A Call to Conversion

Lent has begun as of yesterday 22 February with Ash Wednesday. Why are ashes put on our foreheads on this day? Ashes are an anicent symbol of repentance. Ashes also remind us of our mortality. At the end of our lives here on earth, we will stand before God and be judged.

Today this message of mortality and coming judgement day is lost on many of us caught up with personal ambitions. We are so consumed with with our immediate tasks and duties. We are too busy with our careers and attaining our goals for the next few years.The irony is that while we are afraid to be left behind we fail to see what lies beyond in the decades ahead of us. We work hard to  improve our globalized post-modern world. Yet we have lost touch with our Earth's history that 4 billion of years ago, the Earth was quite a different place. In the last hundred years, we have transformed the landscape of our Earth so drastically that many a mountain and river, ecosystems and habitats no longer exist thanks to our quest for development.

Sadly, we have lost touch with our call and purpose as humans and as brothers and sisters to one another. We watch the daily news ever so intently and to the suffering we see on the tele of war and famine, of injustice and disasters; we feel little less than an emotion of being "sorry" for the other. Then we switch off the tele and the images quickly fade away as we so decide to move on to the rest of the day. As if the other was in a distant strange land beyond our universe. When Sunday comes we see ourselves in church and we say the I Confess; with little sincerity, to the what I have done and what I have failed to do.

We have also lost touch with God in our lives and in our world. We are systematically removing Him from our society. We have spent the last 50 years or so doing what we can to control life from creation till death. We want to uncover His mystery and so we have lost His majesty. Where once we could freely lean forward and trust in His gentle presence, today we doubt even to lean an inch forward.

But God is more than this world and God is more than our lifetime of goals and ambitions. He was here even before 4 billion years ago and He will continue to be here.  We can build and build houses and houses of cards. It is only in Christ we can build a house on solid rock, on firm foundation. Today all may be well. But tomorrow we may find ourselves jobless or sick or alone. The happiness we have earned today will not see us through for the next 50 years. We have to keep working to be happy. What is the point of such an ambition?

The God we have been trying to outdo, the one who called all things into being, only He can give us the joy and the peace we seek and that can never be taken away. Acts 17:28 For in him we live and move and have our being.

Lent calls us to conversion. Lent reminds us to prepare well for that final Judgement Day. Lent invites us to die to our sins and rise up to new life in Christ. The imposition of ashes at the start of Lent indicates that I recognise the need for deeper conversion in my life. Lent is a season for renewal. This season of lent we can look at our divided lives and rediscover the call to holiness.

Peacebuilding Workshop for Adults

http://www.scribd.com/doc/78477450/Peace-Building-Workshop

Youth Speak!

This year acts29 is launching a program called Youth Speak!

Youth Speak! is a program for schools and youth groups.

Every term acts29 will invite individuals/teams to speak to young people

on how we can communicate hope and be agents of change.

This term we are pleased to have Paul Petrus, a young man and peacebuilder from Papua New Guinea. Paul works for the Archbishop of Mt Hagen (in PNG) as a researcher.

He hails from the Western Highlands of PNG and is the first university graduate from his village.

Paul will be sharing to young people at school assemblies on:

Active Citizenship and Peacebuilding

Paul will also be speaking to Catholic youth groups on what peacebuilding is about

Some of the issues he will cover

1) What is conflict, violence and peace?

2) Levels of conflict

3) Conflicts in the world and in families

4) Why conflicts

5) Skills of peacebuilders

6) Fundamentals for Catholic peacebuilders

6) How can we respond and be Communicators of Hope?

Speaking Dates: Jan 30 - Feb 9

If you would like to invite Paul to your school or group,

kindly contact us. sherlyn@acts29mission.com

Baptism

Outreach to Anawim December 23 2011

HeartSpeaks

Appeal for funds $160, 000 SGD to give kids a home

Dear friends,
after much deliberation over the past couple of years, acts29 has decided to take our mission one step further. This year we took in another 4 children/teens into our formation house. There are 5 now. And we have another 5 on our waiting list. The kids we are taking in are orphans, abandoned or from struggling single-parent homes. Interestingly, we did not seek these kids out. They are coming to us and asking for a home. And those we have asked are in dire need of help. As more kids are coming forward, we need more help to keep our mission going!

