Did you ever have difficulty remembering numbers? I have. Numbers don't stick to my mind. They are as foreign as another language to me. I can memorize a max of 4 numbers which is my PIN for banking purposes. Anything beyond that needs to be written down. In my life, I can count in one hand the number of landlines I had to memorize, usually my home, my workplace and my mom's residence number in the U.S.
When cellphones became popular about 2 decades ago, eleven digits to memorize was even more daunting! I was eternally bound to my phonebook. To this day, I have memorized only 2: my husband's and my own. So can you imagine the dilemna I face when I reformatted my phone and lost almost half of my contacts! Rebuilding my phonebook was a tedious, frustating task.
Then came Spelldial - a smartphone application that allows you "to dial names, instead of numbers." When you register with Spelldial, you choose your username and attach your phone number to it. So if anyone would like to contact you but does not have your number, they may just go to Spelldial, input your name and be able to connect with you --- its that easy!
Another advantage is when you need to get in touch with a business or institution and don't have the luxury of looking through the yellow pages. If they are registered with Spelldial, you simply spell our their name and you are connected in a flash. Wow, think pizza delivery, ambulance from a hospital (no 911 in the Phils.), police assistance, reservations for 2 at a restaurant.
The best part of Spelldial is that it is the brainchild of a young techie from Cebu, Albert Padin. Driven by a passion to see this succeed and assisted with like-minded friends (like my daughter Jonina), they are hoping to change the way the world dials and connects. Give it a try. It may the best thing since yahoo mail.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
For Doug's Birthday
On Sunday, Feb. 20, our church blessed Doug in a special way. After our guest speaker, a friend went up and mentioned about my new regiment and asked everyone to help financially. We were so touched by the generosity of God's people. Then another friend sang, "Because of who you are" which has special significance to us as a couple because it was sung during our wedding. I had a chance to start the ball rolling by sharing from my heart. Below is what I shared:
I would have wanted to talk about the 52 reasons why I love Doug but for the sake of brevity and because I don't know how long I can stand before you without tiring myself out, I've decided to talk about the 26 reasons why I love Doug times 2. Here goes:
I love Doug because
I would have wanted to talk about the 52 reasons why I love Doug but for the sake of brevity and because I don't know how long I can stand before you without tiring myself out, I've decided to talk about the 26 reasons why I love Doug times 2. Here goes:
I love Doug because
1. He likes to joke about his bald head.
2. When there was no other recourse, he changed diapers when the kids were babies and did not complain.
3. He did not criticize me the first time I cooked sinigang for him although I was offended when he made a peanut butter sandwich instead.
4. Whether a manager or a parking ticket attendant, he gives them the same attention and respect.
5. He likes talking to strangers and making friends.
6. He loves adventure --- jumping from a rope over a lake, hiking, canoeing, camping. His greatest "misadventure" was when he jumped off the second storey of the YWAM building into a pile of gravel and sprain both ankles. Zorro was a popular movie at that time and so one of our sons said: Daddy you forgot to wear your cape.
7. He taught me that relationships are very important. He has never run away from a strained relationship. When someone hurts him, he forgives, treats them civily, prays for them and tries his best to restore the relationship
8. He taught all the kids to swim even if he failed miserably with me.
9. He loves making memories for us as a family. Thrice he drove across the US and Canada so that we could see most of the beautiful sights in the 2 countries, visit friends and enjoy God’s creation. On all three times, he was the only driver.
10. When the boys had jobs delivering newspapers, he helped pack them and dropped them off their routes.
11. When I miss my focus on Jesus, he turns my head towards him again.
12. He is a walking concordance. He loves God’s word and knows many parts of it by heart.
13. In all our 22 years of marriage, very seldom have I heard him worry about money. He has lived a life of faith since he became a Christian at 18 and has never seen the Lord forsake him
14. He is a man of faith. Especially when I see the YWAM base, I know that is a physical representation of the faith that drove him to build a training center.
15. He attracts miracles --- from getting a free trip for a team of 6 from Germany to Moscow, to free roundtrip tickets for our family going on furlough from a stranger, from large donations from anonymous givers for various projects, to getting a car and a van given to us at different times, I am constantly amazed at the God things that have happened in our lives.
16. He is generous. At the YWAM base when they had a special dinner for him, someone said, Doug gives like a rich person. I guess that sums it all up. He has been so blessed with God’s faithfulness all these years, he can’t let the blessings stop with him. His motto is: when its hard to give, we should give more.
17. He loves challenges. From a half marathon at age 50, Doug has done many fun runs, sprint triathlons, another half marathon this last January and is now gunning for 70.3 IronMan in Cam Sur. I have no logical explanation for this.
18. For bedtime, he loved making up funny stories for the kids when they were little. He liked to “Christianize” the fairy tales and made Cinderella’s stepmom and sisters repent and ask forgiveness from her.
19. He participated in as much school activities as he could including leading a cheering squad when Jonina was in nursery.
20. He likes physical work. At the YWAM Base, during work program when everyone would clean the grounds, he worked with his hands to make it always looking spic and span.
