Below is a brief update of our mission trip to Mandalay, Myanmar. We hope that our sectors can plan to send mission teams next year to sustain the gains we have made in the GMA and the rest of the world. Some have independently signified. The GMA team shall have its annual planning on Nov. 5 and we shall release the scheduled CLPs, MERs, teachings and activities so that you can have your mission teams plan early and take advantage of cheap airline fares. We would appreciate you forwarding this to your sector leaders for cascading.
PROLOGUE
On October 2009, a new set of coordinators were named to comprise the Greater Mekong Area (GMA) region. From that time to this day, we committed to meet every month to update one another on the goings-on in each one’s country of assignment. We also looked forward to the exciting prospect of re-establishing CFC in Laos and Myanmar. Laos was “re-claimed” in July of 2011, after painstaking planning, a visit by JM and Emilie Yupangco to Laos, endless exchanges of emails with the ambassador (Amb. Alarilla) and a couple (Rey/Lyn Feria) who helped CFC establish presence in the South Sea islands sometime back. We were blessed with 45 graduates, 13 of whom are local Laotians. Myanmar was a bit more challenging. FFL is present in Yangon, the capital, and is wholly composed of locals. They prefer that we do not touch Myanmars (as the locals are called) and they were content to maintain their present numbers. Our break came when Bro. Jimmy Lozare, country head of Thailand, negotiated with the Federation of Bishops Conferences, which was having their annual meeting in Bangkok, for us to sponsor one dinner for them. We met the bishops from Myanmar and one of them came to Manila for our 30th anniversary. Everything fell into place and we were emboldened to hold, not just one, but two CLPs upon the invitation of the bishops of the Archdioceses of Yangon and Mandalay. For perspective, there are over 500,000 Catholics in a population of 54 million with 89% dominated by Buddhists. There are 14 cathedrals and 126 churches spread over a land six times as big as the Philippines. Since 1989, the military regime has used the name Myanmar instead of Burma, as the latter represents just one tribe. The exchange rate is USD1=750 KYAT. You can pay in USD or in KYAT for goods and services there. THE TRIP
Carol and I just arrived back to Manila early this morning from Bangkok after a night and a day in Mandalay, the old capital of ancient Myanmar. I am pleased to report that the team led by Bro. Mel and Sis. Aimee Serrano has successfully conducted a CLP for 56 Myanmar nationals. Based on our initial list, there are 10 couples, 1 SOLD and 35 singles who completed all the talks. Praise God! CHALLENGES
As you all know, we experienced some challenges before and during this CLP. We were scheduled to have two CLPs in Myanmar, one after the other. The Yangon CLP was scheduled for Sept. 10-11 and the Mandalay CLP was scheduled for Sept. 16-17. The CFC-Manila team was to take care of the Yangon CLP, while the CFC-Singapore team was to handle the Mandalay CLP. At the last minute, the bishop of Yangon cancelled the Yangon CLP. He originally approved it months before, provided we will only focus on the Filipino community there. This was intended so as not to compete with the FFL community there, whose members are all locals. But on the week prior to the flight of the CFC-Manila team, the cancellation was ordered. Another development came on the heels of the first, and on the same week prior to the departure of the CFC-Singapore team. The bishop of Mandalay wanted us to move the Mandalay CLP on Sept. 10-11, one week earlier as the new papal nuncio was to visit their diocese on the 16th and 17th. The CFC-Singapore team had already booked and paid their tickets weeks before the trip and were at a loss on how to proceed. We decided to send the Manila contingent to Mandalay and requested the Singapore team to do post-CLP activities when they arrive a week later. Three Manila groups flew into Bangkok – the jump-off point – separately – the first group on the 7th, Wednesday, the 2nd group on the afternoon of the 8th, Thursday, and the 3rd group at close to midnight on the 8th. The 1st group stayed a night in the CFC-Thailand mission house, met the 2nd group in the Bangkok airport on the afternoon of the 8th and took a plane to Yangon that same day. Upon arrival, they stayed for one night at the Winner’s Inn and proceeded to take a 9-hour bus trip to Mandalay the next morning. Almost all the cars one can see on the streets were vintage 1970s and ’80s but were in running condition. But the bus was not too bad as it was of later vintage and was airconditioned. Apart from a few potholes here and there, and a stop-over of around an hour, the trip was generally smooth. Let’s wait for the more colorful and accurate version of the two groups when they come back tomorrow and/or Wednesday. 