As a child, I understood Heaven to be where God and his saints and angels are found, up in the sky beyond the clouds, “beyond the blue yonder.” But when I rode the plane up beyond the clouds, I did not meet St. Peter or any angel up there. Where could Heaven really be? The Bible in Colossians 3:3 says: “Your real life is in Heaven with Christ and God.” This was written by St. Paul when he was in jail. And we know that God is everywhere. Therefore, Heaven is everywhere the moment we are born again in the Spirit of God with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, when we no longer live carnally, but spiritually. That is why I used to say, “One does not have to die to be in Heaven,” because I’ve already been there myself when I was baptized of the Holy Spirit in August 4, 1973 during a Full Business Man’s Gospel Meeting in the S&S Cafeteria of Tampa, FL at Florida Street and I started talking in tongues! PTL.
After my baptism, I was asked to speak before the congregation by the President of the FGBM, Atty. D’Angelo, who said, “Before we call on our Guest Speaker, the Lord is telling me to call someone out there,” pointing at my direction. He described me by my Pilipino dress and beckoned me to come forward. I told them how I got baptized in the Holy Spirit a week ago and found myself telling them about my being punished with my younger brother for being naughty by our father and then told to kneel before a crucifix inside our room. I said that although we were crying and started praying that our father should die and that we were laughing together. Then I started crying unashamedly. Somebody stood up and started talking in tongues as the congregation became very silent. Another one stood up and interpreted saying, “Go forth my child and witness for me. I will sustain thee.” That was the sign I’ve been asking for to start witnessing for the Lord.
Since then, I had many opportunities to witness for the Lord before members of the former P.O.W.’s in their anniversary meeting in St. Petersburg, in a Baptist Church, in prayer meetings, in a class of senior citizens, and groups of elderly in Hillsborough County and Pasco County as Senior Paralegal of the Bay Area Legal Services of Florida, going around with a big van converted into a legal clinic from one city to another bringing along Pat, my wife, with me as Volunteer Asst. Paralegal Officer, until I retired in 1981 to take care of her until she died of cancer in 1982 on Easter Sunday.
As founder of PAAT and its first President, I said in my inaugural speech, “Someone during one prayer meeting predicted that we were being prepared by the Lord to lead a group of people during the coming perilous days, to show them the right way, and to follow Jesus Christ – the light, the life and the truth. This is the fulfillment of that prophecy.”
And as President of the newly organized Church of Jesus of Nazareth, I had several opportunities to lead the congregation in prayers. I also was a Bible instructor and delivered sermons aside from reading the Bible during church services. When Pat, my first wife, died, her wish not to be left alone inside a funeral parlor was fulfilled. We kept her body inside our chapel and was with her until the following day when she was buried in the Garden of Love, Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Hillsborough County, Florida. I was then the President of PAAT. The chapel was filled with people who attended her necrological services which were performed on the same day she died, April 11, 1982. I was ordained sub-deacon by Bishop Loreto.
During her necrological service, a very unusual incident happened that very few will believe. Our family picture shows us smiling beside Pat’s body. Our taped songs and conversations reveal our willing and joyful acceptance of God’s will with music and songs. But before that, just as we knelt to receive communion, Maria heard a voice saying: “This will be your husband.” She let go of my hand she was holding, turned around, but only saw the statue of the Black Nazarene behind us. She told this story to Father George when we went to his house several weeks after our marriage.
That accounts for the fact that I failed to realize my plan to go to the Philippines via Japan three times. First, when I can’t find my passport and Tony had to leave me behind. Second, when I was asked by Dr. Lourdes Loreto to cancel my flight to attend the ordination of her husband, Rev. Eugenio Loreto, as bishop. Third, when the Braniff Air Lines I’ve booked myself to go to Texas to board the Korean Air Lines for Japan, became bankrupt.
Then I called up the Korean Air Lines in Houston to mail me my airline ticket so that I won’t have to look for their office when I get to that airport. I called up on a Friday and expected to get it next Monday. I called up again and was informed that it was mailed by registered mail. I said, “Lord, if the ticket won’t arrive by Friday, I know you don’t want me to go.” When the ticket failed to arrive, I said, “Maybe I’ll have to first have a tombstone made for Pat’s grave, then I’ll plan to leave later on.” I called up Tony who bought the ticket that I’ll mail it back to him after I got it the following Monday, saying that I’ll first put a tombstone on Pat’s grave after which I’ll plan later on my trip to Japan and to the Philippines.
