Feast Alabang Rocks GK Taguig

The priest introduced our group as the Fantastic Feast. We chuckled. He just read that on our shirts and thought that’s the name of our community. We were clad in Feast Alabang’s 4th anniversary shirt which said “Fantastic 4 Fantastic Feast”.

But come to think of it, the introduction was apt. There are many fantastic things that happen at The Feast – relationships are healed, financial and physical health are restored, and faith is deepened among many other things.

As for Feast Alabang (FA), the “Fantastic 4” stood not just for 4 years of weaving miracles in people’s lives in our area but also for our phenomenal growth. In 4 years, Feast Alabang has given birth to 4 more Feasts: Wednesday Feast Alabang (WFA), Saturday Feast Alabang (SFA), Feast Bicutan (FB) and Feast Alabang Town Center (FATC).

And here we were being blessed to join hands with another community in pioneering another fantastic event – The Feast Outreach. Gawad Kalinga (GK) thru one of its leaders, Alex Wollboldt, invited FA to bring The Feast lock, stock and barrel to their project in Taguig.

We met bright and early on October 6, a Sunday. It was a day many of us would rather be in dreamland a little longer but our team (SFA Builder James Nicolas, his wife Jinky, Evangelism Pillar heads Dom & Dee Dimalanta, and servants of the Music, Outreach, Intercessory and Media Ministries) was called to serve at the GK Family Fest and we answered.

The event was held in a gymnasium with about 400 to 500 people in attendance. After the mass, SFA Music with worship leaders Yo Martinez and Meds Rana rocked the place.

Standing by the Tech booth in the back, I was awed by the transformation I saw. In the beginning, only the GK members were participating in the worship. There were old people sitting and staring blankly at the stage. There were teens huddled in groups chatting. Small children were running around. But by the third song, they were all singing and dancing their praises to God.

When Bro James gave the talk, one of my co-servants commented, “You can really feel their hunger for God’s word”.  The talk “Pasasalamat vs. Utang na Loob” from the series Original Pilipino Magnificence was just the nourishment they were seeking.

The Feast Alabang Team

It was astounding to realize that the talks from The Feast can move people from all walks of life. It has the same effect even when transported to a totally different place.

We left the place with a warm feeling (literally and figuratively ;) knowing that God’s Word has reached more people and from the thought that through The Feast Alabang, we change lives in FAntastic ways.

Photos by: Romy Are

Love Duplicated

The email moved me. It was an appeal to help a brother from another Feast with his expenses for a kidney transplant. He dropped by our center once as he just came from his dialysis nearby. He was a pleasant man and his condition saddened me. I wanted so much to help. I marked the email “unread” so I won’t forget and mentally set aside an amount to give.

Another message came into my inbox. This time it was a request for prayers for one of my ministry member’s father. He needed an emergency operation. Aside from offering prayers I also felt God’s prodding to help in a more practical way. All I had left in my budget for love offering was the amount I already earmarked for the first appeal. I planned to half it so I can give both but felt that was too paltry to make a difference. I decided to give it all to my member. She was closer to my heart.

While singing with the choir that Sunday, I espied the brother needing the transplant among the attendees. My heart bled. I had no more to give. I offered a silent prayer for him and lifted my wish to the Lord to grant me the ability to help. As we sang during worship, the Lord impressed on me to go ahead and give what I had planned anyway. I had the money stashed in my wallet marked with a mental note: “For extreme emergency only. Burn in hell if you use this for frivolities.” That was what I decided to donate.

Soon after, I received two dividend checks and a small windfall from my balikbayan uncle. Ten percent of these blessings was exactly the amount of my emergency stash that I donated. The Lord duplicated my love offering like the loaves and fishes. He granted my wish to be able to love more people in practical ways.

The Third Wish

My dream No. 3.a.1 in my Novena to God’s Love is to become a writer. Dream No. 3c is to have what I do bless others and inspire them to improve their lives.

Yesterday, something awesome happened that made me realize that this third wish is slowly coming true. (There’s still 3.a.2, 3.a.3, 3b and 3d, you see.)

