From Raindrops to Ripples

Citation preview

FROM RAINDROPS TO RIPPLES

UTS’s Diakonia in Vital Conversations and Services Copyright©2016 Union Theological Seminary (Philippines) and General Commission on Religion and Race of the United Methodist Church A Special Edition of the Union Seminary Bulletin February 2016 ISSN-1908-563x All Rights Reserved No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by law or in writing from the publisher. All requests for permission should be addressed to Union Theological Seminary, Aguinaldo Highway, Sampaloc 1, Dasmarinas 4114 Cavite, Philippines. Revelation Enriquez Velunta, Editor. Kakay Pamaran and ZM Tiempo, Creative Team. Published by UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY (PHILIPPINES)

Table of Contents Editor’s Note Invocation for the Journey Raindrops… Mindanao TRIPs Aunt Gina and the Woman Bleeding for 12 Years Motorcycle Diaries #mindanaotrips2015 NATSIT Life as a Gift Everyone Deserves Awakening Diversity as Gift DVCS Shiprah and Puah A New Year’s Revolution Epilogues Five Barley Loaves, Two Fish, and Soup The Parable of the Stone Soup Baptism and Border Crossing Ripples… If I Can Dream A Note of Thanks

* Dr.Romeo del Rosario + Fr. Carlos Abesamis, SJ.

This DVCS is a new chapter in an old book. As in the story of Hannah, we find ourselves opening a new chapter in the story of Struggle. One that is taxing and heavy upon our shoulders, but one that is necessary and profoundly hopeful. In the course of this struggle, it is easy to be provoked into giving up. It is easy to lose heart, to be downtrodden and doubt ourselves and the strength that lies within us. There will be people and circumstances that will hurt us and provoke us into giving up. But just as Hannah did long ago, we stand our ground. We assert and push forward in faithful perseverance. We rise to the challenge because we can through the One who, in our asking, has promised to give to us what we need. As we begin this new chapter of transforming the hearts and minds of our youth, together we will birth hopeful change. Amen.

#

#

Story from Senator Juan Flavier

In partnership with Southern Methodist Philippines Colleges, Inc., UTS, through its FIELD EDUCATION PROGRAM, CJP- Center for Justice and Peace, and CPCF–Center for Pastoral Care and Formation expanded its six-week summer immersion program by including a Tri People (Lumad, Moslem, and Christian) offering. Seminarians were exposed to diversities relative to race, culture, class, gender, religion and to the life struggles that unite the peoples of Mindanao

The Mindanao Trips logo integrates symbols of the Christian ikthus, the Lumad tinalak and the Moro crescent moon. The symbols have been drawn into wave patterns to fit with each other without necessarily disappearing into each other. This “unified distinction” is the artist interpretation of the beauty of Mindanao and the delicate balance her people need to make on the daily basis.

Inter cultural Organizations Network for Solidarity and Peace ICON SP Executive Director: Address: Contact Number: Email Address: Blog site: Exposure Area:

Mrs. Lorie Obal GKK Village, Purok 2, Balindog, Kidapawan City 0928-2186490 [email protected] Interculturalorganizationsnetwork.wordpress.com

Columbio, Sultan Kudarat

Columbio is a town surrounded by three provinces: North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. It is a municipality of Sultan Kudarat. The place is a home of tri-people: the Lumads, the Moro and the Christian Settlers. The community is rich in natural resources, thus mining activities are present in the area. There is military presence in the area so with other armed groups. Their main source of livelihood is farming. There is a United Methodist local church in the area.

Aunt Gina and the Woman Bleeding for 12 Years Daffodil Romero

We have been to different places in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat. But one place and experience which made a great impact on me was when we visited Sto. Mauno. One can immediately notice the simplicity of the lifestyle of the B’laan people (indigenous group) in the community. One can also notice the reality of poverty in their faces especially because it was a drought season when we came, hence, no sufficient produce of food from their farms. We were warmly welcomed when we arrived. They were frantic in welcoming us despite of our explanation that we were not visitors but immersionists, hence, must be treated normally. They replied however, that we should not deprive them of their opportunity to show their hospitality because in their culture, one is blessed when one’s house accepts visitors. For them, its shows that they are good people because somebody wants to visit their homes. What happened was that, there was a tug of war among them of who will be the blessed one to host us. The first house in which we stayed in was the house of Aunt Gina, an indigenous person who has been converted into Christianity. We were supposed to stay there for only two days. On the second day in the place, a heavy rain fell. We, the exposurists were happy because we knew that the community has been waiting for rain for many months. However, instead of joy, we saw sadness in the face of Aunt Gina. We found out later on that the reason why she was sad was because their roof has been leaking that our things including the space where we will be sleeping were drenched in rain. We tried to be happy and share humorous stories to put Aunt Gina at ease and to let her know that we understood the situation. On the next day, we were supposed to stay in another house. However, we were told to just stay in Aunt Gina’s house because the situation and the house of our next supposed-to-be host was even worse than that of Aunt Gina. I was sad when they prayed not to rain anymore despite their great need of rain, just to make sure that we will be comfortable.

There is a story in the bible about a woman who was bleeding for 12 years. In the midst of the multitude and despite of the law prohibiting her to touch anybody, she dared to come to Jesus and touched his garment. Even if the multitude did not notice her, Jesus knew that somebody touched him so he asked who it was. What the woman did was a violation of the law. The discrimination against that woman was multi-layered. She wanted to be healed and be whole but she can’t do anything. The only thing she can do is to defy the imposed law of the society by touching Jesus. I can see that there is a similarity between the story of that bleeding woman and the story of our indigenous people who have been neglected for so long. Maybe, they differ in the level and form of struggle but they have the same aspiration: to be free, to be healed, to be whole. Jesus’ response was worth-noting. He did not only healed the woman, he even defied and destroyed the barrier of discrimination. He made himself as an example to his disciples. This is a challenge to me and to every Christian. Are we truly willing and committed to follow the steps of Christ? In what way can we help and learn from our brothers and sisters from the B’laan community? In what way can we help them just like what Jesus did?

Center for Lumad Advocacy Network and Services, Inc. (CLANS) Contact Person: Mercedes Arleen P. Alonzo, Executive Director Address: c/o Bandiola law Office, FPOP Champaca cor Zapote Sts. General Santos City, 9500, PHILIPPINES Contact Number: 0946-0158895; (083) 303-2540 Email: [email protected] Exposure Areas: CLANS has many exposure areas like Maitum in Sarangani and Tamapakan in South Cotabato. Their main focus in Maitum is Alternative Learning / Literacy-Numeracy program among the children. However, in Tampakan the focus of their work is advocacy because of the presence of Mining in the area. CLANS is known in Sarangani area because of their constant consultation with the government to bring programs and projects to the community. They were able to reach and organize the Lumad communities not reached by the government services.

