Day 1 - Monday, January 31

This morning started at 6am with a Filipino breakfast at the Smallville21 Hotel, 7am Mass in Santa Barbara, 8am flag raising ceremony...

...then it all began. And honestly, I was scared out of my mind!

I was scared because I didn't know most of the 150+ people on this medical mission, I wasn't confident that I knew what I was doing in the pharmacy, and I couldn't speak Tagalog or Ilongo.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,

but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

(2 Timothy 1:7)

After hours on my feet in the pharmacy filling patients' and families' medications, I forgot about feeling uncomfortable out of my element. There was so much work and service to keep us busy, and so much to be thankful for. Rather than all of us complaining about how hot it was in that small room crammed with 20 nurses and pharmacists, or how our feet hurt and were swollen, or how our tired bodies just wanted to go home and relax, the response each time we had more work to do was "Praise God!" I was truly inspired (to stop whining and see the world in a different light).

And praise God indeed, that He would bless us with the resources for all of this to happen and that He would call us to do His work on earth!

For the Love of God!

"Set the world on fire", Milea always reminds me.

This yearning in my heart to serve started when I was at Seattle University, a Jesuit University known for its focus on social justice. My deepest regret upon graduating was that I didn't take the opportunity to serve other communities in my five years. I was safe to suppress the desire to explore the world.

This desire was magnified when I became involved in Bukas Loob Sa Diyos (BLD) Seattle, so it's fitting that this service trip (second to my 2010 SU Alumni service trip to Belize) be with part of the faith community that helped me grow closer to God.

Eric and I had been planning our trip the Philippines for the medical mission in Santa Barbara, Ilo-Ilo with BLD Newark since last November. Each day we accomplished something that got us a step closer to making this dream a reality.

-We had a place to stay in the city;
-We booked our hotel rooms during our stay in Santa Barbara;
-We booked our flights to and from Ilo-Ilo;
-We contacted family and friends to make arrangements with them during our short stay in Manila;
-We bought our round trip plane tickets to and from Manila, even coordinating our connecting flights so that we would meet in Honolulu and fly into Manila together;
-We even planned out (to the exact hour) our 17 hour layover in Honolulu on the way back to the mainland.

Be alert. Be prepared. Make plans.
I thought we had done all of that. But God showed us other plans.

On January 26th, the day before our flights, a snow storm hit New Jersey stranding Eric in the Newark Liberty Airport for 20 hours! He was annoyed (to say the least). And I'm sitting on the flight from Honolulu to Guam with an empty seat next to me. I don't know where exactly he is, but hopefully he'll make it to Manila before the medical mission begins.

"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." (Burton S. Blumert)

It's not about us. We can plan all we want, but in the end...God's the boss. I thought the life lesson from this trip wouldn't start until Sunday afternoon when I step foot in Santa Barbara, Ilo-Ilo. But God never ceases to teach and amaze me!

This is the beginning of our two week journey in the Philippine Islands.
Well, this is MY part of the beginnings, since I don't know Eric's whereabouts at the moment.

Join us as we pray and serve the community of Santa Barbara, Ilo-Ilo; reconnect with family and friends; enjoy each other's company; but most importantly, be changed by the love of God.