By: Rodora Ochoa Uguil

A Filipina visit her priest-uncle in Thailand

Rodora and Estrella mother and daughter from Isabela, Negros Occidental made a five weeks visit to Thailand to see Fr. Leo S.D.B who is Rodora’s uncle and Estrella’s younger brother. Rodora’s account below tells of how they also visited many of the Filipino missionaries in Thailand.

Visit of a Lifetime
Fifty-six passed swiftly but its memory still lingers on. The country was THAILAND THE LAND OF THE FREE. We thank God for this exposure and immersion course on missionlogy in action. Our main purpose was to visit our very own missionary and uncle-priest, FATHER LEO, S. D.B., who embraced Thailand since 1974. Then, we wanted to be one with him for some time in his vision and mission.

Other Filipinos
Happily, we were also introduced to other Philippine missionaries and so we witnessed the kind of thing that the Lord Himself did in His time: concern for the young, the poor, the needy, the sick and blind, the handicapped and aged, now being shown by these Filipino missionaries.

Pinoy Style
We have seen how in their many difficulties, their ways of response are typically Pinoy in style. We have witnessed their commitment, initiative and imagination above all we saw their availability to the people especially the young and the poor, knowing very well how to “waste time” for and with them so as to be partners in their education development.

Catholics or Buddhist?
During the 56-days that I was in Thailand particularly in the diocese of Surrathani, I saw that the emphasis of the missionaries is one of establishing meaningful and Christian friendship, and good leaderships with all. We could hardly distinguish whether our hosts were Catholics or Buddhists. They were just equally hospitable and friendly.
There are many Filipino missionary in Thailand, let me tell you of groups I visited and whose work I witnessed first hand:

 

 

The Salesians
The SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO (SDB): The first Pinoy Salesian came in 1972. At present, they are working in the diocese of Suratthani. They are involved in whatever is “for the young” such as schools, youth center and movements, training centers for the poor youth and the blind, parishes and missionary stations.

The Daughter of Charity (DC)
The DAUGHTER OF CHARITY (DC): They are good group – 24 in all. They have got some good local vocations too. The first group arrived in 1969. Since then, their forte has been in the care of the lepers, the aged, the handicapped, the poorest of the poor where everything breaths of Christian love and action.

The Assumptions of Charity
The ASSUMPTION SISTERS (RA): At the moment they staff the diocesan office for Social Action, a commission that gives animation, coordinator, information and action to development programs. Inculcating the spirit and values of true solidarity and the real integral human development of peoples is one of their aims. They first arrive in 1980. Now, their community has five members.

God Bless them All
FOR ALL THESE MISSIONARIES, there is one thing that serves as their common denominator: their trust in the Divine Providence. They show it in their faces and action that the Lord is with them, guiding and assisting them and above all, their great feeling they are doing a marvelous work for the well-being of peoples as the ambassadors of  Christ and the Catholic Church in a typically Philippine way.

 

By:  Fr. Efren de Guzman

For more than fifteen years Angola, in Southern Africa, has been wrack by civil was. The Marxist government was backed by Cuba and Russia while the rebels led by Tomas Savimbi were backed by U. S. and South Africa. Now that the cold war is over, peace is beginning to break out or at least the fighting is stopping. Fr. Efren de Guzman, a Filipino priest working in Angola assesses the problems and the challenge to the Church in helping to serve them. It seems in many places the Church is an institution with credibility which can help heal wounds and build peace.

Cease Fire
The Peace Treaty of May 31, 1991 brought about a great euphoria and the hope to the Angolans. This allowed them free movement in almost all places of the nation without fear of ambuscades and land-mines.

After-War Chaos
In the midst of all this joy, certain incidents surfaced in some places, a natural consequence of the 16 years of insinuations, vengeance, robbery, violence and hatred.

Church’s Rule
In the midst of this complex situation in Angola, people ask:

1) What is the emergency program of the church has proposed to meet these challenges?
   - hunger, infant, morality, sickness of mind and body, epidemics;
   - lack of leadership training for the re-organization of communities

2)  How does the Church meet the challenge of Evangelization of Human Development of the dislocated people and refugees who return to heir land of origin and those who prefer to say where they are now?

3)  What is the church’s role, to promote the reconciliation of enemies endangered by these 16 years of fratricidal war?

These are a few of the points the church could reflect upon.

