I'm back for Friday Fragments... This week isn't that good after what had happened in the entire city of Cagayan de Oro which was severely affected by the Tropical Storm Washi (local name: "Sendong"). It's been a week already yet you can still see the evidences of his wrath... those debris that you can see wherever you go will remind you how devastating it was for most Kagay-anons.

Let me reminisce the events that took place starting last Friday... 

Friday, December 16, 2011- Everybody was so busy for the preparation of the Christmas Fellowship presentation in our office... Our presentation was an Interpretative Shadow Dance where I played the role of Mary, all I have to do is simply walk from one corner to the other end before three of my colleagues will perform the Interpretative Shadow Dance of the music "We Are The Reason". The Fellowship ended up past 10 AM. But as early as 6 PM, the rain poured heavily already but we barely noticed it since we are inside the hotel. When we are about to go home, it took us almost one hour to get a  taxi with my Hubby and as soon as we reached home I easily fall asleep with my ever tired body... 

Saturday, December 17, 2011- Around 1AM, my hubby's attention was caught by a commotion outside so he went out to check it. Then he learned from the owner of the house (we're renting then) that there's a flood coming. Hubby woke me up and told me about it. He then instructed me to help him put all things in our bed. In less than ten minutes, the water came reaching below my knee just in time for all our things to get elevated. There was a power outage then and what we could rely on for lights are our cellphones only. However, my phone's battery was empty so it's my hubby's phones that were working only.It was quite late that I realized that my feet were soaked on the water almost forgetting the fact that I am pregnant which is not good for the baby. So I sit on a chair with my feet on it while my hubby went to his mother's house to help his sister who was alone during that time. I was so scared then that I just kept on asking God to keep the water from rising. Our land lady called me to stay upstairs and should not get worried to much since it is not really good for my baby. My tummy moves a lot during that time and out of fear, I went upstairs leaving my hubby and the owner of the house downstairs. They monitored the movement of the water which subsided only after a couple of hours. I wasn't able to get enough sleep during that time especially when it rained again. I really thought that what I went through was the worst thing ever but I was surprised when I learned from my church mates that they spent long hours on the roof until they were rescued by some concerned citizen. The entire day was spent with my hubby helping and running an errand for some church mates who were severely affected while I stayed with my brother's house. We went home to my mother so spend the night. 
Sunday, December 18, 2011- I wasn't able to go with my hubby to the church. I just stayed home.
Monday to Friday, December 19-23, 2011- It was a long week indeed and people are too busy going to and fro to extend their help. As for me, I was being faced again with emotional storm. A storm that really test the patience within me... 
Hubby was not feeling well too. But by God's grace we're able to endure that long, rigid week. We finally went back to our place though there are still no water.  
Saturday, December 24, 2011- I stayed at my mother's house to spend the Noche Buena with my nieces and nephew. Everything went well then... 


I was still asleep when the 12 midnight struck. It was already 1AM when I woke up. 


I am glad that God eventually heals all the wounds that is within me... The time that I woke up on the dawn of December 25, my heart was already settled. 

My heart is quite heavy while trying to gather all my thoughts in order to express my feelings deep within me this Thankful Thursday. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it says there, "Give thanks in all circumstances... Whether we are in a desperate or happy moments, we are happy or sad, God still deserves our great gratitude... Today, my heart isn't right and I am trying to weigh things out on what I should be thankful for aside from God sparing our lives from the recent tragedy. Well, that alone deserves God's glory... But still, my heart isn't right. There's a storm that's going on within me... More than Signal # 2. In as much as I want to forget it, my heart just bleed with the fact that it really hurts me a lot...  don't want to go into detail but one thing is for sure, God will restore my heart in due time. Yes, I've been through this before and I made it. There's no reason that I cannot get through this again this time... 

Lord, just give me the strength that I need. Don't allow hatred nor grudges dwell into my heart. Please help me understand the situation. Please do not allow the enemy to conquer my emotion and use it to his advantage...

Thank you, Lord

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This picture was taken by my younger sister. Isn't it great to stay on a place like this? How I wish someday I can be here and actually feel the snow...

 

Have you watched this movie? If not, you should have to. This is a movie about love, faith and integrity...


Here's the summary:

Rizwan Khan, a Muslim from the Borivali section of Mumbai, suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism that complicates socialization. The adult Rizwan marries a Hindu single mother, Mandira, in San Francisco. After 9/11, Rizwan is detained by authorities at LAX who mistake his disability for suspicious behavior. Following his arrest, he meets Radha, a therapist who helps him deal with his situation and his affliction. Rizwan then begins a journey to meet US President Obama to clear his name.

The story will surely moves you... Don't fail to watch it.

Few days from now and it will be Christmas already. Some will be celebrating it together with the whole family while those who were victims of the Tropical Storm Sendong will be spending it most likely at the evacuation center if no relatives or friends will be going to adopt them.

Homeless and hopeless, this would be the common feeling of the majority. I do not know how the government will address this kind of problem. Hundreds of families were affected and finding them a shelter of their own is not that easy (Not unless those realty owners will have the heart to donate a parcel of their lands that is away from the prone- to- flood areas). It's nice to note that there are so many concerned citizens who have took the initiative to extend their help by giving foods and clothing. Speaking of foods, noodles, uncooked rice and canned goods are okay however, for those who cannot cook because they were not able to save any cooking utensils, perhaps, a ready-to-eat foods are more practical though it is quite tasking and needs more helping hands to do so. 

Well, in view of this dilemma (yup, I could really considered it as  a dilemma), some people took the initiative to have a campaign for cooking pot. Well, of course for those who are not able to make it here personally at CDO, you can donate a cash. the aim is to collect 1,000 cooking pots for those severely affected families.

Please join the campaign and care to pass this message.

God bless!