To effectively serve the needs of the poor, we have decided to register as an NGO (Foundation) in the Philippines. We need 1 million pesos (about $30, 000 SGD) in an approved bank to be an NGO. This will take place in the first quarter of 2012.

To rehabiltate the kids effectively, we are looking to buy a hectare plot of land which will comprise little satellite homes, a main building (activity centre/dining/kitchen and chapel) and a vegetable farm. The land and construction will cost $130,000 SGD.

Of the 5 with us, 4 are in formal school and at the top of their levels. The 5th kid will take an entrance exam to enter high school in February

The purpose of our formation house: to form the children and teens to Know God, Love God and Serve God.

At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.

We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in."

Hungry not only for bread - but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing - but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks - but homeless because of rejection.
- Mother Teresa

Help us to provide a home for these kids. To make a donation for this cause, kindly email sherlyn@acts29mission.org

6 months missioner as house parent

acts29 is opening its 2nd formation house for 5 children this January.
We are looking for a Catholic single/couple to take on the role as houseparent/s for 6 months

Age: 25 years and above
Strong Catholic faith
Able to cook and manage the household
Oversee to the daily menu and nourishment/health of the residents
Able to share the faith and God's love
Able to work together with acts29 team in the Philippines.
Willing to learn to speak Filipino during the 6 months

Provided: Lodging and meals

Please email sherlyn@acts29mission.org

June Mission Trip 2012

5 Days: May 26 - 30

Who:
Family groups and sponsors of acts29 kids

Award ceremony for scholars
Mother's Camp for acts29 Mother's Support Group (Payatas)

Cost:
1. Accomodation (Volunteer House) and Food*:
Adult Rate: $50 per person per day
Student Rate: $30 per person per day
*Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

2. Airfare est: $300 (Cebu/Tiger/Jetstar)

Total cost estimate: $500

Closing Date of Registration: December 30, 2011

How to Register:
Drop us an email at enquiry@acts29mission.org or sherlyn@acts29mission.org and state the date of the mission trip you are signing up for.
We will then get in touch with you.

Briefing and Preparation Days:
to be confirmed
QnA
Q: What if I cannot commit to all 7 days?
A: If you can make it for 4 days or more during the period of Feb 16-23, you can still participate in this trip.


Q: I am not Catholic. Can I still go with the group on the mission?
A: acts29 is a Catholic mission community and we welcome non-Catholics who are interested to know more about our mission. If you are willing to observe our prayer time and participate in all the other activities, we welcome you.

Q: If I cannot make it to the briefinging/preparation meetings can I join the trip?
A:The briefing and preparation meetings are conducted to sensitize one to the culture and life of our neighbours. It is important that participants attend at least 2 out of the 3 meetings.

Q: What is the minimum age?
A: We accept participants 16 years and above, provided they have been overseas on their own before and can take care of themselves. Participants below 21 years old will require consent from their parents.

March Mission Trip 2012

7 days: March 10 - 17
Facilitate and Coach

Who: Youths and Adults
to work directly with students of Paaralang Pantao (Payatas)
A Sports Carnival for the children to learn about sports and games

Cost:
1. Accomodation (Volunteer House) and Food*:
Adult Rate: $50 per person per day
Student Rate: $30 per person per day
*Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

2. Airfare est: $300 (Cebu/Tiger/Jetstar)

Total cost estimate: $500

Closing Date of Registration: December 30, 2011

How to Register:
Drop us an email at enquiry@acts29mission.org or sherlyn@acts29mission.org and state the date of the mission trip you are signing up for.
We will then get in touch with you.

Briefing and Preparation Days:
to be confirmed

QnA
Q: What if I cannot commit to all 7 days?
A: If you can make it for 4 days or more during the period of Feb 16-23, you can still participate in this trip.

