Last February 10 and 11, I have been privileged to join the Inside Out Program of the MV Doulos. It is actually a program designed for students who would wish to volunteer onboard for two days. Here, we had the opportunity to experience the work and ministry onboard the Doulos.
To those who do not know about MV Doulos, it is a ship built in 1914 making it two years younger than the Titanic. Doulos is the World’s Largest Floating Book Fair, carrying 6,000 titles of quality literature across the oceans to reach different parts of the globe. 350 volunteers from 50 countries work together and live onboard. They are actually not being paid for their service, which is why they are called volunteers. They just get support from people back home. Since 1977, Doulos has visited more than 100 countries, welcoming over 19 million visitors onboard.
So what did we did we do inside the ship?
The first thing we did was orientation. We oriented by some of the crew of the Doulos. There were actually four of them, Kaylee who was from the United States, Felipe who was from Brazil, Shibu who was from India and Monica who was from South Africa. Meeting new people from different countries was so amazing. They introduced themselves to us and gave us their testimonies. After awhile, Gareth Bolton, also a volunteer in the ship shared us about God’s word and the ministry of Christ here on earth. I surely did learn a lot from him. Lunch was next. I could not wait to see what their food was like. All I knew was that they had Western food. So I lined up with the other volunteers for lunch. Their dining room is somehow similar to a cafeteria, we would just line up and get the food that we want. When I saw the food, there was no rice! I only saw bread. There was meat and cheese and fresh cuts of vegetables like cabbage, carrots and tomatoes. There were also apples and oranges.
After I got my food, I looked for a table together with the other volunteers. When I had my first bite of the bread, I did not know how to react. The bread was hard, very hard. I just continued eating and told myself to finish what was on my plate.
As soon as we finished lunch, we were guided to where we were assigned. I was assigned to the Book Exhibition so I was brought to the bookshop. At first, I was assigned near the entrance wherein I would count the people who would arrive telling them how to get to the bookshop. Next I was assigned to be the baggage. The one who puts the customers items inside the plastic. It was really fun. It was my first time to experience that kind of work. After that, we had a break. We again went to the dining room to have some bread and juice. The bread was better now. We had peanut butter and jam which were both delicious. I also loved the lemonade juice. After that, we went back to the room where we were oriented to have some discussions and to update each other.
Dinner was next. We had rice this time and we also had chicken. After dinner, we went home.
The next day, we joined the worship service onboard. It was a new experience for me. There are actually a few families who are living in the ship. After church, we had the opportunity to visit the cabin of the Parker’s. Only the wife was able to entertain us because her husband was busy at the Book Ex and her daughter was also doing something. She served us chocolate cake, pretzels, dried mangoes and juice. We asked her questions about the ministry and their stay on the ship.
Lunch was next. There was cake for dessert and it was delicious.
In the afternoon, we had training for drama. I was completely surprised because they did not tell us about it. We were able to learn two dramas. We then went to the keyside where the people were lining up for the entrance. There we entertained the people. The dramas that we learned just a few hours ago were performed there. We also served water to the people for free because it was so hot. After that, we were then called to go back to the room. We had some discussions and reflections and we shared the lessons that we learned during that afternoon. After that, we went down to have our last meal together. After dinner, we exchanged numbers and email addresses and bade goodbye.
My Doulos experience is one of the things that I would always cherish in my life. A lot of wonderful things happened during my two days onboard.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
It hurts you know..
People have the freedom to love, to choose who we give our hearts to. But what’s the use of this freedom if the person you love also has the freedom not to love you back? (From a text message)
This has always been a common situation. We could always witness this in telenovelas, movies and radio dramas. Usually, the situation is that the female protagonist loves someone who doesn’t love her yet another male loves her but she doesn’t love that male back. We could even witness this happening to our friends and even find ourselves also experiencing this one.
I would always remember a text message from a friend saying “There are two dilemmas that rattle the human skull: how do you get rid of someone who won’t go and how do you hang on to someone who won’t stay.”
This made me reflect a bit. Why do things have to be this way? Why the person we like usually does doesn’t like us back and the person who likes us is someone whom we don’t have feelings for. It seems like a cycle - we like someone who doesn’t like us and someone who likes is not the one we like.
This kind of problem is not a stranger anymore. It has always been around that others are used to the pain it gives already.
