Author: Mier Rivera

It’s not all about making yourself suffer but being open to every moment of blessings.

This past month, I’ve been blessed to encounter a family away from home. What do I mean by that?
I’ve always thought that if I’m comfortable or it’s an idea that brings comfort, then I should avoid it or find ways to make myself uncomfortable (because if I’m too comfortable it might become a vacation rather than mission po hehe). Especially in my provincial immersion in the first few days when they offered to sleep in the air conditioned room, I would say “it’s ok po you don’t need to”. While sharing and processing with a full time worker in the area, she reminded me that as a missionary you don’t always have to avoid good things because those are blessings. They are blessings that the family wants to share with you po. As missionaries, it’s not about making yourself ‘suffer’ or making sure you’re not getting the greatest treatment but just to have a grateful heart. Be grateful for everything that is shared with you (food, home, family, etc.) and in return be a blessing and give all that you can in return (time, a listening ear, sharings, jokes, talents etc.).

Also I was reminded that every home or family you enter becomes a family away from home (comfort to the heart). It is the blessing of this community, where ever you go there is a home away from home and I thank and praise God for that. I miss my family but The Lord has His ways to fill the home sickness through the people I’ve met these 3 months po hehe.

Lord, thank you for the blessings and love that we don’t ask for but you know we need. Continuously mould our hearts into a grateful one and use us as vessels of Your love and blessing to those we meet and into the houses we enter. Amen.

Going in the training for Kids for Christ pastoral work, I wondered why kfc when all this time I’ve been serving in cfc-youth. why po? hehe

Till now I don’t know the full reason why but in the month I’ve been here in the Philippines, I’ve come to appreciate and see the greater mission through kids for Christ.

I’ve come to realize that kfc is not only about the kids but the whole family. It is about building a relationship with parents so that together, we can cater to kids in molding them into “young Christ like leaders” of the future.
I saw this in the recent IKV when all I saw were families experiencing Christ through the IKV. It was beautiful to watch and be part of (wahhh I miss my family po hehe :P)
In addition, it was the parents who we had to converse with, organize with and explain to, so becoming a ftpw for KFC does not only mean for kids but for the family too.
another realization.. #WeNeedMoreKFCftpw but that’s another reflection to chew on po hehe 😛

Overall I must say too.. Kids for Christ is not an easy ministry.. you’ll be challenged in many ways (interpersonal skills, voice acting skills, smiling skills, patience skills etc.) but The Lord is much Greater in many ways too because He loves the children more and will wait open arms for His children (Mark 10:14)

The Lord has a funny way of leading me..
I remember as a student of nursing, I told my self that I can never work in the paediatrics ward because I can’t work with kids and can’t deal with worried/angry parents.. now look where I am po hehe training as a KIDS for Christ pastoral worker.
The Lord is truly the Great provider in everything we need.. He can calm the heart and mind in times of chaos (praise God).

Lord, You’re a funny Father but a knowing all One. You knew that I would come to love and appreciate something(s) I turned a blind eye too (if that made sense po hehe)
Thank you Lord and continue to teach me to have an open heart to Your leading..

Several weeks ago.. I was blessed enough to attend the North American Leaders Summit in Vancouver (yayy! hehe)
it was a blessed event (fo sho!)
got to meet and be inspired by fellow missionaries who are on fire and set on loving the Lord more uuyy
definitely NALS has pumped us up for what the Lord has in store for us individually and as a community.. as we roll into 2014 chea chea!

But out of all the events and things that happened during NALS week..
the most memorable part is.. the fog po haha
For real! since the day we landed till the day we left.. it hovered over us and encapsulated us like a cloud (legit haha)

Reflecting on the fog.. few things came to mind..
1. Walking dead #ded
2. Zombies!!
3. ..”I guess He didn’t want us to fall in love with BC through nature” haha 😛

but one of the things I got out of the Zombie apocalypse experience was that..
our human powers are not that great po haha
we’ll definitely die if it were to happen po..

There was this one moment during the trip..
after a lovely sushi dinner with beautiful bros and siss, we drove back to our host’s house in zero visibility condition (because of the fog)
and we got lost..
we were on a highway/road and the GPS kept telling us to turn left but there was no road to turn left into..
and next thing we knew.. we were on the highway to Vancouver (which is an hour away) and there was no exit in sight.
All of our GPS just kept saying to turn into streets that did not exist.
but thank God we found a way out of that highway
but unfortunately.. we would end up in the same ramp/bridge..haaaaaa
I felt like some one was playing and making us go in circles because all of our GPS kept saying the same thing (“turn left”) and it felt like we were not getting anywhere close to our destination..

