Skip to main content

Amazing God in Amazing Thailand (Day 1 in Bangkok)

Pre-departure. 

On April 30, when I went back to work after a four-day vacation in Iloilo, I was told of a news that shocked and excited me at the same time. Kuya Shok and Ate Junie told me that I'm going to Thailand for mission, specifically for Princess Diaries. Thank God I was able to come up with a team in less than a month. There are really a lot of SFCs who are generous of their time, talent, and treasure. :)

On May 30, two days before my scheduled flight, I went home with high fever and terrible headache. The following day, I didn't report to work and just stayed home to get some rest. The whole day of the 31st, I was feeling okay but during the night, I felt a little sick again. On June 1, I woke with high fever and terrible headache again. I wasted no time and went immediately to the doctor. She gave me medicines and advised me to return after two days, especially if the fever is persistent. I told her I'm going to Thailand for mission so she required me to undergo urinalysis and complete blood count. The results were pretty good except for the abnormal count (not within normal range) of segmenters and lymphocytes. The doctor advised that if the on and off high fever will still persist in Thailand, I would need to repeat the blood test. And so I went to Thailand with thermometer, paracetamol, and antibiotics. 

[June 1]

Departure.

I arrived at the airport quite early that the check-in counter for Bangkok is still closed. And so I paid for the travel tax first, went up to have dinner and take medicines, and went down to withdraw. On my way up, I decided to take the escalator because I passed by the Airport Chapel. Unfortunately, the escalator going to the third level (departure area) is broken so I had to take the stairs. And yes, the travel tax, they say, is for improvement of airport facilities and tourism. Oh well. With all my might, and with the strength that can only come from God, I carried close to 20 kilos of baggage (one backpack, one luggage bag, and a bag containing a box of Flame products and some of my personal stuffs). When I arrived at the check-in counter, I felt a little sick again. But praise God everything went smoothly and I was able to board the flight with not much hassle, except that it was delayed (again, due to air traffic).

[June 2]

Arrival.
I arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport chilling from the cold temperature. Thank God I got a very warm welcome from Lawrence and Kuya Nemboy who patiently waited for me at Gate 3. We then headed to Fortune Condotown where the SFC Coordinator for Bangkok resides. There (here) we will stay for the duration of this mission trip. :)

Day 1. 

I woke to a high fluctuating fever ranging from 38.1 to 39.8 but when I drank my medicines, it subsided. And so by 3pm, we went out to explore the city. Kuya Benjie and Ate Veron brought us to Siam Paragon where we marveled at the beautiful orchids showcased at the 6th Siam Paragon Bangkok Royal Orchid Paradise. 

The Little Buddhas :)

Love at Siam Paragon :)

After exploring every floor of that huge and elegant mall (they say it's a property of the princess), we walked all the way to MBK and had a sumptuous dinner at MK Restaurant. While we were there, I have a recorded temperature of 38.9. We went home by public transports, the BTS and the BRT. 

And day 1 ended with high fever again, but a very beautiful glimpse of Bangkok and Thailand itself. :) 

It was also an all day encounter with the Lord as I was in constant communication with Him with all the "wows" in all the beauty that I see and all the "Please heal me, Lord." that I pray. 

Most importantly, it was a glimpse of what missionary life is all about. Nothing but by God, nothing but with God, nothing but for God. :) 

I'd like to share the second day as well but I guess I'll just do tomorrow as I am really sleepy now, must be the effect of the injection and the medicines. But I'm feeling a whole lot better than the previous 3 days. 

Good night Thailand, good morning Philippines!

May God be praised. :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place?  Photo Credit:  http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan."   He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3.   So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here .

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

I had the best, most meaningful HOLY WEEK ever, so far (the best is yet to come!). :) Thanks to Joy who shared the Jesus Week poster on Facebook. It was God's personal invitation, and I couldn't thank Him enough for the grace that He also gave me to respond. Everything is grace. It was not just my personal decision to join. It was God's grace that allowed me to.  So how did it go? Well, as what I have told my friends, it was amazingly beautiful! The experience was priceless! On Holy Monday, I posted Fr. Jerry Orbos' acronym for HOLY WEEK . I experienced all of that and more! :)  I won't be able to share everything as there is just a lot of personal, intimate encounters with the Lord. But if I were to summarize, it was a time for me to HEAL. :)  H alt . Indeed, I was able to stop and just rest in the Lord. Before leaving Manila, I have already told myself that this retreat will be all about Jesus ( Jesus Week nga e :D ). No emails, no texts, no calls. I

Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give

The Holy Spirit*

*Cluster 4 Household Topic Reflections from John 15:26-16:4 True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers His disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend?  Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). Counselor is a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life. As Jesus approaches the hour that He was to be glorified - through His death on the cross and His resurrection - He revealed more fully to His disciples the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit?  First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who kindles faith in hearts receptive

Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

I was writing a different post, but Celebrity Bluff  is just so fun and informative, I had to stop from blogging to list down the fun facts that I learn from each round. :)  Thought it would be nice to share them here as well. For future reference. :D  Q: In 2012, what kind of animal was named after Beyonce? A: Horse Fly Q: What rare job in China will pay you US$50,000 a year?  A: Fart Smeller Q: What alcoholic drink literally means "water of life"? A: Whisky   Q: In which part of the body can you find the tragus? A: Ear Q: According to Merriam-Webster, what is the female equivalent of dude? A: Dudine Q: What is longer in the male turtles than in the females?  A: Nails And the final question is... Q:  According to Box Office Mojo   what are the top four (4) movies of 2013 according to global profit? A: (1) Iron Man 3, (2) Despicable Me 2, (3) Fast and the Furious 6 (4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire That's all