For weeks pinaghandaan ko ang petsang October 28 at 29 kasi ito ang mga araw para sa Outreach Mission ng Diocese of Laoag sa Adams. Matagal ko ring inihanda ang aking sarili kung ano ba ang aking maaasahan sa pagpunta ko sa Outreach. Well, hindi na rin naman bago para sa akin ang maki-join sa mga Outreach kasi sa school palaging may ganito. Pero naiiba sa case ng Adams kasi ito ay programa ng Diocese.
Adams is a town on top of a mountain. Katabi lamang siya ng Pagudpud. Kung gusto mong pumunta ng Adams, aabutin ka lang naman ng limang oras from Laoag. From Pagudpud town proper, siguro mga dalawang oras. Bakit? Kasi ang road papunta rito ay very rocky road. As in, talagang mabato at kung hindi ka mag-iingat baka mahulog ka pa sa bangin. Actually, ang only transportation ng mga tao ay mga motorcycles. Pwede rin naman ang 4x4 at truck pero ang mas mabilis pa rin ay mga motor.
September
Una kong narinig ang about sa Outreach sa Misa. Pagkatapos nun, agad kong inapproach si Sr. Maria Antonieta, CWC na nagbabantay noon sa likod para sa project na ito. Hayon, sinabi ko ang interest ko to join such project bilang President ng CABSAT at SC officer. Lunes, sinabi ko kaagad sa SC President at nag-approve naman siya then pati ang SAC ng College. Martes, kinausap ko si Ma'am Remy, head ng mga catechist ng parokya namin. Miyerkules, ibinigay sa akin ni Ma'am Remy ang Mission Can. Kanihapunan, nagkausap na kami ni Sr. Evangeline F. Pabalate, MCST.
Sa sumunod na week, inilakad ko ang mga approval letters sa Dean's office. Tapos nagkasakit ako ng hindi inaasahan kaya hindi muna ako nakapag-collect ng mga contributions. Nakapag-collect ako but parang hindi ako nakontento pero di ko rin naman masisi ang mga schoolmates ko dahil di naman lahat ay Katoliko. Katotohanan po yan, dahil ayon sa stats ng Ilocos Norte more than 40 % lang ang Katoliko.
October 13 - Isinabmit ko ang aking nakolekta.
October 28
7:30 hanggang 12:00 - Kahit naghahanda na ako para sa Outreach, nagreport pa rin ako sa school kasi walang kasama ang co-officer ko sa pagiging enrolling officer. Sakto rin kasing camping ng University at pumunta ang iba dito. Sabi nga nila dala-dalawa kami kung mag-activity, may camping na may Outreach pa.
9:30 - Nalaman ko na hindi na makakarating ang aking makakasama dahil pinagbawalan ng lolo dahil sa Adams raw kami pupunta, masyadong malayo. Well, wala akong magagawa kaya nakipagugnayan nalamang ako sa mga catechist na kakilala ko. Syempre ayaw ko rin namang ma-out of place.
2:00 - Pumunta na ako sa meeting place, sa Catechetical Office. Pagdating ko pa lang doon, I'm shy na kasi wala akong kakilala, si Sr. Vangie at si Ate Pipo lang ang kakilala ko. Dumating naman si Ate Jovie, kilala ko siya dahil classmate siya ni Kuya Dave then galing siya sa Divine Mercy Parish, kilala na rin naman nila ako doon.
3:00 - Nag-start kaming mag-travel papunta sa Pagudpud, kung saan makikituloy kami sa bahay ng isang catechist. Habang nag-tetravel, inilead naman ng kasama naming Pastorelli Sister (tama ba me?) ang Holy Rosary.
5:00 - Dumating kami ng Pagudpud. Saktong pista pala ni St. Jude, eh di pistang pista naman ang bayan ng Pagudpud. Dinala kami ng mga Missionary Sisters of the Holy Trinity sa bahay ng Hermana Mayor. Wow, foods. Kain syempre, kahit biyahilo na ako. Gusto ko ngang sumuka pero di ko mailabas.
7:00 - Nagpa-dinner si Apo Greg, parish priest ng Pagudpud. Doon foods na naman. Magpakabusog ka iho. Dun kasabay namin si Bishop with all the priest ng Pagudpud with Fr. Tom. Pagkatapos ng kainan, nagkaroon kami ng final briefing. Hala, feeling ko na talaga eh misyonero ako. I can feel the spirit. Pagkatpos ng meeting, sakto naman na concert ng mga pari, yun si Bishop with the sisters nanonood.