🙂 Carol, myself and Erick, our SFC Chapter Head in Makati, comprising the 3rd group, flew into Bangkok separately via PAL and Cebu Pacific, respectively, on the night of the 8th and stayed for one night at the residences of Bro. Jimmy Lozare and Nemboy Rivera – a former unit head of our SFC Makati Chapter who is now an expat for Chevron and unit head in SFC-Bangkok – respectively. Thank you, Bro. Jimmy, for coming and going to the airport three times in one day to meet and send-off the three groups. Thank you, too, to Nemboy, for lending us his spanking Fortuner with a driver, to bring us to the airport. Our group took the last flight to Mandalay and we cooled our heels for just a few hours at the Winner’s Inn, the same place the first group stayed in the night before. Truly, the name of the inn was a sign of impending victory and a portent of positive things to come for the team. 🙂 Our group then proceeded to take the earliest flight to Mandalay, a one hour and 50-minute flight – a little longer than a regular flight from Manila to Davao. We marveled from the window of the 70-seater turbo-prop plane as golden temples dotting the almost agricultural landscape glittered under the burning rays of the sun. It took us almost an hour from the airport by a Hi-Ace van that was also circa around 1970s, which was still in running condition but used naturally cooled air. The sun was burning outside but we were so enthused in our conversations with the two priests who picked us up – Fr. Edmond and Fr. Augustine – that we did not mind the discomfort. The 6th floor of the parish center was the venue of the CLP. We were greeted enthusiastically by the participants as Bro. Jorge Asensi was getting ready to give talk 4, Repentance and Faith. Two priests, Fr. Bosco and Fr. Augustine (a different Fr. Augustine), both Myanmar (locals), alternated in being the interpreters for the talks. Quite a number of the participants spoke a smattering of english and understood somewhat what we were saying, but they were more comfortable listening in their own language. They sang with energy the songs taught to them, including the action song “My Life Is In You Lord.” Interestingly, Fr. Bosco and the first Fr. Augustine, studied in Manila for sometime in connection with their priesthood. A female Myanmar also spent around 9 months in the Philippines to study english under the sponsorship of the bishop a few years ago. Come talk 8 and 9, the electricity started to sputter intermittently, and by the time the prayover was being done, the there was a brownout. The LCD projector could not be used. When the corporate worship started, it was pitch black. Only the generator of the parish saved us but it was able to turn on the LCD projector and the microphones. We were praising the Lord in darkness and the only fluorescent bulb that could have lighted the mini-praisefest, exploded while we were teaching them how to praise. But nobody was fazed. Everybody carried on as if the venue was lighted. In their hearts, and in ours, as well, we knew that the light coming from above was the more important light, and that particular evening, we were all shining, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. EPILOGUE
The other members of the team are: Jun/Mavic Simon
Dandy/Susan Calvez
Paul/Norma de Jesus
Jorge/Virgie Asensi
SFC – Erick Abad
Junie Romero
Nino Tuyay POSTSCRIPT
The following morning, Carol, myself and Erick left Mandalay by plane for Yangon enroute to Bangkok to wait for around 4 hours for our flight back to Manila. In the meantime, the team that was left behind would finish the CLP dedication in the morning and hold an assembly and a household orientation in the afternoon prior to their departure in the evening, at around 9pm, by bus back to Yangon. They will stay on for a couple more days in Yangon to meet with our FFL counterparts as a courtesy and to provide them with an update on this CLP. They will also invite them to attend our future teachings as we bring more mission teams on a regular basis to Myanmar. After all, they have intimated that they are hungry for spiritual formation and pastoral formation is far and few in between. Visits like ours are, therefore, very much welcome for them. We shall emphasize to them that our intention is to collaborate and not to compete. After all, the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few. We look for ward to CFC-Singapore to provide the kick to sustain this momentum as they come back next weekend to conduct an assembly, a household meeting, Lord’s Day, a household leaders orientation, and a familiarization of the CFC formation track for the next twelve months. Bro. Mel also met last Saturday night with 20 Filipinos residing in Mandalay, who are very eager to attend the next CLP. Erick, our SFC chapter head in Makati, has already blocked the first week of February2012, promising to come back, along with his unit heads, and some other SFC, to serve in Mandalay. It will be his birthday present to himself. Bro. Jun Simon also committed other couples in the West C sector, who are currently on “wings” status, to serve next year in the Greater Mekong Area (GMA) and who are also eager to go on mission. As I write this, a cluster leader from South B and a household from North B, are also gearing up, just waiting for their marching orders to be deployed for the Lord’s service in GMA. As the 70-seater turbo-prop plane carrying us back to Yangon ascended to heaven, and as we gazed at the glistening spires pointing upwards, I can only say, “Thank you, Lord.” Next year, we will make sure that we will book again at Winner’s Inn.