Allow me to flashback a bit to how this all started. A couple of years ago, when I was still in the religious gifts business, I offered to make accessories for Rissa Singson-Kawpeng, Kerygma mag editor-in-chief. She was hosting Kerygma TV. I gave her necklaces and earrings to wear on cam. At that time it was the only thing I could contribute to their mission in spreading God’s

word. Rissa was appreciative, even asked me to make her tiara for her wedding.

When I got involved in Proudly Filipina.com, an online magazine and social network for Filipinas, I was clueless about what an editor does. I asked Rissa for some tips and sent her the link to some of my articles to get a critique. I guess she liked them because she asked me to write for Didache 2010. Wow me, a Didache writer! It was a twelve year old dream that finally came true. (I wrote about this for Didache 2011. Just watch for it there.)

My reflection for Sept. 20, 2010 was about a principle we were taught when I was taking up my Masters in Entrepreneurship. In that piece I included a prayer I composed as an entrepreneur. It’s a quirky little prayer borne out of my business frustrations but written with great faith:

When business dips and sales are few, O Lord, sustain me. When the BIR comes and finds non-existent income, O Lord, defend me. When strategies and ideas run dry, O Lord, inspire me. When opportunities knock and the risk is scary, O Lord, encourage me. When money is scarce and the SSS and Philhealth checks need to be signed, O Lord, empower me. When you finally bless us with abundance and loyal employees need a raise, O Lord, remind me.

The next day, I received some emails thanking me for the reflection. It warmed my heart that my simple little prayer touched these people. One email in particular floored me. It said:

“don't know you but I would like to thank you for your "prayer" sa Didache reflection yesterday.

"When money is scarce and checks need to be signed, O Lord, empower me."

I really like this sis. It became my inspiration since yesterday and I want to make it my personal prayer from now on. I actually posted it in my FB account. You see, I needed to fund a check worth 35k today and since yesterday, been worrying how to produce that amount since funds are low. Praise be to God, before 3pm today, I was able to produce exactly that amount... The Lord empowered me… and thank you so much. May the Lord continue to use you. God bless you.”

So this is what it feels like to be the straw through which God’s blessings flow. I was amazed, awed and humbled.

The Year of Living Deliberately

I can’t believe it’s been a year! On June 15, 2009, Bro Arun Gogna, our South Feast builder, invited us over to his house for his birthday dinner cum meeting for the South Feast launch. There were about 26 of us from the Council in attendance then. We surprised him by coming in Indian attire complete with Elmer Glue-d sequins on our foreheads to honor his Bumbay roots.

Last Sunday, June 13, there was a strikingly different celebration for his 40th birthday. Over 1,000 people were on hand at the South Feast to surprise him. The Children’s Ministry came with balloons. There was cake. There were party hats and huge tarps. There were videos featuring his family, friends and South Feast attendees thanking him for his role in the miracles wrought in their lives.

Perfectly timed with the occasion was the last talk of the series A Life of No Regrets: The Joy of Intentional Living. Bro Arun summarized the whole series in two words – LIVE DELIBERATELY. Deliberately make the right choices for a life lived with no regrets…
…spend time with your loved ones
…serve others; help them to grow and become better
…develop your core gift and go out of your comfort zone
…forgive and ask for forgiveness
…refuse to do wrong even if others are doing it
…sacrifice your self for your life mission.

My mind zoomed in on pictures of the past year perfectly framed by this last talk.

Picture Collage# 1: Changed lives and the South Feast Center set to open on our first year anniversary. Framed by the choice to serve and sacrifice for one’s life mission.
Bro Arun tirelessly leading and preaching.
Ministry heads and servants selflessly giving time and talent.
Attendees generously sharing their treasure.

Picture Collage#2: Bro Arun’s birthday surprises, both the touching and the wacky. Framed by the choice to love.

Sis Lallaine (a.k.a. Lois Lallaine) making all the party arrangements and asking everyone to come as Bro Arun’s (a.k.a. Superman) favorite superhero or character from Star Trek, Star Wars and X-men. All accomplished while caring for the sick Helene (a.k.a. Super Girl).