Getting rid of someone who doesn’t bother to leave is really a big dilemma. It is indeed brain-damaging of thinking ways on how to let that person go. Sometimes, we just wish we could just shout straight to the person’s face and say “evaporate!” but that just doesn’t seem to be a good idea at all. Oftentimes, we would ignore this person trying to let the person feel that we really do not feel the same way. It is hard because you try as best as you can not to hurt the person. But no matter what you do, that person doesn’t really bother to leave at all. It is so difficult when you are in this kind of situation because you have to be very careful with whatever actions you make especially that this might set the person’s hopes high.
Hanging on to someone who won’t stay is also a very difficult situation. It really pains a lot to know that a person you have learned to love doesn’t love you back. We surely do know a lot of friends experiencing this kind of dilemma and I surely do have lot of friends who experience this one. It is so painful seeing people cry wishing that the person they like would also learn to like them back. But this seems to be impossible for some when the person they like already has someone. We would oftentimes say that that person is numb or “manhid” for not being able to notice what we feel.
]
It has always been like that. Life sometimes, seems to be unfair. Not everyone becomes happy. A lot get hurt. And it is oftentimes because of one reason – LOVE.
This has always been a common situation. We could always witness this in telenovelas, movies and radio dramas. Usually, the situation is that the female protagonist loves someone who doesn’t love her yet another male loves her but she doesn’t love that male back. We could even witness this happening to our friends and even find ourselves also experiencing this one.
I would always remember a text message from a friend saying “There are two dilemmas that rattle the human skull: how do you get rid of someone who won’t go and how do you hang on to someone who won’t stay.”
This made me reflect a bit. Why do things have to be this way? Why the person we like usually does doesn’t like us back and the person who likes us is someone whom we don’t have feelings for. It seems like a cycle - we like someone who doesn’t like us and someone who likes is not the one we like.
This kind of problem is not a stranger anymore. It has always been around that others are used to the pain it gives already.
Getting rid of someone who doesn’t bother to leave is really a big dilemma. It is indeed brain-damaging of thinking ways on how to let that person go. Sometimes, we just wish we could just shout straight to the person’s face and say “evaporate!” but that just doesn’t seem to be a good idea at all. Oftentimes, we would ignore this person trying to let the person feel that we really do not feel the same way. It is hard because you try as best as you can not to hurt the person. But no matter what you do, that person doesn’t really bother to leave at all. It is so difficult when you are in this kind of situation because you have to be very careful with whatever actions you make especially that this might set the person’s hopes high.
Hanging on to someone who won’t stay is also a very difficult situation. It really pains a lot to know that a person you have learned to love doesn’t love you back. We surely do know a lot of friends experiencing this kind of dilemma and I surely do have lot of friends who experience this one. It is so painful seeing people cry wishing that the person they like would also learn to like them back. But this seems to be impossible for some when the person they like already has someone. We would oftentimes say that that person is numb or “manhid” for not being able to notice what we feel.
]
It has always been like that. Life sometimes, seems to be unfair. Not everyone becomes happy. A lot get hurt. And it is oftentimes because of one reason – LOVE.
An unexpected announcement..
Weeks before the prom, we were already very busy practicing for it. We had practices in the afternoon under the supervision of Ms. Avergonzado and Ms. Empleo, sometimes Mdm. Gallo would also help supervise. Oftentimes, I feel lazy regarding the practices and thought that it was just a waste of time because I wasn’t that pretty much excited about the big event. But still we had to if not perfect it, make it almost perfect so that everything will run on smoothly on the big day.
During our practices, the teachers would make it a point that we will be able to finish practicing the whole thing. That is why sometimes, we would go home late. Our practice always starts with the Presentation of Seniors and Their Escorts. This is the time wherein we would walk on stage, then down the aisle with our pair. We had to smile and project while doing this. Next was the Invocation wherein we would just practice how Sheena, the one who would lead the prayer, would go up the stage. Next was the Welcome Address. We were told that we have to clap our hands every after speeches and presentations. So we also did that during practices. For the Junior’s Tribute, they would just practice going up the stage as well as their Prophecies and the Senior’s Legacies. They would not show it during practices of course. The Turnover Rites, Acceptance Speech, Giving of Tokens and Candle-Lighting Rite were all practiced also. The next thing to be practiced was the Proclamation and Coronation of the Royal Court. So that students would have an idea what to do if they will be nominated, Ms. Avergonzado would just call any name for practice. Unfortunately, my name was called for that practice. I could not do anything except to go up the stage. I was just calm and waited for the proclamation of the Prom Queen. My mood completely changed when I heard my name. I did not understand what I felt. I was mad and a bit shy, I had mixed emotions. After that practice, I became hot-tempered and I am pretty sure a lot noticed it. I know it was so stupid for me to act that way but I just couldn’t help it.