9:00 - Nagprepare kami ng mga gulay for the meal sa Adams.
10:00 - Tulog.
October 29
4:00 - Umpisa ng pagluluto at paliligo.
6:30 - Kainan na naman sa kumbento ng parokya ng Pagudpud dahil sakto naman na Sacerdotal Ordination Anniversary ni Apo Greg.
7:30 - Hayan, pumunta na kami ng Adams. OMG! Para kang nasa isang rollercoaster ride. talagang mapapahawak ka sa kinauupuan mo. Ang sinakyan kasi namin ay yung elf truck. For two hours talagang nagtiis ako sa aalog-alog na sasakyan.
9:00 - Dumating na kami sa tuktok ng bundok, ang bayan ng Adams.
9:30 - Eucharistic Celebration sa quasi-parish ng Our Lady of Perpetual Help with Bishop Sergio L. Utleg as presider. Pagkatpos nito, sumunod ang mga Catechesis, Medical mission, at gift giving. Ako naman all-around, tumutulong sa Catechesis, sa pagluluto, atbp.
2:30 - Goodbye Adams. Sumakay ako this time sa patrol car ng mga police.
4:00 - Goodbye Pagudpud.
6:00 - Hello Laoag!
Personal Reflection/Feelings
Sa aking pagdating sa office pa lang, talagang nahihiya ako sa mga catechist. I regard myself as the pasingit that's why I am shy. But with the catechists, I did not feel that feeling that I was different from them. They welcomed me very warm. I was very silent while traveling but after we have talked to each other I belonged already to them. They say that I am not a catechist but I am the official representative of the Schools of Ilocos Norte. I am very flattered with that term. What flatters me most is that they call me as their "bunso." By this, I confirmed that truly I am now not different from them for I was already a part of the family. I never felt that I was different from them. That's why I won't forget them. I will never forget the times when they call me "bunso."
In Adams, looking at their Church makes me feel the difficulty of being a missionary. I only see that kind of church on the television. Seeing like the SVD's and other missionaries. Wooden church, small in area. I really feel the missionary spirit. I wonder how can Fr. Tony, SVD, the pastor, can surpass such challenge for him to be the only priest in this mountain town. But eventhough that it is difficult to think, I realized how our missionaries sacrifice themselves for the service of the people of God. What I saw with the residents is their strong Catholic faith. They were active in the Mass, children and elders. Truly, God is present everywhere. I felt the love of God for all creation. That even in the mountains He is there nourishing the needs of His children. Over and over again, I felt that God has a purpose for me that's why He let me experienced that missionary experienced. I want to be a Misyonero!
Seeing the smile in the face of the people, especially the kids makes me very happy. My cellphone is full with Jesuit songs. And let them hear the song "Humayo't Ihayag." To my surprise the children were singing the song. I am very much happy listening to them. They now the song. What a surprise. The people are very thankful with the small gifts that they received. It shows that people do not really find for much material things, to care for them is enough. I realized that all these material things do not really give happiness for me. I saw happiness when I saw just the simple thankful smile. Happiness for me, I can find in helping. I do not know but I am really fond of helping those who need help or I just volunteer myself, this makes me happy.
I am not blessed with a materially rich family and we are not poor either. My family is just a typical Filipino family, can provide for the immediate basic needs. Because of this I am oriented that I cannot just get the things that I want. Honestly, because of that I became a "kuripot" a little bit because I keep to myself that I cannot always get what I want and so I will be the one to make a way to get it. Well that is why I am do not always care with material things. And when I saw the smile of the people of Adams with the small material gifts they received it just affirmed my thought that material things do not really make a man happy. We need material things, yes, but in the deeper thought of man there is also a deeper need. A deeper need that material things cannot fill it up. And by filling up this need the true happiness will come out.
The Bishop was right when he said that in missionary works the benificiaries are not the only ones who are affected. But in reality the greater effect is with the missionaries themselves. And I can attest to that.
Here is my CBCP News article: http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/5547
By the way I have three purpose kung bakit ako pumunta sa Outreach... First I really want to join, second as representative of the school, and third to have a coverage for the CBCP.
Pictures will be next!
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