GO! Make a Difference.

        It is ironic how people of different interests and fields are able to meet and unite together for the same cause.

           January 3, 2013 was definitely not a typical day for me. Waking up early and waiting for the wonderful day ahead of me just made me even more excited. It was a day full of love and compassion. Something that I rarely encounter in my everyday life. This day has been marked wonderfully and I’m glad that once again together with Foursquare Youth volunteers, we became an instrument of God to be of service to others through Feeding Program & Healthy Teeth Campaign organized by Keep Hope Alive Volunteer’s Foundation and Vogs Privado.

         We overcame several uphill roads and the hard ones required our efforts by clinging and jumping at the rear part of our feet. It was a long walk from the Sitio Matucao to the Quinomay Mangyan Community. No matter how calm or angry the weather is, the place is always winding. It seemed to be an endless walk. Let me tell you that transporting the goods have not been easy. We took the chance of resting on flat surfaces that we saw along the trail. The long walk was exhausting but the environment seemed to soothe our weary bodies. The soothing noise of a river added to our excitement. It was 5:45 PM when we finally reached community. It was almost dark and figures of kids and Mangyan residents were all over the place.

          Early next day, January 4, 2013 was indeed very heartwarming for me and for the rest of us who were there. Everyone recharged with snacks and steal a few Zzzs. The community was very remote so it’s a bit hard to prepare the food. And the cooking process is very much manual: the fire setting, the boiling process, and all. We thank our cooks (Pas Janice, Siara & Ate Elaine) whom beyond our stressful yesterday were able to cook the food properly ;). Despite the tiring preparation, it paid off upon seeing the overwhelming reception of residents. The children were very eager to see what we had prepared for them.  We delivered the macaroni soup to the kids while others were preparing the brushes and toothpastes for Healthy Teeth education. We chit chatted with some kids and interviewed them. Some were quite shy but the others were very fun. Bonding with those children in Quinomay Mangyan Community made me appreciate things around me, especially God's countless blessings that I did not pay much attention to before. The fulfillment I had when I looked upon their happy faces was exhilarating. It was very fulfilling that in our own simple ways; we were able to help and made the children feel that some people care for them through a feeding activity. Even though it only lasted for a day, the laughter we shared would always remain in my heart. It was neither the food nor the toothbrush we gave that made the outreach memorable but the smiles in every child's face which made it more valuable.

             It’s not the first time for me to do this kind of thing and the feeling is just so priceless. Do you ever get that feeling of pride because you are considered as a blessing to other people? Just by being there and feeding the kids made me realize what kind of impact I myself had given them. I love the fact that God sent us to them to bring forth happiness and be a blessing. Whenever one of them thanks us for the simple food and toothbrush we brought them, I felt a hundred times gratified. Even my friends and fellow volunteers felt their sincerity and, with joy in their eyes, realized that this Feeding Program & Healthy Teeth Campaign is more than just a community outreach for us. It is a self-entitled volunteerism to share the love of Christ and cheer others. It just feels so refreshing to see those Mangyan kids happy with such little things in life. I mean, I’ve been there and I will do anything worth it to feel that such thing again. You’re only a kid once, cherish it.

             For my fellow youth volunteers, we may not be the kindest persons in the world but we have a heart kind enough to share the simple things that we’re lucky that we have. No matter how simple the ways and how small the amount, it is the willingness and joyfulness to share that counts. Through this simple activity, we were able to convey the message to the children and to their parents that if they strive harder in life, there will be more people who will be willing to help them.So guys, if you have any doubts of volunteering for a cause, then do it, not for the sake of being with friends or just forced to, but to be compassionate for others. I guarantee, you will feel the same feeling as mine.

            Praise God for moments like this! I hope we’d be able to do another one again and again to continue  spreading His grace and reach out more to other helpless people. LET’S GO and MAKE A DIFFERENCE :)

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We have a great need for sponsors for our Healthy Teeth Campaign and Feeding Programs

Can you help us?