During the war, the Church was a voice of the voiceless. Now that there is peace, the still voiceless majority look to the Church with hope for more concrete action in their behalf. Despite this fact the people did not lose their hope for true peace.  Some of the Post-war consequences Angola is suffering from today are the hunger, unemployment, lack of school for school-age children and adults. These bring about robbery and violence. The government, faced with great problems of strikes, cannot give a satisfactory response to the strikers. The political-military commission is rather slow, therefore, it has not as yet succeeded in a harmonious dialogue regarding the observance of the items in the peace treaty.

Jonas Savimbi Arrives
One of the positive consequences the Peace Treaty has brought about, was the arrival in Lunada of he opposing party leader, the UNITA rebel President Jonas Savimbi. He was able to visit the capitals of other provinces of the nation. Another positive aspect, was the possibility given by the government to t he rebel sympathizers to express themselves in accordance with the Peace Treaty.

Faced with such suffering and sorrow, how does a missionary bring Christ’s peace? Fr. Efren de Guzman takes up his guitar and sings his own Psalms from the heart to God.

Psalms from the Heart to God

 

Now is the Time

Tired of waiting for changes from above
Tired of seeing our brothers living in misery
Tired of seeing about ruins and much suffering
Can we face these challenges of life’s reality?

Ref. Now is the time to wake from sleep
Now is the time to think and reflect
Now is the time to be one
Now is the time to work together and act.

Tired of knowing destruction of forests
Tired of seeing the exploitation of the poor
Tired of hearing unemployment and hunger
Here and now-
What must we do?

We Will Till the Land of Tomorrow

I will till the land of tomorrow
With these hands still unchained
It doesn’t matter if my blood will flow
Through these hands in this wounded land

It doesn’t matter if the harvest will be late
As long as we hold on to our hope, love and faith
It doesn’t matter if the passing through of the enemies have just left us ruins
I will till the land of tomorrow

Even if today I have to gather the broken body of my brother
It doesn’t matter if the harvest will be late
But, I will till the land of tomorrow
And I will till the land of tomorrow

The Refugees in a Land Unknown
1. The refugees in a Land of unknown
Powerless in everything
Fear of persecution
Based on their race and belief

2.  Their houses besieged by murderers
They have to flee through land and sea
Their lives shed a lot of tears
Caused by political aggression.

3.  As the wind of hatred is passing
Driven by the war and exploitations
Emptying the lives of many
Causing thirst and poverty

4.   And now with alien eyes they see
In a foreign country;
They watch the birds with home and place
But they are homeless, naked and hungry.
Refrain:
But they keep praying to the sky
Longing with faith and hope
Desiring peace and liberty,
Written in their heart,
Written in their mind
With the promise of a rainbow.

 

 

 

A local newspaper in Botswana, Africa, visits a Filipino madre and likes what she’s doing.

“SISTER OF MERCY”: The Botswana newspaper report

SISTER MARY JO
Sister Marie Jose Garcia, or Sister Mary Jo as she is more usually called, is a very special person. Her name and work are becoming well known in Francistown, and many refer to her as the ‘Sister who helps the poor.’ We recently visited her to find out more.

She came to Serve
Sister Mary Jo arrived in Botswana from the Philippines in 1983. She came to serve, to reach, to teach and to share her faith. As a trained social worker, she applied for and was given a post with the Social Welfare office of the Francistown council. At that time the department was in its infancy, and there were four other officers, none of whom had been trained. Part of her job was to deal with the problems of juvenile delinquency, destitution, out of school youth like the street children. It was here that she to see the extent of the problem of the disadvantage. Many of these problems come she says, from increasing urbanization and the breakdown of traditional values and family ties. After six years she decided to leave the department in order to have more contact with the people she wished to serve. Accordingly, the council gave her a plot at Phase 6; and this is where Sister Jo now lives and works.

Feeding the Poor
When she first received the plot, the area was just a bush, but the local people, mainly women and school children, helped her clear the area, and build a house. It took about three months to complete the work. From this base she was able to begin her programme of feeding the poor, and this has been continuing ever since. She receives funding for the project from societies like the Lions and Rotary clubs and the business community. Dr. Spooner, a specialist at Nyangebwe Hospital, also sponsors the feeding and regularly attends the weekend food servings. The food is cooked by some of the mothers. On average about eighty children attend. They are mainly malnourished and are in genuine need of help due to their inadequate diet.

Self- Help
Her services are not only directed towards the children. However, she sees her role as serving the community, and developing a programme of self- help, as the help the council can give is very limited. A sewing co-operative, for example, has been set up. Sister Mary Jo hopes to stay for another three years to see this projects like this develop.

