Hi, I am proud to be a Filipino American, a second generation born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota to parents from the Philippines. This is a page dedicated to my parents. My mom is from a town of Labrador in Pangasinan, a province in the northwestern area of thes main island of Luzon. My dad is from the province of Laguna, a southern province of Luzon. I had a chance to visit both of these provinces and other beautiful places in in my "Philippine Trip 2001". It was my first trip back since visiting at the age of 3 (around 1979/1980).
Living in the "promise land"-America! I've grown to appreciate (Hebrews 13:5 "be contented") what God has bless me and my family. My parents didn't have much when they came to this country, which I've grown to appreciate and thank (1 Thessalonians 5:18 "be thankful in all circumstances") God everyday! Yes, America is NOT the perfect or best nation in the world. However, we have much to be thankful (human rights, liberty, and pursuit of happiness) for!
As a Christian, I'm now a citizen (Philippians 3:20 "citizenship in Heaven") of the Kingdom of Heaven! Meaning, we work hard in earth to live NOT just for earthly gain (eg. "American Dream:" recognition; status: social, economic, finanical, education, etc..; popularity; materialism: money, house, car; power; etc...), but for eternal rewards (1 Corinthians 3:8 "each will be rewarded accordingly") and also blessings (Proverbs 10:22 "blessing of the Lord brings wealth")-promises God has for us to live abundantly (John 10:10).
Jesus Christ's Love for the Filipinos
What are Filipinos doing in Morris, Minnesota (est 7,000-9,000 pop)?
I get that question asked by my Filipino friends, which I feel God sent us and like many others to this place or anywhere for a reason. We can sometimes get depressed and start complaining where we are at, but we have to remember the stories from the past in the Old Testament-God put us for a reason-"for such a time as this". I challenged students that I meet after 4 years of campus ministry here that they should ask God, "what is God's purpose while I'm here?"
Here are some involvements of Filipino-Americans that I've met since coming to UMM-Morris in 1995:
-1996-1998 Jason from Cedar, Minnesota; Asian Student Association
-1997-1999 Olivia Ocampo from Oxnard, California; UMM Women's Wrestling
-2000-2004 Ami Chourvang from Brooklyn Center, MN (too many to mention right now)
-2002-2004 Jordan from CA, UMM's Football Team
Pagtitipon sa Panginoon (Filipino Fellowship)-used to meet particular Fridays of the month of various houses of Filipino-American Christians in the Twin Cities-Metron Area-many were held during the year of 2001.
Dear Sal:
It's good to hear from you. FACC has transferred to a new church venue. We
now worship at 3220 Lake Johanna Blvd. in Arden Hills. We are using the
chapel of the Presbyterian Homes in that address. Blessings to you my
brother.
Sanny Olojan
3220 Lake Johanna Blvd. in Arden Hills
Contact us at: fann_kfai@hotmail.com
A group of Filipinos came over to Fargo, North Dakotah to work at my former roommate's workplace-Great Plains for awhile.
Subject :Fwd: jealousy
Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2003 13:53:15 +0800
SELOS??? As in JEALOUSY????
Bakit nga ba may mga taong nagseselos???
Naexperience mo na ba... na... amg iyong MADIR...
"Ma, manonood lang po ng sine..."
"Anak.. next time na lng.."
Lagi ka na lng hinihigpitan...
You're not allowed to do this..
You're not allowed to do that.
At kahit pa ang iniisip mo ay magpa-sweet sa NANAY mo...
Tipong bibili ka ng regalo para lang mapangiti sha...
"Ma, punta lang po sa mall... may bibilin lang.."
"No anak... dito ka na lang..."
O diba??? Sha na nga inaalala mo... ayaw pa?? Binongga ka talaga!!!
'mantalang ang kapatid mo... "Ma, overnight kami ng barkada sa 'Tipolo..."
"Ok anak, ingat..."
Wow... parents really are fair sa mga anak nila... na PABORITO nila...
Diba nakakasama ng loob??? Feeling mo... wala shang tiwala sayo...
Feeling mo... kahit sino, pinapaboran nya, pwera IKAW...
You'd really feel like you're DAMNED....
Na-eXpeRieNce mO na bA... Na... ang BESTFRiEND mo...
Na dati... "Bestfriend, ang sarap umiyak... sakit e"
With whom you'll respond "Best, ok lang yan... lilipas din yan..."
Na ngayon ay may ibang nakakaclose??? Tipong wala na siyang oras sayo???