Motorcycle Diaries

Felipe Bautista Jr.

In our pre-immersion proper activities, we were blessed to have met several very important persons and resource persons that gave us the kind of “lift”, preparations, and conditioning we would need as we faced one of the most important theological activities for a seminarian like me: the summer exposure program. In one of our activities, the movie, “Motorcycle Diaries” was introduced. It seemed like an old movie but the message still resonates to this day. It centered on the life of Che Guevarra of Cuba, a medical doctor by profession and a charismatic leader. His passion to discover new places; meet new people; and explore ways of helping them led him to a great adventure together with his friend, Alberto across South America. As Che and Alberto journeyed on a motorcycle and met new people from different places in the movie, I was reminded of what we do each day. Every day, the people that we meet along the way present us with challenges and opportunities: from simple to complex. These challenges lead us to make important choices in our lives—to be better or to remain as we are. But, I think what really separate great men and women from the simple ones are their abilities to create an impact in others’ lives. In one part of the movie, Che chose to be assigned in one of the leprosarium in a very remote area. Upon arriving at the area, Che and his friend Alberto were oriented on the rules and regulations in the area and on how to deal with the patients. Che, seeing the rules as limiting and un-liberating, started to go against the rules by extending his hands to reach out to the patients, encouraging them to go out and enjoy life by playing games they love. Even though their situations seemed hopeless, he let them know that he was there not as a medical practitioner but as a friend who cared for them; he stayed with them in their moments of pain and struggle. The time of his birthday came, and the management and his colleagues in the leprosarium made a dinner celebration for Che. He did celebrate with them, but after a few minutes at the banquet, Che chose to go over to the other side of the river of the leprosarium where the patients were staying. He swam across the river despite the coldness of the night and a threatening asthma because he knew that he will be happier being with the leprosy patients on his birthday. That is why when the time came, when Che was about to leave the leper colony, the whole community was with him. Lives were changed, perspectives had improved and the future was filled with hope.

My life is blessed with so many people who had contributed to who I am now. I am thankful because I have met them along the way and until now. God sent special people to help me, to change me for the better. It is because of them that life became, and continues to be more meaningful. Looking back at the life of Che Guevarra, I realized, too, that my life is also a diary, slowly being filled up with my daily accounts of living as a Pastor, as a student and as an individual. Sometimes I start to wonder, have I ever left an impact even to one single person that I’ve met in my life? Or I had I just been a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal as the Apostle Paul put it? Right at the Heart of Conflict Fact Finding Mission April 27-29, 2015 Sitio Akboal, Malapatan, Saranggani Province It was in early morning of April 27 that our journey to our first assignment commenced. On board a “saddam” type truck, we left Alabel Tribal center and started our way towards a seemingly heaven-bound road that featured a beautiful picturesque of nature caressed by the early morning sun. The view was captivating and the terrain was breathtaking. With the expert maneuvering of the driver, the heavy truck loaded at least 80 souls, gliding very carefully along zig-zag roads, deep ridges, rough roads and rocky rivers. After an hour of a very challenging journey, we finally reached our drop-off point, Sitio Sofan, Bgy Pag-asa, Alabel town. Half an hour later, we started trekking by 8 AM. According to the information we got from our host facilitator, the travel would be approximately 5-6 hours, but to those who went to the place last year, it would be eight hours more or less. The information in itself seemed uninviting. Honestly, it was my first experience of sorts to travel on such a long journey without any idea what was waiting for us down the road, not to mention my present age and unchecked health condition. At first it was all fun, for around that time we were beginning to build rapport with people coming from different groups included in the mission. All were upbeat and looked determined to reach our destination. We started to cross rivers, climb mountains ridges, traverse forest areas and small communities. After few hours of walk, weariness started to set in. The pacing started to slow down and some health issues started to pop out. It was also a big challenge for me passing through steep ridges since a have a vertigo health issue. Helping myself to maintain the composure during the journey, I allowed myself to be captured by the beauty of nature that appeared before us every step of the way. By 11:30 AM, we stopped at Sitio New Canaan, Brgy. Pag-asa to take our lunch and the much needed rest. At 12:30 PM the journey resumed.

The expedition looked never-ending, tiring and threatening because one by one, the trekkers started to feel uneasy. But the greatest issue that left our minds was that our objective was to conduct a fact finding mission and by 4 PM, we were right at the heart of conflict: Sitio Akboal, Bgy Pag-asa, Malapatan, Saranggani province. I used to have a control of myself in everything I do; I always thought that the lesser the risk, the better. But during that time, I felt that everything came out of my hand. I gave in to the “fate” or I should say “faith”. In silence I prayed, Lord, please take charge. Protect me. Protect us. The trip to Akboal was thrilling in a not-so-good manner, but the welcome that waited for us was heartwarming. Amidst conflicts and suppressed agonies, the warm reception the people gave us was exceptional; it came from the heart. They were the B’laan Tribe of Sitio Akboal (an indigenous group). To my estimate, there were at least 70 families in the area and almost 40% of them were children. By the way, the B’laans is the biggest lumad tribe in the whole of Mindanao. I met some of them during the Kalumaran Festival held in Davao City. I heard their cries and their concerns beforehand, but seeing them in their own sacred space is a totally different story. Suddenly the cries had become real and their concerns had become concrete. There, face-to-face I came closer to poverty, to the injustices and the struggle just to keep living. During that time, my heart started to break and tears welled in my eyes. I asked myself, what is the meaning of my calling in the midst of these circumstances? The Fact Finding Mission was motivated by the recent military activities in Akboal and its surrounding sitios. In one sitio, eight bombs were dropped in their vicinity at the middle of the night, causing the residents to experience great trauma and fear for their lives. In other sitios, house to house search by the military was prevalent; there was also an account food blockade, physical harassments and grave threats to property and people. In all of these things, trauma was everywhere. And the most affected of it all were the children, innocent children. In one of the interviews, we met a mother who experienced miscarriage because of so much fear. According to her, on March 30, 2015 before midnight, a military chopper was hovering above their area. Few minutes later, the chopper started to drop bombs until early morning. After the first bomb had dropped, she started to feel so much fear and eventually pain in her stomach. Since the bombing continued until before day break, the fear and the pain in her stomach continued, and before sunrise, a rush of blood came flowing from her. The baby in her womb had already died. And until May 28 when the fact finding mission was done, she never got any medical attention nor psychosocial help to allow her to recover from the terrible experience. Not only did her story caught my attention and sympathy, but also the unexplained sadness in the face of her 5-year-old daughter who was with her that day.