We were all getting scared (who would not be po right? hehe)..
A. There was only 3 of us
B. we were not from that area
C. We could not see anything

We went into prayer mode and decided to go “home” (the house of the driver)
I think even if we kept trying and even if we called for help.. no one could have really helped us at that moment..
because we were scared, worried and flustered.. our human capacity reached a limit and we just wanted to feel safe..
“Home”

I don’t know if I will make sense here but here it goes..
Home- it was somewhere familiar (at least to one of us in the car, it’s her house)
and I think that’s what the Lord is.. Home.
though we don’t fully understand Him..but we are familiar with Him.
There is a sense of relief and comfort in finding Him..
Like “home”, it’s a safe haven that waits for us..
I remember as we approached the area that looked familiar to the sister.. the worry and sense of unsafeness was relieved..
When we are flustered, scared and lost.. we find the familiarity and safe haven to ease the emotion.. and most of the time it is only in the Lord we can find that.
There are times in my day where I find myself flustered, annoyed and just filled with negativity.. but in those times I find myself refocusing through prayer or going to mass or going to the chapel or sleep..
the Lord becomes our focal point to re-route us and bring a sense of calm and relief in our human-ness.

Forgive me for my poor English po..
I don’t know if that made sense po but at the end of the day..
even though the fog was a pain in the bum and hindered at lot of things..
praise the Lord for it 🙂
it’s all from Him anyways right?
F-O-G —From Our God
hahahahah ayyyy lame joke po hehe

“blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John20:29)
Lord, continue to strengthen us in faith and guide our hearts to find “home” in the midst of zero visibility. Amen.

Day 6: 1st RYC/Conference

(I don’t know how to flip it the right side up :(…)
My first Conference was in 2005 entitled “Live Holy, Live loud” in Calgary.
I remember being an inactive CFCYouth for 2years after joining in 2002/2003 then bam! Conference in 2005! haha makes me wonder why, how Lord? haha
but the Lord is of perfect planning and time.. because at that moment He said something I needed to hear: LIVE!
and praise the Lord for that moment po 🙂

Day 7: Recent RYC/Conference

A recent Conference I was blessed to go to was the recent “TNC:Jesus Expo” in Waterloo
After 8years since I said my first ‘yes’ to Live for Him..
The Lord has continuously been the God of perfect timing because at that moment He reminded me.. that it’ll be ok as long as trust and obey #uncertainties #whatliesahead #whatifs #ahhhhhhh
In trusting and obeying, miracles can happen.

Day8: Shout out to Couple Coordinators

Shout out at Tito Manny and Tita Digna Libramonte, GTA area CCs!

Holla to Kuya Arnold and Ateh Lennie Rodriguez, Campus based CCs!

Day 9: Shout out to cluster/program/chapter heads

ehhhhhhh holla at the GTA Area Heads, Andreizzzy Nazareno and Rayah REALista! po hehe

Day10: #ilovemyhousehold
Lord’s perfect timing to bless me with the moment to meet beautiful and awesome sisters and brothers

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every moment has been the Lord’s perfect timing to reveal a greater plan, miracles, moments of His love etc. and it all came from a “yes”. Praise God! 🙂
and I’m sure you would some what agree with me too po, right? hehe
The Lord has blessed us within this past year(s).. so what more for 2014?!

soo in the upcoming North American Leaders Summit..
to be honest, I don’t really know what to expect (it’s the first NALS ever.. EPIC! lol) but I trust and have faith in the Lord’s perfect timing for it.

Be part of the HIStory in the making..
As youth leaders for CFCYouth North America, let us discover and see together what the Lord has in store for us, our brothers and sisters, and the future generation of CFCYouth 😀
NALS: Deo Gloria in Vancouver, Canada! on OCTOBER 18-20, 2014

Contact your Couple Coordinator and register po!!!! 😀

As Leaders of One Continent, One New World, One body and love in Christ… leggoooooo!! 😀

A smile goes a long way.

