miracles and blessings!!!

just posing at hilton minneapolis

merry christmas everyone!

when this year started, i just wished for guimaras. i really wanted to visit that small island in visayas. i also had a plan to study in a bible college in US. but things changed. God had much better plans.

instead of guimaras, He sent me to palau to teach 25 sixth graders in palau sda school. it is a new experience and the only word that describes this big shift in my life is: CHALLENGING.whew.but it was clear, palau is where God wants me to be this year and next year after months of praying and pleading to Him.

because of this palau job, my plan to study in US was cancelled...but..but..God had a plan for that too.He never ceases to amaze me. He wanted me to attend the general youth conference in minessotta. the visa application was emotionally and psychologically draining but i got it!:) i arrived in US on dec15. cielito and his two sda friends picked me up from the airport. he's soooooo loving and sooooo handsome. i flew to minneapolis on dec19 and stayed with my korean roommates at hilton minneapolis. the weather in MN was really crazy. sooooooo cold. it was snowing the 2nd day i stayed there and it snowed again on the day i left the state for LA. in effect, flights were delayed and some were even cancelled. goodness..but my stay there was really great and incomparable. GYC was a blessing. messages were powerful. and..and..who would have thought i'd see snow this year? and experience -20C temperature? it was really crazy but fun!next GYC 2008 will be in in san jose, california. hopefully and prayerfully, ill be there.*wink*


GYC at minneapolis convention center


ang lamig!!!!!

life here has been good. ill be in las vegas this weekend with my uncles. time flies soooo fast too. the week after next week, ill leave for palau. :( but then again, it was clear palau is where God wants me to be this school year and teaching 6th graders is what He wants me to do. next school year, who knows where ill be? im always ready for surprises, Lord. i love you.

im sooo excited!!!

i am doing a countdown. 19 days more and i'll be leaving for USA! I am sooo excited!!! I will leave from here in koror to manila on dec14. UP buddies liz and ais will see me at the airport and will entertain me until i check in for my LA flight the next day early morning. i can't wait to see those girls too! it has been a loooooooong time. they are the best and most loveable girls i know.

i will have two stopovers in Japan - one in Nagoya and the other one is in Tokyo. that would be lotsa fun! i'll get to see a lot of places. yes, i know i'll just be at the airport but still, it's a different place.hahaha. i will arrive in LA on dec15 745am and my cielito will get me from there. i am soooo excited and scared at the same time. excited because i would see him and this meeting is finally an answered prayer after 7months of appealing to God; scared because i'll be in a totally different world at that time and i might forget I am actually teaching here in palau and i have 25 students waiting for my return in january.

on dec19, i will leave LA to minneapolis for the general youth conference where i am part of the communciation team. i will stay in Hilton hotel with Korean roommates until dec23. then ill fly back to LA and stay at my uncles' in corona city or at my uncle's in modesto or at my cielito's in burbank.

i will leave LA in jan7, arrive in manila in jan8 late evening and fly to koror in jan9. jan11 is again parent-teacher conference so i need to prepare for that. so goodluck nalang sa jetlag na yan. walang jetlag jetlag rica..

i dont think this US trip in december is wrong timing for me because the youth conference which is my main purpose of the trip falls in december... it's just that one of my bestfriends who lives in san jose, CA wont be there because she will go home to davao on the same day ill arrive in LA. her sis' wedding is on dec18. also, one of my closest AMiCUS friends in Diliman (who is in minneapolis now for a job training) will also leave US on the same day ill arrive in LA. waaaaaaaaaah. he is supposed to be my tour guide in minnesotta. oh well.. they have their lives too. so definitely, this is a solo trip. i have to accept that.

a blessing from the Lord still! i am soooo happy.. i am sooo excited...

mama, papa, i will miss you.

thank you, Lord!

got it. visa granted. 1 entry. good for 6 months. be there in december.

what a gift, Lord! thank you so much!

i dont want to be anxious!