On October 2009, a new set of coordinators were named to comprise the Greater Mekong Area (GMA) region. From that time to this day, we committed to meet every month to update one another on the goings-on in each one’s country of assignment. We also looked forward to the exciting prospect of re-establishing CFC in Laos and Myanmar. Laos was “re-claimed” in July of 2011, after painstaking planning, a visit by JM and Emilie Yupangco to Laos, endless exchanges of emails with the ambassador (Amb. Alarilla) and a couple (Rey/Lyn Feria) who helped CFC establish presence in the South Sea islands sometime back. We were blessed with 45 graduates, 13 of whom are local Laotians. Myanmar was a bit more challenging. FFL is present in Yangon, the capital, and is wholly composed of locals. They prefer that we do not touch Myanmars (as the locals are called) and they were content to maintain their present numbers. Our break came when Bro. Jimmy Lozare, country head of Thailand, negotiated with the Federation of Bishops Conferences, which was having their annual meeting in Bangkok, for us to sponsor one dinner for them. We met the bishops from Myanmar and one of them came to Manila for our 30th anniversary. Everything fell into place and we were emboldened to hold, not just one, but two CLPs upon the invitation of the bishops of the Archdioceses of Yangon and Mandalay. For perspective, there are over 500,000 Catholics in a population of 54 million with 89% dominated by Buddhists. There are 14 cathedrals and 126 churches spread over a land six times as big as the Philippines. Since 1989, the military regime has used the name Myanmar instead of Burma, as the latter represents just one tribe. The exchange rate is USD1=750 KYAT. You can pay in USD or in KYAT for goods and services there. THE TRIP
Carol and I just arrived back to Manila early this morning from Bangkok after a night and a day in Mandalay, the old capital of ancient Myanmar. I am pleased to report that the team led by Bro. Mel and Sis. Aimee Serrano has successfully conducted a CLP for 56 Myanmar nationals. Based on our initial list, there are 10 couples, 1 SOLD and 35 singles who completed all the talks. Praise God! CHALLENGES
As you all know, we experienced some challenges before and during this CLP. We were scheduled to have two CLPs in Myanmar, one after the other. The Yangon CLP was scheduled for Sept. 10-11 and the Mandalay CLP was scheduled for Sept. 16-17. The CFC-Manila team was to take care of the Yangon CLP, while the CFC-Singapore team was to handle the Mandalay CLP. At the last minute, the bishop of Yangon cancelled the Yangon CLP. He originally approved it months before, provided we will only focus on the Filipino community there. This was intended so as not to compete with the FFL community there, whose members are all locals. But on the week prior to the flight of the CFC-Manila team, the cancellation was ordered. Another development came on the heels of the first, and on the same week prior to the departure of the CFC-Singapore team. The bishop of Mandalay wanted us to move the Mandalay CLP on Sept. 10-11, one week earlier as the new papal nuncio was to visit their diocese on the 16th and 17th. The CFC-Singapore team had already booked and paid their tickets weeks before the trip and were at a loss on how to proceed. We decided to send the Manila contingent to Mandalay and requested the Singapore team to do post-CLP activities when they arrive a week later. Three Manila groups flew into Bangkok – the jump-off point – separately – the first group on the 7th, Wednesday, the 2nd group on the afternoon of the 8th, Thursday, and the 3rd group at close to midnight on the 8th. The 1st group stayed a night in the CFC-Thailand mission house, met the 2nd group in the Bangkok airport on the afternoon of the 8th and took a plane to Yangon that same day. Upon arrival, they stayed for one night at the Winner’s Inn and proceeded to take a 9-hour bus trip to Mandalay the next morning. Almost all the cars one can see on the streets were vintage 1970s and ’80s but were in running condition. But the bus was not too bad as it was of later vintage and was airconditioned. Apart from a few potholes here and there, and a stop-over of around an hour, the trip was generally smooth. Let’s wait for the more colorful and accurate version of the two groups when they come back tomorrow and/or Wednesday. 🙂 Carol, myself and Erick, our SFC Chapter Head in Makati, comprising the 3rd group, flew into Bangkok separately via PAL and Cebu Pacific, respectively, on the night of the 8th and stayed for one night at the residences of Bro. Jimmy Lozare and Nemboy Rivera – a former unit head of our SFC Makati Chapter who is now an expat for Chevron and unit head in SFC-Bangkok – respectively. Thank you, Bro. Jimmy, for coming and going to the airport three times in one day to meet and send-off the three groups. Thank you, too, to Nemboy, for lending us his spanking Fortuner with a driver, to bring us to the airport. Our group took the last flight to Mandalay and we cooled our heels for just a few hours at the Winner’s Inn, the same place the first group stayed in the night before. Truly, the name of the inn was a sign of impending victory and a portent of positive things to come for the team. 