FAIR SUNSHINE

Second day of a proposed 55 day shoot for an ongoing production. I left the house at 4 AM so I wouldn't get caught in traffic and made a stop over at the office to get some sleep before driving out again. Arrived on set around 12 noon and inspected the green screens that will be used for the shot which to my surprise was done in such a short period. I was informed afterwards that the director still needed me for the night shots. When I checked the schedule, it wouldn't be until around 10 PM. I had a lot of time to kill. I thought to myself, "so that's why I brought the cross today." I also loaded an extra stash of tracts than usual. I decided to go out to the town plaza to first observe the people, trying to look for a good spot where to stand and place my camera. This is a very tight place with a lot of people in close proximity, just an arm's reach away. A procession just went by celebrating the month of May as the month of flower devotion to th...

I drove home from work around 6AM coming from the usual overnight stay at the studio. My drive normally takes around 2 and a half hours if traffic is manageable (5 hours worst case) as I live 33 miles out. I often have to literally bathe myself with my water bottle just to keep awake, the other remedy being a stop over half-way at a small convenience store along Dahlia, Fairview to get some salted barbecue nuts (Nagaraya). I went in and got a bottle of rootbeer plus the snack and sat down just for a bit just to help me stay awake. A young kid gently knocked on the window in front of me outside. Street kids frequent places like this to ask for food, and I love talking with them about their families and life, so I went out. I asked if he wanted some of my snacks and he said yes, so I sat with him outside where there were seats provided. His name is Noel, 14 years old, his mother is supposedly working somewhere and will pick him up around evening to eat. Till then he is left to f...

I have always wanted to play the cello ever since. I bought this about 2 or 3 years ago if memory serves me right and I only got to play good to some point. But it has since just watched me work in the office standing idly against the wall. When time came for me to raise up money to buy our own printer so we can print our own tracts at our convenience, I decided to put this up for sale. However painful. At first I asked the print shops around the area where I work what the cost would be. One leaf will cost me either P3 or P1.50 depending on the minimum order. I really did not have that amount. Good thing my technician suggested I buy my own printer instead. He recommended me this EPSON L360. Nothing can be more convenient. We can now print out what we need at more than half the price. We just have to allot a portion of our salary for the consumables. 

After holding House Church we drove out to a local mall a few kilometers from where we lived. I have always imagined myself standing here before, but now it has come to pass. The family team went to their designated positions and handed out tracts while I stood in the middle of the road with the cross - praying repeatedly in silence for the Lord to send just one that evening. After a while he gently told me to change location and walk further up the road. So I did. It didn't take long for this fellow to cross the street towards me and ask what the cross was about. He asked, "Kuya, para saan yan? Handa saan?" (Brother, what is that for? Ready for what?) I answered, "para sa araw na tatayo ka sa harap ni Lord para managot sa lahat sa buhay mo." (For the day that you will stand before God and give an account for everything in your life.) That was a good 30 minutes of us talking intently and seriously about salvation and judgement, and what God was ...

I found a typo in the tract. One letter. Just one out of place letter. The word "ang" being incorrectly typed "and". At first I tried justifying it, thinking it would be a waste to throw all these out - more than 150 already printed worth around P200 - but the Lord impressed upon me to discard all of it.  It became clearer as we drew near to go out to witness that I should not distribute this. But I argued in myself that the context wasn't changed at most. I checked and re-checked what we have already distributed and it was just this batch that I re-edited and printed in the office with the new printer that was off. At least the previous ones we handed out were correct ones. And so we settled with just 40 leaflets or so that has the correct edit. The Lord can bring to fruition 40 against 150. Its not in the numbers, but everything rests in pleasing God. Later in my 4AM devotions I found this. Leviticus 22:20-21 You must not present anything ...

When we were at Tunko preaching, Pastor Joe who we met there invited us to attend this small congregation at Gumaoc North. It was pleasantly poor and unassuming. But it had sound doctrine; something that the bigger churches do not have. It has similarities with what we already believe in regarding salvation and endurance to the end, and their support for missions and missionary work was a big plus. They received us warmly and even prepared a small pizza treat at the end. We all had a chance to get to know each other at the first level. I had no apprehensions with these saints, who were comprised mostly of elderly but warm people. Although I am at peace to recognize this as a genuine church I do not see it proper to be obligated for now. I would like to go where the Lord leads regarding seed sowing, and would not want to be in conflict with leadership who, should I choose to subject myself to, might lead to future limitations. Nevertheless I will not hesitate to support...

We headed out to Tunko, near the boundary of Caloocan, not far from a famous Catholic landmark called Grotto. This is another busy intersection that has people coming in and out from four directions. The first time as well, for this place and us, that the cross was lifted high above the people for all to see. My whole family assisted in handing out our home-made tracts and stationed themselves on both corners of the intersection. This is a good starting point in the lives of the children that I pray will take root later on within themselves. That they will take a stand on their own. At the end of the night 149 tracts were delivered into the hands of whom they were meant for. We do not preach to convert anybody, and regardless of result, we covet nothing but only the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the salvation of God granted solely through his Son be proclaimed to the people. It is up to Lord to draw people to himself. We were allowed to preach there for m...

My daughter and I had 45 minutes to kill before we were to fetch her sister from school. Having the new tracts on hand what better way to pass time than to pass out tracts instead? Their dormitory was in the middle of a busy market area where lots of people pass by. After parking a street away I stood at a quiet spot on the side and started handing out, which for the first part of the whole episode, many ignored. And so I had to tell them it was free of charge, no expense, and were just being given away. There was a time when some well-meaning street preachers stood on streets to deliver the Gospel but they had envelopes and were asking for money. This I believed hardened the people more into viewing this as nothing more than a money making scheme. I knew I had that against me, but also knew that the Lord was with me. After some patience and mercy, all the tracts had gone. I say mercy because all the while I was handing tracts out, I was also pleading with the people t...

My friend and brother, Paul Latour, has been tremendously instrumental in providing the extra push I needed towards the direction the Lord has been speaking to me lately. Of all the preaching videos I have watched this past year, their approach both to the necessity and urgency of the Gospel message, and the way it was delivered, was similar to my intentions and so it spoke to me. The Lord settling it in my heart to write them. This cross was inspired by what they used when bringing the Word to the people. The day following my email exchanges with Paul I was peacefully driving home and the Lord suddenly telling me to pull over to the side to a construction supply, needless to say I bought wood and had it cut. Went home quite excited and I made a copy of their cross but since I had no specs then I ended up with a much larger and heavier plank that's about a foot over. As it turns out it is just right for me, being more clearly seen at night which is mostly when we go out in...