This week I will do something that's beyond my control. It makes me nervous but I have to do it. I will do it. God, help me. I should not be scared, I should not be nervous. As I said, it is beyond my control so I will let Him take control. :)

Pray for me, people.

sombrero

i have spanish-speaking co-teachers and among all my foreign co-teachers, they have been the friendliest.

yesterday, we saw each other at the shopping center and they invited me to eat with them in Bandidos, a mexican restaurant, near my apartment. and they added cheerfully, "and we can take a picture wearing our sombreros."

i said,"how did u know that word? it's filipino."

nicole knows how to speak little filipino so i thought she got it from her Filipino friends.

she said,"its Spanish."

"oh yeah right.you all conquered us for 300years!" i said jokingly.

"hey, hey, hey, they conquered us too." all three of them said almost together.

and so we went out to meet the americans. they wanted to eat out too. at first i was kinda hesitant because i am the only filipino who's going. but when we arrived at the place where restaurants are (i dont know the street but it is just one block from my apartment), the spanish-speaking gals cornered me and told me to follow them. there i knew, we were going to bandidos alone. the others were going somewhere.

while eating, we had so much fun discussing about each other's cultures, families, education, countries, etc. i ordered chicken taquitos, by the way.and here we are with our sombreros. Tania said, "i think we should do this often!"


from left: tania (half-costa rican,half-guatemalan),nicole (half-guatemalan, half-cuban), me, and rebecca (half-el salvadorian, half-guatemalan)

so these are my new friends. are spanish-speaking people gifts from heaven? my boyfriend is panamanian. *wink*

seeing God in Palau

homesick

for the first time in 2weeks, i felt sooo homesick last night. i miss my family, especially opong so much.waaaaaaaaaaaaah.cried and cried last night.

:(

whew.

what a day.

the whole time this morning, i was under the sun.the heat is really different here in palau. it seeps through the skin and sucks all the energy that i have. it seems like only palau has the sun. it was good that we only have half-day today because one,it is the welcome back party of the students and two,it is friday.i love fridays now!!we only have half-day classes.

i still cram for my classes every night because i wasnt well-prepared. i should have arrived 2weeks before they started. i arrived last sunday because of immigration reasons. the day after, it's the first day of school.whew.i was able to review what the cell theory is and cells' characteristics..the early life of humans, map reading, Bible stories and lessons during my 6th grade. yes, im teaching 6th grade. i am glad their books are great - bookbound, comprehensive, have teachers' edition and well-explained. promise, ill prepare more for the next month this weekend. i need to do lots of things. i still have to think of what projects will i require from them this school year. ok, ok, ill think it over the weekend.

my cousin is coming tonight!yay!!!she will be a missionary teacher in the same school where i am teaching so we will share the same apartment. she's a good cook so it's a plus too.hahaha.

we'll be swimming and snorkeling under the bridge on sunday. cannot wait. i saw that bridge when i was about to land last sunday. it was sooo beautiful. i wont forget my digicam.:)

that's all for now. palau is good.

good things

things that make me laugh/smile for the past 2weeks:

1. My cute bro was selected by his classmates' parents to represent his class in the Mr. Nutrition pageant. rarampa siya sa friday. waaaaaaaah. sana ma-perfect niya ang "ako po si Rico Rodolfo Yap Bolos, representing level 1!"
2. My Cielito is still understanding and patient as ever. happy 3 months!
3. I was finally done with my medical examination and palau got it already. whew!
4. I got superior intelligence, according to my neuro-psychiatrist. hello, ang dali kaya ng mga questions ng 3 tests.hihihi.
5. My sister was finally given a chance to work so she can save for her NCLEX and CGFNS exams.
6. I got pics of my future room, kitchen, and bathroom in Palau! Everything is nice. I cant wait to go.Thanks, Ruben!
7. I got a new Korean friend. her name is Linda.
8. A baby is coming! Congratulations to Cielito's best friends Brad and Denae!
9. Alchemy's two former hosts made it to the top12 of Be Bench. One of them is a former student of mine in UP.
10. Blessing Echo Singers did great last Sabbath. I was sooooo blessed!
11. Ate Lau, my 28yr old UP schoolmate, finally announced to the world that she is ready to have a boyfriend. hahaha. go, ate lau!

last sabbath 07/21/07

"I am so glad that Jesus loves me..Jesus loves me.."