🙂 Our group then proceeded to take the earliest flight to Mandalay, a one hour and 50-minute flight – a little longer than a regular flight from Manila to Davao. We marveled from the window of the 70-seater turbo-prop plane as golden temples dotting the almost agricultural landscape glittered under the burning rays of the sun. It took us almost an hour from the airport by a Hi-Ace van that was also circa around 1970s, which was still in running condition but used naturally cooled air. The sun was burning outside but we were so enthused in our conversations with the two priests who picked us up – Fr. Edmond and Fr. Augustine – that we did not mind the discomfort. The 6th floor of the parish center was the venue of the CLP. We were greeted enthusiastically by the participants as Bro. Jorge Asensi was getting ready to give talk 4, Repentance and Faith. Two priests, Fr. Bosco and Fr. Augustine (a different Fr. Augustine), both Myanmar (locals), alternated in being the interpreters for the talks. Quite a number of the participants spoke a smattering of english and understood somewhat what we were saying, but they were more comfortable listening in their own language. They sang with energy the songs taught to them, including the action song “My Life Is In You Lord.” Interestingly, Fr. Bosco and the first Fr. Augustine, studied in Manila for sometime in connection with their priesthood. A female Myanmar also spent around 9 months in the Philippines to study english under the sponsorship of the bishop a few years ago. Come talk 8 and 9, the electricity started to sputter intermittently, and by the time the prayover was being done, the there was a brownout. The LCD projector could not be used. When the corporate worship started, it was pitch black. Only the generator of the parish saved us but it was able to turn on the LCD projector and the microphones. We were praising the Lord in darkness and the only fluorescent bulb that could have lighted the mini-praisefest, exploded while we were teaching them how to praise. But nobody was fazed. Everybody carried on as if the venue was lighted. In their hearts, and in ours, as well, we knew that the light coming from above was the more important light, and that particular evening, we were all shining, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. EPILOGUE
The other members of the team are: Jun/Mavic Simon
Dandy/Susan Calvez
Paul/Norma de Jesus
Jorge/Virgie Asensi
SFC – Erick Abad
Junie Romero
Nino Tuyay POSTSCRIPT
The following morning, Carol, myself and Erick left Mandalay by plane for Yangon enroute to Bangkok to wait for around 4 hours for our flight back to Manila. In the meantime, the team that was left behind would finish the CLP dedication in the morning and hold an assembly and a household orientation in the afternoon prior to their departure in the evening, at around 9pm, by bus back to Yangon. They will stay on for a couple more days in Yangon to meet with our FFL counterparts as a courtesy and to provide them with an update on this CLP. They will also invite them to attend our future teachings as we bring more mission teams on a regular basis to Myanmar. After all, they have intimated that they are hungry for spiritual formation and pastoral formation is far and few in between. Visits like ours are, therefore, very much welcome for them. We shall emphasize to them that our intention is to collaborate and not to compete. After all, the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few. We look for ward to CFC-Singapore to provide the kick to sustain this momentum as they come back next weekend to conduct an assembly, a household meeting, Lord’s Day, a household leaders orientation, and a familiarization of the CFC formation track for the next twelve months. Bro. Mel also met last Saturday night with 20 Filipinos residing in Mandalay, who are very eager to attend the next CLP. Erick, our SFC chapter head in Makati, has already blocked the first week of February2012, promising to come back, along with his unit heads, and some other SFC, to serve in Mandalay. It will be his birthday present to himself. Bro. Jun Simon also committed other couples in the West C sector, who are currently on “wings” status, to serve next year in the Greater Mekong Area (GMA) and who are also eager to go on mission. As I write this, a cluster leader from South B and a household from North B, are also gearing up, just waiting for their marching orders to be deployed for the Lord’s service in GMA. As the 70-seater turbo-prop plane carrying us back to Yangon ascended to heaven, and as we gazed at the glistening spires pointing upwards, I can only say, “Thank you, Lord.” Next year, we will make sure that we will book again at Winner’s Inn.
We hope that this will encourage more brethren from our different sectors to go to Myanmar. The Archdioces of Myitkyina, another hour by plane on the northern borders, has a standing invitation to CFC to plant its flag there. Vietnam CFC is now setting sail to Central Vietnam in Danang and in North Vietnam in Hanoi. It will be an exciting 2012 for the kingdoms around the Greater Mekong Area.
Truly Rich and Blessed 