The day before the prom, we had our last practice at the venue. We practiced the same thing. But this time, we included practicing the fellowship song. Soon the proclamation and coronation of the royal court was next again. I was so nervous and I prayed that my name would not be called. I felt so unfortunate because my name was called again. And for the second time around, I was again proclaimed as the prom queen. The same thing happened. I began to become hot-tempered again but I was trying to calm myself. What triggered my temper was the royal dance. I’m sure many would wonder why I acted that way. The reason for that is too personal to tell. I was totally mad that time and I am pretty sure that people thought of me as “maldita”. But I don’t care, it was what I felt. That was one of the reasons why I did not have hopes of becoming the prom queen.
So it was already the big day. When the program started, everything went on fine. Finally, the proclamation and coronation of the royal court was next again. I was surprised when my name was called the third time around. Of course the thought that I was nominated flattered me but I was a bit nervous because it was my first time and I really had no idea what to do. During the proclamation of the Prom King, I kept on talking with the other Senior boys, who were also nominated, to be my partner in the dance. The proclamation for the Prom Queen was next; I just waited the emcee for the proclamation. I was completely shocked when I heard my name. I did not expect it. I was confused on what to do. When Dr. Ereno gave me the bouquet of flowers, I didn’t know how to hold it.
It was a fun night despite of the very few not so good things that happened. It was a night full of surprises, a night full of unexpected things.
During our practices, the teachers would make it a point that we will be able to finish practicing the whole thing. That is why sometimes, we would go home late. Our practice always starts with the Presentation of Seniors and Their Escorts. This is the time wherein we would walk on stage, then down the aisle with our pair. We had to smile and project while doing this. Next was the Invocation wherein we would just practice how Sheena, the one who would lead the prayer, would go up the stage. Next was the Welcome Address. We were told that we have to clap our hands every after speeches and presentations. So we also did that during practices. For the Junior’s Tribute, they would just practice going up the stage as well as their Prophecies and the Senior’s Legacies. They would not show it during practices of course. The Turnover Rites, Acceptance Speech, Giving of Tokens and Candle-Lighting Rite were all practiced also. The next thing to be practiced was the Proclamation and Coronation of the Royal Court. So that students would have an idea what to do if they will be nominated, Ms. Avergonzado would just call any name for practice. Unfortunately, my name was called for that practice. I could not do anything except to go up the stage. I was just calm and waited for the proclamation of the Prom Queen. My mood completely changed when I heard my name. I did not understand what I felt. I was mad and a bit shy, I had mixed emotions. After that practice, I became hot-tempered and I am pretty sure a lot noticed it. I know it was so stupid for me to act that way but I just couldn’t help it.
The day before the prom, we had our last practice at the venue. We practiced the same thing. But this time, we included practicing the fellowship song. Soon the proclamation and coronation of the royal court was next again. I was so nervous and I prayed that my name would not be called. I felt so unfortunate because my name was called again. And for the second time around, I was again proclaimed as the prom queen. The same thing happened. I began to become hot-tempered again but I was trying to calm myself. What triggered my temper was the royal dance. I’m sure many would wonder why I acted that way. The reason for that is too personal to tell. I was totally mad that time and I am pretty sure that people thought of me as “maldita”. But I don’t care, it was what I felt. That was one of the reasons why I did not have hopes of becoming the prom queen.
So it was already the big day. When the program started, everything went on fine. Finally, the proclamation and coronation of the royal court was next again. I was surprised when my name was called the third time around. Of course the thought that I was nominated flattered me but I was a bit nervous because it was my first time and I really had no idea what to do. During the proclamation of the Prom King, I kept on talking with the other Senior boys, who were also nominated, to be my partner in the dance. The proclamation for the Prom Queen was next; I just waited the emcee for the proclamation. I was completely shocked when I heard my name. I did not expect it. I was confused on what to do. When Dr. Ereno gave me the bouquet of flowers, I didn’t know how to hold it.
It was a fun night despite of the very few not so good things that happened. It was a night full of surprises, a night full of unexpected things.
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