Q: I am not Catholic. Can I still go with the group on the mission?
A: acts29 is a Catholic mission community and we welcome non-Catholics who are interested to know more about our mission. If you are willing to observe our prayer time and participate in all the other activities, we welcome you.

Q: If I cannot make it to the briefinging/preparation meetings can I join the trip?
A:The briefing and preparation meetings are conducted to sensitize one to the culture and life of our neighbours. It is important that participants attend at least 2 out of the 3 meetings.

Q: What is the minimum age?
A: We accept participants 16 years and above, provided they have been overseas on their own before and can take care of themselves. Participants below 21 years old will require consent from their parents.

February Mission Trip 2012

7 days: February 16-23
Launch of TB program in Payatas
Medical Mission Trip
Health Camp for Parents

Who: Medical doctors, Medical students, Nurses, Nursing students, volunteers interested to assist
Cost:
1. Accomodation (Volunteer House) and Food*:
Adult Rate: $50 per person per day
Student Rate: $30 per person per day
*Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

2. Airfare est: $300 (Cebu/Tiger/Jetstar)

Total cost estimate: $500

Closing Date of Registration: December 30, 2011

How to Register:
Drop us an email at enquiry@acts29mission.org or sherlyn@acts29mission.org and state the date of the mission trip you are signing up for.
We will then get in touch with you.

Briefing and Preparation Days:
1. January 6 Friday, 730pm - 930pm
2. January 20 Friday, 730pm - 930pm
3. February 10 Friday, 730pm - 93pm Mass and Sending Off

QnA
Q: What if I cannot commit to all 7 days?
A: If you can make it for 4 days or more during the period of Feb 16-23, you can still participate in this trip.

Q: I am not Catholic. Can I still go with the group on the mission?
A: acts29 is a Catholic mission community and we welcome non-Catholics who are interested to know more about our mission. If you are willing to observe our prayer time and participate in all the other activities, we welcome you.

Q: If I cannot make it to the briefinging/preparation meetings can I join the trip?
A:The briefing and preparation meetings are conducted to sensitize one to the culture and life of our neighbours. It is important that participants attend at least 2 out of the 3 meetings.

Q: What is the minimum age?
A: We accept participants 16 years and above, provided they have been overseas on their own before and can take care of themselves. Participants below 21 years old will require consent from their parents.

Dear friends,
do visit our online shop  http://acts29shop.wordpress.com

See you there!

What does mission mean to me?

I went back to the 1st basic question and that is "what do I seek?"

We are all searching for something... because innately we are looking for something to fill our hearts. We may be looking everywhere and conceiving every possible dream and ambition to attain what we think our heart so desires and that searching brings us on a journey through life.

However, there is in all of us a deeper reality, (often buried under the peels and moulted skins of one's life journey) one that is deeply connected to our existence and being, and that reality is God the Father's love for us.

Until we allow ourselves to experience God's love, can we then grow into the persons we were created to be and bring forth from the depth of that God experience - the Child of God within ourselves.

Today, as all the past "todays" have been, our world continues to look for signs because we want to see Jesus. And our hearts remain restless unless we see Jesus. Or in St Augustine's words: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you".

So Mission Sunday reminds me of the call to serve. As a community who have experienced the love of God in our lives we should work to make Jesus visible to others. The reality of Jesus in our lives should continue to be lived in our community, in our society and in our world.

We are called to be witnesses of His love and to communicate hope. Our world and our generation more so is obsessed with getting connected. We are in someway connected all the time. Connected to a mobile network or a wireless network, connected to FB or MSN or yahoo or to our email server. If we could, we might even want to stay connected 24/7.

In this 2nd millenium, let Mission Sunday also remind us to stay continuously connected to God.
Let us take advantage of the free wi-fi He's given us... we can pray all day, all the time, any day any time...

Easter and a growing mission

Dear friends, on behalf of acts29 I would like to wish you a joyous Easter!