As a Sponsor, you will become part of a group whose combined efforts make it possible for our volunteers, to share the blessings, teach the Word of God and feed the children. For inquiries and questions about Sponsorship and Donating, just contact one of the Core team members through Facebook account.

10 Lies You Will Hear Before You Pursue Your Dreams

Unfortunately, just before you take your first step on the righteous journey to pursue your dreams, people around you, even the ones who deeply care for you, will give you awful advice.  It’s not because they have evil intentions.  It’s because they don’t understand the big picture – what your dreams, passions, and life goals mean to you.  They don’t understand that, to you, the reward is worth the risk.

So they try to protect you by shielding you from the possibility of failure, which, in effect, also shields you from the possibility of making your dreams a reality.

As our friend Steve Jobs says:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.  Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.  Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary.”

Here are 10 ill-advised tips (lies) people will likely tell you when you decide to pursue your dreams, and why they are dreadfully mistaken.

1.            You can follow your dreams someday, but right now you need to buckle down and be responsible. – Someday?  When is ‘someday?’  Someday is not a day at all.  It’s a foggy generalization of a time that will likely never come.  Today is the only day guaranteed to you.  Today is the only day you can begin to make a difference in your life.  And pursuing your dreams is what life is all about.  So don’t be irresponsible.  Don’t wait until ‘someday.’  Make today the first day of the rest of your new life.

2.            You’re totally screwed if it doesn’t work out. – Wrong!  This is a giant, lame load of BS.  You’re not even close to being screwed.  In fact, the worst case scenario is that things don’t work out and you have to go back to doing exactly what you are doing right now.

3.            It’s safer to stay at your day job. – Sure, I suppose.  But you know what’s even safer than that?  Going home, locking yourself in your bedroom, and never, ever coming out.  And just like that you will have flushed your entire life and your dreams down the toilet.  Remember, safer doesn’t always mean better.

4.            That’s impossible! – It’s only impossible if you never do anything about it.  The reason certain things seem impossible is simply because nobody has achieved them yet.  But this doesn’t mean that with your help these things won’t become possible in the future.  If you truly dedicate yourself to an end result, almost anything is possible.  You just have to want it bad enough.

5.            Only a lucky few “make it.” – That’s because those lucky few got off their rear ends and did something about it!  They had the drive, determination, and willpower that you have right now.  You can be one of them.  It’s up to you, and only you.

6.            You might fail.  And failing is bad. – Failures are simply stepping stones to success.  No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be.  Either you succeed or you learn something.  Win-Win.  The biggest mistake you can make is doing nothing because you’re too scared to make a mistake.  If you can’t handle failure, then you can’t handle success either.

7.            You don’t have access to the right resources. – It’s not about having the right resources; it’s about exploiting the resources you do have access to.  Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion for music, and he now has 25 Grammy Awards to prove it.  Get it?

8.            You need more money saved before you can take the first step. – You don’t need more money.  You need a plan.  You need a budget.  Eliminate ALL the nonessential costs in your life.  If pursuing your dream requires you to leave your day job, figure out the absolute minimum amount of income that you require to realistically live.  Studying those who have succeeded with similar ventures also helps.  But above all, take baby steps.  Don’t be foolish and assume that you must have a certain amount of money saved right now, or that you must quit your day job today in order to pursue your dreams.  Instead, ask yourself, “What actions can I take right now with the money and resources I have right now that will bring me closer to desired goal?”

9.            You don’t need any help.  It’s smarter to go after it alone. – You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with.  If you hang with the wrong people, they will negatively affect you.  But if you hang with the right people, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.  Find your tribe and work together to make a difference in all of your lives.

10.          That sounds like a lot of hard work. – You’re darn right it does!  But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.  I think success in life hinges on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing.  As long as you remain true to yourself and follow your own interests, values and dreams, you can find success through passion.  Perhaps most importantly, you won’t wake up a few years from now working in a career field you despise, wondering “How the heck am I going to do this for the next 30 years?”  So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop.  You’re on to something big.  Because hard work ain’t hard when you concentrate on your passions and dreams.