Bringing Good News
Asked how she felt about her work she replied: “Even if I’m pulled out from here tomorrow I feel happy that something has happened.” She considers her mission a calling from God, and quotes from St. Luke. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has appointed me to bring good news to the poor.”

Life is beautiful
She feels it beautiful to develop people, as a human person is the most beautiful thing. Life is beautiful, and despite the disappointments, there is so much to hope for. She adds: “I have been blessed with many friends who have helped me, that is a clear sign of God’s love for people. I feel at home here.” She went on to comment that people who come to he say: This is not just your house but ours.

Speaks Fluent Setswana
Watching the little sister and the smiles and laughter of the children, it is indeed a clear sign that her mission is a calling of love, and her work reveals her faith in action are louder than any words. She welcomes visitors, so why not go and see for yourself.

 

She came to serve, to teach and share her faith.

“People say: This is not your home only but it is ours too.”

By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

They say here in Ghana, almost everything is possible. One late night, coming from the villages, a big car fully loaded with charcoal was stuck on the road. As I approached, a man stood on the road, knelt down, plead the back of his right hand on the top of his opened left palm and started pleading my moving his right wrist up and down against his opened left palm (a Ghanaian way of pleading for help). Moved with pity, I stopped and heard a woman moaning somewhere: I tried to decipher from where the moaning was coming. It turned out it was a woman in labor on the top of that charcoal. Luckily, my Nissan was empty. Gently, we placed her inside, I spoked to her in Twe ( the local language): “If you deliver in the car, if the baby is a born we should call Him Nissan if a girl – Nissana” Thank God we made it to the hospital without a mishap. A month later, a woman came knocking at my door. “Please Father, I came to show you Joseph,” Joseph? What do you mean?” “Father, do you remember that night you took a woman on the road to the hospital? I was the one.” Filled with joy, I leaned over and saw the child was lovely, beautiful and cute with a name neither Nissan not Nissana but Joseph. Happy Birthday Joseph. Welcome to the world.
***
Walking a distance of 18 miles at first seemed hard, but now I find it ordinary. Among those villages I used to walk to is Asantekwa populated by the Mo tribe, but frequented by Fulanis (herdsmen who live by following their cattle wherever they go, crossing one border to another country unmindful of passport, visa, and the like. They are fair in complexion and the fairest of them would be like an Asian). As I was walking one morning, I was overtaken by newly migrated Mo to Asantekwa, who did not know me yet. When they arrived in the village, they told the people that for the first time they saw a Fulani with an umbrella, and a catapult, in white rubber shoes, who likes to smile. This created a commotion among the people and they assembled at the entrance of the village waiting with bated breath to see this Fulani with the umbrella. The commotion turned into turmoil of laughter when they saw it was me. “How can you say such thing about our priest?” Sacrilege?

(But Father Joe you still have not explained the catapult? Editor)
***

If I do not bring my camping bed I often sleep in one of the village mud house. Once, it was raining heavily and knowing very well the condition of the house particularly the weak ceiling, I was really afraid and anxious tossing and turning all night in fitful sleep. Then suddenly, I heard a cracking-creaking noise above. I jumped off the bed, put on my flashlight and to my complete surprise, an army of cockroaches in single file formation from the biggest to the smallest, with all their antennas pointing upward, were evacuating  to the other side of the house where there was no water. As I looked up I saw written on the ceiling.

I planted mango 27/7/89
One goat died 3/4/90
Adwoa was born 3/4/90

I discovered the ceiling was an archive. No wonder when I would ask one of my catechumens about his date of birth, he would say, “I don’t know: our house collapsed,” an answer which at first seemed illogical but now I realize it is a sensible answer. Thanks to the cockroaches.
***
Some concerned Filipino families working in Accra, Ghana’s capital, sent me a bottle of ‘bagoong.’ I placed it on our table. A few days after, a group of sisters from the north on their way to Accra, stopped at Kintampo. For a Filipino, hospitality is a scared duty, so I had to offer them something. Moving here and there like Martha, among them was a Europeans Sister who was so curious that she opened the ‘bagoong’ and like a bomb shell the strong unpleasant smell hit the air. “What is this?” she  asked with finger and thumb clipping her nose. Rotten fish? For what?” “For rotten priest,” I replied.
***
in the Philippines, we call it the Catholic Women’s League but here in my parish, it is called the Christians Women’s Association. “Who is your Christian Women President?” I asked my people in Soronoase. “Mr. Joseph Yaw Kuma,,” they said. Mr. Kuma is the catechist. Completely surprised, on the same day under pain of scrapping the C.W.A., I asked them to change the president and elect a woman in his place. I may be a joker, but I’m also a women’s also a women’s liberationist!
***
Believe it or not, when I started playing tennis here in Kintampo, the Catholics were so shocked that they told our catechist I should stop playing because I am a priest; I wonder what they would have said if I played mahjong?