It's been awhile since our last post. No, we've not been idle. In fact we've been busier than ever.

This December we welcomed the following people on board our acts29 mission team!

1. Eugene Basquinaz joined us as a missioner and full-time supervisor.

2. Teresa San Miguel, our full-time house mother.

3. And we're happy to welcome back on our team once again, Maylene Grace Batol as our Philippines advisor.

2010 was a tough year. Our mission goals were put to the test and there were heartbreaks along the way.

Nicassio our 12 year old resident decided to leave our community house and headed back to Payatas. On the brigther side of things, Joannie our 20 year old resident, came back from Payatas to live with us again. And she is looking forward to resume her studies this June. This Lent we also welcome a brood of siblings from Payatas into our home.

Jerlyn Dolloso, 16. Gelenito Dolloso 12. Jimboy, 10 and little Julian 7 years old.

Thanks to the support of well-wishers and like-minded missioners, we were also able to purchase a unit in Erap City and will be building our Volunteer Centre there. However, rebuilding the unit to a double storey hospitality centre is really going to cost! But at the same time, we want to offer our visiting missioners and volunteers a conducive environment of rest and prayer during their very busy and hectic time with us.

We are also now starting a funraising project to buy another plot of land to build up our centre there. The centre will be a 3 storey building, equipped with a library (to encourage reading in the community, medical clinic (for medical missions and visiting doctors/nurses ) and most importantly a prayer room. The centre will also be our community home and we will be conducting prayers from Taize on a regular basis for the larger ecumenical community.

It's not been easy seeing to all the needs of the kids and youths, but Eugene has come up with a great programme. Most importantly the faith of our kids and youths come first. Some day, they will leave our home, when they want to and when they are ready to... so what do we hope they take with them? That in time with acts29 they have come to know God, love God and serve God.

We also wrapped up the school year in the 1st week of April and all the scholars managed to meet the target to hold on to their scholarship. Special mention goes to Clover for overall excellent academic achievement!

Tomorrow, our scholars will start on their summer swimming program. We wish them all the best!

We are also very grateful to the support for parishioners from Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Through their advent fundraiser (to buy nativity story books for the kids in Payatas and Erap), we discovered there weren't such books written in Filipino for kids. Perhaps because such words would be too deep for kids to understand. May has put together a simple version of the Nativity Story. We are now waiting for June to come. So the kids can hear the story told to them and illustrate their favourite parts of the story. Then, the printing will take place and this December 350 kids will receive the Nativity Story with their very own illustrations.

This June we will also be conducting a medical mission for all kids from Paaralang Pantao (Payatas and Erap). Mainly, there will be deworming, TB testing, and overall health check.

How to Help

1. Long term - Volunteers/Missioners with an attitude for mission for 6 months to 1 year to provide faith formation

2. Short term - Volunteers/Missioners with an attitude for mission to conduct children's rights sessions

3. Donations - $100, 000 for building of acts29 centre and volunteer centre, $500 - medical mission, daily lunch program for Paaralang Pantao

4. Sponsor our scholarship program - $300 a year for elementary and $400 a year for high school. There are bright kids with a desire to learn in need of sponsorship for formal education

5. Sponsor our birth certificate project - a handful of our kids still have no birth certs and wont be able to start school this June.

T0 contact us directly, you can email enquiries@acts29mission.org or sherlyn@acts29mission.org

God's peace be with you!

Sherlyn

Our Updates

Time flies! and yes we've all been very busy! with work... with school... etc
but we have not forgotten the mission.

Have been working to get the scholarship going. we have 3 more kids on the list in need of sponsors. and 4 scholarships to be renewed.

Our scholars did pretty well! So Congrats to Joannie, Nic, Mary Jane and Angela! Joannie moves up to Year 2 high school. Nic and Mary Jane to Grade 3 elementary and Angela to Grade 2 elementary.

