Visiting Kids at Beauty For Ashes

My Dichi (second elder sister) decided to give her boyfriend a surprise birthday party. A resounding "Happy Birthday Kuya Louie!" echoed through the grassy compound of Beauty For Ashes today, as the children sang, danced, laughed and enjoyed with a very much surprised Ahya Louie. (^^,)



Beauty For Ashes is a Children's home, founded by American missionaries Mr. Benjamin August Harter and his wife, Mrs. Betty Jo Harter. The purpose of the foundation is to give health support to sick children. As an extension, they give foster care to these kids whose parents could no longer support them after such illnesses, or who, in one way or another, abandoned them. Fortunate for these kids to still have people like them who paved the way for opportunities and second chances in life.



It is very much a surprise for us visitors to see the simple yet sophisticated way these kids were brought up in this foster home. They are comfortable with the English language. Bragging to us their very neat houses, school ribbons and awards, their tidy sleep and eating areas. The compound itself is surrounded by flowers, vegetables and fruits growing evidence of the hardwork these kids put on their gardening daily. Nine-year-old twins Kelly and Kaite, both with muscular dystrophy, are very smart and friendly. Trishia, an eight-year-old girl with down-syndrome is very sweet and polite. The older boys were very much caring with the younger ones. They pay attention to instructions, very much respectful and very friendly.

It was not difficult to make these kids happy. My Dichi, shobe (younger sister) and I prepared the prizes, loot bags, games and the favorite part, the "pabitin" (Filipino game of hanging bamboo frame tied with candies and toys: courtesy of google ;)) the birthday celebrant got to hand each kid the goodies plus some toys. All were smiling at the end of the day.

We ended our celebration by thanking them for allowing us to spend the day with them, but their endless thank you's, hugs and smiles left our heart light and happy. I wondered who was happier, the kids? or Us? hehe (^^,)

Cebu Cebu Cebu!!!

Poor me, this is my first time to travel to the queen city of the South. Happy me, finally I have!! haha..

My mom and sis, made the trip last May 12 right after election (of which I was not able to vote, my bad ^^,) and visited my cousins. Well actually, the initial purpose of the trip was to help Pao2x "relocate" find a job there, but it was mostly spent visiting relatives and cousins that I have not been able to meet yet.

Places we've visited, dined and enjoyed to: The taoist Temple,Water front Hotel Cebu, Port Cafe, The Majestic and Gelatissimo at SM, Giligans at the Ayala Mall and its wonderful terraces, CafeGeorg!, Marco Polo Hotel Cebu Plaza, Ding Qua Qua at JY near Yen's place, Kart ZONE! *(^^,)* and The Ching Palace.

My cousins from Cebu are so much younger than me, it felt funny to be the Achi (older sister). I saw Yen2x, cousin from CDO, again with whom I spent my 2nd grade summer with. We got to bond with Achi Tina, a second cousin and met Shot2x, another cousin that i never got to meet.

The best part of the trip was the Saturday my cousins and I went Go-karting at Kartzone (will definitely blog about this one), ate Icecream and (they) watched Nightmare at Elms St. (I couldn't stand horror).

Sad part, I didn't get to see my friend and her baby (but she's visiting Davao now) and I didn't get to try Skywalking at the Crown Regency. I could still get to try it some other time though.

The Cebu trip was great. We accomplished our goal, I really did get to meet my relatives. It was also really stress-relieving! I wish I could get more of these breaks, haha... till the next visit (^^,)

"clash of the titans" or "persius vs. the cracken and hades"?

(too long a title...)

While every one else is rushing to watch the "Iron man 2", which I think without a doubt would be a good watch, considering most movie houses are showing it in 5 out of 6 cinemas, Saturday night movie date with my dad had us watching "Clash of the titans".

I have to agree with a client, it's not a movie worth watching in 3D.

The story? though I seem to have forgotten, was (as most epic/mythological movies are) "renovated" to suit viewers preferences.

The actor.. erm, not bad action, accent? very American! It's like "the scorpion king" all over again, you have epic people in epic costumes, with all the settings and dirt and smudges all over their faces and his accent gives it all off. Medusa looks good though. She's supposed to have green scales all over her face and body, but she gets to have a snakes body instead and a pretty digital face.

The effects? pretty much the same with most epic movies as our present technology could produce. On the average it was okay.

The thing that got me thinking though is the title? Where in the movie did the titans clashed exactly?

But, yeah my dad and I enjoyed the movie and by the way, the picture above? pretty much tells you how the sotry goes. LOL!

BS: financial management

4/13/10 Parable of the Rich Fool

During my more than four years of functioning as New Accounts Clerk for Time Deposit, and beyond the customer service, paper works, cut-offs and investment-shuverloos, I have been fortunate to capture bits and pieces of God’s words and the bible through Michelle, my ever so patient, generous and faithful partner in crime. Tonight’s bible study brought to mind a sharing she once told me. It concerned us as being stewards of God’s creation. Slothful living is something not tolerable; well that’s putting it nicely.

We sometimes find it challenging to equate or relate the bible to today’s lifestyle or generation. And it is tougher when it relates to financial management. A few of the rather provocative questions asked during tonight’s bible verses were the following: (1.) at first thought, do you find the man foolish? (2.) Is it not that what he does common to us all? We work hard to earn enough to sustain ourselves and have a good retirement? (3.) Is God right in calling him a fool? (4) isn’t His teaching to us rather two ways? Not to store richess but to become generous, yet how do we become generous when we do not have anything to share?

Our bible study revolved around these learnings: God sees us beyond ourselves, beyond our actions and deeper within our “hearts”; our real intentions. To work hard and become rich per se is not a sin, we must bear in mind not to obsess over this richess and find security within these material things. Somehow in all these blessings we find ways to do good deeds, become generous. In the midst of all our financial success, we should find it in ourselves use it for His greater glory and for His intentions. In my opinion some of us are blessed financially while others are not so, in all these, God provides all that we need. What then is important? It is cultivating a life with God at the center, working hard to attain a greater life after our earthly life.

At the end of our rather short but meaningful sharing, achi Cathy, our group leader, shared a very inspirational story about a very successful and blessed man who later on decided to give up earthly possessions and heed God’s calling to minister and lived by faith. What’s so interesting bout this story is the fact that the calling was for both husband and wife who then had five children. And surprisingly, their children are living testimonies of God’s greatness, because all children are God-fearing, intelligent and achievers. When asked how they were able to do it, they simply can not say, they simply do not know.

This inspiring story led me to think of my family. With five girls in the family the youngest being only 6 then, my father had to depart our hometown to find a means to support us because of some rather depressing events in our, particularly his, life. For some time my mom who also had troubles of her own had to support us. I’d like to believe that because of God’s guidance and my parents constant prayers, my sisters and I are already graduates awaiting our own future in God’s time and hands.

I am not exactly a great person nor the best daughter that I wished and hoped I could have been and will be. I may have made crazy and bad decisions in my life, encountered rather difficult phases. The fact remains, I deeply appreciated my parents. I just want to acknowledge how much their sacrifice and faith has gotten us through life.

And while the last part of this blog does not fit its beginning (lol!) I am thankful for tonights learnings.

the end and the beginning (a graduation blog)

long overdue as it may be: it still is a graduation blog ^^,

amidst the throwing of graduation caps, corsages, garlands, pictures, hugs and tears, beyond the endless speech of hope, future, idealism and the various definitions of success... the ears of our hearts are keen to the humming pride of the guardiance and parents of every dear graduate...

at least in mine it does. finally, officially my Dad's five girls are graduates (lets not go beyond graduation, hehehe..) and finally my Dad gets to hear God's gift to him and his last daughter, the gift of a singing voice..

check out the video a pathetic me took during their graduation (^^,)

i love music, i love its melodic magic, i loved the symbolical meaning as the graduating members of the choir were given their last bow, and yeah even if this is an annual tradition in every University graduation i get teary-eyed everytime, i love the drama (^^,) ahahaha

congratulations everyone!!

(it takes so long to upload a video.. my gulay:o)

@ 25

I guess you might say I’ve crossed the finished line. Today makes me a day older than yesterday. Yep, I’m 25, mid-twenties. Some might say, my NBSB status does my single status no good. Others consider my age the starting line where I have to position myself before they shout “ready! Set! Go!”. As for me, I’m like standing in that straight line half wishing that I could stay behind the line and live as carefree or as easy as I could, the other half though, doesn’t want to be left behind so I guess it will most likely do something to go with the flow.

Anyhow, none of these tells much about how I spent my birthday this year. Normally, I spend my birthday church hopping, meeting my girlfriends and mostly Christmas gift buying. This year however, I wasn’t able to buy any. I spent most of my day at the hospital, Chatting with my Ate’s, doing Achi’s hospital paperworks. This year we are blessed with a new member of the family, who couldn’t wait another hour or so to come out to the world so we could have had the same birthday. Yes, this year Shobe came to world a day before my birthday. This year on my birthday I stared at babies and prayed for babies and mothers.

I spent my day with one of the bravest person I know in my life: My Achi. To describe how much I come to I see her as a brave person would take much time and space. But in a line, I would definitely have to say, I can not imagine being even half the brave person that she is. Though, I dream to learn and I dream to be, I am very much happy and proud to know that she has become who she is.

This year on my birthday, I saw new life on Earth. I saw strength unimaginable to me. I spent it not so much like my “usual” birthday but like any normal day, plus the hospital paperworks. Yes, I still have my share of endless greetings which never fail to lighten me up, I still had time to drop by my favourite churches, I still was awake from 12 to 12, I still have my best girlfriends everlasting love as each year they make it an effort to see me wherever I was even for just five minutes. I found new friends. I wasn’t able to buy any gift, but I was still able to give. This year on my birthday, I gave my time, the only thing I have most, to my family. Yes, I am blessed.

On this birthday blog, I have got to say that there is a simple quiet gladness in my heart.

I'll try to attach Shobe's pictures here soon :)