yehey!!!

LCT, the family company store won the coveted first prize Toyota Innova car at the alumni homecoming party last night. Haha what a happy night for us all! I'll be soon riding in a new car! Ta ta, see you soon. Happy New Year to one and all!!!

Dylan first Christmas in Cotabato

Christmas Program and Children's Christmas Party

Christmas Program with "Barrio Fiesta" theme was held on Dec. 19. Christmas Party followed the next day on Dec. 20, 2007. The kids had fun!

Kids artwork as decor

another bug

We found another bug in school. This is 4x or even 5x bigger than the red bug. It flew away after we took its pictures. The pictures didn't come out good though.

Misa de Gallo and Merry Christmas to All

Today is December 24 and I just completed my ninth misa de gallo. It is really so difficult to wake up very early in the morning specially for a sleeepy head like me; but I did it, in thanksgiving for the many blessings the Lord has given me last year. I have also many more petitions to follow. God is gracious.

Yesterday Sunday, my husband and I visited Father Caroff at the Oblates Provincial House. The priest was feeling fine when we saw him that morning. He had a good sleep the night before. He was talkative and was his usual self with a witty sense of humor. Infact he wanted to go on a trip to Bugwak which he considered his home. My husband and I, we were happy to see him in a happy mood. He was kind of emotiional though when he talked about his sisters. But all in all, he was feeling fine. I am glad I visited him before Christmas.

My children came home to cotabato yesterday afternoon. They are all here for the Christmas vacation, except for roy who is in usa. I have a lot to catch up with them. So aftter the mass this morning, I thought of blogging before I become too busy.

Here's wishing everybody a Merry Merry Christmas. God bless us all!

My Christmas Tree etc

Hehe I am posting pictures of my Christmas tree and some decors for those who are not coming home to Cotabato this yuletide. My husband and I always adorn our own house. I do the decorating and he hangs the lights and lanterns. We take our time to enjoy the Christmas season.

Red bugs

please enlarge if you can

What kind of bugs are these? I found them in my school garden and I have never seen them before. Are they harmful? If they are, I have to get rid of them.

Lucy Teh, Pat Stanley and I

What do we have in common? It's Father Yves Caroff! A priest and a missionary.

Lucy Teh sent through me her Christmas gift for Father Caroff, and my husband and I visited him for the second time this week, last Sunday at the Oblates House on December 9, 2007.
Father Caroff was very happy to see us and likewise very thankful and grateful for Lucy and her husband Basil's concern and generousity. I told him before about Pat Stanley concern for him too but Father Caroff couldn't seem to recall the engineer he met in Malaysia long time ago. Until  last Sunday, I told him that Pat Stanley was the one who built the bridge in Malaysia, then he remembered. He said yes and he very happily told me. " I used to pass that ( name of the bridge ) before, a lot of time.Tell him to come and built bridges here."
I tell you, despite his disability, he has a very keen sense of mind and memory.

After the visit though, I felt sad and depressed because I have seen the extend of his disabilty and I fear for the worse. He was still in catheter and had difficulty with bowel movement. He even said he had a hard time sleeping the night before. He tried to call Lucy through his handset to thank her for the gift but the line was busy. He could hardly hold his phone. His hands and fingers were shaking so much. I quickly told him, not to try anymore as I will just email Lucy about our visit. Before I could write Lucy an email, Father Caroff  was able to reach her through the mobile that afternoon. I was glad they were able to talked to each other. But I am fearful that his condition is deteriorating, I don't know for how long he could be brave, for I am not. Let's all pray for him.

Weird

I just recall a weird incident.... after dreaming about Father Caroff, the next day was December 2, a Sunday. That sunday evening, my husband and I and the Saturday dance group ate out in a relatively new restaurant in town.
Coincidentally after supper that night, we almost had an accident while backing the van to go back home. The space for backing was big enough though but because of poor eye sight and miscalculation, Lucas drove the van into a big ditch near the roadside. The deep ditch just could not allow the car to move forward so Lucas had to drive in reverse to be able to get back to the road. All of us girls got up from the van to help Lucas make a forceful reverse that was perpendicular to the high way. We girls were suppose to stop incoming cars from the high way but a big military truck carrying a trolley full of people was in a hurry and went full speed ignoring us. It passed swirled us as my husband put a sudden brake. This near collision gave me goose bumps and associated it to my dream. I was shaken but I tried to hold my composure. I tried not to nag my husband too for I knew just like me, he also realized the near encounter that night. Upon reaching home, I offered a rosary of thanksgiving for not having any untoward accident. I told my husband to say a prayer of thanksgiving too. That dream and the incident that followed seemed too weird.
Do be careful when you're doing any backing or reverse driving. 

Dream

One Saturday night, I dreamed about Father Caroff. I was inside a car with him driving. My husband Lucas was sitted beside him, while a young female friend and I were at the back seats. We were on a trip and we were to pass by a bridge. Before reaching the bridge though, the car swirled to the roadside. Father Caroff who was at the helm of the wheel had to back up and reverse the car. He tried but he could not do it properly because of his disability. I was so scared because we were almost going to hit some steel trashes at the back. I was hysterically shouting. Then Father Caroff began to wheeze and had asthma attack. I panic and told my husband that the priest could not do it and if Lucas was going to let him continue driving, I was going to get out of the car. In desperation because my husband was not doing anything for he was a worse driver, I got out of the car yet I continued to scream about the near collision. Finally, our younger female companion took over the helm and drove the car out of danger zone. We continued with our trip. The way to the bridge was so steep but thankfully our skillful female companion drove us through it.
I woke up from the dream and immediately narrated the story to my husband. I told him to inquire about Father Caroff's well being in Buguak. I was afraid he might be sick for I sometimes dream about certain people and I pray for them.
But Lucas being busy with so many things, forgot to inquire. Coincidentally on Monday, he received a call from Father Caroff himself, telling him that he was now in cotabato city and staying at the Pronvincial House of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Lucas and I immediately went ot visit him that afternoon.
It turned out Father Caroff was brought to Cotabato City on Friday by his caretakers in Buguak. His doctor was out of town but the people in the hospital gave him a catheter procedure which gave him temporary relief. He was released from the hospital and is now staying in the Provincial House. When we saw him that day, his spirit was high. He was using a motorized wheel chair  and he even showed us how to manuever it. We even joked about him needing to get a driver's license.  This reminded me of my dream. Scary......
I'll be posting about our second visit next blog.