For May and us here too, our hearts broke many times this past year 2009/2010. We're very to say we've come to the end of the road and we have decided that there's really not much else we can do for Pepito aka JP. JP didn't quite go along with the rules and expectations we had for him. which were study, go to school everyday and be home by 6pm (cos it's dark then). Even Tita couldn't help him come to his senses. But seriously I don't blame him. Sad to say, Payatas is not a place for a kid to grow up in esp where role models are few. So Pepito cut classes, went to work in a junk shop... dyed his hair... etc... The most heart-breaking thing of all was his sister couldn't take him in to her home. We know what he really wants. That is to live with the sister or at least live next to her. hence his shift tot he junkshop beside her home. The sister asked for help too. So we thought the best thing for a hardened child like Pepito was to send him away to rehab. i think of the lyrics "tried to make me go to rehab but I say no no no" Well, when all was finally decided, the sister adds a little info she never told us before. JP had a granny and an aunt who would never allow him to be sent to a rehab home! WHAT??? She didnt tell us he had relatives who would have a say in managing him before??? so that was when we decided ok!!!! we can't go on. She, the granny or the aunt has to take over not us. It's just not fair for JP who will always be bitter and ask why not his own family? Well, I miss JP...

Our problems didn't end there. There was Nic too! at one point he wasnt coming hom for a few days. The one year deal we had with the kids was almost up. The Malaras kids did keep to their end of the deal. Jovelyn kept the place clean and did the housework. Joannie and Nic did go to school daily if not almost everyday. And despite Nic's nonsense (which I can sum up as entering teenage rebelliousness and also a cry for a family), he was studying. So that was the deal. they kept it and we decided do or die it was time they moved! Thanks to the quick work of May, the kids moved into Erap City in May.. hehe Seems now they've adjusted. Nic likes it. Has made new friends. Ate Terry is living with them, supervising Nic and they are going to church too! yeah!!! 3 cheers for Ate Terry....

Another Sad thing.. but yet for the better... I believe. May has moved on :)... She's no longer "working" with acts29.. but still very much apart of acts29. still meeting the kids on saturdays and seeing to their budget and needs. We'll leave May a space here to tell us more about her new adventures. :)

acts29 has the intention of buying a place in Erap and extending our project.. expanding the scholarship program... and recruiting volunteers for at least 6 months to serve there. Anyone interested.. with a heart for mission can shout out to us here on our blog or email us.

30hour FAST A Sense of Humanity

The 30hour FAST will be held once more at Church of the Holy Spirit, 13 March

The past 3 FASTS have been catered to teens and this year we decided to open it to young adults. Of course, adults are welcomed too! Minimum age is 17 years old.

In previous FAST, the program had games, aspects of social justice, Praise and Worship. Things were alot more fast paced and noisy too!

For this year's FAST we will slow down to breathe and reflect, to be silent, to pray. That explains the minimum age of 17 years. If there are teens who still like to come back for the FAST again and are not 17 yet, and you are able to take a good ol' retreat, you're most welcomed to FAST with us.

The FAST leads us back to what Lent is all about. We want to remind one another that Lent is not just about fasting, prayer and almsgiving. But there's a reason behind why we do what we do. Lent is about our baptism. It is about conversion and renewing our lives. The prophet Joel announces a solemn journey that will help us turn back to God.

Maybe we're ok. We're good Catholics. We've not forsaken God. But often the demands of life seem larger than the meaning of life itself. Perhaps we can say that our humanity does take a toil on our spiriuality. So let us be led as Jesus was led, be nourished as Jesus was nourished.

We invite you, who would like to experience a deeper sense of your humanity, you who are 10 or 100 years old, who would like to share your human journey with others, to come, to FAST.

A place to call home

In a whilst time, we'll have a place to call home. It's a small house in a beautiful place (I call "my colorado"). The kids are always asking when they're going to shift. May faces their many questions. And she's working fast to get the paper work done. The home will be bought this March when we go down. We'll pay for the title of the house 1st. Payment for the land rights will follow later on. Renovations will start once the former owners shift out in the 1st week of April.