Bro Bo, Sis Marowe, Bene and ministry servants making the effort to film the videos.

Children’s ministers performing the superhuman task of keeping dozens of kids quiet and entertained while waiting for their cue to enter.

Kerygma preachers, their wives and CG mates in costume as superheroes Green Lantern, Krystala, Xavier, Storm, etc. making the long trek to the south and attracting curious stares from motorists in SLEX. Bro Jon Escoto risking neck injury with his Iron (as in plantsa) Man costume.


Becky missing work and a big social event to make the party video and tarps.
Myrna missing meals and sleep while stressing on the builder gifts and the program.
Me dancing to Poker Face at 4:00 in the morning of the party trying to choreograph a short presentation –complete with headphones and light steps to avoid waking my slumbering sons in the next room.

Council members frantically looking for costumes in between their work and ministry duties – digging into piles of ukay-ukay, going to Divisoria to get X-men wigs and Star Wars buns, turning closets inside out to find moldy boots, commissioning their children to make their logos.

Dignity getting kicked out during the dance, scratched by Wolverine’s chopstick claws and slashed by plastic light sabers.

What a fun and meaningful way to cap the year. A year that saw many lives prospered, relationships strengthened, core gifts developed, comfort zones left and courage zones explored. A year of living deliberately.

Encountering Jesus in My Service

Jesus Encounter participants with South Feast builder,
Bro Arun Gogna & LOJ-South Feast servants

May 8, 2010! There was a conflict when this was scheduled. I had a previous commitment. But this will be the first ever Jesus Encounter for the South Feast – a rite of passage for faithful attendees into the Light of Jesus Family. I wanted so much to serve. I did the next best thing. I promised to follow right after my other event. I was torn. As Secretariat head, it was my duty to man the registration table early in the morning. Good thing there were people who can cover for me.

The night before the JE, I learned some disturbing news about my other event. I had been praying for this. It was important to me too. But from the very start there was some heaviness in my heart every time I prayed for it. With that news and my family’s warning not to go, I decided to serve in the JE instead.

Funny how the Lord arranges things. He prevented me from going to my event because there were things He needed me for in the JE.

I found out in the morning that the one assigned to the registration had to work overtime and couldn’t make it. The person in charge of the Secretariat in my supposed absence was multi-tasking as emcee. He was already loaded with emcee-related work. The Music Ministry head had an important commitment and couldn’t be there. Our Events Ministry head asked me to coordinate the singers and the lyrics. And then there were other things: singing at the worship, serving food, praying over the participants at the baptism, etc. etc.

(Note to self: never volunteer to pray over at the baptism ever again. My tear ducts are too loose. I cry ahead of the participants especially when they’re people I care for. Embarrassing!)

I’m glad the Lord arranged things the way He did. He allowed me to serve at this historic encounter with such a loving, committed and hard-working team. That’s what’s so great about serving at the South Feast. There are glitches true, as in any event, but we learn our lessons, learn to be more patient and continue loving each other.

Service & Happy Hormones

Tuesday is my day to work on the South Feast bulletin. Even if Wednesday night is my deadline with the printer I stick to this schedule because I like having a comfortable lead time. Last week my schedule was thrown off. On Tuesday morning, Papa asked me to go with him to the eye doctor to get his cataract checked in far, far away Edsa Shang. That night we had a Leaders’ Meeting.
So my Wednesday was pretty hectic – getting Bo Sanchez’s article, hounding Bro Arun for his article, choosing the photos, asking attendees’ permission to print their answered prayers/thanksgiving. There were also a couple of work requests from other ministry heads I had to pencil into my planner. And since we are maid-less add to that the housework I scheduled for the day.
In between tapping on my laptop and scrubbing the bathroom tiles, I got around 5 prayer requests from people in the community and South Feast attendees. Some for health concerns, others for work problems and the most heart tugging one from a young girl who attends the South Feast. She was asking for prayers that her school will accept her promissory note so she can take her exam. As far as I know her mother is a single parent. Being a single mom myself that just brought on my sniffles.
In spite of the rush and the juggling act, I did not feel stressed at all. Doing service for others must have released some of my happy hormones.