21. He is spirit led. Any leading is bathed in worship and prayer, confirmation from other team members before it is carried out.
22. He cries with me.
23. He makes me laugh.
24. He is the father of our 4 good looking kids and insist that they all take after me.
25. He is always trying to learn more Cebuano or more Tagalog.
26. Last Jan. 28, we celebrated 22 years of marriage. Doug has seen my warts and all, lived with my idiosyncrasies, saw surgery disfigure me, saw chemo change my hairstyle, saw cancer reduce me into a shadow of the woman he married many years ago. He has lived through my pains, doubts and fears. For this year, he got me a card that simply said: I’d choose you all over again. That why I love Doug.
****Side lights****
As soon as I started speaking, Doug started balling his eyes out. Everything was a blur, he told me later.
Those who congratulated me and told me that they were blessed by the message were mostly men! One even asked me for my list! And he's even single!
Husband: If it was my wife up there, it would be "59 (his age) reasons why I hate my husband."
Wife (smiling at him): Start repenting!
Friend (obviously a foreigner): Marla, what dish did you cook "sitting down" that made Doug make a peanut butter sandwhich?
Me (confused for a few seconds): Oh, I cooked "sinigang" which is a Filipino sour soup.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Eulogy for My Hero, Jeanette A. Sereneo
Jeanette was petite and always had a ready smile. Whatever she lacked in height, she made up in personality. Despite difficulties she encountered, she was often positive. She was a go-getter and did not let limitations hinder her. I remember seeing her at one time at the doctor's office. She had an ear infection, had herself examined and drugs prescribed and then told the doctor that she had no money to pay for his services. He had no recourse but to offer them gratis. She got what she needed.
I remember that sometime in 2001, Jeanette found a lump in her breast. The doctor told her that she needed surgery to remove it. The base staff surrounded her and prayed for her healing. The Lord miraculously answered that prayer: the tumor shrunk that the doctor called the surgery off.
A few years after, Jeanette left Cebu to follow her heart. The Lord had given her a burden to reach out to the Mabaca tribe in Abra. She left the comforts of urban life and embraced the people and their lifestyle. She trekked kilometers to where they lived. She ate what they ate (including exotic grubs!) and lived a simple life: fetching water, cooking over wood, doing without electricity. She learned their language and their ways.
When she was with them, she tried to meet their needs. She shared her provisions with those who had none, she cleaned their wounds, she counselled, she comforted, she pastored them. It was not a surprise that she endeared herself to the Mabaca people in such a short time. In my eyes, she was my hero. She embodied everything a humble, faithful servant of God is and would do.
She probably had many needs and prayer requests but I remember only three: she needed a guitar, a horse and a husband. We were leaving for furlough and the boys had guitars that were just going to be in storage. They decided to give one to Jeanette. As for the horse, she did get one and used it not so much to ride on but to carry the supplies she needed from the lowlands. About 2 years ago, the Lord answered her need for a husband in the person of Gerry Sereneo, a Mabaca convert. Gerry had just done a YWAM Discipleship Training School prior to marrying Jeanette. Together they would serve the Lord and continue to minister to the Mabaca tribe.
I remember her wedding vividly because it was so unique. It was held in Cebu and both our girls participated as bridesmaid and flower girl. Instead of flowers, they carried little clay pots with rice stalks. They wore traditional Mabaca clothing and walked down the aisle in bare feet. There was a part when a pastora to the Mabaca did a praise dance. It was a happy day for Jeanette, Gerry and for us who witnessed their union.
About the middle of last year, Jeanette was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was large that she needed chemo in order to shrink it before having a mastectomy. Despite difficulties, Jeanette did well as she went through chemo. Despite Gerry's distraught, Jeanette remained firm in her faith. She was often found worshipping the Lord in song. An outreach team from our Cebu base visited her during this time. I saw a picture of her, without any hair and cooking over a large wok. She was smiling. I marvelled at her strength and good spirits.
Early this year, Jeanette finally had her surgery in Baguio (a few hours away from Bangued) and stayed with our YWAM missionary care staff for recuperation. After the surgery though, she started to feel extreme pain all down her back and had seizures. She was returned to hospital for further tests which revealed that the cancer had spread to her spinal column. The doctors could only prescribe more chemo and radiation. Jeanette was already so weak from the surgery, she knew that she could not survive another round of drugs and treatments. The doctors concurred and told her that there was nothing else they could do. Jeanette was sent home to die.
In her last text, she said that she would go home to Abra and wait until the Lord would "call her home to his palace". She thanked everyone for the love, prayers and support and hoped that they would still extend the same to her husband when she moves on. That is so Jeanette: to the very end, she was thinking of others more than herself.
Needless to say, all these news distressed me. Together with Jeanette and Gerry, we were believing for God's healing miracle. He did it once, could he not do it again? Lucille, our YWAM leader in Cebu had a good perspective. She said the Lord healed Jeanette the first time because he knew that she had a heart for the Mabaca people. She was able to go to Abra and win the village for Christ. The Lord had extended her life so that she could fulfill his purposes through her.