When we're there this March, we'll have to settle on the materials, the tilings, the staircase, partitions, shelvings, toilet bowl, cooking stove... lotsss... and of course the actual renovation costings and floor plan, since we will be making it a proper double-storey house with sky garden :) Lord, please bless the house, all who live in it now, all who will be living in it, all who will be visiting it and all who will be working on it! :)

I see a

double-storey painted house

where lives unfold

and children grow

Christ, the head of this household.

The ground floor is a place of welcome,

where meals are prepared

and the day's events are shared.

Prayers are said,

people are blessed

and the hungry are fed.

The second floor is a place of study,

a little library,

for one to learn and read

about the world around and beyond.

It's also a place of rest

where tired feet go and bodies a'slumber

till a new day awakens

The third floor, is really a rooftop,

a cherished sky garden

where the morning sun is greeted

by ginger and onions,

eggplants abundant.

Here the evening sky is marvelled

the stars light up the darkness

and the moon shows off her illuminated glow.

Here we'll wait all night

for another meteorite shower.

the front porch

part of the living room

other half of the living room

the stairs and the makeshift ceiling

the makeshift 2nd floor

outside the kitchen

the kitchen


the CR (toilet)

December Advent Mission Trip

Christmas has come and gone. I realized I've still not uploaded the Advent Mission Trip pics from Payatas. Looking through it, it feels like Christmas all over again!

We took the older kids to Manila Ocean Park. When they got off the bus, all there was at the car park area was this small little grass area where we were to play some games before going into the Park. The kids thought this place was IT! They were going "Oh My God"! and were in awe of the place. This is what they saw.

May said, "Oh my! When we take them to the real Ocean Park, I think they will really faint."
Here are the kids loss for words

We also took Nic and our lost sheep JP to Erap City with us and spent time with them. The most memorable thing for everyone was the stars whizzing past us as we sat on the roof top one night. More than 20 shooting stars appeared. It felt like the heavens were watching over us that night and the 2 boys made endless wishes! We only found out the next day thatwe had witnessed a meteor shower. Super cool!

Pick the cutest cupid:

30hour FAST IS BACK

YES THE 30HOUR FAST IS BACK! This will be the 4th FAST.

This year the FAST will be held on the 4th Sunday of Lent.

It will kick off on 13th March in the morning and end with Eucharistic Celebration at 530pm on 14th March.

Venue: Church of the Holy Spirit (Attic)
along Upper Thomson Road

Registration fee: $10 (Students: $5)
Other Contribution: 1 sack of rice

Open to: 16 years and above (Youths - Young Adults)

Note: This is a 30 hour-stay in event. 30hours without food, 30hours in solidarity with the poor.

Watch this site for more updates!

PROGRAMME UPDATE,

INSPIRING SPEAKERS

AND MORE...

Post-Typhoon Ketsana Updates

It's been awhile since we last gave an update on the victims of Typhoon Ketsana living in Montalban area. We were in Payatas in December and met 3 famillies there who had lost their homes during the typhoon. They were living in Tempecil (Montalban) and their children study in Paaralang Pantao. They shared their experiences with us.

Most of the families affected by Ketsana/Ondoy in that area have since relocated to higher ground within the same area where it is much safer. The area has already been designated for another relocation project. The housing authorities, however, have allowed the victims to seek shelter there temporarily for 3 months after which they'll be relocated to another area. I think it's San Isidro, just before Anawim.

Most people have picked up and moved on with their lives. We're amazed by their resilience to move forward. Of course life is not the same. Defintely harder but they are coping. Many families were very happy with the relief aid they had received from us, especially the utensils and sleeping mats. Some are still in need of pots and woks and borrow from neighbours. Oops! we forgot about that.

The medical mission went very well. With about 1000 seeking treatment. There was a Singaporean doctor and Japanese doctors and Filipino doctors too. The people were very grateful for the meds. Thank you ACCT (Archdiocesan Crisis Coordination Team)

Once again, we'd like to thank all the wonderful and generous Singaporeans who helped! :)