It’s very seldom that I wake up in the middle of the night with the
motivation to write. Last night was
one of those moments. In my bed, streams of thoughts making its way through my
mind and made every effort to remember them. After few hours with an exhausted
mind, I fell into a deep sleep.
This past week has been horrific for the nation of the
Philippines and for Filipinos around the world. The worst typhoon to make
landfall in recorded history slammed in the central region of the country. It
caused damage with over thousand lost their lives and homes obliterated from
where they once stood.
In our church in Christchurch New Zealand, we have large
number of Filipino members. For the past two years I’ve been ministering about 50%
of my time in the Philippines - Metro Manila, Alabang, Lipa, San Fernando
(Pampanga), Bacolod City and Kabankalan.
Filipinos have certainly captured my heart. It was an
instant connection of love and passion to Filipinos. They are grateful,
honouring and very respectful.
Going the extra mile is not an option. They will go extra ten miles for
you. Filipinos have gone through so much over the years, but they will bounce
back with a huge smile and great attitude. They are known as individuals with
positive disposition amidst life battles. These battles left distinguishable
scars on their lives which serve as their reminder that God has spared them to
continue the fight for peace and righteousness.
 |
| In Kabankalan |
I love the slogan "It's more fun in the
Philippines" - from eating rice at every meal to looking at chicken’s feet or “balut”, thinking "oh no, I
can't eat this, help!". After eating rice for breakfast on a recent trip to Lipa,
one of my friends wrote and said, "Pastor Bernhard you are now a
legitimate Filipino". I often confessed to groups of people and whenever I
minister that I have Filipino blood flowing through my veins - it's only my
skin has a different colour. Filipinos will always be part of my heart and
life.
When the picture fades... my prayer is that the world will
not forget this amazing nation and beautiful people of the Philippines. Pictures
of devastation will no longer be shown within the next few weeks. The world
will forget the desolation of lives and loss of properties. There will be no
more pictures that offer opportunities to join together and make a difference.
As this journey continues, how far we go in our lives
depends on our willingness to extend help and do our part especially to those
who may never be able to repay us.
