The LORD has (always) been good. Year 2011 was not an easy year, but it stands as one of those richly peppered with learning. Hard yes, but I wouldn’t trade the lessons for anything.

On January 1, 2011, I remember posting on Facebook, “Hello, 2011! I’m excited to see how you will display God’s glory!” And so as the year is about to end, this is my attempt to encapsulate the displays of the LORD’s glory in the past months of 2011.

• From Cosmo to GCF. The move was difficult but God proved Himself faithful amidst this big change.

• First anniversary with Aleks. How beautiful it is to see God’s unmistakable work of love in us, as He weaves 2 different lives together. It is not without pain, but it is always cushioned with grace.

• Leaving LGI. Probably the toughest decision I had to make this year. One of the comforts of serving a living and personal God is that He will make sure that you understand when a season has already served His purpose and when it is already over. Not only that, He will enable you to do what has to be done. I am thankful for the things I’ve learned there and for the people I’ve met through my work there. They are precious.

• The wait for the next assignment. This was the time when I discovered what kind of heart and faith I really have and how much I needed the Master to mend them. The season when I understood more how good a shepherd Jesus is.

• The call to work in Compassion International. From the application to the immersion, I realized how certain God’s call for me here is. How I am being made to understand the mission, the ministry and the work is all God’s doing and my heart is just too delighted to yield. The past 7 months were a smorgasbord of joyful/frustrating/high/low/steady moments but I realize that I’m embracing them all. I’m glad God called me here. I pray He is honored through the works of my hands.

• The lessons on forgiveness. They were many and they were not easy. By God’s grace, I was forgiven and was able to forgive.

• Two dear friends found the love of their lives! One was last June, the other one just this December. C’mon, 2011!

• Friends in and out of season. I had major misunderstanding with one of my closest friends this year. I was afraid our friendship would never be mended. Thankfully, differences were patched up and after a few months, we are okay again. Whew!

• My family and Aleks. We were praying that he would be well integrated in our family this year. Around June, we started seeing this prayer being answered. Amazing.

• Aleks’ family and I. Last November, I finally met his sister–the only member of his immediate family I had not met. It was such a fun time of feasting and window shopping

• I turned 3-0. Pre-birthday dinner and theatre experience (The Sound of Music!) with family. Asalto and whole day celebration with Aleks. I cried listening (for the first time) to Sara Grove’s “He’s Always Been Faithful to Me” because I thought it perfectly articulates the gratitude I have for the Faithful One. The day was capped with dessert time with KF’s. I don’t fear 30 anymore. Haha!

• The Word. God is making so many ways for His Word to come alive to me. Bible studies with Ate Grace & Gladys, the KF’s and the Hungry Ones. God’s Word is alive.

• Triple date last December 7. Aleks & I, RAR & Ate Grace, JL & Gladys. Who would have thought things such as this could be possible? Not the date per se, but the fact that Gladys and I were given our heart’s prayers for a partner. And that we have a godly couple to constantly pray for us. Awesome.

There’s more, but I guess I’ll end here. I stand in awe before the living and faithful God for His marvelous works in my life, not only in Year 2011, but all throughout. He is indeed faithful.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23

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Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art;
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear.
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Hast Thou not bid me love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heaven descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.

By George Cro­ly.

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This is my 5th month on the job and after 5 months, I’m not very sure if it’s still appropriate to call the job “new”. What I am sure of though is that the last 5 months have been a smorgasbord of learning and experiencing and breaking and growing. My heart which used to be quite stiff for children and young people is being made tender. I am the first person surprised with this. It is wonderful yet fearsome. Wonderful because of the glimpses of God-prints I now am able to see quite clearly through my engagements with them. Fearsome because the heart is being majorly exposed to vulnerability (there’s that word again. Can you tell it’s one of the major lessons for me these days?). But all in all, I praise God for His faithful work in me and through me. And oh, I think I’m up for appraisal after the 5th month of my probationary period. I pray it will go well. I sure want to be regularized. Yes, even if the job is tough.

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Some 33 sponsored college students of our program together with a few alumni and staff spent an entire week last week to conduct work camp where we served 3 poor communities in Ilocos Norte. Our theme verse was: You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way which through us will produce thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11). It was humbling and overwhelming to see the Word come to life through that work camp. Teaching around 170 children about Jesus, reading, writing and hygiene made working in the heat of the sun and under less than comfortable conditions all worth it. The small church was constructed and the homes were visited for prayer and short fellowship time. It was awesome. It was beautiful. God is at work.

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My sisters joined our mom in her work trip in Beijing, China. After business is taken care of, they are scheduled to climb the Great Wall and roam around the Forbidden City, shop a bit (or more) in Hongkong during layover. I am certain they are having a blast. And I’m excited for them because this is their first time to join mom in an international trip (I got my chance some years ago). God willing, we can go for a trip (or trips) as a family in the future.

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Aleks is leaving for a conference in Hongkong. On the day that he comes back, I’m scheduled to leave for Baguio and Dagupan for field work. Technology will be so much at work for us again.

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