By: Gabriela Chin

A Columban Lay Missionary

Gabi, a Korean lay missionary, working with the Columbans in Manila tells a little story about her encounter with Isagani a handicapped Muslim staying at Balay Kakayaban - a special training home for the handicapped.

A Love story
Isagani was a driver in Mindanao. He became handicapped when some rebels shoot him. When he was still a single he sent story to a radio station. One particular woman listening to that radio program which told his story. Afterwards she sent a letter to him. He wrote back to her; they became friends. Eventually they got married. Now they have two daughters.

Allowing Friendships to Grow
When I visited Kakayahan (the home of the handicapped) I talked with Isagani many times Even though we could not understand each other very well, we talked politics, economics, culture, especially religion. He wanted to hear my religious history and I enjoyed hearing his Moslim story. He was a good listener.

One God
One day, he called me and he said, “Gabi, you’re Korean, I’m Filipino, You’re Catholic, I’m Moslim, but our God is only one.” And when I looked at him, I saw he was wearing a necklace. It was an image of the face of Jesus.

By: Sr. Ma. Therecilla, RVM

The RVM sister uses skills learned working in Mindanao to enhance family life in Brong Ahafo, Ghana

Friend of Joeker
Father Joe Panabang, the Joker has said much about many happenings, funny as well as sad experiences in his mission work here in Ghana. I am in the same Diocese with Fr. Joe but we are far from each other. I’m sure this Chrism Mass he’ll come as all he priests are expected to come.

Greeting are Important
People here in Brong Ahafo Region, 500 miles from Accra-the capital of Ghana, are generally friendly, simple and respectful. For them greeting are important in their life. It is an offense for them when fails to greet them even one is passing by far away from that person.

Learning from Mindanao
My apostolate is geared to the family when in fact I have none of my own. It sounds ridiculous! I guess you are familiar with Family Life Education and Counseling Programme. I am the Diocesan Coordinator of the Proramme. I started this in 1985. The Programme is similar to that of Mindanao with some modifications according to the situation here. In 1987, one full-time worker joined me, who is a nurse midwife and who has been a trained worker also in Billings Ovulation Method of NFP in Rome. She is married and has been practicing NFP as a way of life. She too is very much convinced and so committed to the work.

Ecumenism
People are very receptive to the teachings. They are very interested to learn. Our seminar lasts for three days preferably with husband and wife. Many come and other small churches are also welcome. Her, there is openness and friendliness with other churches.

Baby Sitting
It is common for women to carry their babies at their back when they go to work or come to the services. During our seminars babies all around. They can’t leave them at home since there is no one to take care. Sometimes I do baby setting when my team workers do the sessions. I just wonder with awe looking at the children left crawling on the dirty floors and feeling happy and free. God is so wonderful!

Holding Ball pen for First Time
Most of our participants are illiterate, “no read, no write.” Very few of the women have gone to school, so it’s a new experience for the couples- sitting together, eating together and learning together. Some women thrill with joy as they come to hold the ball pen for the first time. I really admire their openness and simplicity.
Husbands Guide the Wives
When we come to the marking of their ovulation charts its here that most of the husbands have to guide their wives in making the symbol, such as X, I,. It is just like teaching a small child in the kindergarten how to do A B C. Its so interesting to observe the couples initiative and interest to learn.

All Volunteers
After this three days seminar, we have to make a weekly follow up to see their homework practice. We usually find out that they were able to make the correct markings. Hence, it is necessary to make a thorough follow up until they can really mark correctly their daily observation about their cycle. After three months times of constant follow up, they can usually do it by themselves with the help of the hired teachers in the local parish. By then we meet them rarely, but their local team leaders in the parish take over the responsibility of meeting them once a month. All our family life workers in the parish are volunteers, except that their training and updating every year are all free. The Diocese takes care of their board and lodging expenses and the local parishes take care of their travel expenses.

All Men Catechists
Most of our priests in the Diocese are young Ghanaian and they are very supportive to the programmme. Out of the 20 parishes only 5 parishes are still under the foreign missionaries. Our programme as of now has reached out to many of the sub-stations of the parishes with the help of the local trained Family life Educators. As our trained leaders in the parishes are Volunteers, they conduct their seminars on weekends. Most of them are teachers and some are just ordinary farmers but they are very dedicated to the apostolate. Can you believe that the catechists here are all men? It’s only in the family Life that both the husband and wife are involved.

