I had not posted some topic or topics for almost the past 3 weeks due to my long leave vacation back in the Philippines. They say to enjoy your vacation, as per advised by Brother Bo Sanchez, you should not worry too much about the not so important things (not unless it’s really that very important). He said not to expect too much from your vacation and merely focus on things that you really intend in doing while you are in vacation, and lastly, don’t expect a perfect vacation, meaning if all expectations are not met while you are on break, leave it as is, just enjoy things you had and had prepared.

However I want to share with you some insights from a relative, which is my Aunt Cris (but I call her Tita Beng), sharing some thoughts about some OFW lives that she had witness and encountered in Canada.  My aunt is very active in doing some Christian activities in Canada and doing some missionary life as a newly born-again Christian.

Please read all about it below:

 WHAT WOULD BE HIS EULOGY?  — Maria Cris Angeles

Year 2003, Miss Penelope Estacio, 27 yrs. of age came to Canada under the live-in caregiver program, with hopes and dreams of a greener pasture.  And like everyone of us, be able to help our family in the Phils.. After barely a month and a half working as a caregiver, she was diagnosed with colon cancer, went into coma, and was told she has only 2 or 3 months to live and was later confined in the hospice. Her mother, Nanay Norma, was granted visitor’s visa in Canada to look after her daughter and spend time with her on her last days. It was tough and hard bcoz they have no money or income to shoulder for her medical bills and to support them here in Canada. Penee has no savings having worked for only 1 1/2 months since she came to Canada. But with God’s grace & thru prayers & Nanay Norma’s faith, Penee miraculously recovered and regained conciousness. She still has to undergo chemotherapy and continue medical treatment. As she battles with cancer, ganun din po na she’s also fighting for her papers here in Canada. Unable to finished the 2 yrs. (24 months) live-in caregiver program, Penee was not eligible for landed immigrant visa nor extension of work permit. The Canadian Immigration Officer’s decision is deportation (stating that her medical expenses will be a burden for the gov’t.). Despite her health condition & status, she was determined and hopeful to stay here in Canada & fulfill her dreams. By putting all her faith and trust in God that she will be granted immigrant visa. And praying for God’s favor to touched the immigration officers & her lawyer,Deane,  who’s fighting on her behalf. While waiting for the immigration’ s final decision, Penee never wasted time. She started sharing her testimonies and faith to other people (esp. people w/ cancer), that Jesus heals and do miracles.

 

 

God is good, He provided for their needs (food, shelter, clothing). With the help of other people and other churches, her medical bills was paid off. This led her Mom, Nanay Norma to serve the Lord as a Missionary here.  And in the Phils. when she went back home in 2005. Many lives were changed, many were saved (gov’t offficals, gov’t employees, neighbors, prisoners, relatives from other provinces). Nanay Norma truly served the Lord with all her heart and soul. Thru the sharing & giving of testimonies on what God did in their life esp. to her daughter. I had the opportunity to meet Penee’s family & stayed w/ them during my mission trip in the Phils. last Dec. 2006. I was blessed w/ their kindness & to see & be part of the ministry her Mom, Nanay Norma started in Real, Quezon, Phils. Sad to say, I never had the chance to meet Nanay Norma.  She passed away Nov. 2006 before I even got the chance to see & do mission with her. It was hard to believe & everyone was shocked. Indeed, it’s only God who can answer “why,” Nanay Norma was healthy & actively serving the Lord but why God took her life first.  How do we tell Penee & how will she accept this? I know, it’s not that easy esp. that she & her Mom were really very close. But with God’s comfort, peace & love and strength, Penee was able to move on despite the lost of her beloved Mom.

Inspite of all the trials & sufferings, Penee didn’t lose hope in life. The more it gave her strength & learned to appreciate the meaning of life. Maybe, sometimes the questions still comes into Penee’s mind about her Mom’s death. But she never blamed God or anybody & never lose trust in God. Penee also became a missionary, she served the Lord & served the people. She became an active volunteer in different organizations & inspired many caregivers & many ill people esp. those w/ cancer. She became involved in different gatherings of well known people, was invited as speaker in different places, churches, & functions like United Way. She held different positions as a church leader and was Vice-Pres. of the Great Harvest Int’l Foundation & President of the Wee Care Group. She did hospital & house visits to pray for people & friends who are sick. Sometimes, I go w/ her during visitations but never did I expect that she will be praying & encouraging my own sister who was also diagnosed w/ breast cancer. She would even share her blessings (money) to my sister who is presently unemployed. She supported & has sponsored one child’s education in the Phils.  She was in & out of the hospital but others barely noticed she was in pain and has cancer.