Disregard these misguided bits of nonsense and you’ll be well on your way to fulfilling your dreams.

Now get out there and make a splash!

(COURTESY: http://www.marcandangel.com)

My 2012.

Since it’s near the end, I guess it’s time for us to start back from the beginning and recount 2012 as a whole. This post is going to be terribly long, but i’d really appreciate it if you’d read it all. It’s not very well written, as I’m just kind of rambling on, just so you know. 

I changed so much as a person in so little time, it’s astonishing to look back to the person that I was. I was timid, quiet, afraid to try new things, and simply a person I didn't like at all. I struggled with many kept secrets and wanted so badly to let go of a lot of things so that I could start feeling good about myself and how I perceived myself and how I wanted others to perceive me. I’m slowly getting there and I know that I wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for certain people in my life…and no matter if we aren't all together or if we’re not all friends now, I could never regret anything that happened. I visited different places and met new friends. I appreciate the life that I have now and I’m glad I haven’t died yet…there is just so much waiting for me.

2012 has been the most interesting year of my existence thus far and the anticipation to what 2013 has to offer is almost too much to bare. I want this year to be over so I can start fresh again. (allyourlight tumblr)

WHAT IF WE ARE HIT TO THE CORE?

Very recently we witnessed 2 of our own public figures seemed to "fail" from their expected performances. Regine Velasquez who lost her voice on the concert day itself and Manny Pacquaio who was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in their 4th encounter.

We can say, they were hit to the core. Two things they have in common: (1) they failed on what they do best, singing and boxing respectively, (2) and these happening after they publicly professed their personal relationship with the Lord and striving to live Christian lives.

Some people ask why these things happen to them just when they tell the world about their renewed faith. They are supposed to be more successful because they are "nearer" to God. But God has a different meaning of success. To Him it means when you have shifted your focus from material things and worldly success to things of God and heaven.

Who said that with our relationship with Jesus everything will go as the world sees it? There will be testing of faith and usually they are the things/ people we value which may be involved. It's part of developing our character that will ultimately bring glory to God. I'm sure Regine and Manny cried and got scared at the moment but they showed that they put their hopes in Jesus and believed that there's a greater purpose why things happen.

I admire these 2 people for not giving up their faith despite the painful events that happened to them. And I pray that they remain steadfast and perseverant for they will bring many to the God's kingdom.

I just remembered a verse in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

God is not done with us. And just like Abraham, when he believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).

It's not easy when our faith is tested. But for sure if we pass it God will remember us. And this is more important. (Courtesy: Written by by Judith Atienza-Cinco)

Exploring CARAMOAN

Not everyone has a luxury of time for a long luxurious vacation. Some have to plan on a limited budget and take advantage of weekend breaks to unwind, relax and enjoy. But for us, beach lovers, it is a time for adventure, to explore and have fun, in a budget of course. This time – Caramoan. (Lakwatsero.com)

Caramoan is a peninsular town in Camarines Sur consisting of islands and islets that spread across the Pacific. Some say that the place is like Coron or El Nido in Palawan and Boracay in Aklan combined. While I agree that the place reminded me of Coron with its white sand islands and limestone cliffs, Boracay was out of my sight. It was more like Bucas Grande Islands in Surigao del Norte and Coron combined.

We also went to the Caramoan church, the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel. This church was put up by the Franciscan missionaries who wanted to spread the good news in the late 16th century. The church has a mezzanine where in the public can go to and see the wonderful view of Caramoan Peninsula, which we were not able to do. Next time, we’ll give it a try.

CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) Wakeboarding Experience

One would visit Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) mainly for wakeboarding. Wakeboarding was created from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques. CWC is the place to be when you talk about cable wakeboarding in the Philippines. In fact, it is already famous worldwide prompting numerous international cable wake boarding competitions to be held here as well. Wakeboarding, besides being one of the world’s fastest growing sports and is gradually being recognized globally, has become a lifestyle for others. A recently held international competition includes the 2009 World’s Ultimate Wake Championships. CWC is owned by Governor L-Ray Villafuerte. Just so you know why their villa and accommodations were named as Villa Rey and the lake was named as Lago del Rey. We actually saw him there.