Struggling with Languages
My only frustration here is that, I cannot yet speak their two language. When I give lecture, then it has to be translated by my co-worker. Aside from this I am very happy and fulfilled in my missionary endeavor here, thank God!

No Rice
Since 1989 I have not been attacked by “malaria.” I tried my best to bring water with me during our trips to the villages, a mosquito net and drinking water. As of the food I can take their food, like fried plantain (a kind of banana) boiled yam, cassava or gabi. They have also rice here coming from outside the country. Here in Brong Ahafo, there is no rice plantation at all. Their products here are plantain, yams, cassava and gabi.
This is all for now Father. I love the mission life Father. It is so challenging in every way and it gives and offers me new perspective in my religious life.

 

 

By: Francisco Fernandez

The Portuguese occupied Timor around the time the Spaniards came to the Philippines. Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and suddenly the East Timorese had to make a choice between Christianity and Islam. Many people missionaries have stayed with the people in this time of trial. It is particularly. Many people missionaries have stayed with the people in this time of trial. It is particularly difficult for a missionary, who as a foreigner must remain outside the local processes.

Two Important Questions
Why has there been a far larger conversion to the Catholic Church during these 16 years of Indonesian rule than during the 300 years of Catholic Portugal?
And why do the Timorese prefer the Catholic Religion?

Occupation
The answer to these questions may vary in accordance with the different point of view. But for the Timorese, this dramatic conversion is generated by wide- spread atrocities perpetrated by Indonesian armed forces, as well as the policy of Indonesianization implemented by Jakarta since it occupied East Timor in 1975.
The atrocities perpetrated by the military are perceived by the Timorese as a mockery of Indonesian official policy that Jakarta is working for the well- being and interest of the Timorese people.

200,000 Dead
The magnitude of the suffering has generated an anti- Indonesian feeling among the Timorese. The dept of such feeling is commensurate with the price the Timorese payed for the Indonesian occupation. In 16 years about 200,000 Timorese lost their lives facing systematic destruction of their social and economic structures.

Destruction
And those who manage to survive live in a climate of terror, repression and insecurity. According to one Indonesian called Suppratman, who had been in East Timor in 1987: “The Indonesian soldiers were not able to communicate with people, ignored their language which is Tetum’ or Portuguese and started to arrest, to jail, to torture and loot and burn their houses.” (TIMOR- Leste, Paz e possivel, 18/1/1987).

Respect For Church
On the other hand, the fact that the island was discovered by a Portuguese Dominican Monk, has a particular significance for the Timorese traditions, legends and beliefs and its creates an atmosphere of friendships and respect for all that belongs to the Church.
Since the outset, the Church had never known any sort of persecution by the Timorese. At the present time the Church is rooted and implanted in all the levels of the Timorese traditional organizations.
Officially, the East Timorese Church’s attitude to the conflict is neutral. But most of the Timorese Priests refuse to accept willingly Indonesian citizenship and they have psychologically influenced the people in such a way that they have developed a deep anti-Indonesian Church.
Ecclesiastically, the Church is non-aligned, because it is no longer a part of the Portuguese Church and on the other hand, it has not yet integrated with the Indonesian Church.

Bishop Belo
The church is attached to the Vatican, which on the 19 of June 1988 appointed the Priest Fr. Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo as the Bishop of the Diocese of Dili.

Careful Diplomatic Solution
The Vatican was a caution in this appointment as indicated in the official document that Bishops Belo is a ‘titular bishop’ and not a ‘residential bishop.’
As you know, the difference is that the titular bishop could not take any fundamental decision on the Diocese of Dili. So Dili depends directly on the Vatican.
The diocese of Dili does not belong to the conference of the Bishops of Indonesia neither to their counterpart in Portugal.
While the Vatican is very diplomatic in its attitude, the Timorese Church shares the desires, the sufferings and the aspirations of the people for freedom and liberation.

Call for Plebiscite
Its leaders, the late apostolic Administrator, Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes (passed away last year, after being virtually expelled by Jakarta) and Bishop Belo have continue  to appeal for UN solution, a genuine plebiscite to determine the people to determine the people’s wishes.