sinong gaya gaya?

my big little bro

hey, pay attention to the ceremony!


where is your Bible, bearer?


looking more like papa..


boy na boy na talaga!

for the first time..

i finally got busy for the first time after 2yrs of working. i went back to my former employer - an advertising agency - and my boss gave me loads of tasks to do. i just directed and wrote a documentary on the premiere high school in Mindanao. i spent sleepless nights in the office. i couldnt believe im back to the broadcasting world again. for the months that i have stayed here in the company, i can say it's all worth it. this is the first time after my graduation 2years ago that i have finally practiced my production skills.

the documentary is done now. nexta ssignment is to conceptualize a talk show for channel 28 by RODY project. whew!

while im enjoying this part of my life now, im also sad at the same time because im leaving this company for good soon. i just handed my resignation letter last week. i felt nostalgic about it. i have already learned to love the freelance artists, the production crew, and my understanding boss. but i dont want this "better" opportunity to pass by. i have always known im for a better place and better job.

wish me luck. all for God's glory!

Chloe..oh Chloe..

i havent watched 24 all my life but i know it is one of the most-watched TV series in the world. the suspense and mystery of the show and the charm and strength of all the characters entice the audience to stay on and be excited on every episode that is to come. one of the biggest fans of 24 that i know is my boss - Dax.

Dax always compares me with Chloe, the character played by actress Mary Lynn Rajskub in 24. but why oh why? Dax said whenever he watches 24, he could see me in the set because of Chloe's presence. according to my research,Chloe is good in computers while i am not. she has demonstrated proficiency with handguns and automatic weapons while I don't know anything about weaponry. so what makes me comparable to chloe, i asked Dax.



"Look at the way she looks like while working and worries about things." so i looked for her pics online. oh boy. whatever.

so everybody in the office is calling me Chloe now. is that good or bad? i guess i should buy DVDs of 24 soon so i'll find out.

B- traveler ako :(

I am just a B- traveler, according to Lakbayan. i will make it an A very very soon. anyone?

Godsend

This song by DC Talk has been playing on my head for days now.This is the first time that i appreciated a soft rock Christian music. =)


Hoping, praying, Ive been waiting
Everybody needs somebody to love
Theres no question, straight from heaven
Youre my angel, Im so crazy for you

(chorus)
Youre a Godsend
A blessing from above
Youve been God-sent to me
Youre the Godsend
Ive been dreaming of
Youre a Godsend

Holding your hand, touching your face
I will love you now and always I swear
I will never forget that first moment we met
When two worlds collided and I found my best friend

(repeat chorus)

(bridge)
I was made for you, you were made for me
In this lonely world, we were meant to be in love


I will never forget that first moment we met
When two worlds, they crashed in
And I found my best friend

(repeat chorus)

another stupid publicity..

oh no..this is all over davao city now. why do people get crazy sometimes?

peace, man...

random updates

- yes, i didn't vote and i didnt feel guilty about it. papa got angry but he cannot force me.*wink*
- im sort of productive today! yay!!
- got hold of an acceptance letter from a US college. but..my name there was rico bolos. uh-oh.. i returned it and told them to give me another letter with my correct name on it...right now!*kidding*
- my baby bro is going to pre-school this june. i cannot wait to accompany mama buy his uniforms, shoes, pencils, crayons, etc.
- my nene is sleeping now with his cam on. im glad hes not snoring.hahahha
- there are many things to look forward to this year and im sooooo excited!

to vote or not to vote

i still cannot make up my mind if i will vote or not. all those who are running do and say the same things, promise many things. i can no longer distinguish who's real and fake. i can no longer tell who really is a true servant.

really, do we still have hope? i cannot convince myself of this.

but if ever i'll vote today..my bets would be:

1. Kiko Pangilinan
2. Anthony Trillanes
3. Joker Arroyo
4. NoyNoy Aquino

that's all...

"When you bow down before God and admit dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor."

