March Highlights

United in Faith


A group of sisters and brothers from the community of Kkotdongnae (pronunced as Ko-tong-ae) Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, from Korea came to visit the community in March. They have set up a community here in the Philippines as well. The main purpose of their visit to the Philippines is to promote the Holy Spirit Conference of World Youth in Korea. I was very blessed by their visit. The Congregation is a community of love and salvation. It's main work is Mercy Work in Korea. They have a large facility housing the homeless, abandoned , the dying and the poor in Korea. (much like MC sisters). It is a 'Big thing' in Korea. The community was founded by Fr Oh and had only 18 members. Now there are about 4000 abandoned people in their centres and they have over 350 religious brothers and sisters in Philippines, US and Korea.


The Superior of the community, Brother James was here and he shared with us (with the help of a translator) his vision of empowering Youth in Korea and in Asia. His hope is also to gather youth in Asia , to allow them to experience God's love, give them an opportunity to experience the poor and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. This was the vision for the Holy Spirit Conference for Youth, which the cogregation is organising this year. What struck me was his passion and zeal in his Vision. He shared that he had this vision a few years ago and it is only now that it is being realised. I was very blessed. God will realise our visions for him, no matter how big and impossible it may seem at the start, just as long as we persevere and have faith. It was an invitation for me to dream 'big dreams' for God. During our time of intercession and prayer together as two different communities, I was also very touched by the unity of the spirit. Though we all prayed in different languages (The Koreans prayed in Korean), we all worshipped the same God and share the same passion and zeal to make him known. It was really moment of grace for me and I felt that God was also stirring great desires in my heart especially for Asia.. and that the world is much bigger than 'me'.

Anyway, I would like to invite you to check out the website for this conference and also to pass the word around, to invited youth you know to go. Or if you can go, also best - we can learn alot. Also, I think it will be a time of grace and experience. The conference will be held in Korea in July (21 -23). The conference is only three days but there is a pre-conference progr where youth can volunteer to work at the welfare facilities in Kkottongnae. The conference costs US50, with food and loggin provided for free. It would be super super exciting , also to be in Korea, meet Fr Oh - Founder of Kktongdnae ( I heard that he is a super anoited presider for mass.),
to experience the vitality and faithfulness of Koreans and to meet Korean youth and other youth. (and cheaper alternative to WYD). ICPE is a collaborater for this event. Our Founder Mario Cappello is the keynote speaker for the event together with two others. There will be an ICPE outreach team there. WEBSITE is : www.hcwy.org. See the videos on what is Kkottongane.

Visit by Mario


Mario, founder of the ICPE Mission also visited us in March. He shared his vision for ICPE and his ideals about community. I was very touched by his sharings and wisdom. One of the things I was most edified by was his simiplicity and humility despite being who he is and all that he has done for God. A humility which I’ve much to learn from. He also shared that his ideal of community is simply for us to gather around Jesus and to share his spirit. This was, for him, the most fundamental. Structures, time-tables, formation, ministry and work is secondary for community. After meeting him, I was affirmed of my being here with the community. I felt affirmation that I'm in the right place for now. So praise God!

March Reflection : Drinking from the dry Well

As some of you may know I went through a 'dry spell' during my 2nd month here. It was a time of immense dryness during prayer and there were hardly any consolations. Even though I was consistent in my daily prayer, I felt that God was distant. The things and thoughts that used to 'console' me no longer did and I had alot of doubts. Had to face alot of my unworthiness and weaknesses. Also, through this , I realised that learning to surrender is a life-time process and we have to keep doing it.

But God is good , I think there has been a breakthrough for me at the beginning of this week.

One of the things that consoled me was the knowing that through this dryness, God was actually teaching me to let go and to surrender. To learn to seek him and not the consolations. To put aside all my old ways of doing things, old way of praying , thinking etc. Allowing myself to be reconstructed , purified and refined, so that I only seek God. I felt that God was showing me that everything, including consolation is gift from him, not something that we can 'turn on' when we want to. This was hard for me, because, this meant that I had to take another new step to trust and be surprised by God, because now I cannot even see the things that used to 'console' me. Anyway, recently, I picked up Fr Tom Green's Drinking from the dry well , which I had not finish reading. Reflecting on the book gave me alot of encouragement and affirmed me that God was indeed taking me to a new level of surrender and prayer. To learn to seek the God of Consolations, not the Consolations of God. Thankfully also, even though there is alot of dryness during prayer, my general 'feeling' here is a sense of peace. So, for this I am grateful. :) It is still difficult for me but I am begginning to enjoy it - the challenge of contemplation and interior prayer/awarness. Fr Thomas Green, a reknowned Jesuit also came to give us a seminar last week. Meeting him was an encouraging moment for me.

One of the things that I have had to also learn over the past two months is surrendering and accepting my own weakness and inferiorities. It’s funny how in community, your weaknesses become much more apparent to you. I had to learn to accept my mixed motivations for doing things as part of me and that God can work through them. I also had to ‘put aside’ my old way of doing things, my previously known ‘accomplishments’ / ‘known and used giftings’ and to just ‘be’. I realized that the natural tendency for me, when I am faced with a ‘struggle’, is to run away and not face it. I used run away by either ‘doing something’ or ‘hide’ behind the company of friends, in my comfort zone. However, now is the time to allow God to take me deeper in prayer and discovery of who he is. To be ‘led’ by him and not to want ‘control.