Dramatic Rise of 43%
The full significance of this challenge to Indonesia becomes clear when it realized, that the proportion of the Catholics in East Timor has dramatically risen from 35% of the total population pre-1975 (about 700,000) to more than 80% at the present time, despite the clergy being understaff, (more than 20 Priest left East Timor before and after invasion. And more than 10 Timorese priests ordained after the invasion remain in Portugal, since Jakarta demands an Indonesian passport for those priest who want to return to East Timor).
The clergy, apart from being understaff and overworked are devoid of material resources.

 

Respect for Culture
The reason of such increase of Catholic may be explained by the fact that during the Portuguese administration, there was respect for the traditional beliefs of the People of Timor, their habits and customs, and way of living. The people felt that they are East Timorese in their beliefs; in their traditions
Indonesia has attempted to reverse this situation, by Indonesiazing the East Timorese through the Indonesian state ideology, by divorcing the people from their own culture and way of living
Option
This policy forced the Timorese People to make an option.
They opted for the Church that that throughout centuries has shared their lot and has affected their social and political condition.

Hamletting
According to an interview of Bishops Filipe Belo, the large scale conversion came from the previous adherents of the local mystical religions. He claims that the resettlements of the rural population into special camps close to main roads, and towns, and Indonesian rule forcing everyone to embrace a recognized world religion were ostensible sociological reasons. He also said; that embracing Christianity, out of all the other religions was one way the people of Timor had preserving their identity and defending their society. (Asia Focus, 20 August 1988).

Not Just A Question of Money
In the long term, the church is attempting to remove the causes that have resulted in the genocide of the Timorese and their culture. The Church understands that any attempt to address the problem of East Timor in humanitarian terms alone, to reduce the East Timor to a question of mere material aid and money is both naïve and unjust. Certainly the Timorese do not see it exclusively in these terms or to think that more aid is the fundamental answer to our problem. Our experience under Indonesia has convinced us, that the key to our dignity and happiness lies in the exercise of our God –given right to self-determination, as stated by Bishop Belo.
“Despite all the forces against us, we continue to hold” and disseminate that the only solution to the East Timor conflict is a political and diplomatic one, and this solution should include, above all, the RESPECT FOR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO SELF- DETERMINATION”.
Mgr. Belo, 5 December 1984.
This view of Bishop Belo is the line with his predecessor, the late Mgr. Martino da Costa Lopes: “...In the absence of genuine self- determination and independence”; the war and misery in East Timor will continue indefinitely... No material goods can ever compensate for the denial of self-determination and independence, for the unending bloodshed and violence.”

“In 16 years about 200,000 East Timorese lost their lives facing systematic destruction of their social and economic structures.”

“The Church understands that any attempt to address the problem of East Timor in humanitarian terms alone...is both naïve and unjust.”

Church Identifies with People
Despite material rewards for the adherents and Islam and other Christian denominations in the time of fundamental option, the totality of the People of East Timor opted for the Church that had identified with them during the time of oppression and suffering.
In other words, difficult times for the people of East Timor have also been difficult for the Church.
Therefore, in the time of options the Timorese opted for the Catholic Church is rather than for the religious brought in.
Whatever the depth the faith of these recent converts from traditional Timorese religious beliefs, their alignment with the indigenous and highly influential Catholic Church is further evidence of their aspirations for freedom; their search for security and protection.

Church of the Poor
Despite the fact that the Church’s whole fabric has been badly affected by invasions and the occupation army, the Church in East Timor has devoted its limited resources to the victims of the conflict, caring for the thousands of widows and orphans, catechizing coverts, engaging in economic and educational rehabilitations.

Death of Fr. Ernie
Fr. Ernie Santos was a man gifted with temperamental goodness certainly inherited from his deeply Catholic parents. I am convinced that this natural talent he develop into virtue. Several times I myself have received impressions that feedback from the people to substantiate what I say. He was appealing, affable, delicate, educated and refined in manners. People were pleased with Fr. Ernie. Here in Lospalos he will remembered for his listening capacity, eagerness to help, goodness and patience, and especially his ability to encourage everyone.
This quality of goodness made him a “man of service.” Asked of the favor, you could rest assured, Fr. Ernie would do it. With great sacrifice and endurance, hidden behind the smile, he was happy to serve all and do favors, to anyone in need. Maybe this is what brought Fr. Ernie to his quick end. Even though his blood pressure went high and he seemed visibly tired, his desire to served and help others stretched him to his ultimate limits. It is a glorious day for the Congregation, when a Salesian dies “Sulla breccia.”