I was amazed how the complex looks like. I never thought that despite of the simple living on this province, there is still such impressive resort / complex placed in CamSur. CWC is located at Provincial Capitol Complex Cadlan, Pili. It is approximately 15 - 20 minutes from Airport. There are free shuttle from airport which will take you to CWC. And if I'm not mistaken, there are also free shuttle from Naga to CWC. But if you fail to catch the free shuttle, from Naga you may ride a bus going to Legazpi City and ask the driver to drop you off at the Provincial Capitol. And from Capitol you may ride a tricycle which will take you to CWC. CWC is truly a prime destination for everyone, risen as the hottest destination to visit.

CWC’s rates are affordable and this includes, among others:

              Free use of basic equipment (beginner wakeboards, water skis and knee boards) for those new to the sport.

Free basic and safety instruction by CWCs resident instructors and operators.

                   World class obstacle courses designed to challenge even the most advanced riders yet safe enough for the brave ones who dare to try tricks for the very first time

CWC also has the following facilities:

Gear up for the ride with the cable park’s Pro Shop which is equipped with everything a rider needs to pursue the desired sport.

Besides the ramps and obstacles, the park has also set aside a beach volleyball area and a pool for those who would like to take a break from the boards but still want to keep bathing under the sun.

            A Clubhouse is built for the guest’s dining area and for live entertainment. Guests can also chill at the Clubhouse and enjoy round of billiards, darts and football.

     An elevated spectator area is placed beside the lake so that the guests will have a better view of the exhibitions.

          The park also boasts of Wi-Fi capability which enables the guests to take a break from the bustles of the   city yet still remain connected to the necessities of the world.

v      Accommodations within walking distance from the park are also readily available for small or big groups.

                While waiting for the operation to start, we opted to eat at CWC Clubhouse near the Wake Boarding area (Solid Force). The CWC Clubhouse has an array of meals to choose from. They serve the usual fast food meals like burgers, cheese steaks, pizzas, etc. They also serve rice meals for those who wanted a heavier meal. Their kitchen is a bit small and is located at a small stall on the side. The guests could choose to seat on the area overlooking those wake boarders near the water. The price is not that cheap, like the meals you can buy at Manila.

               Since we have no plans of spending half day for it, I just asked for the 1 hour wakeboarding. The 1 hour rate for beginners (cable pass rate) is PHP 125.00 + equipment rental (Life Vest & Helmet) of PHP 40.00, initial deposit of PHP 500.00 is needed (but it's refundable). It also includes a free use of swimming pool? Great deal, isn't it? So it ended up Me, Errol, Archivald and Boggs for wakeboarding.

    

                 There is no official class / instruction for this one. The instructor will only tell you what to do in a span of 1 minute. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask, his instructions are only brief. But don't be scared just have fun because all experts were once beginners, right? We were given wrist bands to indicate our time there. After fitting into the right gears, we went to the beginner’s area where we can practice wake boarding for an hour. 

          My first to third take doesn't turn well; I ended up in the middle. I tried another one, then another one. OK, try and try, never give up! For my fourth try, I was able to get it! It was fun, nakakaadik kahit masakit sa muscles  and I lined up for another one and couple more times. It is like skate boarding on water. It looks simple and easy as you look at the people doing it but truth is, it is very difficult.

              

             There are professional wakeboarders (Filipinos and foreigners) doing their stunt at the lake. Kailan kaya ako magiging ganyan kagaling? Soon! (evil laugh).. :))

     

I super love it here. My break from everything. I felt short for this experience and I hope anytime I can go here and do wakeboarding! I know there will still be next time and I hope I have companions (ehem 3idiots) with me who are game for such adventure! Next time I will spend whole week in CWC! (haha) :)) Thanks Errol, Boggs and Archivald. I definitely had fun!