A little boy puts bugas (uncooked rice) in a galingan (rice mill).

A typical kitchen in a Datal Basak home.

I tried to talk to her with the help of some interpreter, but it proved to be unsuccessful because the child was also deeply affected by fear and trauma was obvious all over her face. As I looked into the faces of the kids who were with their parents at that time, I saw the same faces filled with fear and uncertainty. Seeing these innocent faces, I asked one of our friends from the community-based health worker if it was possible for us to conduct a psychosocial activity for the kids so that they can at least experience some sort of relief from their miseries. What really made me sick was upon knowing that the reason why all these things were happening to them. The root of it was a big mining company that is about to start its operation in the area. In addition to that, the government is behind the big mining company on the project. They saw the need that the people be evacuated. Evacuated in this way? I almost exclaimed in anger. Does it justify the use of so much violence and the undermining of their welfare? Does it have to be at the expense of these wandering brothers and sisters who never bothered us even once in their life? Does it have to be at the expense of these innocent children whose childhoods they never enjoyed because of our insensitivity to them? Does it justify the losing of many lives and the unmaking of many dreams? Does it justify the uprooting of many families from their homes, farms, livelihood and properties? Does it all make sense? zz Frustrated I became, I asked God in silence, do you hear their cries? Do you see their miseries, Lord? Are You on their side? Do You hear them as You heard Israel when they were in Egypt? Are there Mosesses, Aarons and Miriams You are about to raise to help them? Can these people experience exodus from all their miseries? Is there a promised land of a sort waiting for them? Are peace, justice and the right for self-determination possible for them? Amidst these hopeless scenarios I saw breaking lights. From people’s brokenness I saw a light shining through. And these are lights coming from the people who selflessly offered their selves for the welfare of these hapless brothers and sisters especially in their deepest time of need. These are the hands of these community-based health workers who tirelessly offered their services of caring for the people physically and emotionally. The hands of other non-governmental organizations like the Center for Lumad Advocacy and Services for helping the communities in the remote areas by bringing quality and free education and helping them maximize their resources to their advantage by conducting training and introducing other livelihood programs. There are also the cause-oriented and lawyers’ group who fearlessly defend them and teach them their rights, and protect them from powerful groups that oppresses them and take advantage of their weaknesses. To the church people who not only pray for these people but live with them in their struggle and daily lives. In them, I saw new Mossesses, Aarons and Miriams. In them I saw the Hands of God working and caring for His people.

Sa Piling ng mga Ulap ( In Communion with the Clouds) Our next major exposure point was not as “threatening” as the first one, but has uniqueness on its own. It is the last town of the Saranggani Province in the Southeastern part, and also of the whole country. According to our host which later we discovered, the temperature in the area during the third watch of the night reached an oozing 13 degrees celcius. It is the town of Maasim, particularly in Sitio Datal Basak. Early in the morning of May 6, 2015, we woke up at around 4:30 AM to do our last minute preparation for the day’s journey. Finally, after taking our breakfast and readying all our needed things, we started our journey. Maasim is more than an hour ride from our home base and at around 8:30 in the morning, we were at the office of the Barangay Captain of Caballan, the barangay captain whose area includes Sitio Datal-Basak. By 9:15 AM, we were at the market of Caballan, waiting for the vehicle we would use on our way to our immersion area. After 15 minutes, the vehicles were available and for the very first time, I came face to face with “habal-habal”, a motorcycle that can accommodate four to five persons and six more baggage at its sides. I felt a mixture of fear and excitement, but the one thing that I learned and came to accept as the days passed in the immersion program is that if you want to serve the Lord and to be used by Him, you have to let go of your control of yourself, and to go where calling bids you to go. At first, the journey looked cool and fun. Roads were cemented and the view was captivating. But little by little, as we ascended to higher grounds, I started to feel tentative because I have the fear of heights. What made my fears worse was the conditions of the road we were passing through. Not only was it not cemented, it was also rough and steep ridged. Slowly, I felt that the journey was daunting yet liberating as I realized I was already touching clouds and fogs. It was a journey, “Sa Piling ng mga Ulap” (In communion with the clouds). After two hours of the Habal-habal ride through the mountain ranges of Maasim town, we finally reached our destination. Sitio Datal-Basak is a valley community of about fifty families. What had originally started with two families has now become widely varied because of the coming of outsiders. We paid our visit to the Sitio Leader and settled our bags and paraphernalia’s afterwards. Our quarters will be a one-storey school building on the eastern side of the community. The community was very warm but the kids were somehow cautious and uncertain to us, maybe because we were new to them. The way of living there was very simple and animals almost live amongst the people. Rice was scarce as well as meat and fish. The regular food was corn but sometimes even corn was limited especially during off-harvest time. The land was wide and seemed never-ending but the plants and trees, especially fruit-bearing trees were limited and lacking. They are may be poor in the sense of the world, but there was one thing that really touched my heart as they accepted us in their midst for almost seven days: their hospitality is really exceptional.