Fr. Jose Carbonell, SDB
Provincial Delegate
For Indonesia, Timor

By Sister Judith Malon, OSA

We are Agustinian Sisters Working in the Mountains of Taiwan

Yawee
When we first arrived we were introduced to Yawee, a close friend of Fr. Barry the parish priest of Ching Chuan. Yawee is in his late thirties now, married and has six children now, the youngest of which was given for adoption. He sometimes accompanies us when we visit families in the evening, giving a helping hand to my sister companion who could hardly manage to climb hills. Yawee had a drinking problem. He wanted to stop drinking and here’s his strange story.

Midnight Vision
One night, I was awakened by a loud voice calling my name. I did not answer. So the voice continued calling, sometimes softly, sometimes loudly. I look at my watch. It was past one in the morning. Who could be calling me at this time of the night? I was trying to figure out when, “Sister, please listen to my song,” the voice said. “Oh, that’s Yawee!” I recognized the voice. Yawee has a good voice. He used to attend our choir practice. My room happens to be just three meters from the goal of the basketball court. I couldn’t sleep till the dribbling of the ball, loud singing and talking of Yawee stopped.

Hopeless Case?
Whenever Yawee is drunk, he usually plays basketball. He could be heard from afar shouting, crying, laughing and talking load to himself. He used to beat his wife, Mali, even just after their weeding. When Mali was pregnant with their six child, he gave her a severe beating. She was hospitalized. Coming out from the hospital, she went home to her parents with all the children. She decided to leave Yawee for she could no longer endure his treatment of her. Yawee pleaded for Mali to return home, but it was no use. So with all the promises not to drink alcoholic beverages again, Yawee asked Fr. Barry to intercede for him and it was only then that Mali agreed to go back.

Chronic Alcoholism
It seems to me that the tribes here tolerate alcoholics because there are many of them even among the young, beautiful and married women Wine is served in all gatherings, parties, weddings, and funerals. One evening, after Mass was celebrated in the house of one of the parishioners (since we have Mass once a week in the one of the houses), a man who was drinking offered me a small bowl of wine. I refused for I never drink wine. He insisted and tried to hold the bowl near my mouth. Before I get hold of it, the wine all spilled on my cloths. This drinking problem has caused many car or motorcycle accidents; the drivers crash or go into a precipice.

 

Shame
One Sunday Mass, while the priest was almost through giving communion, Yawee who was drunk with one eye swollen and half –naked, though it was winter time, entered the Church Passing through the middle aisle, he went straight to the right side of the altar and begun yelling at the statue of St. Joseph. Some one motioned to him to go out but he did not pay any attention. Then, four men immediately moved and lifted him out of the Church. I happened to look at Hwei Mei, Yawee’s twelve years old daughter who was sitting at the farthest left of the front bench. Upon seeing her reaction, I was moved to tears and prayed silently for her. When she saw her father, she moved hurriedly to the back of the Church but later returned to her seat, covering her face with her hands. Feeling of sadness, disgust and shame were noticeable in her face. Hwei Mei and Hwei Hsing, the second eldest next to Hwei Mei, studied piano with for several months when they were first and second grader. I used to remind them to pray for their father, explaining that the Lord always hears the prayers of the children. “I pray before going to sleep.” Remarked Hwei Hsing, with wide open eyes and smiling.

Rare Medicine
Yawee sometimes visits the Blessed Sacrament before going to work. A majority of the people here earn their livelihood by farming. Some work in the factories in the lowlands; others cut their bamboo or pine trees. Yawee is among the few who hunt for medicinal barks of a certain tree; this is very expensive. If he is lucky, he can get fifty thousand Taiwan dollars for about two kilos of that bark. Getting this bark is a risky task. Two men usually get inside the trunk of tree. The tree is hollow and one could usually get inside from the hole at the top. The person who goes down, ties himself with a rope and his partner waits outside to pull him up.

Trapped
One morning, while Yawee was walking with his brother -in –law, Yubai, he saw a big tree. This was the kind of tree that yielded the special bark. “I’ll try to see if there are barks inside,” Yawee told Yubai. Yubai commented that he had already inspected that tree but found no bark inside. Nevertheless, Yawee believed that he could find some barks inside; so, after lunch, he went to survey the tree. It was two minutes walk from the road. The tree was very tall; so he decided to examine the roots. When he inserted his hands he came in contacts with some barks. He continued digging into the trunk and got more of the barks. Soon, he was inside the hollow part of the tree. He gathered the bark near the mouth of the hole. While he was pulling hard at a certain bark, all the rotten and soft parts collapse and filled the hole. Yawee was covered by the soft and wet things up to the waist. There was no way of getting out through the hole; so he climbed slowly to the top. There were three holes but one of them was big enough to allow him to stick out his head. Fear began to fill him. He felt the heat inside, and he began to perspire and grow weak. Many thoughts came to his mind. He regretted for not having been a good father to his children. He wept and prayed.

