A Christmas Potpourri
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A Christmas Potpourri Editor’s Thoughts ………………………………. “For God So Loved the World” ……………….………. Evelyn Porteza Tabingo Featured Items: Sharing the Christmas Sprit Don Christensen Our First Christmas in Israel Julio and Mila Mendez Our First Christmas in Africa Ellen Valenciano What Christmas was like at MVC Iris Lee Bingcang Tomampos Christmas Thoughts Anne Dagting Chew Christmas Memories Sharlene Dawn Valenciano PATCH OF WEEDS ……………………………….…………………………………………………..…………………………………Jesse Colegado LIFE of a Missionary: …………………………“Christmas in Different Countries” …….………………Romy Halasan Alumni Reunion Report – Part I ……………………………………………………………..……………………. Eddie Zamora Greetings From The CF Editors ……………………………………………………………………………………….. Group Effort CLOSING: |From The Mail Bag| Prayer Requests | Acknowledgements GREETINGS from The Editors |Closing Thoughts Editor’s Thoughts aft Avenue in Metro Manila was packed with activities. Aside from pedestrians walking between vehicles, there were jeepneys, buses, private cars and motorcabs on the avenue and perpetually T blowing their horns in hopes to gain an inch on the crowded street. Above the traffic, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) moved along with its packed passengers, all intent to finish the business of the day. Earlier that day, I was “swallowed” by the multitude of people walking about at the Mall of Asia. People looking for sales to purchase for Christmas presents, students strolling after class and many more were there just to escape the Manila heat. Sitting areas outside coffee shops were fully occupied with shoppers who were content to sit as they sipped coffee or ate sweet delicacies. Late that night, I viewed the city from the 28th floor of a condominium complex. A calm atmosphere had finally settled on the place. The LRT was done for the day. Except for a couple of vehicles that drove down the avenue, it was indeed a “silent night.” A few colored lights twinkled in the distance, a display of the Christmas spirit. It was a picture of serenity. As I gazed upon the city, I pictured a time and a place some 2000 years before, in a little town called Bethlehem. With the decree of Caesar Augustus that a census would be taken in the Roman province of Judea, with each person having to register in his own town, people on foot, on donkeys or any other mode of transportation came pouring into Bethlehem. There was no room in the inn. As darkness settled on the town and the activities ceased, the stillness of the night was interrupted by a host of angels announcing the birth of Jesus to a group of startled shepherds who were watching their flock in the hillside of Judea. “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill towards men.” (Luke 2:14 NKJV) the heavenly choir sang and their song echoed through the hillside and beyond. Although there is no Biblical record that Jesus was really born on December 25, many observe Christmas around the world through the centuries, in spite of the celebration’s intrinsic origins. As we celebrate this Christmas season with our families and friends, let our focus be on the greatest Gift given to mankind, God’s Son. May peace, joy and love reign in our hearts. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (RSV). Lyn Porteza Tabingo Sharing the Christmas Spirit By: Don Christensen ur family spent many Christmases at MVC. It was always a special time of year. While there was no snow and no visit from our family, we always valued being part of the MVC family. There was O the annual Christmas program, and Miss Rallos would come by my office to ask permission to prepare a special Christmas day meal for students left on campus such as full timers, and those unable to afford the trip home and back. Most of our Christmases in the Philippines were spent at MVC, but there was one year when that just did not happen. I had taken my family to Manila for other appointments while I did business. The weather turned bad and we could not fly the Cessna 206 back to MVC as planned. We found ourselves stranded at the guesthouse in Manila for Christmas. Christmas eve came on Sabbath evening that year, and I wondered what we could do the make it a special family time. Our three children always looked forward to this time of family togetherness. Philippine Union College had just begun its first construction phase at Silang. There was no electricity or water yet, but two families volunteered to move out to the future campus to provide a presence. I thought of them and how alone they would be on Christmas Eve. Our family decided after church in Pasay, we would drive out to Silang with some goodies to share with these two families. Almost all of Sabbath afternoon we three families walked the future campus of Philippine Union College. Just as the sun began to set in the west, we sat down on steps of the first little agriculture building, which had been constructed. This building later became a grade school, and was at the location of the current elementary school on the AUP campus. We sang some Christmas carols and watched the reflection of the setting sun spread over Laguna de Bay and Los Banos to the east. As darkness gathered and we drew close for our sundown prayer, we saw a vehicle drive onto the campus below us. Slowly it moved up the unfinished road to where we were. We wondered who would come onto the unfinished campus at dark. Why would they come? The small car stopped in front of the agriculture building where we sat. The door opened, and out stepped Dr. Alfonso Roda, President of PUC. He carried a large bowl of fruit salad. Perhaps the shocked look on our faces showed, as he said with a broad grin, “I've been thinking about you all day. Your willingness to be out here alone on Christmas Eve has been troubling me. So I decided to come out and spend Christmas Eve with you”. He offered the unfinished sundown prayer, and we spent Christmas eve together—no Christmas lights, no Christmas tree, no fancy food, no soft music, but a special feeling of oneness. We were all touched by his thoughtfulness. The president of a major college in the Philippines who had a family and numerous other faculty he could have spent the evening with, chose to drive by himself, all the way from Baesa to Silang, to be with the first pioneers of PUC, now AUP. It's natural to celebrate Christmas with family, and we're blessed when we do, however, how often do we reach out and share the Christmas spirit with those beyond our families? Do we think of the lonely ones? What can we do to bring cheer to them? At this time of year I think of the many MVC alumni who are working in far off lands in very hard conditions. Their families are thousands of miles away. Would it be possible as fellow alumni to reach out...even an email perhaps....to let them know that the Christmas family of MVC, worldwide, still cares and does not forget. Don Christensen has served MVC as Financial Consultant/Advisor for several years. He and his wife, Sharon live in Northern California Our First Christmas in Israel By: Julio and Mila Mendez BSC and BSE Class ‘78 srael is the land where Jesus was born. What do you expect for Christmas? Will there be Christmas lights all over Jerusalem or Bethlehem? Will there be Christmas trees? Will there be firecrackers or I heated bamboo “cannon” to produce noise in a festive show? Will there be caroling? Will there be a festive mood of the holiday season, as you would see in cities all over the world? It was with great anticipation that we waited for our first Christmas in Israel, even if it was our first time to spend Christmas away from our children, parents, siblings, relatives and friends. The church family in Israel became our second family away from our immediate families. There was a mixture of loneliness and excitement as to what Christmas may bring in this so-called Holy Land! We visited Bethlehem on a cold night of December 24. It was exciting. Knowing that the place was mentioned in the Bible where Jesus was born, we felt very special to be in the place where angels announced to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, Good will towards men.” Our spirits were high and joyous to be visiting this memorable place of Jesus’ birth. But entering the city of Bethlehem, our high spirits dropped! It was dark!!! There were no streetlights. Scanning the distance, we hoped that perhaps over there, we will see a festive decoration of Christmas trees and lights and buildings colorfully decorated just as we imagined would look like Tangub City in Mindanao, which is famous for its Christmas lights. But no! There were no decorations. It was quiet and dark! But wait, we see… a string of lights across the street with 6 white bulbs!! That was all!!! My husband and I looked at each other. Then we laughed! We just laughed out loud!! Nangatawa mi aron ma release among Ka Palaw!!! (We laughed to release our unfulfilled high hopes.) How sad to think, that the Source of Light who was born here in Bethlehem would find only a faint light in His city. The same is true with us, Adventists, Alumni of the School of the Light who claim to be light bearers for God’s kingdom yet harbor no light within us.