The Words of the Batino Family |
Dearest, dearest Leaders, Foreign members and Brothers and sisters all over the world!
Greetings! Loving greetings from Massachusetts, USA! It is with great affection and love that I want to report to all of you.
After almost a year of being in Asia, I was greatly surprised to receive an urgent warning from our Legal advisor in USA that my 1-year privilege of being a green card holder and residing in Asia is almost up and if I want to still keep my 3 more year privilege as a resident alien, I have to report to any Immigration officer in the USA, before July 4, 2012. That message I received mid-June, just after I came back from our 4-day ODP in Thailand. So, quickly I confer with my husband what our decision. Travelling to USA as quickly as that would entail a lot of money, as well as take me away from the Philippine providential activities, as we are preparing for the Blessing in the Visayas region, my spiritual hometown and both of my parents tribal home regions: Camotes, Cebu. Anyway, it was a hard decision to make but, one has to be made a.s.a.p. So, I am here in Massachusetts, just landed last night at Logan Airport, MA after a connecting flight from Manila/Narita/JFK. A long 18 hours travel and lay-over time.
Thank you so much, Raffy for this heartfelt appeal to all of you, our dear family members. For the very first time in history, I was so moved by the initiative of Dr. Chung Sik Yong to do something of such magnitude as organizing an International Leadership Conference in Davao City, as well as organizing the Interfaith Blessing Ceremony in Sultan Kudarat. With his urging and direction, as elders and leaders of our Philippine Movement, we cannot help but unite and believe that things will happen as they should. To think that the Philippine Unification Church HQ will be temporarily moved to Mindanao, it was completely an idea that was out of this world, when Dr. Yong declared to us this plan for the first time. As a native of Mindanao, it was like a dream come true! Mobilization for whole 4 months, involving delegates from the 120-days WS based in Davao City, missionaries and members from Dr. Yong's Asian countries, Leaders and members from all corners of the Philippines, Japanese missionaries under our Continental leaders care, everyone who is willing and unwilling to go were called and put into some kind of task to fulfill. It was a historical moment. And, we just have to be there. It was an amazing event: although it was not perfect, it was truly a historical success! In spite of many challenging events in Philippine Church months prior to our mobilization activity which was in full swing after New Years' Day, there was enough elders and leaders under the leadership of our National Leader, Engineer Julius Malicdem and the full-time members under the leadership of Jimmy and Shirley Vergara. There was enough Elders and Full-time Leadership with us, who could lay the foundation for the home members, training missionaries and student members to work with us when the event was almost near.
Manpower is a very important factor for any event, as well as financial aspect. But, these 2 factors can only be beneficial when there is a well-established plan and long-term vision to sustain our events and activities. And, an assessment program and evaluation team to check the progress 7 update follow-up activities needed. A big event, we can pull that through. From experience, we knew that we could force it to happen -- we have the ability to move even a big project to reality, even last minute, using all of our resources and capacity to rally everyone's support and yes, make it happen but, we have to remember that success is not only sweet just for the moment, it has to be a launching pad for a sustainable activity, project, programs and plans to truly harvest our expected results. An education program has to be underway to follow-up the fruits of our labor, as they say. And, as of the leaders and elders who was there in Mindanao, I could truly say that for things to truly happen, everyone's concern and effort is very, very important! Aside from our hard-working Executive Director: Grace Mayo, Bishop Elias Soria, Francis Xavier, Randy Ame, Christie Delfino, Denis, ever dedicated Joshua Josol, Edward Busque, Raffy Rabano and other volunteers, we need more concerned tribal messiahs to come out and let's work together. After the big Blessing in Sultan Kudarat, many of the newly blessed couples needed to be educated and visited. The barangay officials who were inspired by our UPF initiatives has to be re-visited. The Japanese missionaries, Russian spouses of our Filipino brothers, other foreign missionaries from Hong Kong, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, America and etc., together with our Philippine full-time members did their best to visit every corner of Mindanao Holy Ground cities or peace Zone areas, prior to march 28 to March 31 events. But, those people are back in their home countries now, back to their jobs and back to their original missions and some of them: elders, leaders and volunteers are moving on to a new area of more Blessing and etc. Let us be awaken and take ownership our town and cities are in dire need of manpower and financial support, right now... in fact many newly blessed couples are waiting for more education and proper guidance for starting a family with 3-day ceremony and 40-day separation program. Let us check and be mindful. This month will come only once, after these months will pass, another bigger venue is waiting for us to do something: the manila Blessing and ILC program on Jan. 12, 2013. I am here in America for few weeks: take care of my residency matters coz, I still want to travel back and forth to this country, visit families and inform them of Philippine country for their support and presence. I never regret a single day of my mission life spent in Asia this time.
Our being a resident away from the Philippines for all these months and years is a very good foundation to work in the native land. Without seeing any money from me, or in my person, just telling them I am a missionary or resident of America, already open their eyes and listen attentively to what I say. Let's discuss in our homes what we can do to offer to Philippines for the next few months... your money is important but, your presence to mobilize and support with your funds, I believe is of great importance at this time. Our local leaders in the Philippine movement are working to protect our foundation all these years, they need our support -- our presence is needed there at this time. Our training and experiences in doing mission abroad and working in our jobs abroad, are of great help to guide our Filipino government leaders and educators to bring back the lost values in our nation. Plan your itinerary properly ahead of time because, Visayas mobilization is now going on: Blessing events in the region (5 locations: Tacloban, Cebu. Dumaguete, Iloilo, Bacolod), then after that, the mobilization will move to the Luzon areas, coz, the target date for Manila Blessing and ILC is on Jan. 9 to 12, 2013. Then shortly after, true parents are expecting us to travel to Korea for the Foundation Day on Feb. 22, 2013. So, if we are travelling from outside Asia: like UK, USA or Africa -- we must plan to travel from the Philippines to Korea event in Feb. 2013, esp. Hyung Jin Nim's couple already confirmed to travel to the Philippines for the Jan. 12, 2013 Interfaith blessing to be held there.
Good luck and many blessings to you and your tribe.
Sincerely yours,
Ate Esther Faith Batino