FAITHFUL FRIENDS

“Faithful friends are life’s best treasure’
Wealth and fame may all pass away;
Faithful friends abide always
Through the world I’d gladly go
If one faithful Friend I know.”

This lovely song I learned as a young boy in grade school keeps coming back to my memory. This makes me to remember one such friend I am much indebted for my life.
His name was Inting. That was the nickname of my friend. He came from Masbate to find work to helped his parents’family in Masbate. His name in the Payroll was Vicente Concepcion. I never come to know his real name and how he is today. I just remember as one to whom I owe my life today.

Inting and I worked as gangmates with Leyte Stevedoring firm in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines working with the United States Maritime Services The Post World War 11 created many jobs for the civilian Filipinos in Tacloban. We did loading and unloading heavy cargoes of war equipments and materials for the United States Army from the huge cargo vessels. I was winch operator, my father was the gang foreman and Inting was our mess boy. He carried fresh, cold water to the laborers

Sometimes we worked on vessels docked alongside the Tacloban Piers. At other times we worked on board vessels on the high sea. We all work as a well coordinated team. When off duty we played volleyball with other gangs. We shared jokes and listened to instructions from the foreman. During breaks for lunch or dinner we also shared each others victuals. We learned to protect each other at work and when we were off duty.
We learned the importance of team work, especially when we work were on board ships on the high seas and buffeted by bad weather.
.
. One Sunday morning Inting and I got on a banca – a dug-out canoe – and rowed to the middle of San Juanical Channel.Sometimes the sea currents shifted and caused the sand to lift up and made the channel shallow. It was upon this shallow portion that we dropped anchor and dove for clams. On one of my jumps the rope which secured the anchor to the banca broke and pushed the banca away. Upon rising to the surface I found the banca far from me. I swam towards it, but each time I touched it, the banca moved away until it was too far from me. The current was changing and carrying the banca along. I struggled to float. A sailboat with people in it passed by and just laughed at my struggle. I refused to panic and prayed for help.

Where was Inting? He was equidistant from me and the banca. He saw me struggling to keep afloat. He shouted to me to keep calm as he swam towards the banca. Then he changed his direction and swam towards me and assisted me towards the banca. By God’s grace we made it to the banca.. He got into it and helped me up. We paddled toward shore and home.

Jesus Christ taught that a Friend gives his life for his friend. Inting could have left me alone to drown. He could have just saved himself. Why did he came back to me and helped me at the peril of drowning with me? He did not think of that he said. He just wanted to save me from drowning. Christ Jesus died for me and you that we may lived the abundant life God has desired for all of us to live. Paul sums up my experiences with Inting and Jesus Christ. “I was crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, and yet notI and the life I now live I live for the Son of God who loves me.” Yes I thanked God for Jesus Christ, my only Savior and LORD. I thank God also for Inting who imperiled his life to save me.Truly Inting was a Christ for me.Now I live my life for Jesus Christ, for Inting and for all I can reach and influence for Jesus Christ

Fathers' Day

Dear Dad,



Happy Father’s Day to you! I wish you a joyous and meaningful day as you receive greetings from friends and loved ones on this day that celebrates fathers. You deserve to receive the highest compliments. You have been a good and loving father, not only to us your children, but to others who don’t have fathers who look up to you as a father figure. Thank you for being God’s instrument in providing for our needs, teaching us the important lessons in life, and providing us with spiritual leadership that is centered on God’s role in our lives.



I love you, Dad, and I miss you. I will see you soon!



Love,



Omar

Gift giving in Nocnocan and Cataban Island, Danajon Bank, Bohol May 26-28, 2008

Tatay Ruping and youngest son Bart tries out some shirt as well

Ernesto of Cataban island cleans and guts newly caught puffer fish for dinner

Ernesto tries out the new shirts and polos that was given to him

he likes this one the best

nocnocan island

turning over a bag of clothing to Bebot Baron, a compressor fisherman of Nocnocan

Nocnocan barangay tanod named matti, took us around the island with his nephew