James 4:10

high school reunion

i came home late last night. we had a high school reunion. as usual, we had a great time. some classmates who are already working in manila came home and they treated everybody a barrel of beer and 3 pitchers of gin pine. again, i didnt drink. hehehe. but im glad everybody was happy, especially the boys. my first love was there, my classmates since grade 1 were there. my close and not-so-close friends were there too.

there wasn't a dull moment last night. we always laughed remembering the experiences we had 6-9 years ago and i am amazed on how sharp my ex-classmates' memories are. i couldn't even recall those things all by myself. one topic was about the wooden bridge we were required to make in our physics class. while everybody was reminiscing the past and the details on how they came up with their individual bridges, i was squeezing my brain out recalling if i indeed made a bridge that time.

"Why can't i remember that?" i asked the noisy group.

"ambot nimo uy..asa ka atong panahuna!" Diana and Carlo, the two funny clowns we have in IV-Diamond, said.

Still trying to recall that "bridge" incident, somebody suddenly talked.

"I was the one who made your bridge." it was my ex.

Silence. The rain poured harder.

After three seconds, everbody went back talking again. this time, it's no longer about the bridge.

happy family

papa gave mama red roses yesterday. awww...

i still cannot imagine how my parents have sustained the love that they have for each other. they still walk hand in hand on the way to Bangkerohan market on Sunday mornings, they still jog together. they still smile flirtatiously at each other. one time, i caught them stealing winks at each other during church services.

my parents have a weird love story. they only had a one-month courtship and NO friendship, contrary to what the elders keep on advising us, "Long friendship and short engagement makes a successful marriage." papa's first pasalubong to mama on his first visit to her house is camote. the next week, it's papaya. during their courtship, papa's first gift to her is a brassiere. mama's family doesnt like him because he isnt chinese. she is a daughter of a Chinese lawyer-politician from Cebu. mama was 22, papa was 24.

in one of their chats last year, they realized that they had actually met in their pre-teen years. papa was a popsicle vendor outside of an exclusive school where mama went to. everyday, mama would buy papa's products and she would always love to choose ube flavor. this is one thing that papa remembered in her a long time ago. who would forget this chubby girl who always disarranged his piles of popsicle inside the icebox? so every before dismissal time, papa would already prepare mama's favorite popsicle ube flavor. little did they know they'd meet again 15 years later.

now they have 4 children. the girls are 11 months apart from each other. the boys are 13 years apart. the eldest and the youngest have a 20-year age gap. all have straight shiny hair. hahaha!

This Feb 28, we will all be celebrating their 24th anniversarry. and i am hoping that the love that we all have for each other in the family will continue on.

their love story may not be the best story in the world but i believe that is the way God designed their love story to be - no friendship, 1-month courtship, but 100-year of companionship (who knows?). what matters is what they have established as a couple. what matters is not how they started but how they sustained the relationship up to now - with love and with God.

by the way, their love story won in the Best Love Story contest organized by Chowking last year. *wink*

new year's resolutions

it is not yet late to formulate my new year's resolutions, is it?

1. Wait on God.
2. Keep my mouth shut.
3. Do not get angry so easily.

So help me God.

listen to me..

first things first: happy new year!life is wonderful!this year will be a blast im sure.

"if a little birdie in the skydropped a poopoo in your eye, dont scream, dont cry. Just thank God carabaos dont fly!"

Blessings, blessing first:

1. my baby brother now knows how to count 1-20. Thanks to Barney!
2. we already have a DVD player at home...and i got addicted to Grey's anatomy. i will finish
watching Season 1 tonight.
3. i have the energy to check papers today! hope this will sustain until weekend.whew.
4. david and i got back together. Just today. God really works in mysterious ways.
5. i now know what's wrong with me. i am impatient, overeager, dominating, and untrusting.
now i know what to change.
6. i have semi-final plans for june.*wink*
7. i want to go to guimaras in summer! a friend is offering free accommodation. cool!2 years
ago, it was palawan. last year, i went to bacolod and camiguin. this time, its guimaras!
cant wait!i love being single!
8. i bought two books from PCBS yesterday. i learned a lot.
9. i got 600 for doing nothing yesterday. wahahahaha!
10. my friends are helpful for me to learn things about life. yes, i need help. at 22, i dont know
much.