Their respect to guests just like us was so warm that whenever and wherever we meet them, whether in the well or in the road, they allowed us to go first. We were also given one sack of corn after attending the Sunday worship at the church. And on our last day before we left the place, the parents were crying because they cannot offer us something to bring on our way home. Although it was an off-harvest season, and that our visit was unscheduled, just the same you can trace the sadness in their faces and the tears in their eyes because they lost the opportunity to serve their guests. The children were also crying because by that time, we had already developed closed attachments to them. We played with them, made art activities and we taught them songs. We became their friends, their kuya’s (older brothers) and ate’s (older sisters). One thing came to my mind as we were on our way home: I realized that lessons are not only learned at classrooms, and teachers are not the only ones who have many lessons to teach. Simple as they may be, the T’boli of Sitio Datal-Basak taught us the real meaning of respect, care; and the commission “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” applied in real life. “Broken” I believe it was fitting that our immersion program with the indigenous people of Saranggani Province culminated with a meeting with Father Arvin Buenconsejo Belen, a Roman Catholic priest from the Visayan region. He, too, had experienced an immersion program with the indigenous people of Mindanao a few years back. But after that encounter with the Lumads (Indigenous People), he left his native town, his comforts and even his family’s fortune and took an active role in helping these indigenous people of Saranggani by working with them, living with them and struggling with them. In short, he made Saranggani Province his new home and the indigenous people his new family. First impressions will tell you that Father Arvin indeed came from an affluent family, but as he continued narrating his “conversion” story, I sensed that an immense transformation had gone through in his whole being. Experiencing life with the indigenous people of Mindanao made a great impact in his life, broke his heart, changed his life and caused him to make that major decision of living to where he felt God has called Him… in the midst of these hapless people and made them his new parish. Father Arvin’s story cuts me through, that I felt even my heart wept. I knew what he was saying. I felt what he feels. And as tears started to roll down his face, I felt that I was about to break into tears too. I knew and felt how these indigenous people of Mindanao have touched Father Arvin’s life in the same way that they made a mark in my life, too. I saw poverty face-to-face. Through them, I felt injustices in one of its ugliest forms. I saw man’s greediness and insensitiveness in its wildest schemes.

I saw broken lives and broken dreams. I can still remember the sadness and weariness in their faces, how they linger in poverty day after day, crying for help, aching for justice and equality and hoping that someday life will be fair to them. Nevertheless, they were resolute and decided to continue, even living a life of constant struggle against fellow human’s cruelty and government’s misuse of power against them, the same people that according to our constitution should be the very first to protect their welfare and uphold their dignity. They choose to continue not only for themselves but more importantly for the sake of their children and their children’s children. I was disturbed. It seemed that the inner voice in me was struggling to be expressed. The feeling of identification with these Lumad brothers and sisters, these people on the margins, the people many do not even care to know much more to be bothered about, took its toll on me, longing to take part in their struggle, to help them, to be with them. I felt the calling in me has taken a more noble meaning, and the word “being broken for others” is now making sense, becoming real. Thus, I remember the words from the song of Leonard Cohen entitled “Anthem”, it goes, “There is a crack, a crack in everything…. That’s how the lights get in.” The life of Father Arvin and many other unknown heroes who leave their comforts to serve the poor, the powerless and the people on the margins; those who risk their lives of being accused of being a rebel because they teach the Lumads’ children how to read and write; those who opted to be in the remote areas that were never reached by any means of transportation to bring the IP’s medical supply and attention. Just like our Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, their lives became broken for the sake of others. And in that brokenness spring forth new light, a light of hope for others. With the experience in Mindanao, I know my life will never be the same again and that the understanding of the word “calling” has taken on a different light, it becomes more meaningful, more sensible. I was broken… for others.

Datal Basak, Saranggani Province. To get here, one has to walk 5-7 hours on foot from the nearest vehicle drop off. A habal-habal ride cuts the travel time to more than half. But this ride on a 4-stroke manual single motor bike with 7 passengers is not for the faint-hearted.

Mindanao Trips Lizette Tapia-Raquel April 24, 2015 ·

Before I took the flight to Mindanao, for the Tri-People Summer Immersion, friends and family advised me to be careful. A lot of people think Mindanao is a very dangerous place. The death of 67 in Mamasapano, the killing of 58 in the Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao, the Zamboanga Siege, the Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, countless killings and bombings, all these give us a scary picture of Mindanao. Thus, when we think of the Moro People, we think they are all terrorists. And when politicians talk about an “all-out war” in Mindanao, people who describe themselves as “peace-loving” agree, as if it were the only solution. Yes, Mindanao can be dangerous. Especially to those who are Moro, Indigenous Peoples, human rights advocates, tribal leaders who take the side of their own people and resist developments which destroy the earth and their communities. Those who intentionally seek to protect the land and the people are terrorized. And we have the gall to declare that they are terrorists! A few days ago, I heard some of the most committed people speak about their desire to have peace in Mindanao. The strong presence of the military, developments such as open pit mining and dams, and even the Bangsamoro Basic Law will not create Peace. I am reminded of one of IBON Foundation’s videos where they define what will create peace Jobs create peace. Education creates peace. Land for farmers creates peace. Healthcare creates peace. Decent shelters create peace. And so on and so forth. Peace is about common good. Peace can only be made possible when all people experience life with dignity. Poverty, injustice, corruption, militarization and inequality are violence perpetrated by a government upon its own people it pledged to serve.

But I think those who do not know them must be more careful. Our Islamophobia or fear of Moro People does not only hurt them. It hurts us. There is no future for our country unless we demand those in government to stop war and militarization and seek genuine peace. There is no future for our children and our children’s children with a government that serves capitalists and imperialists, who systematically abuse laborers to maximize profit, plunder our natural resources until what used to be paradise become wastelands, and diminish and sacrifice the culture and identity of ethnic minority groups through displacement and land grabbing. We must be careful. We think we are safe when we are silent in the oppression of our sisters and brothers in Mindanao? Our silence protects the status quo. It is a carelessness that has a high cost. It is only in raising our voices together that we can know peace. Peace will not come to those who wait for it. Peace must be pursued for it to become a reality. #mindanaotrips2015

The habal-habal pilots pose with our immersionists.

Fact-finding Mission: Sitio Akbual, Malapatan. More than 200 people from the B’laan tribes from 7 sitios in Malapatan gathered to narrate their eye-witness accounts of the military airstrikes in one of the nearby sitios. A village there fell victim to aerial bombing. The B’aan tribal lands are being surveyed for mining operations.

House-to-house enrollment conducted by our immersionists to enlist students to enroll in the nearby elementary school under the alternative school system by the Save Our Schools Network.

Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges, Inc. Kidapawan City. Immersionists receive orientation on their immersion areas and assigned groups.

Maguindanao Province. One of our immersionists happened to be a registered nurse. This came in handy in one of the feeding and medical mission activities that our partner group, the MORO P-Core, organized.

The NATSIT or National Semestral Institute for Teachers is the 2nd in the 3-phase DVCS or Diakonia in Vital Conversation and Services program of Union Theological Seminary. In partnership with the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) of The United Methodist Church, DVCS aims to: 1.) Reach children, youth and young adults through diverse, groundbreaking, and creative learning initiatives that hopefully result in long-term change and can be replicated across churches and society at large. 2. Create and nurture learning initiatives that promote and increase intercultural competency and serve vital conversations about race, cultural diversity, and systemic equity across churches and society at large. 3. Purse objectives 1 and 2 through the UTS Centers The NATSIT is a two-week institute which will include courses in history, ecumenics and inter-faith dialogue, cultural hermeneutics, feminist and gender studies; immersion among IPs (indigenous peoples); film analysis; social networking; and workshops on liturgy, the arts, and dance.