All my children contributed for the tombstone which I ordered with the help of Maria. On our return trip from the stone marker manufacturer, Maria told me that there are lots of fish in the lake behind her house and suggested that I could fish there if I am feeling lonely. I went to fish there one day and I caught her! Can you beat that? I guess that’s the biggest fish story ever told. And we got married on Sept 3, 1982, and lived happily ever after. Praise the Lord!
Now I really believe that: “God has a plan for everyone.” “Man proposes but God disposes,” is true indeed. Since then, I’ve learned to live in complete submission to God’s will. It is the best assurance of a blessed, peaceful and happy life, ever praising and thanking God for everything everytime.
Amen! JBS
Showing posts with label Pat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pat. Show all posts
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
World War II Broke Out
Pat's mother and her older sister, Aning, with her two children Rudy & Ruth spent their weekend with us from their apartment in Rizal Avenue, Manila.
I left them for my work on Monday morning of December 8, 1941 not knowing that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japs.
Upon arrival in the Army Hq., the news about the surprise Jap attack surprised all of us and so I went to the PX, bought a sack of rice, sugar, salt, and lots of canned foods, took them by bus to Kamining and confirmed the war news to Pat and her family.
While with them the air-raid alarm sounded and planes appeared overhead.
I saw and heard Pat's mother telling her daughters in a shaking, trembling voice not to fear.
There being no air-raid shelter, I started digging a dug-out under our house. It was solid rock and so I had to chip bit by bit until we can squeeze inside because our chalet house was built very low with only four steps on the stairway.
It was getting harder to go home from Manila to Q.C. (Quezon City) as all buses and jeeps were scarce and the few were fully loaded.
Capt. Jose B. Reyes, Sec. Gen. Staff and I were the only two military personnel in the office. It was red alert and nobody could go outside of the Headquarters.
Baguio was bombed, Clark Air Base was bombed, Sangley Point was bombed, and I actually saw a bomb dropped on the front of the walled city but it did not explode.
I could see the U.S. Army anti-aircraft guns in the sunken gardens firing but the shells were exploding way below the Jap planes that were between 18,000 to 20,000 feet overhead.
After bombing Sangley Point, the Jap planes strafed Manila. Machine guns were mounted on top of our Hq. but they were ineffective against the strafing fast-flying Zero Jap planes.
Anticipating the next plane target will be the Hq. Phil. Army, we evacuated to the Far Eastern Univ. Bldg in Espana St, Manila. That was closer to Q.C. and I was able to ride a bus now and then to see Pat at night time.
Then came Christmas, the date that was set for our evacuation to Bataan. Before that date Pat and I went shopping in Manila. People were on a Pre-Christmas shopping spree such that the sidewalks were filled with pedestrians.
Suddenly two unidentified planes dove towards the center of the city where most of the shoppers, including us, were concentrated. Pandemonium broke loose as the people panicked and ran like scared chickens seeking cover elsewhere.
Pat and I walked to the fire station for a ride but all vehicles were loaded to the top and some were clinging on the sides. It was very hard for Pat to squeeze in with her bulging 6-month pregnant stomach, but somehow we made it for the last trip. PTL!
The planes ended up being American planes, but the air-raid siren was sounded by mistake.
I left them for my work on Monday morning of December 8, 1941 not knowing that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japs.
Upon arrival in the Army Hq., the news about the surprise Jap attack surprised all of us and so I went to the PX, bought a sack of rice, sugar, salt, and lots of canned foods, took them by bus to Kamining and confirmed the war news to Pat and her family.
While with them the air-raid alarm sounded and planes appeared overhead.
I saw and heard Pat's mother telling her daughters in a shaking, trembling voice not to fear.
There being no air-raid shelter, I started digging a dug-out under our house. It was solid rock and so I had to chip bit by bit until we can squeeze inside because our chalet house was built very low with only four steps on the stairway.
It was getting harder to go home from Manila to Q.C. (Quezon City) as all buses and jeeps were scarce and the few were fully loaded.
Capt. Jose B. Reyes, Sec. Gen. Staff and I were the only two military personnel in the office. It was red alert and nobody could go outside of the Headquarters.
