Last January 25, 2020, at 11 p.m. was the start of the great adventure of the 43 participants of the TGIS (Thank God its Saturday) Hiking and Tree Planting Activity in Mt. Alapaap, Tanay, Rizal. The group travelled from Quezon City all the way to the hiking site.

The activity kicked off through the Holy Eucharist at 2am which was celebrated by Fr. Iwao Ikegami. His homily was about the calling of the first disciples which he associated to the event. He shared that everyone has their own call, that God planted it in everyone. It is the task of the person to make it grow, not just for himself but also for others, and to bear much fruit.

The hiking started at around 4:30 a.m, the participants, each one carrying a plant to be planted later on that day, started their journey to the top.  Each of them has their own stories to tell.  Even though different from one another everyone has the same goal which is to reach the top and appreciate God’s  creation.  God’s love was represented by the picturesque site of the place.

Mylen Samson from Verbum Dei Pansol shared a testimony on the fifth station of the mountain.  She shared about  how her faith grew throughout the years, despite the challenges that she encountered. She shared that being connected to God is a big help in continuing her dream to  share  him to others.

The hiking and tree planting activity concluded with the Awarding of the Certificates of the Participants headed by Jonnalyn Estrada from Verbum Dei Pansol and Fr. Iwao Ikegami who were the main organizers of the event.
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Like the message of Philippians 1:6 which says “He who began a good work in you will carry it to the completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The hiking and tree planting activity served us a reminder to never stop planting good seeds because in due time we will reap the harvest.

Here are some photos of the event:

The eruption of the Taal Volcano last January 12, 2020 was a very unexpected occurrence witnessed by the Verbum Dei Tagaytay Community. Volcanic ashes and tiny pebbles were spewed out from the volcano at the onset of the eruption. Thunder, lightning and a series of earthquakes enveloped the evening until dawn of the following day. Electricity and water supply was immediately cut-off in the affected areas which added to the distress of the people.  Marked by a community discernment, the Tagaytay Community evacuated to the Pasig Community for the meantime.

Although the calamity caused so much tension and uncertainty particularly to our neighbors and apostolate areas, it was eased by an outpouring of generous donations received from the Verbum Dei Fraternity, disciples, and friends. Together with Fr. Filipe and the rest of the Verbum Dei Pansol community, an outreach was immediately organized on January 15, 2020 and provision of the basic needs of the people were mobilized. Water, rice, canned goods, toiletries and pre-owned clothes and blankets were shared to the neighbors and evacuation centers in Lucsuhin National High School and of the OFM Capuchin Brothers. Responding to more needs, on January 18, a second batch of relief goods were received by the people in Las Brisas, Mushroom Burger, Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol, OFM Capuchin and Batangas evacuees who took shelter in Alfonso, Cavite. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated the following day to nourish the people spiritually and remind them of the love and presence of the Lord in the midst of a disheartening situation.
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The community of Tagaytay is very grateful for the concern and immediate help provided both by the Verbum Dei Fraternity and Family.  Although uncertain of the future, the faithful love, presence, peace and generosity of God expressed through generous hearts provided the people a sense of inner security and comfort. It is a hope that through this experience, more people will be drawn closer to the merciful heart of God.

Here are some photos:

Youth from different communities were gathered last January 5 for a new year bonding activity conducted by Verbum Dei Missionary Family at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife in Quezon City with the theme #Woke2020. The whole day was filled with events that made everyone connected to one another and God.

The day started with a game that allowed everybody to get to know other youth. After this, Christel Mendoza shared powerful guidelines about being alive with the guidance of God. She emphasized that each one of us should not only exist in this world, but also live, for ourselves and for other people. To inspire, the youth were formed into five groups for the sharing of reflection.

Following this, the amazing race started with the same group in the sharing. The race was conducted in the whole area of the park. The main instruction was to look for the station indicated in each clue and do the task given. The group with the highest accumulated points was declared as winner. Every station released the groups’ skills and camaraderie.

As the race concluded, various awards were given such as best in Bible verses, leadership, best in hakot, and the overall winner. Before the day ends, Fr. Bong led the celebration of Mass and emphasized that each one of us can be a guiding star to one another.
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The bonding activity ended with the hope that each participant will be a star and help other people, guiding them towards God.

“Kasama mo ako - Forever!” was the apt title of this year’s Christmas gift-giving program launched by Verbum Dei – Tagaytay for the children of nearby barangays of Tagaytay City.
 
The children, ages 3 – 12 years old (some even older and others even still babies) were brought and accompanied by their mothers and other relatives to attend this most joyous moment of the Christmas Season.
 
Before the program started, the children attended the 8:00 am Mass at the VD chapel, presided by Fr. Luigi of the Somascan Fathers congregation. Registration of all attendees followed after the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The kids were also served snacks right after they were registered and issued their pre-numbered IDs. The registration went on smoothly and orderly.
 
There was a brief opening prayer led by the Emcee before the fun games started. The games were facilitated by a group of millennials led by Ate Briggy and other friends from Manila.
Sr. Rana Nina Elisino, FMVD was overall Head Coordinator of the event, together with Sr. Melaine Fuentes, FMVD. Sr. Rana also facilitated a short catechism by asking the children, “Bakit may Pasko?” (Why is there Christmas?) and the children gave insightful reasons why we celebrate Christmas.
 
From the smiles and happy faces of the children, we knew that they were enjoying the games! After the fun games, a sumptuous Jollibee lunch of Spaghetti, Chicken joy, Yumburger sandwich and partnered with delicious ice-cream, brought more smiles to the children and even their moms and other attendees.
 
Having had their fill of their favorite Jollibee meal, the children were also visited by Jollibee’s famous mascot, Mr. Jollibee himself and were treated to two dance numbers. Everybody was delighted and some kids joined in the dancing as well. A photoshoot with Mr. Jollibee followed.
 
Before the children left, some gift items were raffled off to them, like basketballs, electric stove and other useful items and school supplies. After the closing prayer, all the kids received their Christmas gifts and some grocery items for their families which brought more smiles to the children’s happy faces!
 
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your birthday! Thank you for the love and generosity of our Verbum Dei benefactors and friends who continue to share their blessings to others. May you bless them even more each day. We also give you praise for all who made this Christmas get-together and gift-giving possible and successful. Please bless them with the things they pray for. Amen.
 
Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year to all!

Here are more photos of the event: