morning. It was very tight for us but I agreed. I was assigned the first word. With just a few hours to prepare, I entrust everything to the Lord.
Friday, February 27, 2009, after our morning prayers, I waited outside our door on the road to help Ms. Meng Canlas find our place. It was windy and rainy and very cold. She called earlier that they were on the way. After waiting for some time, I went inside and had my breakfast and usual schedule. They obviously did not find our place and had to go to the airport at 7:30. There went the possibility of talking in national television on Good Friday. As I wrote Fr. Angelo, he answered “Count it as God’s will.” At 11:00, we had our community Mass for St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother. I was the celebrant and Fr. Sebastian, being the youngest gave the homily. It was still raining and windy outside, so we had only one churchgoer, Sr. Pina of the Comboni sisters. I was the cook, and I prepared tuna omelet and salad with rice. At supper, I fried the left-over rice and omelet and added sauted eggplant and canned tuna. In the afternoon, I attended the Via Cruces in Jerusalem with Fr. Sebastian and Fr. Roberto, picking Sr. Virgilia, Sr. Ma. Luisa, Sr. Gaudalupe, from the Brigettine Sisters. It was raining very hard so the Franciscans cancelled the activity. Despite the rain our group decided to do the Stations of the Cross with some others. Fr. Danieli (Comboni) was also there.
On Sunday, March 1, I fetched Cathy and Edith (a new one) from Notre Dame Center. It was very cold and raining. Sr. Rebecca could not come because they had a meeting with their group at Tantur, the center for ecumenism in Israel. Cathy brought the fish dishes I ordered from Sr. Rebecca. Edith was from Davao in Catigan, where I had a pilgrimage one time with the Liturgists of HCP. I was surprised to know that she had not visited the Marian Shrine we visited in her place but she knew it was there. Massimo, Martha, and Laila attended the Mass, together with Sr. Dwella. Both Fr. Sebastian and Fr. Roberto concelebrated in the Mass. After the Mass, the Filipinas went back to Jerusalem by bus. Fr. Roberto prepared lunch of nice lamb stew which took time to cook delaying our meal. I rested in the afternoon, which was very cold. In the evening, I received a call from the General asking me of his plan to send Fr. Sebastian to Vietnam to help Fr. Jeff, for three months. He promised to send a substitute from Italy. Later, he talked with Fr. Sebastian himself. At supper, I asked Fr. Sebastian to finish first his financial report before going to Vietnam, possibly delaying his trip by at least a month.
On March 2, 2009, Monday, we greeted Fr. Gianni Happy Birthday. He was 60 years old that day. But since, he had a pilgrimage to guide, we set the celebration to the following day. I was again the assigned cook and since I had already dishes prepared by Sr. Rebecca, I did not have to prepare early. I was experimenting on new ways to cook. I combined rice with carrots and it turned out very well, nutritious na, masarap pa. Then I fried eggplants with eggs. It turned out well also. Again the serving plates were cleaned to the last piece. Maybe we were just hungry or the “experiments” were delicious. Cooking rice with carrots might be an original and I recommend it to all. Carrots add flavor and nutrient to our staple food rice and foreigners can easily take it. After lunch, I also chatted with Jing Teves from Dubai in the afternoon, sharing her difficulties with fellow Filipinos in her work.
March 3, 2009, Tuesday was still a cold day. We prepared a birthday party for Fr. Gianni with Fr. Roberto doing the cooking. He served the fish that I requested the SPC sisters to cook for my turn on Wednesday. This was the only viand that Fr. Gianni could eat. So, for the sake of the birthday celebrant I had to sacrifice and had to cook another dish the following day. In the afternoon, one of our neighbors by the name of Nikola came and introduced himself. He is a Christian and used to live in the Caseta with his family. His father was the cook of the Passionists before. He narrated his experiences as a boy in our property, learning and enjoying his bicycle ride. From him, we knew that there were at least 10 Christian families near us. We invited him for our Sunday Mass and asked him to inform the others. He asked for the wood of the fallen trees and promised to give the stones we needed for our grotto in exchange. We hoped they would come regularly to our Masses, especially on Easter.
(The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth)
March 4, 2009, Wednesday was supposed to be the last day of winter and the beginning of Spring. It was still cold, but no more rain and wind and the sun was very bright early in the morning. After breakfast, I read the Internos sent by Fr. Edwin Flor, my Provincial and got the official news from the Province. With the Internos was the Letter of Convocation of the 3rd Provincial Chapter on May 11-15, 2009. I also saw the schedule for my Silver Jubilee on May 15 at the end of the Chapter. I was surprised to read some changes in personnel but that was part of our life. I was again the cook and I repeated my recipe as before, Paksiw and rice mixed with chopped carrots. Then I boiled cauliflowers and carrots to go with the fish and rice. In the afternoon, I chatted with Estela Maria Alviar who shared her plans of a proposed Home for the Aged in Kidapawan. I also chatted with my relative in Saudi, Mike Castro. I also received text message of Fr. Nonoy informing me that he had received the CD I sent through Sr. Liliana but it was broken. So he could not use it. I saw my 90 NIS (almost P1,500) lost down the drain. “Sayang”, it could have been a good help for Holy Week.
March 5, 2009.Thursday, I spent the morning continuing the cleaning of the fallen trees until Mid Day Prayers. I could feel my back aching. At lunch Fr. Gianni shared his experience in following up for Ahmad’s permit. Caesar, the liaison between Israeli government and Christians, brought him to the highest military tribunal to explain our case. They were friendly and polite, but interviewed Fr. Gianni for more than twenty minutes. They assured him of the approval but we had to wait for at least a month for the release. In the afternoon, Ogette and John Paul came and offered to volunteer cooking for us until March 21, when they would return to France. That sounds providential, otherwise I would be cooking that long. I liked to experiment dishes but not that long. She would start on Sunday evening. Meanwhile I would cook tomorrow and Saturday.
So long, then. Until next time. God bless. Ana hawa intu (I love you.)