The Venture 10-29-08

September 21, 2008. I landed on Changi Airport and finally reached foreign soil. Singapore, so-called "The Little Red Dot" was finally in view.

One of the first things I did was look for the hostel where I was booked to stay. The first night I stayed in a hostel, and my brother-in-law accompanied me.


That same day we went to Lucky Plaza and I needed to get some supplies: a SingTel SIM card and a travel adaptor for electrical outlets. Buying a SingTel SIM, they had a promo where you get to spin the wheel for a chance to win free tickets to the F1 Race, worth 900 SGDs. I won.


The next day I moved to another house. Kuya Manny and Ate Arlene were kind enough to accommodate me. I was a stranger, and they took me in. The house was in Bukit Panjang where I stayed longer than I expected -- more than a month. I settled well with the 4 dudes, their sons, and they were a wonderful Christian family.


The first week I had a job interview with a representative of Xpand SG, my first. I found out that IT hiring was not that much during this season due to the economic crisis in Singapore.

I spent the weekend watching the F1 Race, the first night race ever in world history. It was something I didn't want to miss and besides, the tickets were free.


Looking for work and going to two more interviews, I got a job offer. But the company that gave the offer later changed their mind about hiring me.

Adjusting to the life in Singapore is not that hard. The transportation is very efficient, there is low crime, and everything is so systematic and organized. I had to get used to the "Land of the Left" where everyone drives on the left-side of the road.


I attended Calvary Chapel of Singapore and Pastor John Tan was kind enough to make me feel welcome. I was able to connect to the young people especially, and it was a good experience to be exposed to Christians in another culture. Only this time I was the foreigner.


The food is also great, and they have all sorts of Western as well as Asian food. I especially like the chicken rice and crispy chicken noodles. I wasn't able to try their mutton, the bulalo that's made from sheep. They also call their carinderias "Hawker's Centers".



October 24, 2008. I flew back to Manila. As I'm writing this, I'm already back in the Philippines. I'm staying in our nation's capital for a few weeks before I go back to Iloilo City. At the moment I'm setting aside Singapore. It has been a journey and a learning experience. And as the Calvary Chapel distinctive goes, a venture in faith can also mean a step back when things don't work out.


To all I left behind in Iloilo, see you soon. =)

P.S. I didn't take too many pictures since my camera broke the night before my flight to Singapore.

The Journey 09-19-08

It has been in my heart for a long time to move out of my home city, at least for a while. Last year God gave me a strong impression in my spirit to really move out. One confirmation came during last year's pastors and workers conference in Cebu. Since then the impression never left me but remained strong.


Sometime in February this year I started to think that perhaps the right time would not be too soon. I continued life as it was, working in information technology, serving the church of Calvary, and moving forward with my social life. I even became an elder in the church during that month.


As time went on the impression got stronger as I spent time in the Word of God. Finally in May I approached my pastor after our midweek Bible study and told him that I believed God was calling me out (of Iloilo City).


We prepared the church and the ministry for four months. This was the start of the ministry called Tim Time where I taught through the whole books of 1 and 2 Timothy on Friday nights. It was a discipleship class with the intent to lay a solid foundation for those who had a desire to serve in the ministry of Calvary Chapel of Iloilo.



I also prepared my work place in that I gave them enough time to look for a replacement since my position as Training and Development Officer for Eversun Software was not to be taken lightly.


A resignation would place the company in a transition. So two months before I quit I informed them of my plans, finally submitting my resignation on July 31 which was effective on September 1.


Come September I was no longer employed.

I had no visible confirmation of what God wanted me to move forward with until the first week of September. A contact from the U.S.A. wanted to start a new business and he considered me the co-founder since it was during one of our chats that the idea came to him and he was able to draft a business plan. The business is online so I can take my work anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. This is enough to sustain me as I travel. Thank God for Xoom.com.

August 29, 2008. I announced to my discipleship group during Tim Time that I was leaving and that the reason for the discipleship group was because I was leaving. I wanted them to be fully equipped to serve the Lord in my absence.

September 7, 2008. I announced to the church congregation that I was leaving for Singapore.

That Sunday morning I was also privileged to give the message while my pastor took a break from teaching.

After the message, communion, and worship I made the announcement.

The last eight days from September 7 to September 14 was my final preparation in Iloilo. I spent time with my girlfriend, church, and family as I was preparing to go.




September 13, 2008 we celebrated my dad's birthday. I wanted my trip to come after the birthday and not before.


September 14, 2008 was my last Sunday service in Iloilo. The church prepared a lunch fellowship in order to bid me farewell as I step out in faith. Pastor Mark released me to go and the church commended me to God's grace.


I'm glad my family was in front praying with me.


Before I left the church compound, I played my last song (for now) -- "This Man" by Jeremy Camp.

To all I leave behind, may God's grace sustain you. I will land on Singapore on September 21.


"And see, now I go bound in the spirit...so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:22,24

A Final Salute to Tatay

Salvador Olaguer (November 9, 1924 - March 26, 2008).

It's been almost a month as I'm writing this. My grandfather "Tatay" (Filipino word for "father") passed away and went home to be with the Lord.

When I heard the news about his accident, I was in church on a Saturday night with my band preparing for Sunday morning worship. Evidently, Tatay hit his head climbing up the stairs to a friend's house where they were supposed to have a prayer meeting. This caused him to go into a coma from which he never woke up.


It was a Wednesday that he died. March 26, 6:12pm GMT +0800 to be precise. Again, I was in church in a Bible study when it happened. My mom, sister, aunt, and niece all went to Manila the same day. They were hoping to still catch him alive -- but it was too late. Tatay had gone home to his eternal resting place.


I booked a flight to Manila a short while before he died. It was on the next Saturday, March 29, that I was able to fly to Manila together with my cousin. I took an evening flight, and I waited on the airport a long time since I had to get there in the afternoon via shuttle van.

I was able to meet this Chinese national who happened to live close to my house. He was an old guy with a wife and children living in the same district as me. He sold orchids.


After taking some coffee and surfing the Internet from my cousin's laptop, we were able to fly to Manila that evening.





We went straight to Loyola Chapels in Guadalupe, where my grandfather was in wake. I spent the first night watching over my grandfather's body and I slept in the chapel.


The next day we went to Sunday service at Jesus' Flock, my cousin's church. It was a small church that reminded me of my home church Calvary Chapel back in Iloilo. The service was great, and the pastor talked about unity in the Body of Christ.




I had lunch with my mom, sister, niece, and brother-in-law in a Chinese restaurant in one of the SMs in Manila.





Sunday night, my longtime friend since childhood, Dr. Mark, came to visit at the wake. It was great talking to him again and spending that time.


That night, I stayed in the chapel again till morning.

Monday was the day before the burial. It was the last night where we would spend time with the tent that my grandfather left -- his body. Soldiers were posted round the clock that night, since my grandfather was a veteran who served his country as a soldier for the Philippine Army. That night, I led worship and even shared about my relationship to my grandfather, and the legacy he has on my life. I believe he was instrumental to my coming to faith in Christ, and his influence on my life greatly impacted me years long after my childhood.

Tuesday morning, we buried Tatay. It was a military burial, with a twenty-one gun salute.




That was the only time I finally broke down in tears. It was at the very moment when my uncle addressed the crowd after Tatay was committed to the ground. Tatay's influence would always be with us. But he himself would be absent -- that caused me to cry and I broke into tears.

Tatay was buried beside my grandmother Nanay, his wife. You might remember the post I posted last year entitled "The Gift That is Nanay" that I wrote about her.

Tatay will always be remembered. A father to his family, a soldier to his country, and a minister to his community.