The ikthus was once the most popular symbol for the Teacher. It memorialized in caves and catacombs the one who taught and told the stories that changed the world forever. The National Semestral Institute for Teachers and its participants are little circles that form into an ikthus. For it takes a community to teach, tell stories and do the work of the One we follow.

Life as a Gift Everyone Desires Donnalea Nablea

Life is a gift that everyone deserves We are created differently and uniquely in the image of God. Our cultures define us, helping each person to be known Our cultures teach us diversity, difference, and Love for one another. But instead of giving thanks for diversity, for difference that create relationships There are those who build walls, though invisible, that are hard to break. Walls that separate, that discriminate, that hurt other people. Walls that define “us” and “them.” Walls that create “black” and “white.” Walls that separate rich from poor. These walls today define our world in pain, in chaos. But walls are man-made and we can bring these invisible walls down. That will end the pain that have hurt our world; that hurt us all. We can heal our world, and treat our wounds. Then we can celebrate life, life from God, the gift of life that everyone deserves.

Awakening

Sheena Camille Calma National Training Institute for Teachers program became a wonderful and meaningful experience for me in every aspect of my life. Such contribution was irreplaceable because it taught me the real meaning of my existence, the reality behind this ever changing world. I was not only grateful for those friendly people I’ve been with during the program, the beautiful environment of Union Theological Seminary and the impressive speakers but also the heartwarming experience I’ve felt, I was awaken from a deep sleep. All the topics were really interesting but intercultural competency was my favorite. Before, I thought intercultural competency was only an ability to communicate with other cultures and the promotion of inclusion. Though it was, but NATSIT taught me more than that. There were daily situations happening in my life and I’m becoming intercultural incompetent in some ways that I’m not aware of. Intercultural competency as I learned during the program must not only be knowledge but it must be put into actions, an everyday application. It was a gift in which every one of us must possess because we live in a diverse planet. To be an intercultural competent, I must appreciate our diversity, respect other’s nature, realize everybody’s uniqueness and recognize the existence of others. In these ways, harmony in diversity is possible. This is also what I’ve seen in University of the Philippines Los Banos where we went to see hundreds of people in Mindanao who were going to Manila to fight for their rights. It was also the most powerful experience I had! Different people from various places in the Philippines and several religious groups became united because of one purpose: to support the Lumad and fight for their rights. It was amazing to be there and participate with them! I had the chance to communicate with some Lumad. They also shared what they have experienced in their place which I didn’t know before because I was not informed and involved. After that encounter, I knew I was moved. I knew I was changed.

Months from now, I will be a full time deaconess. My workplaces will be the church, the school and the community. These places are composed of different kinds of people who are distinct in race, gender, economic status, political views, perspectives and religion. I will set as an example to them by being intercultural competent in everything I will say and do. Getting to know them will be a great help in my work so I will know what can offend them and what cannot. I will provide them equal opportunities in all of our activities. I will also encourage heterogeneous grouping and peer teaching whenever possible. Scheduling some seminars that will raise their awareness regarding this issue is one of my considerations to give way for openness and appreciation of one another. Christ Himself didn’t exclude anyone during His time on earth. We, as His representation, we must also do the same. Representing God in a diverse community may be difficult but it’s a privilege and responsibility. We are His partners in keeping our neighbors, Jews or Gentiles. Therefore, we are called to keep our neighbors regardless of our differences. Differences should not create walls but bridges for us to unite. It should not be an excuse but a solution to change our wrong perceptions. By doing this, we can all be a loving presence in an often unloving world. We can live in mutual understanding and peaceful harmony if we love one another as Christ would.

Diversity as Gift

Mary Ann Dominno Camong Intercultural Competency is simply accepting, understanding and respecting others culture. This is my understanding about it before I joined NATSIT,but then as I immerse in the diverse participants and diverse people during the NATSIT my understanding about it became more deeper. Intercultural Competency is not just only about accepting, understanding and respecting other culture, it’s all about knowing and sharing our own culture for the very own good of everyone. It’s just like a two-way conversation, we need to listen and share to each other. This learning become into real with the most powerful experience I had, during the community integration. When I talk to the people in the Laguna Bay and the people who attended the Maynilakbayan. Their experience they have shared is one way that I really understood the meaning of Intercultural Competency. Despite of the diversity in terms of culture, gender orientation, social and economic status, religion and faith we become united for the one goal, to fight for the right to live with a freedom of their own culture, faith and tradition. There is no one culture that will become supreme against other culture and hurt other culture. This experience I had will become my weapon as a teacher and as a church worker by becoming an eye-opened and eye opener to the community where I live. By this experience I will become more aware in my actions and language to others. As a teacher I’ll make sure that my strategy, techniques and methods of teaching are sensitive and develop intercultural competency. This is what Intercultural competency brings to me. Our diversity is not the hindrance to become united it’s about how we think and understand each other. Let us celebrate our diversity because it’s God given gift to us.

Dasmarinas City, Cavite. One of the morning devotions of the Natsit. The group ritualized our ethical responsibility to care for the Earth.

Natsit break out groups.

Classroom discussions and inputs for the Natsit. There was laughter, theatrics, academics, stress, and a whole lot of learning.

The Natsit participants prepare for Salubong with the tribal people who walked from Mindanao to Metro Manila to register their outrage against continued military presence in their ancestral domains.

Santa Rosa, Laguna. The Natsit participants made a side-trip to the lakeside villages of Laguna de Bay. Hundreds of fisher folks and residents are being cleared out to make way for the Laguna Lake Development Project. A project that is meant to improve the public highway system by reclaiming a large portion of the lake and displacing lakeside residents.

Artflection. As a closing activity, the Natsit participants were asked to articulate theology through the arts.

The UMC’s General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) is funding Union Theological Seminary’s DVCS (DIAKONIA IN VITAL CONVERSATIONS AND SERVICES) Program Initiative. This 18-month, three-stage initiative is aimed to increase the intercultural competency of at least 50 seminarians through ecumenical education, community integration, dialogue, self-expression, and teaching. The initiative is led by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in partnership with the Program Unit for Education and Nurture of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (PUEEN-NCCP) and Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges, Inc. (SPMCI). The initiative will result in each seminarian launching an intercultural initiative that will reach at least 50 younger or more diverse people in his/her ministry. Intercultural competency is aimed to equip the young and younger people with the perspectives, skills, and competencies to celebrate diversity and difference as gifts from God.The third stage of this initiative is the production and publication of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) Vacation Church School materials for Summer 2016.