Jeanette lived a life of purpose and the Lord enabled her to accomplish what she could in her lifetime. It wasn't a long life but it was a life that pleased the Lord and brought glory to his name.
The last days of Jeanette's life was difficult. She was in so much pain and even had difficult breathing. These may have silenced her song but I know deep inside her heart, she was still singing praises to the Lord.
When she passed away on Sunday, Feb. 6, I learned about her death in the middle of our worship. I wept as I thanked the Lord for Jeanette and a life well lived; for enriching our lives with hers; for giving Jeanette as a gift to the Mabaca people; for the greater harvest among this tribe because a seed has fallen to the ground and died.
Jeanette no longer suffers. In heaven, her body is whole. There are no more tears. I know with all confidence in my heart that when she entered the Lord's palace gates, she heard the sweet voice of her savior say: Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward.
Well done Jeanette.
I remember that sometime in 2001, Jeanette found a lump in her breast. The doctor told her that she needed surgery to remove it. The base staff surrounded her and prayed for her healing. The Lord miraculously answered that prayer: the tumor shrunk that the doctor called the surgery off.
A few years after, Jeanette left Cebu to follow her heart. The Lord had given her a burden to reach out to the Mabaca tribe in Abra. She left the comforts of urban life and embraced the people and their lifestyle. She trekked kilometers to where they lived. She ate what they ate (including exotic grubs!) and lived a simple life: fetching water, cooking over wood, doing without electricity. She learned their language and their ways.
When she was with them, she tried to meet their needs. She shared her provisions with those who had none, she cleaned their wounds, she counselled, she comforted, she pastored them. It was not a surprise that she endeared herself to the Mabaca people in such a short time. In my eyes, she was my hero. She embodied everything a humble, faithful servant of God is and would do.
She probably had many needs and prayer requests but I remember only three: she needed a guitar, a horse and a husband. We were leaving for furlough and the boys had guitars that were just going to be in storage. They decided to give one to Jeanette. As for the horse, she did get one and used it not so much to ride on but to carry the supplies she needed from the lowlands. About 2 years ago, the Lord answered her need for a husband in the person of Gerry Sereneo, a Mabaca convert. Gerry had just done a YWAM Discipleship Training School prior to marrying Jeanette. Together they would serve the Lord and continue to minister to the Mabaca tribe.
I remember her wedding vividly because it was so unique. It was held in Cebu and both our girls participated as bridesmaid and flower girl. Instead of flowers, they carried little clay pots with rice stalks. They wore traditional Mabaca clothing and walked down the aisle in bare feet. There was a part when a pastora to the Mabaca did a praise dance. It was a happy day for Jeanette, Gerry and for us who witnessed their union.
About the middle of last year, Jeanette was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was large that she needed chemo in order to shrink it before having a mastectomy. Despite difficulties, Jeanette did well as she went through chemo. Despite Gerry's distraught, Jeanette remained firm in her faith. She was often found worshipping the Lord in song. An outreach team from our Cebu base visited her during this time. I saw a picture of her, without any hair and cooking over a large wok. She was smiling. I marvelled at her strength and good spirits.
Early this year, Jeanette finally had her surgery in Baguio (a few hours away from Bangued) and stayed with our YWAM missionary care staff for recuperation. After the surgery though, she started to feel extreme pain all down her back and had seizures. She was returned to hospital for further tests which revealed that the cancer had spread to her spinal column. The doctors could only prescribe more chemo and radiation. Jeanette was already so weak from the surgery, she knew that she could not survive another round of drugs and treatments. The doctors concurred and told her that there was nothing else they could do. Jeanette was sent home to die.
In her last text, she said that she would go home to Abra and wait until the Lord would "call her home to his palace". She thanked everyone for the love, prayers and support and hoped that they would still extend the same to her husband when she moves on. That is so Jeanette: to the very end, she was thinking of others more than herself.
Needless to say, all these news distressed me. Together with Jeanette and Gerry, we were believing for God's healing miracle. He did it once, could he not do it again? Lucille, our YWAM leader in Cebu had a good perspective. She said the Lord healed Jeanette the first time because he knew that she had a heart for the Mabaca people. She was able to go to Abra and win the village for Christ. The Lord had extended her life so that she could fulfill his purposes through her.
Jeanette lived a life of purpose and the Lord enabled her to accomplish what she could in her lifetime. It wasn't a long life but it was a life that pleased the Lord and brought glory to his name.
The last days of Jeanette's life was difficult. She was in so much pain and even had difficult breathing. These may have silenced her song but I know deep inside her heart, she was still singing praises to the Lord.
When she passed away on Sunday, Feb. 6, I learned about her death in the middle of our worship. I wept as I thanked the Lord for Jeanette and a life well lived; for enriching our lives with hers; for giving Jeanette as a gift to the Mabaca people; for the greater harvest among this tribe because a seed has fallen to the ground and died.
Jeanette no longer suffers. In heaven, her body is whole. There are no more tears. I know with all confidence in my heart that when she entered the Lord's palace gates, she heard the sweet voice of her savior say: Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward.
Well done Jeanette.
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