Baguio was bombed, Clark Air Base was bombed, Sangley Point was bombed, and I actually saw a bomb dropped on the front of the walled city but it did not explode.
I could see the U.S. Army anti-aircraft guns in the sunken gardens firing but the shells were exploding way below the Jap planes that were between 18,000 to 20,000 feet overhead.
After bombing Sangley Point, the Jap planes strafed Manila. Machine guns were mounted on top of our Hq. but they were ineffective against the strafing fast-flying Zero Jap planes.
Anticipating the next plane target will be the Hq. Phil. Army, we evacuated to the Far Eastern Univ. Bldg in Espana St, Manila. That was closer to Q.C. and I was able to ride a bus now and then to see Pat at night time.
Then came Christmas, the date that was set for our evacuation to Bataan. Before that date Pat and I went shopping in Manila. People were on a Pre-Christmas shopping spree such that the sidewalks were filled with pedestrians.
Suddenly two unidentified planes dove towards the center of the city where most of the shoppers, including us, were concentrated. Pandemonium broke loose as the people panicked and ran like scared chickens seeking cover elsewhere.
Pat and I walked to the fire station for a ride but all vehicles were loaded to the top and some were clinging on the sides. It was very hard for Pat to squeeze in with her bulging 6-month pregnant stomach, but somehow we made it for the last trip. PTL!
The planes ended up being American planes, but the air-raid siren was sounded by mistake.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
1939- How Pat & I Fell In Love
Editor's Note: I got a copy of my grandfather's diary from my aunt. (Thanks Tita Bing!) He wrote it in the mid-90's while he was doing security guard work around Tampa Bay and it's full of daily anecdotes and even more stories than the memoir that I'm working on now. This one is 304 handwritten pages and my brain goes a little numb and my fingers want to hide at the thought of transcribing it.
There are some good entries in here, and I plan to dip into it now and then to mix things up on the blog. He has very detailed remembrances of WWII in here and I plan to tackle those once I'm done with the memoir. For now, here's his side of the story going on right now from "Nanay" my grandmother's memoir that my sister is dutifully working on now.
One day while visiting Pat and her mother in a Boarding House opened by them in Azcarraga near UE (University of the East), I asked if she has already enrolled in school. She said "not yet because mother has not yet sold her sewing machine." I asked for her report card. She just finished 2nd year H.S. in the Nueva Vizcaya Vocational H.S. and she intended to enroll in the National Univ. H.S. Dept. in Sampaloc, Manila.
To my great amazement, I never saw a card like that before, which was full of 90+ grades with no grade below 85%. Her general average was around 95%. Almost perfect! She said she was correcting themes written by 3rd year students under Miss Veragara, her English teacher. I was surprised!
I told her that I will pay for her initial enrollment fees because it was just a few days when enrollment will be closed. Her mother agreed. The only amount needed was 5 pesos ($2.50) and she got enrolled. We were both very happy.
At that time in 1939 my girlfriend was Martha. My other girlfriends: Elay, Edith, Tonie and Olive had all graduated as nurses. I could no longer visit them in their hospital schools as before and we stopped communicating with each other.
God knows that my only interest in helping Pat was because of her high grades and I said: SAYANG if her intelligence will not be exploited. I could foresee that she would make good in school and have a bright future. And she was very eager to go to school!
On the first week of her schooling she took an exam for the H.S. Newsletter Editor-In-Chief. She was the first one who submitted her theme to the amazement of the aspirants, but hers was declared the winner by Leon O. Ty, a very famous newspaper writer.
This made Pat very popular considering the fact that nearly all the contestants were fourth year students. Her picture was in the papers as Editor-In-Chief! Her mother was very proud of her and all their boarders celebrated her victory. She was given scholarship benefits as a H.S. student and at the same time as a Normal School (College equivalent) student to become a teacher.
Many boys tried to date her. One of their boarders was after her. She told me all about her problems. I realized she would be in trouble and unable to continue her studies if she fell in love with somebody.
In the beginning I pretended to fall in love with her so that she would not fall in love with someone else. I tried to protect her future. She responded to my letters and ultimately we became sweethearts. Her beautifully written "Story of My Life" can better tell what actually happened, except the fact that I was just pretending to court her. God knows! JBS
Martha was a H.S. graduate and more beautiful than Pat. Although not as intelligent I suppose because she never answered my letters, nor encouraged me beyond the flick of her eyelashes and smile on her lips!