Integrating the colors of Mindanao Trips and the Natsit ikthus, the DVCS logo represents the integration of theory and practice. It is both water droplet and flame. It will cause ripples and it will purify. Conversations made more intentional by service.

Shiprah and Puah Connie Semy Mella

Shiprah and Puah, who can ever forget? The two midwives who were not afraid even of death itself? They defied the Pharaoh’s order of killing the Hebrew’s sons. And out-wittied him by saying “When we arrived, the mothers have already given birth to their sons”. They knew that the Hebrews were Yahweh’s people. Whose cries and groaning would storm the heaven’s door. Whose prayers and struggles will never go unnoticed. For the God of the slaves will deliver them indeed. True to their belief, Yahweh interceded. From the hands of the empire, the Hebrew slaves have been lifted. The Pharaoh could do nothing after experiencing the series of plague… But to allow the slaves to march out of Egypt. Miriam, Moses, and Aaron led the legendary Exodus… But before this famed event there have been unsung heroes… Among them were “Shiprah and Puah”, The two midwives who led with bravery and courage.

A New Year’s Revolution

“Finding our Center”

Joshue Zuriel Tiempo II I remember when I was in high school, our teacher usually requires us to write our New Year’s Resolution every January. It was so funny then because every January in every year, I always wrote the same Resolution like my previews years. Our life is like that sometimes; we always plan for a resolution in our life or in our society, but until now we haven’t resolved it yet. Maybe it has something to do with the word RESOLUTION…. From RE- or to repeat, and SOLUTION; in term which means ‘repeat again, and again, and again the solution’. Maybe Resolution is not applicable anymore… maybe what we need is a REVOLUTION!!! REVOLUTION????? Many people are allergic to the word revolution. We always attached the word revolution to; Wars, Rebellion, Guns and Grenade, and anything that caused violence. These are some examples of the misconceptions to this word. I have reflected on the word revolution before the new year’s eve of 2016, and I came to realize its significance to human life, and to every aspect of psycho-social, economic, political and societal problems in this world. The earth has two movements as we all knew in our science class. The earth rotates in its own axis… we call this movement as Rotation… and 1 rotation of the earth is equivalent to…. 1 day! While the earth is rotating, the earth also revolves around the sun… we call this phenomenon as “Revolution”… and 1 revolution of the earth around the sun is equivalent to…. 1 year! So… technically speaking… every New Year is a New Revolution of the earth around the sun!

“The Earth revolves around the Sun”… We all know that in the past century in history, this statement was considered as heretic and demonic sanctioned by the Christian Church. Copernicus and other previous scientists that proved this statement was being persecuted, banned and exiled by the Church. The church which has the power and authority of that time was rigid to its worldview that the earth was the center of the universe and all planets including the sun revolves around the earth. This geocentric worldview of the church had killed so many people that contradict its beliefs. The church’s pride turned to arrogance, a single perspective worldview. Perspective and worldview is always relative. We all have different perspective of any things… and that is so natural… and we celebrate that. Most of the conflict of humanity is not about the differences of individual’s idea or perspective. Most conflict in our world and in history relied on insisting and imposing a single idea/perspective to other people… even if it is out of their context and situation. The problem lies when we think that our perspective is the only right perspective, without seeing the other perspective… this is one root-cause of wars… The essence of revolution is taking you out from the center--- because logically, you cannot revolve when you are at the center. Revolution is to move around, seeing another perspective from around you and to your opposite side… Revolution is anti-static, not a single worldview, and not close-mindedness… We will never understand all of our conflicts unless we try to see from each other’s perspective… or to move around to other’s perspective. Only in revolution (moving around) that we can see the essence, the true beauty, or the whole story of a certain thing or situation. Example: Imagine a piece of paper shown in front of you, you could see it as a plain while paper. Your static worldview/perspective will always be a plain white paper, but unless you revolve around the paper that you will realized that it was carbon paper. While you see it as plain white, the other people see it as pure black. In the same breath, the issue about the Lumad has a different perspective when you are seeing only at the perspective from the mainstream media, and unless you revolve around to other perspective from the side of the Lumads that we may know the whole story of the situation.

Our Visayan word of the ‘World’ holds its message of revolution… The Word for earth or world in Visayan is ‘Kalibutan’! Kalibutan from the root-word ‘pa-Libot’ (around or surroundings or environment) and ‘Libot’ – (to revolve) Even before Copernicus, the Visayan term for earth knows that it has to revolve The essence of word ‘Kalibutan’ is that the world has to revolve--- to meet new perspective, new people, new experiences… from our surroundings and environment. I will emphasize again that The essence of revolution is Taking you out from the center. This is so difficult for us because we all love to be in the center… we are comfortable in the center; we are famous in the center; we are powerful in the center; and people around you will adjust for you if you are at the center. That is why we have the terms like… center stage, center fold, center light, center authority, etc. Who usually claims the center? the Elites, the powerful, the authority, the famous; and those who are in the highest echelon of the social class in the society. If we have the center, we also have the margins… those who are unheard, the poor, the indigenous, the disposes, the women, the physically and mentally disable, the old, and etc. Those who claim to be in the center should get out from the center and try to revolve around with the margins… to dialogue with them, to feel with them, and live with them.

The passage of the book of Isaiah and Revelation talked about the New Jerusalem. Why do they need a New Jerusalem?, Why does a New Jerusalem is so important to them? Jerusalem was once a center of their nation, the center of Judaism. It was not only the center of their religious belief, but Jerusalem was also the center of their political, administrative and economic power at their time. That is why it was so strategic for their colonizers (Assyrian in the days of Isaiah, and Roman the days of Jesus) to overrun this center to easily control the whole nation. The worst and the most degrading part for the Jews was when the emperor of Rome claimed to be a God, and forced them to worship the emperor. This is a serious crime to Yahweh, and to their belief of only one God. The Jews and the early Christians believe that only God is the center not man; that only God rules not a mere human emperor! Revolution is taking you out from the center – The Sun is the center not the earth… God is the center not man… Jesus is the center not any denomination We all must revolve around God--May the spirit of God moves us always around with each other’s life and be with fellowship with each other, in the name of Jesus that taught us to love and understand each other…. And in all we do, may we find God as our center. Amen.