I remember in my MV essay one of the things I talked about was my early days in the community po..
how the youth who were already in YFC had a different smile that I was intimidated at first but found that it was what I wanted to learn to have po..
In growing in this community and these 23 years of life.. I am affirmed that that kind of smile is the Lord.
A smile of.. haaaaaaa po hehe
A smile of Kindness.. Love.. Trust
A smile that is Comforting .. Joyful.. Hopeful.. etc.
I don’t know po hehe it’s definitely something nice and good po hehe

There is this costumer who always comes in and buys the same thing almost everyday.
she use to come in really grumpy and angry po..
she would demand to have her food brought to her table and set up for her to eat.. because she was only able to use her one hand..
And it’s so disheartening that a lot of people hate dealing with her.
But I think this only made me determined to share some positivity with her po haha
Every time she comes.. man.. prayers up and always pray for the Lord’s smile hehe
and.. Praise God because as of recent, she would come and order with a smile on po 😀
She’s in a more brighter mood too po hehe

A smile goes a long way..
especially if it’s from the Lord.

Let us share that smile that can only be from the Lord.
Smile 🙂

Lord, teach me how to use body and physical language to proclaim and share You.

P.S. if I ever tease you about your smile.. I’m sorry po *bows* but I’m not making fun or anything po.. You have an awesome smile (that’s contagious uyyyyy jks). pG! so keep smiling po 🙂 hehe

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13)

Love..
easy said than done. agree? disagree? po hehe

there are many times or moments in our day to day life when we are challenged to love above all
and in most situations or scenarios.. loving is the hardest thing to do..
For example with a co-workers, with friends and even family..
though we share the same blood.. our personalities are so different and sometimes clashes occur, right po? hehe
that’s why I admire people who are patient, compassionate, open and above all loving in such high tension situations or with complicated people..

Like how Jesus did.. well He is God so anything is possible po hehe 😛
but like the apostles (I think)..or the saints..
their actions and beliefs were outside the “norm” of society..
and not only was society butting heads with them..
but most of the time.. their families challenged them and their faith too..
..but no matter what above all.. they loved.
that’s mind blasting yo po haha

it’s so hard too.. but it is possible..
man.. truly if the Lord is with you..anything is possible..
Lord was their source of Love..right?
if the Lord is Love..
it was the Lord to begin with..
wahhhhh hahaha

I don’t know if I’m making sense here po hehe..
but this journey of life and constant discernment has guided me to discover and learn one thing.. Love.
it’s hard but it is possible.
and it’s also exciting to know that learning about Love is endless..
the sub topics that follow it is infinite..
maybe that’s one thing I’m excited for about fulltime or whatever lies ahead..
and that is.. Love will exist and is waiting to be discovered and shared 🙂 po hehe
wahhhhhhhhh kiligs to the bone po hehe #kilighunters #LordgivesmeKiligs

Lord, you are the source of Love and the definition of Love.
Show and Guide us how to Love above all

“The Lord broke through the heat to shower us with His Grace”

Last weekend was Eastern Canada’s True North Conference and it was an awesome weekend po 🙂 One of the most memorable events of the weekend was the storm (big one) that happened on the first day.

I remember Friday started out as a beautiful day.. sunny (but extremely hot). I remember running around preparing and occasionally comment on how hot it was (but Praise the Lord that the sun was shining po hehe)

All that sun-ful goodness faded.. as a storm brewed and erupted when mass started. During mass we could hear the thunder and rain beating at the venue.. we even lost power on occasion.. scary moments..
but the Lord kept His mantle of protection over us #PG

After mass we had to go back to the residence for dinner and behold the Greatness of the Lord.. the storm stopped and the sun came out.. it was as if the storm did not happen.
However, on the walk back to the residence.. we saw the after math of the storm. For example: trees that were pulled from their roots, broken branches, branches that were struck by lightening etc.

Though it was a storm (something scary, you know?).. it was a way for the Lord to bless us with His grace..
He will break through the heat and distraction.. and show us His power and love for us..
I don’t know if I’m going to make sense here but.. He knew how much the heat was distracting us (it was for me.. I believe I was complaining alot po hehe)
so He woke us up and reminded us to focus using the thunder then using rain He cooled down the temperature to ease the heat 🙂 PG!

It’s amazing how the Lord works.
That storm was just the beginning of the miracles and blessings that unfolded that weekend. From the sessions to the creatives to the comps and overall turnout of the conference.. the Lord has continuously affirmed His presence and power last weekend.
I would share more but it would be spoilers for the WTNC po hehe
I pray that WTNC will be as blessed and miracle filled too po 🙂

Thank you Lord for your infinite love and your never-failing reminders and wake up calls po.
Mother Mary and all the Saints teach me how to be more sensitive and obedient to the Lord’s will. Amen.