There was a point when I could pretend no longer. I gave up Martha and went full speed for PAT! This proves that LOVE can really grow. My favorite song was:
Love in bloom
This is the past dear,
A spark then a flame
The moon was to blame
The world was all in tune-
This is the present,
The flame still aglow
My darling and so-
I blame the stars and the moon
This is the future, you at my side
A groom and a bride,
A home for more than two
My beloved one, this is the past
The present and the future
I'm only living just
For you-
JBS
Our bundle of love letters from 1939 to 1941 can better tell the full love story between Pat and me. I've given each of my children copies of those same love letters.
Neither Pat or I had any objection to anybody seeing seeing these letters which are in the Abra Provincial Library as a part of my five volumes of the story of my life entitled "Anak Ti Abra." The Librarian, Mr. Bianes said that many read those love letters.
There are some good entries in here, and I plan to dip into it now and then to mix things up on the blog. He has very detailed remembrances of WWII in here and I plan to tackle those once I'm done with the memoir. For now, here's his side of the story going on right now from "Nanay" my grandmother's memoir that my sister is dutifully working on now.
One day while visiting Pat and her mother in a Boarding House opened by them in Azcarraga near UE (University of the East), I asked if she has already enrolled in school. She said "not yet because mother has not yet sold her sewing machine." I asked for her report card. She just finished 2nd year H.S. in the Nueva Vizcaya Vocational H.S. and she intended to enroll in the National Univ. H.S. Dept. in Sampaloc, Manila.
To my great amazement, I never saw a card like that before, which was full of 90+ grades with no grade below 85%. Her general average was around 95%. Almost perfect! She said she was correcting themes written by 3rd year students under Miss Veragara, her English teacher. I was surprised!
I told her that I will pay for her initial enrollment fees because it was just a few days when enrollment will be closed. Her mother agreed. The only amount needed was 5 pesos ($2.50) and she got enrolled. We were both very happy.
At that time in 1939 my girlfriend was Martha. My other girlfriends: Elay, Edith, Tonie and Olive had all graduated as nurses. I could no longer visit them in their hospital schools as before and we stopped communicating with each other.
God knows that my only interest in helping Pat was because of her high grades and I said: SAYANG if her intelligence will not be exploited. I could foresee that she would make good in school and have a bright future. And she was very eager to go to school!
On the first week of her schooling she took an exam for the H.S. Newsletter Editor-In-Chief. She was the first one who submitted her theme to the amazement of the aspirants, but hers was declared the winner by Leon O. Ty, a very famous newspaper writer.
This made Pat very popular considering the fact that nearly all the contestants were fourth year students. Her picture was in the papers as Editor-In-Chief! Her mother was very proud of her and all their boarders celebrated her victory. She was given scholarship benefits as a H.S. student and at the same time as a Normal School (College equivalent) student to become a teacher.
Many boys tried to date her. One of their boarders was after her. She told me all about her problems. I realized she would be in trouble and unable to continue her studies if she fell in love with somebody.
In the beginning I pretended to fall in love with her so that she would not fall in love with someone else. I tried to protect her future. She responded to my letters and ultimately we became sweethearts. Her beautifully written "Story of My Life" can better tell what actually happened, except the fact that I was just pretending to court her. God knows! JBS
Martha was a H.S. graduate and more beautiful than Pat. Although not as intelligent I suppose because she never answered my letters, nor encouraged me beyond the flick of her eyelashes and smile on her lips!
There was a point when I could pretend no longer. I gave up Martha and went full speed for PAT! This proves that LOVE can really grow. My favorite song was:
Love in bloom
This is the past dear,
A spark then a flame
The moon was to blame
The world was all in tune-
This is the present,
The flame still aglow
My darling and so-
I blame the stars and the moon
This is the future, you at my side
A groom and a bride,
A home for more than two
My beloved one, this is the past
The present and the future
I'm only living just
For you-
JBS
Our bundle of love letters from 1939 to 1941 can better tell the full love story between Pat and me. I've given each of my children copies of those same love letters.
Neither Pat or I had any objection to anybody seeing seeing these letters which are in the Abra Provincial Library as a part of my five volumes of the story of my life entitled "Anak Ti Abra." The Librarian, Mr. Bianes said that many read those love letters.
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