Tagaytay, Philippines. The DVCS Training of Trainors.

the Epilogues

FIVE BARLEY LOAVES, TWO FISH, AND SOUP John 6: 1-14 The World Needs Soup

The world needs soup. Unfortunately, millions of people cannot even have or afford a decent cup of hot soup. Many in this country are so poor they gargle water for breakfast, take hot water for lunch, and force themselves to sleep at night in place of supper. Mas emphatic po sa Tagalog: Marami tayong kababayan na mumog ang agahan, nilagang tubig ang tanghalian, at tulog ang hapunan. Kailangan ng mundo ang sopas. Kailangan ng Pilipinas ng sopas. When Esau, in Genesis 25, came to his brother, he was starving and close to death. And he asked for soup. For billions of dispossessed people who struggle against death forces every day, God’s Shalom is actually a hot bowl of soup. When loved ones among the dispossessed all over this country are sick, we try our best to give them soup. When our sisters’ and brothers’ homes and livelihood are destroyed by flash floods, our relief operations bring soup. When we offer feeding programs to our malnourished grade school children, we bring them soup. When our churches and churchrelated institutions welcome the homeless and street-children into our “soup kitchens,” guess what we offer them? But as Matthew 25: 31-46 and Luke 4: 18-19 remind and challenge us, soup is more than food for the hungry and drink for the thirsty. It is also just wages for workers, homes for the homeless, justice for the oppressed, care for the sick and dying, welcome to the stranger, land for the landless, liberation for those in bondage and captivity, solidarity with our Lumad sisters and brothers and those whose only hope is God. Experts report that the United States of America has resources to feed 40 billion people. That figure is six times the current population of the world, yet, according to UNICEF 25,000 children—5 years old or younger—die each day due to poverty. UNICEF estimates that it will only take 6 billion dollars annually to make sure that every one on earth receives basic education. It will take 9 billion dollars each year to make sure that everyone gets safe water and sanitation. 12 billion dollars a year would ensure that all women will receive reproductive health services, while 13 billion will ensure that each human being will receive basic health care. Yet, we know that half of the world’s population survive on 2 dollars or less than 100 pesos a day. Many in this world—especially that larger part of the world that calls itself Christian—apparently does not prioritize or find important to allocate funds, services or resources to provide the “soup” for food, education, and basic health care.

Consider these figures: The United States spends over 8 billion dollars each year on cosmetics. Europe spends 11 billion a year on ice cream. The US and Europe spend 12 billion annually on perfume and 17 billion a year on pet food. Japan spends 35 billion annually on business entertainment. Europeans spend 50 billion a year on cigarettes and 105 billion on alcoholic drinks. And, most unfortunate of all, the world spends over one trillion dollars each year on weapons of mass destruction, on the most effective and efficient implements to kill people. And to bring these figures closer to home: Filipinos spend 7 billion pesos a year on whitening soap. Pitong bilyong piso taon-taon ang ginagastos natin para sa sabong pampaputi. In the Feeding of the 5000, found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus seeing the hungry multitudes, tells his disciples, tells us—who love to call ourselves his disciples—to give them something to eat. And what do the disciples do? They tell Jesus, “Send the crowd away” and “Are we going to spend our own money to feed them?” and “Six months wages worth of bread would not be enough to feed them.” It has been 2000 years. Many of us are still coming up with excuses. In John’s version of the story, a young child (like each child in our DVCS classes) offers what he had, five barley loaves and two fish, in response to Jesus’ challenge. And the child who offered what he had was a poor child. Historians tell us that during Jesus’s time, the poor ate barley loaves and dried fish, smoked or salted. Only the rich could afford wheat and fresh fish. A poor person caught during those times with fresh fish was assumed to have stolen the fish. Today, the multitudes are still hungry, millions are suffering and slowly starving to death, and many of us are still making up excuses. But there are those, like the child, who offer what they have. Right now. The challenge for us today is to follow the lead of the child. He was there. He had food. And he shared EVERYTHING HE HAD. His sharing led to the miracle of the feeding of everyone who was there. His act birthed hope! When Jose Rizal said that the youth was the hope of the Motherland, he was not talking about the future. The Youth is the hope now. Tomorrow they won’t be youth anymore.

When our youngest son was 8, part of his mother’s ecumenical ministry was working in solidarity with peasant farmers on strike in the Department of Agrarian Reform compound in Quezon City. He surprised us when he decided to give all the money he received as Christmas gifts to the children of the striking farmers. A year later, he gave a significant part of his savings to the Morong 43 fund. When he was 12 and our home welcomed a family who sought sanctuary. He volunteered to tutor the family’s three children every afternoon after classes for several months. These acts birth hope! The world needs soup. But, the world does not need pre-cooked or instant noodle soup. The soup that can meet the world’s hunger, as Mother Mary John Mananzan puts it, is the soup we cook together. Each one contributing what each can. Like the child with five barley loaves and two fish. Like each of the almost one billion girls who spends hours each day collecting drinking water for their families. Like my son. Because we are each other’s keepers. That soup could mean food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, just wages for workers, homes for the homeless, justice for the oppressed, care for the sick and dying, land for the landless, liberation for those in bondage and captivity, solidarity with our Lumad sisters and brothers and those whose only hope is God. But let us not forget. Those of us who call ourselves Christian do not have the monopoly on soup. This is probably why Jesus calls the church, salt of the earth. Tayo ang asin ng sopas na kailangan ng mundo. Leadership as Offering to God and to People If we read our Bibles, especially the Gospels, every day, we will grow, grow, grow in the realization that Jesus never calls us to worship him. He calls us to follow him. He calls us to follow him to Galilee. He beckons us to follow him and be fishers of people. He calls us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and the imprisoned, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger…. Serve God by serving people. His leadership is about being each other’s keeper. It is about offering oneself for others. Like the child with five barley loaves and two fish. We have much to learn from children. We will spend ten DVCS sessions with them. Each of these children is unique. Each one is created in God’s image. No two are exactly the same since God created all of us different. Diversity is one of God’s most beautiful surprises. Each one has stories to share. Each one has gifts that can be offerings to God and to people. Actually, God is already at work through them and they might not know it yet. We are here to listen to their stories. We are here to celebrate and nurture their gifts. We are here to discover each one’s “five barley loaves and two fish.” We are all here to participate in cooking the soup the world needs.