 

Everyday and every hour that passed is a blessing & victory for her. Not only once or twice did the doctor tell her she has only 2 mons. or maybe 6 mons. to live. God is so merciful, because He kept on extending Penee’s life & her work permit. I saw how God worked in her life. Wala po syang permanenteng trabaho and was jobless most of the time. But God continue to sustain all her needs and minsan sobra sobra pa ang mga blessings na dumarating sa kanya. God extended her life for 4 yrs. and granted her a permanent visa. God added 3 and a half yrs. in her life to fulfill His purpose and accomplished her mission here on earth. She inspired, encouraged, and lifted the spirit of many people. She kept a normal & joyful life and never stop sharing the goodness and faithfulness

of God.

 

Penee was a fighter, clinging to life with hopes of seeing her family again in the Phils. & continue serving God & people. Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007, Penee received her permanent resident card while confined in the hospital. But three days after, Sept. 1, 2007 she passed away. Sometimes we want to ask God, “Why?” Why now,  that she got her permanent visa & will be able to visit her family in the Phils. & begin a new life in Canada. But our GOD is all knowing-GOD, the real owner of our life, the only ONE who knows our number of days on earth. GOD knows, Penee’s citizenship & permanent residence is in heaven. Just like her Mom, even in her death, many people came to know Jesus, many people were drawn closer to God.  Friends & family were reconciled, churches & the Filipino community were united. Many wanted to visit her in the hospital but didn’t go, many wanted to see her before the body was brought in the morgue but couldn’t make it on time, many felt guilty and sad for not having the chance to visit her and talked to her before she died. There are people who wanted to say “thank you Penee”, asked forgiveness and say sorry but it was already too late. I can feel the sadness and burden that was left in the hearts of these people. I can only listen to them and give them comfort. I could only wish, if only we can hold back the time or sana….they did not waste the chance and the time.

 

On her dying moments, we were at her bedside until her very last breathe. Without any immediate family or relatives here, napakahirap po talaga ng kalagayan nya. But God gave her instant family here thru friends and church family who were there during her ordeal. Her last will is makauwi ng Pilipinas before she dies and her sister to come here in Canada. But we were not able to grant her wish due to financial reasons & time constraint. But God is good and faithful to His servant and child. A funeral service/viewing was held here in Canada, her brother Geoffrey came here & her ashes was brought back in the Phils. We thanked God for all the people who showed their love thru their financial support. Even for the people who just read and heard her stories na nakiramay at tumulong din po and for all the volunteers.

 

Her story spread to other people by mouth & thru different Filipino Newspapers & tracts. People have different reactions & comments about her life story. Some people just couldn’t understand why this has too happen to Penee & her Mom.  Some still could not accept that she’s gone, some say it’s not fair & they both don’t deserve to die yet, some say it’s a big lost & some say “kawawa” or “nakakaawa” si Penee. But in everything that happened, I believed God is sending us all a message. At her last breathe & her body was lying cold, tears still flow on Penee’s eyes. Some of her friends still came to see her body & cried so hard & said their last goodbye. I know Penee could still hear every conversations & every words inside that hospital room from the very last minute her sense of hearing was gone. Penee could no longer talk & write but she used those tears to say something to us. Those tears spoke of joy, for she is now in peace with the Lord & w/ her Mom, the agony & pain is over. Those were also tears of compassion for us, bcoz “tayo” actually yung kawawa at nakakaawa bcoz we still have to suffer, feel pain & undergo trials & face the problems of this world. Bcoz LIFE will not be free of all these things. God said “I have told you these things, so that in ME you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

 

God designed life to be beautiful— Life is beautiful, cherish every minute, every breathe of it. It’s a matter of how you will spend & use it.

 

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At her funeral service/viewing, I was asked and assigned to give a eulogy for Penee. It was a privilege for me and at the same time it was very emotional. It was my first time to stand before a gathering of 100s of people. To say something about a person who became a friend, a sister, a part of my life and a family. I know that Penee could no longer hear me or every words I will say. But I want to say that, I was blessed and thankful that I was able to hugged and kissed her and showed her love, laughed and cried and shared happy moments w/ her, was able to settle issues, asked forgiveness and forgive whatever little misunderstanding we had while she was still alive. As I’ve said in my eulogy, “Everyone of us wanted to say what a great person and great job she did and to say how much we love her and thanked her for everything she has done for us. But  ‘though we say it hundred times and shout it from the very top of our voice, she can’t hear us anymore.” There is just one sweet voice that she can only hear up there who will say, “Well done my child!.”

