Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Mr and Mrs Leonardo Saripa in my Heart



Today, I got a news from my native friend in the Philippines regarding our close friend's wife. Mrs. Saripa, wife of my dearest Leonardo C. Saripa of Tagbilaran City, Bohol recently passed away after a long combatting of a cancer.

It was in 1981 after my first 40-day Intl DP Workshop when I was sent to pioneer Bohol when I met Leonardo or Narding. His Mama Pilang's house is just few meters away from our pioneer center we found and rented, back of University of Bohol.

After I gave him the basic lectures on the Principle of Creations and the Root Cause of Man's Failure, he did not let another 24 hours to pass. He decided to move-in to our new center and become our first fulltime member. He may not be that much prepared person to work for God's providence. But he was a searching fellow and a man hungry of love and truth. He was submissive.

Narding was so skillful. When he saw our peanut-brittle making, he also initiated the hopia-making to be a part of our fundraising products. He has no much words but more on actions. Yet he still need to finished the entire lectures for his education.

He has no question after knowing the conclusion of the entire Principle. He worked with the pioneers in Bohol for several years while other student members who graduated were sent to Manila for furhter training and fulltime mission.

Narding is a humble member. He is a technical skilled person too.

After several years ( more or less 25 years) that we didnt meet, we got a good chance last 2007 to meet at the headquaters. I was so happy to know too that he was blessed with his wife who also served as a public school teacher.

Narding worked when we met last 2007 in a Catholic church as a driver and assistant of a priest in whatever mission and/or activity the church or the priest have.

I tried several times giving a ring to Narding today but unfortunately nobody answered in his cellphone. I assumed he was at rest due to several nights of vigil.

Tonight his wife will have the send-off ceremony. Thanks to Bro. Paul Uba, Bro Rey Estoce helping Narding in his time of mourning. The funeral is set tomorrow in Narding's place.

To Mrs Saripa, may you rest if peace and be with the spiritual team of our dearest Lord Jesus together with our Heung Jin Nim and Dae Mo Nim in there. May you also meet my dearest Zinc and have your 100 days of spiritual workshop with them for your great glory in eternity. We will be missing you but we are sure you will have better life to live in there.

Til then and Godbless.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

My December 25th



Last night, I was cramming to find something good to surprise my kids upon going home from work. I wished to offer them something simple that I know they would enjoy to celebrate Christmas eve. I cant find the nice KFC fried chicken they like. I have to look for another one amidst the snowing and cold weather in Nagano City. But pizza though looks good was not their favorite. Hmmmmm… this is one challenge of a father and one not in the life of a single fellow during Christmas.

As I recall, the exchange-gift program during Christmas was more to think by students as I did during my student ‘years. Im not yet in the twilight age anyway.

I got one roasted chicken to make a simple Christmas family gathering as we wish to greet Lord Jesus on His birthday. But I was the one surprised by my eldest son when I saw the dining table.

There were 7 sliced roll cake for everyone! I asked Joseph who gave it or where it came from. He said Santa Claus give it. And I saw his rare filial smile. And he with his teary eyes later told me he made the cake by himself as he was just simply following the instructions written on the bought flour-cake-pack. As first year junior high school, I wonder how my son did it. I dont know how to bake a cake. And there were icing, strawberry and some toppings on his self-made cake.

More internally I asked myself how and to waht extent could my son think of Christmas and prepare something for its celebration in his own humble way. That really surprised me.

I saw my wife starting to prepare the pasta to make something. I went to the kitchen and did the spaghetti for all.

Aw we gather to have a dinner, I explained to my kids that Christmas is the birthday of Jesus and He was born with a special mission for humanity. After my prayer, we all sing Christmas songs and dine together to make the Christmas eve a solemn one.

Roasted chicken for the kids from a father, cake from the eldest son for all, spaghetti from a mother for all. And the internal of sharing and giving nice foods to each one in our hidden way to make all happy in a simple way.

Merry Christmas to all. Happy birthday Lord Jesus. We love you!!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Parenting and December 2008



On this third weekend of December, the mother of the family was out of the country attending ancentral ceremony in Cheongpyeong, Korea. The house needs to be a home without a mother.

As Saturday was the community's non-burnable garbage day, I asked my two sons to help me bring down those bogged down eletric fan, broken kitchen stuffs, and other destroyed materials. It was the start of our weekend-cleaning time without the mother. The great thing was, there were thrown out computer table and chair in the garbage house downstairs. It was a God-given gift. My sons have to help me in restoring some stuffs after we disposed those unusable stuffs. But one thing I also discover was, I need to reorganize my children's study room to make use of a space and place the restored computer table and chair. The desktop and printer-scanner are good for it. Hence, the weekend became a general cleaning and reorganzing days.

Saturday was for the study room. Things in there are needed to be cleaned up. The study tables, the electronic organ, the baseball stuffs of my two sons, the books and study materials of my eldest and the built-in cabinet whose door was stocked and needs a repair. All things in there got my whole day to reorganize it. It was also a good chance to do a laundry as it was a sunny day. Hence, two times of laundrying were good to fulfill.

But the sleeping room of the children are also too messy. It needs to be cleaned. The Sunday was good for it. The curtains too need to be washed and their bed covers. So many stuffs to clean and reorganize.

As the mother was away, I too have to do the send-and-fetch of my youngest to and from the kindergarten school. In the afternoon of fetching my daughter, we both proceeded to do a little market-shopping for the weekend.

Cooking dinner is a challenge too for five growing kids. All need to be satisfied anyway including myself.

But in the afternoon, dried landry too is another work to fold and keep. Hmmm. parenting is a lot of challenges.

Cleaning a carpet without a vaccum cleaner is also another challenge. Patience is a good key to fulfill it.

But so bad for my sinusitis and asthma to face all those dusts and works. I feel like I got no more air to breath. My salbutamol was my saviour.

Sunday is good for a hot-bath or ofuro for all. I have to let my two daughters be with me as I took the shower. Good for the 3 boys as they can do it by their own. Hmmmm.... so my daughter and I are all natural bodies in the ofuro. I recalled the days that those two daughters were just some cells from me and their mother. But they are growing now and enjoying with their father in the bathtub.

One that adds more to my day was when my daughter was crying as she could not tie her long hair after she made it dry. Gosh, I too have to be a good hairdoer today, an addendum for my weekend course.

The two boys have their baseball practice this afternoon. And their white uniforms are all good for another laundry again after their whole afternoon game.

That was good for them too.

But invitation of the kuminkan for my 3 elementary kids to join a Christmas party in their school was also good for them. They brought home some Christmas presents from gift-givers and each has a small box of cake. They were obvously happy for that.

Behold, my December is a mature one. Mine is work anywhere and see to it the kids are with their happiness to discover real essence of life not only on December but every day to their future.

December and parenting is a lot of fun.