The Parable of the Stone Soup A long time ago in a barrio far away came a very old woman. She was probably just passing by because she took the dusty road that bordered the small community. Because it was almost dark, she stopped by the roadside and began to build a fire. She took out an earthen pot from the bag she lugged around and, after filling it with water, set it over the fire. Out of the same bag she brought out a small river stone and a pinch of rock salt and put these in the pot. An old woman alone by the road is hard to miss. Soon children were upon her. “Lola (Grandma),” they asked, “what are you doing?” “I’m cooking soup,” she answered, “why don’t you join me?” They sure did and after a while there was a huge circle of children gathered around the fire as the old lady narrated stories about elves and fairies and dragons. It was late. It was dark and the children were still out so their parents began looking for them. They eventually found them with the old lady. “Lola,” they asked, “what are you doing?” “I’m cooking soup,” she answered, “why don’t you join me?” They sure did and after a while there was a huge circle of children with their parents gathered around the fire as the old lady continued telling stories of elves and fairies and dragons. “Lola,” a young child volunteered, “I think we still have leftover meat at home. We can put it in the pot if mother lets me get them.” “We have vegetables we can add to the pot too!” a parent remarked. And so everyone brought back what they could and put these in the pot. Eventually, the whole community shared not just stories but a hot pot of soup that began with a cold river stone and a pinch of rock salt. As members of a diverse community of about 100 million living in an archipelago of 7,107 islands, where over a hundred languages are spoken, the authors and contributors of this collection don’ t have “the soup.” Nor does Union Theological Seminary. Or the General Commission on Religion and Race, the Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges, or the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (UTS’s partners in this project). What we have are ingredients to share and these are ingredients we are always ready to offer. Like raindrops in a pond. In a country where diversity is a given and where articulations are both pluri-form and multi-vocal, we are among the many who have faith stories to share. In this book, we just did. Thank you for accepting our invitation to journey with us. Yet, there are many, many more whose stories of faith are yet to be shared. Especially from younger people, more diverse people. We already know that the smallest to the greatest bodies of water begin with raindrops. And the ripples? They go in all directions.

Baptism and Border Crossing Going outside boxes is hard. Leaving our comfort zones? Equally hard. Crossing boundaries, discarding prejudices, tearing down walls: very, very hard. And, many times, quite scary! Who among us have flown on airplanes? Who among us have looked out the windows of those airplanes and seen the land masses below? What did you see? Did you see the lines, the borders that separated one nation from another? Did you see the markers that identified each country’s territory apart from another? Like in our color-coded maps? The boxes we make, our comfort zones, our prejudices, the metal gates and thick and high walls around our homes and even around our churches, our accurate maps, even that Apartheid Wall in Israel, the borders that separate us are all man-made. We put them up, which means we can tear them down! No person is born a bigot, racist, or prejudiced. Our children learn these from us. In Mark 1, a leper and Jesus meet: the sick and the healthy, the impure and the pure, the dead and the living. Society, culture, ideology, and religion put up three invisible walls that separated them: no one is supposed to go near lepers, no one is supposed to talk with them, and more importantly, no one is supposed to touch them. It is a sin to approach lepers. It is a sin to talk with them. More importantly, it is a grave sin to touch a leper. In three short verses, Jesus and the leper defy those rules. Together, they sin big against the invisible walls that separated them. Complete strangers they come near. They talk. They touch. Complete strangers, they break down three walls of separation and create three circles of contact. And the healing of both begins. Never, ever forget this: the leper and the non-leper, the sick and the healthy, the impure and the pure, the ones society have labelled dead and the living, are all human beings. Each one is created in God’s image. Each one, regardless of race, creed, gender, class, or sexual orientation, is a child of God. And we are invited to follow Jesus, to cross boundaries, to come near, to talk, to touch our sisters and brothers who are outside the closed, comfortable circles that we have created around ourselves and those like us. But this is what our faith is really all about. This is what the incarnation is all about. No one deserves to be alone so God took the first step. God crossed borders. God left heaven to be with us. God chose to be one of us. God took sides. And God took the side of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Those who are totally different from us. That’s what Jesus did. And we, those who confess to follow Jesus, should do the same. Every moment of our lives we are challenged to cross borders, to tear down walls that divide one brick at a time. And beyond the walls, like the leper and Jesus, to create new, wider circles where we can come together, where we can talk, where we can touch, where we can act.

Ripples… If I Can Dream If I can dream myself into being I would be born to a land where no one weeps and despairs I will be nurtured and loved by a community whether I am male or female I could speak, dance and sing - my own thoughts, my own rhythm, my own song I would be safe when I walk on a narrow road, and journey on my own I will not be afraid whether I am beautiful or ordinary for I know I have my own gifts I will live a long and joyful life, and know truly who I am and what I seek If I can envision my people into being We would never be slaves again and all people would be truly free We would raise our voices and walk the streets at every injustice, and demand truth and integrity We will find that all children have safe homes and have enough food to eat Where all can find rest and sleep at night, and rise up in the morning with hope and dignity Where farmers could plant and fisher-folk can fish and taste the fruits of the land and sea Where governments do not care to profit but will seek the good for all creatures and humanity If I can write peace into being It will be a time that will come not tomorrow, but today It will be as the common people imagined, a time of plenty for not a few but for all A place where there is equality: water for all who thirst, healing for all who are broken A shelter, a sanctuary for everybody, where no bullet can be heard and no curse is spoken A peace that creates circles of compassion. A peace that seeks justice for the oppressed. A peace that is built by prayers and action. The peace that the prophets professed.

A Note of Thanks “Paano tumanaw ng utang na loob?” How does one acknowledge a debt of the heart? By paying it forward and striving to make sure that what has been received reaches more people, younger people, and more diverse people. UTS’s GCORR-funded Diakonia in Vital Conversations and Services (DVCS) Initiative was launched to do exactly that. And this initiative was built on partnerships of people and institutions. For each student from Union Theological Seminary, Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges, Inc., Harris Memorial College, and Iemelif Bible College who actively participated in Mindanao TRIPs, NATSIT, and VCS 2016, thank you very much. For each person from the Metropolitan Community Church and the Member Churches of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines who was part of the NATSIT and VCS 2016, please accept our gratitude. For the communities that welcomed, hosted, and journeyed with our students, we will forever be in your debt. For GCORR, UTS, SPMCI, and NCCP whose partnership birthed this initiative, thank you very much. Finally, to each member of the UTS DVCS staff whose work and commitment are beyond measure, maraming, maraming salamat po. May you always be a blessing especially among those whose only hope is God.