Misyon Goes To Thailand
By Gee-Gee Torres
We sent our editorial assistant, Gee-Gee Torres, to Thailand to visit our Filipino missionaries. Her task was to visit each of the 10 different groups of Filipino missionaries and report back for Misyon. She found no less than 70 Filipino missionaries there. Here she shares an overview of her journey.
Misyon Assignment
I was thrilled at the thought of being in another country. I was especially excited because this was my first time to go abroad and I would somehow experience missionary life. This trip was a big challenge for me. I had no companion. I didn’t know the people I was going to meet. I couldn’t speak Thai.
Arrival in Bangkok
The plane landed in Bangkok International Airport just after midnight. I wondered if Sr. Deanna, RA, our Filipino contact, was at the waiting area. After I got my baggage I went to the waiting area. It was a great relief when I saw a sister wearing the familiar Assumption habit among the crowd. I approached the sister and hesitantly asked if she was Sr. Deanna. The sister smiled and said, “No, I’m Sr. Rosa, Are you Gee-Gee?” “Yes, Sister,’ I answered, Sr. Rosa called Sr. Cata who was also waiting for me at the other end of the of the arrival area. Then the three of us got a taxi and headed into downtown Bangkok to the Assumption Convent. When we arrived at the convent it was so quit. We sneaked into the house, drank a glass of water and retired to our rooms.
Meeting the Assumption Community
I woke up late in the morning. Everybody was out except for Sr. Cata. At lunch time I finally met the other members of the Filipino Assumption Community in Thailand – Sr. Deanna, superior, Srs. Leonie and Luchi. I enjoyed listening to their humorous stories about their missionary life. And during the meal Sr. Deanna announced to the first group my first destination: the Northeast. I was going to Thare Province the next day with Srs. Rosa and Luchi. A 10-hour bus ride!
Off the Thare
We went to the bus station early in the morning. I wasn’t bored at all during the trip because I had a terrific ‘tourist’ guide beside me, Sr. Rosa. She brought with her a comprehensive map of Thailand! She told me where we were by tracing the places on the map. Then she kept me awake with interesting stories about her mission life in Thailand. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the country-side -- mountain ranges covered with trees, Buddhist temples in the forests, vast farmlands with different crops. What caught my attention most was the wide, concrete roads in the provinces. It was well-paved (compared to my home province in Negros) that I hardly noticed we were already in Thare.
First Thai Mass
We stayed the night at the Sisters Lovers of the Cross Convent (SLC), one of the biggest religious congregations in Thailand. All the sisters were Thai. I heard my first mass in Thai here. I couldn’t understand a single word. But I knew in what part of the mass we were. And as I listened to the mass, I felt God was assuring me that everything would turn out well.
Mekong River
The next day we went to Song Kohn. Sr. Maritz, osa twisted the arm of Fr. Anthony, the rector of Fatima Minor Seminary, to drive for us. We visited the Land of Seven Blessed Martyrs of Thailand. (More on this in a later issue o f the magazine.) The river behind the chapel of the Seven Blessed Martyrs was the Mekong River, one of the great rivers of the world. It forms the border between Thailand and Laos. I had never seen a river as wide as this in my life.
Daughters of Charity
From Thare I moved north to Udon Province. There I met Sr. Juana, a Filipino sister of the Daughters of Charity. She invited me to visit her place in Loei Province. She runs a center which helps the handicapped become self-reliant by teaching them different crafts. There are all in all 40 Filipino DCs in Thailand. Some teach English to kindergarten students; others take care of the handicapped. AIDS patients and the lepers.
Filipino Priests
There are also many Filipino priests from different orders in Thailand. They are assigned in different provinces. Some are running a parish; there were involved in youth groups or teaching in universities. I hope to cover their marvelous work in my subsequent articles.
First Train Ride
I had my train ride in my life when I visited the Franciscan Sister of Immaculate Conception (SFIC) in Ubon. It was great. The trip took 10 hours; the train left Bangkok at 9:00 pm and arrived in Ubon at 7:00 am. We were met at the train station by Srs. Beth and Agnes, sfic who woke up at 4:00 am and drove all the way to the station just to meet me and my companion.
100th Year in Thailand
The Filipino sisters of St. Paul in Bangkok invited me to attend their celebration of the 100th anniversary of Saint Paul de Chartes (SPC in Thailand. The celebration started with a mass, followed by a beautiful play. Saul of Tarsus, and there was an exhibit of the different works in the SPCs.
Catholic Media
Sr. Cora Demalerio, fsp, on the other hand, is working in the Catholic Social Communications in Thailand. They produce a weekly Catholic newsletter called Udornsam and they also have tv and radio programs for evangelization.
Night Duty
We visited the Carmelite Missionaries in Ratchaburi. We had lunch at their place and went to visit the 3 villages where they do pastoral work. I was surprised to know that they travel 13 kilometers late at night just to do their duty.
Salute to our Filipino Missionaries
In my visit to Thailand, I had traveled many miles to many places. But one thing I would always remember about my trip is the commitment of our Filipino missionaries to their mission. I admire their patience in learning the Thai language, dedication in teaching, courage in braving the night to do home visitations, love and care for the disabled and handicapped, the lepers and the AIDS patients.
Thank You
I would like to say thank you to all the people who took care of me while I was in Thailand. I deeply appreciate all the help you have extended to me, my article is just a glimpse of my trip. I didn’t go into details because we will be featuring more stories about you and my visit in the upcoming issues of Misyon.