 

 

Smoking Inside the Tree
Yawee is fortunate enough to be able to sit down on a flat edge, though he had to bend a little. Even if he had had bolo, it would have been impossible for him to chop and make a big hole because the wood was very hard. He tried to relax and cheer himself up. He knew that when he was not home by five o’clock in the afternoon, Mali would phone Yubai and inquire about him. This feeling of trust gave him strength and hope. “I can still last till tomorrow,” he told himself. He got his cigarette from his pocket and began to smoke. He blew the smoke alternately through the tree holes, watching at the direction to which it went. When the smoke went back to him he felt happy knowing that there was air coming from outside. He continued doing this till he consumed the cigarette.

I am Yawee
At three o’clock in the afternoon, Yawee heard conversations right down below the tree. He felt excited. “Anybody there?” he shouted. “Who are you the voice below asked. “I am Yawee,” he answered. Since the men saw no one, they fled for fear. Yawee felt they mistook him for an evil spirit. Oh no!” Yawee sighed, hearing the men footsteps going further. His excitement turned into sadness.

Which Yawee
Soon the sky, which Yawee could see through the whole, grew darker. He watched the light slowly becoming faint. He looked at his luminous watch. It was six o’ clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, he heard the sound of motorcycles coming. He thought that these must be people coming from work. Yawee held his arms out of the hole and waved with his flashlight. The three men who were going home from hunting flying squirrels and birds saw the light. One of them remarked, “Oh, that’s a bird,” Yawee then shouted for help. “Who are you” the men asked. Yawee mentioned his name. “Which Yawee?” the men asked further while approaching the tree. This was because several persons had the same name. “Yawee of Sansalu,” he answered. Everybody knows each other in Ching Chuan since there are only about three hundred houses.

Escape at Last
Two of the men climbed to the top of the tree. Yawee related to them how he was trapped inside. “We don’t have any bolo or knife,” the men told Yawee. “I have a bolo here,” Yawee replied, holding out his bolo. When they started to chop the tree, Yawee was tortured by the sound of the bolo striking the wood above him. It was like being inside a drum which somebody was beating. At nine o’ clock, Yawee heard a long sound of Yubai’s motorcycle. Yubai arrived with his brother, Malio. Now, there where men cutting up and others digging the earth covered the hole at the roots where Yawee had started. The tree was about two yards wide. It took the men almost four hours to make a hole bid enough for Yawee to pass. At last, Yawee was able to come out. He brought home the barks he gathered and got more than twenty thousand NT dollars for them.

Alcoholic Anonymous
A few months later, Fr. Barry organized the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). He invited the married alcoholics men, and women, to join the meeting every Friday evening. They were exhorted not to drink when they came to the meeting. Those who joined AA should have the honest desire to stop drinking. The moderator should be a person who experienced drinking. The chairs were arranged in a circle with nothing in the middle. At the beginning, each one introduced himself or herself saying, “I am so and so, and I am an alcoholic.” Then each one shared what he or she felt when drunk, his or her drinking problems and all kinds of experiences. About fourteen people joined the meeting but not at the same time because some were irregular in their attendance. Yawee was the only one who was always present. He was made the leader of the group, being a smart guy. He was the only one who stopped drinking. There were two young women who tried their best to avoid wine but returned but returned to their drinking habits later. Their meetings lasted only four months because Fr. Barry went to the USA for Medical treatment.

Yawee’s friend helped him find a good job in Taiching, This city is quite far; it is three hour’s ride from Ching Chuan. So, Yawee decided to bring his family there. Before leaving Ching Chuan, Yawee invited us, the priest and sister, to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family. In the leaving room, we saw a big poster of a young boy in front of a microphone. One of us asked Yawee’s three year old boy, what the boy in the picture saying. The boy answered shouting; “Papa, don’t drink wine.” We all laughed. Yawee patted the boy on the head saying; “this boy is really naughty.”
Yawee’s life in Taiching has improved. He gets a good salary and lately, was able to buy a second-hand car. The whole family sometimes comes to visit Ching Chuan. It’s already two years that Yawee has stopped drinking. I am sure there are many other alcoholics like Yawee have overcome their illness because it is a disease.  We can always help with our prayers and by attending an AA group.