Tipong... parang di mo na sha kilala at mas kilala na sha ng new found friend nya???????!!
Tipong pag nakausap mo sha... nahihiya ka pa...
Ang FEELING???... feeling mo you're no longer needed...
Feeling mo... nakalimutan ka na nya...
Feeling mo... naaalala ka lang nya pag kelangan ka nya...
Na-eXpeRieNce mO na bA... Na... ang LIHIM MONG MAHAL...
Na dati... kinakausap ka ng madalas... lagi kang naaalala...
Na dati... di mo na kailangan pang magpapansin para mapansin...
At dati rin... ay parang nagkakaron na rin ng feelings for you...
Ay may iba nang kinagigiliwan ngayon???!!!
At ngayon... ay naalala ka lang pag may ikukwento sha tungkol sa kanyang giliw...
Ang malupet pa don... eto na ang opening line nya...
"Lam mo ba, si 'love interest' ko, mahal na mahal ko na..."
ABA!!! Inangkin nya na ang iniirog nya... na deep inside of you...
Shetzzzzz...... it hurts badly... like HELL!!!
So you just say to yourself... "Hayy... lalayo na nga ako... masasaktan lang ako..."
Lalo na sa ganitong sitwasyon... LIIT na LIIT ka sa sarili mo...
Mapakahit anong realationship pa yan... mom & daughter, father & son, bestfriends, close friends, lovers....
ALL have experienced JEALOUSY!!!!! NA sa halos lahat ng "selosan" blues...
Lahat na ng negative... lahat na ng bad side, naisip naten...
Sometimes... we'd even ask... "GOD, why in world do you have to put me through this madness???"
The QUESTION: DAPAT ba talagang MAGSELOS????
A lot would say NO well in fact... they've been jealous for more than a hundred times...
BAKIT HINDI DAPAT... the common reason: YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT!!!
What kind of reason is that??? Pag sinabi mo yan sa taong nagseselos...
You have just contributed half of his burden... thinking to himself... he really don't have the right...
Well... wala talaga shang karapatan... pero hindi iyon ang reason...
IF YOU'D BE JEALOUS...
it means that YOU DON'T TRUST YOURSELF!!! That you have INSECURITIES sa katawan mo...
you're a LOSER kse you've let yourself believe in all the NEGATIVE thoughts you had regarding the situation...
ETO LANG NAMAN ANG DAPAT ISIPIN EH...
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A PURPOSE...
At sa lahat ng situation na ganito... na tipong magseselos ka...
Bago ka magselos... isipin mo muna... ano ba talaga ang dahilan nito???
At kung totoo nga ang mga NEGATIVE thoughts na nasa isipan mo...
Don't even dare to question GOD why... just ask for His help...
STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT MATTER na nagpapaselos sayo...
Kase... kung di mo titigilan yan... ikaw naman ang mahihirapan dahil ikaw ang nasasaktan...
AT isipin mo... THERE'S ONLY 1 WAY PARA MATIGIL ANG PAGSESELOS MO...
Mawala ang reason ng pagseselos... which could be done... by...
HAVING AN OPEN MIND AND TRUSTING YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This page is dedicated to Carlito Ochoa, a Filipino-American Christian that served mightily for the Lord in Minnesota before being sent to Flordia. I met Carlito through a sister pinay-in Christ in the Spring of 1999, through See You At the Part 1999 in Morris, MN. He prayed for my housemate from Ghana, African-who was then a student at UMM, who ended up getting elected (first international student to do so in the history of UMM so far) as our student body President the following year. Since then, I've gotten to know Carlito through many outreach events to the Filipino/Filipino-American community in the Minnesota area (* indicates the events he spearheaded). Through planning these events, he has encouraged me by faith through his many long phone calls while I was serving the Lord in Morris and then coming back to the Twin Cities to help with these events. Last evening-Sunday, October 26th 2003-many were able to share his' and the Ochoa family's contributions in the past before he leaves for Florida (where ironically the baseball team that won the World Series last week).
Carlito, I can speak for many of us last evening, but thank you very much (maligayang po) for your servant heart, compassion, and faithfulness in serving the Lord in the Twin Cities-Minnesota-Surrounding area (as far as Wisconsin to Winnnepig-Canada) these past several years especially. This evening taught many of us that "we don't really appreciate one's presence until their gone". As we prayed last night, we commissioned you to the work the Lord God Almighty has in store for you and your family in a much warmer state.
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' -Matthew 25:21