I’ve learned so many things from Penee’s life and from her death. From people & things that happened around me. I saw many people who are still blind, people who have eyes but refuses to see, people who have ears but refuses to listen. God is sending us a clear message. That’s why I’ve shared this story to you, to be able to understand & see & hear HIS message for us. I began asking myself, what have I learn from Penelope’s life story? I’ve learned that it won’t matter what “eulogy” people will have or say about me when I die. What really matters to me now is the “eulogy” that God will say about me. The bible says, “What you sow is what you reap”…. kung ano po ang itinanim natin, sya din nating aanihin. “Give and it will be given to you, sow love and reap love…. sow anger and reap anger…. sow kindness reap kindness, sow unforgiveness and hatred and reap the same. The word of God is true, seeing how people showed their love & support to Penee as an example. Our tendency sometimes, is to put aside doing the right thing even if it’s already time that we should. We wait for the time we feel we are ready to do it. Until one day we just realized we already missed the chance. We end up na naghahabol at nanghihinayang sa nasayang na oras. Time is gold & LIFE IS TOO SHORT, we are just temporary citizens of this earth, we don’t know the number of our days and we will all surely die. We need to choose the right way investing our time & our life on earth. Friends, let me ask you now, “How are you investing your life & time now? Is it towards heavenly or earthly treasures?” Or are you still taking your time?

 

People worry too much about what to eat, what to wear, what to drink and how to earn money, keeping busy how to gain wealth, power, fame. Choosing to live in the past, not letting go of their past hurt, pain, grudges, pride…blaming others with their wrong choices, giving up on life, losing hope bcoz of sickness illness & all sorts of negative things. But all these things contribute & are all part of earthly investments. We don’t need them in heaven & we can’t take them to heaven? Oftentimes, we forget the reality,  that everything is “meaningless. ” [You can read and find all of these in the bible (Ecclessiastes) ]. The Bible says in Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus”. Then, why be anxious or worry? IT IS NOT wrong to have riches, it’s not bad either. It’s wrong and bad when they rule over us & it’s where our heart is. Looking back at Penee’s life, she was jobless but God provided for her needs. Be faithful to God and He will be faithful to YOU. We don’t need those heavy luggage of earthly investments in heaven. Instead, God has given us a big heart with so much room to store our heavenly treasures. God put love, understanding, blessings, patience, forgiveness, self-control, kindness into our hearts to give & share to others while still on earth,  so we could start using & investing them now.  And in heaven we will see the profit.

I hear & a lot of people share to me about not doing what is right and not doing things they should have done. And seeing them realized na nasa huli ang pagsisi and see them carrying with them the sadness, guilt and the consequences of their choices. I cry inside and feel sad to hear people say…”sana ginawa ko na ito nuon pa…sana pinatawad or humingi na ako ng tawad sa kanya… ngayon ko lng na-realized na mahal ko din sya or totoo pala sya…puro sana sana at sayang…” I can only listen & share the words of God to comfort them.  And say, that’s why we shouldn’t waste time & effort & how pride can sometimes put us down & it won’t harm us if we sometimes need to humble down. I know it’s easier said than done, but I beleive we can do it if we choose to do it. There should be willingess in our heart then God will do the rest. Sometimes, we choose to learn the hard way before we obey and listen. Sometimes, we wait to get hurt and lose something before we hear the voice of God and realized what we’ve lost and what we’ve missed. We sometimes wait & choose the hard and painful way of God’s discipline before we act.

If God has spoken into your heart today through this testimony and with the message I’ve shared, I pray that you will do what is right now and what He is asking you to do now — share your blessings and live life to the fullest by living according to God’s will. Invest your life on heavenly treasures.  It’s not easy but you can ask God to help you. If there are issues in your life that you need to settle with other people, if you are still nurturing hatred, unforgiveness, pain from the past and from other people, if you are suffering from sickness/ illness and feel that life is not worth living anymore, then read back the story you’ve just read and see what GOD is trying to remind you. Our life is just borrowed and anytime we will be asked to return it. As I’ve said, the eulogy people will say about us when we die is useless. Bcoz we can’t hear them anymore. What would be God’s eulogy about you when you face Him?

 

Do you want to start doing what is right in the eyes of God and want to start investing treasures in heaven?  Now is the time. I would like to pray for you & would like to ask you to please pray with me……… “Heavenly Father, thank you for my life. Thank you for Your love and for loving me. I ask forgiveness for all the wrong things I’ve done in deeds, in words and in thoughts. Lord, search my heart, if there are any negative things and unwanted treasures in my heart, help me to unload them and to cast all my burdens to YOU. Heal my sickness and all my hurt and pains, physically, emotionally and spiritually, with Your precious blood. Teach me, help me to do your will and to put my faith and trust in YOU. I accept YOU today as my Lord and Saviour, and I ask the Holy Spirit to take control of my life now. Remove anything that blocks Your blessings from pouring out in me. Thank you that my citizenship is in heaven. In Jesus’ Name I pray, AMEN.

 

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

In Christ, Sis. Cris