Lani and I met up in Malcolm Hall in UP last Saturday coz I needed to inquire about law school. Afterwards we had lunch in Taco Bell, then strolled a bit after around Gateway, since we'll meet up with the xblock at 3 PM pa in Greenbelt 3. After that we went back to Gateway and had dinner in Burgoo. It was just sad that Zy wasn't able to join us, again, this time because of family matters (the first time was because of work).
But I am happy that my sisters and I are having weekly lunches every Saturday. Well, we try to make it a point to meet up every Saturday. We get to talk about what happened to each other's week and get updated with each other's lives, since we rarely see each other during the week (except for Lani and Zy, who get to attend GenRev Ateneo every Wednesdays, 430-6 PM, SOM 210-- shameless plugging, spread the word). I am looking forward to each Saturday for I know that I would spend another fantastic time with my sisters.
-*-*-*-*-*-
It all started in 2002. Ateneo had just won the UAAP championship. Kimmy, another one of our sisters, invited us to attend a bible study in school the week after the championship game. It was conducted by students who go to Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF). During that time it was Paul Tanchi (yes, you've read it right) who was leading the study. And from there we started to attend BS (that's bible study folks) regularly in school.
After every teaching, the group divides itself into "breakout groups". Our group was led by Atid and Bobbi. Eventually they wanted to follow up on us and so divided our breakout group into cell groups: Kimmy and Zy went to Atid, Lani and I to Bobbi.
Before I continue, I would like to say that that year was a pivotal year for Lani and me. It was during those times that we consider our 'worst'. No, we don't have vices, but we're not exactly angels either. That invitation of Kimmy was what we needed at the time (remember my earlier entry, about my rollercoaster spiritual life? This was one of the lows).
And so every week Bobbi, Lani and I meet every Thursday lunch time in the 2nd floor of Gonzaga, in front of the pub room. There we will eat lunch together and share what happened to our week. It was also there where we were introduced to the concept of "accountability". It took us a while before we get to trust Bobbi with our most personal details. Lani was not used to divulging personal stuff to other people, and I am not really comfortable sharing either (despite being exposed to such). But after weeks and months of fellowship and spiritual growth, we've gone to trust Bobbi, gradually, with our personal details: our crushes' identities first, then our kilig moments, to our frustrations in school and orgs, our frustrations with other people, even our family problems. Bobbi also came to trust us with her personal stuff, and our friendship grew deeper. We believed that what we three have talked about will remain among the three of us. We even felt that we could trust Bobbi with our lives.
When Bobbi graduated already, Lani and I were transferred to Atid's group, together with Zy and Kimmy. It was another round of trust-building, but it did helped that sometimes our groups would meet over lunch and just bond. Plus the fact that Atid is Bobbi's best friend. I must admit, it really felt nice to be sincerely welcomed into such a friendship. From two, it grew to six. We could text each other asking for prayer intentions without hesitating, knowing that the other would indeed pray for us. And so our cell group leader was Atid now. During that time the park between Dela Costa and Social Science buildings are finished, and so we would talk in the benches there, have our weekly bonding sessions. Then after some time, our cell group developed to a discipleship group. It means that we are being trained to be cell group leaders, just like Bobbi and Atid were to us in the beginning. In CCF they call it D-12 (it's "Discipleship 12" from Jesus' 12 disciples, not Eminem’s band oki?). The friendship grew deeper, the trust grew stronger, our bond more, well, bonded.
Then Atid graduated. They assigned us to a new cell group leader, but it was just not the same. We aren't as comfortable sharing with her as with Atid and Bobbi. She is a really nice girl, and we like her, but it's just not the same. It was also during these times that we weren't able to go to BS regularly, mainly due to thesis work and other academic requirements. And then GenRev Ateneo came. Then Elim Singles (in a span of a few months we were promoted from youth to singles...hehehe I think we’re one of the youngest singles there now). After a few months still, we are attending Team Revival (for me, again).
-*-*-*-*-*-
Now how were we introduced to GenRev and Elim? It started one quiet Black Saturday 2 years ago. I was channel surfing when I came upon this show in channel 7. It was the GenRev TV Special. It got my attention and so I watched. Unfortunately I caught the final part of the show, and there they promoted the GenRev website. So I went there and registered and joined the message boards. I didn't know anyone there, but there was someone who seems familiar to me. After having a confirmation that it was Roni, a batch mate and another DS student, I was thrilled. She introduced me to the people in the boards. When July came that's when the Campus Catalysts project started in Ateneo. I wanted to join, so I messaged them. We met up for our first meeting in Gesù, then I went to GenRev Night, and then Revival Night (I forgot then that GenRev was the band that performed in the mini-concert that happened early 2003, sponsored by VCF, another Christian church). I was always inviting Lani to go with me to GenRev Night but she wasn't allowed yet at that time. After the first sem I kinda laid low with Elim activities, until more than a year later.
We had a project for Theo131 that required us to talk to a Catholic couple who are involved in ministry, and so we interviewed Tita Edna Garcia. That was Lani's first intro to Elim. We were supposed to go to a Revival Night, but we had transpo problems. For our thesis I suggested that we use the GenRev band as our study, since our topic is about Christian rock music. So we interviewed Kiddo, and Kuya Moses, the GenRev coach. Second sem, GenRev came to Ateneo, in December. Friday of the same week was GenRev Night, and surprisingly, Lani was allowed to go and sleep over Elay's pad.
Zy, meantime, was introduced earlier than Lani. Roni have been inviting her to attend GenRev Night, and one Friday we both went there. Then when GenRev Night returned to home base (coz it was transferred to the province of Alabang for a time, for the south people), we got to attend again, together with Kimmy, Yammy, my roommate, and Roni.
-*-*-*-*-*-
It was now three years since God has put us all in each others' lives. I completely trust them with everything. They've known my deepest darkest secrets, and I've known theirs also. We've shared the most fun-filled, laughter-filled times, and we've shared the saddest ones as well. We’re more than just a barkada; we’re soul sisters.
I praise and thank God for the gift of friendship. I thank Him for giving me these two wonderful people who have been there for me during the most crucial point of my spiritual walk. I also thank Him for Atid and Bobbi for planting the seed. I also thank Him for using Kimmy. I also thank Him for Roni, for using her in introducing us to GenRev. I thank Him for placing the right people in my life at the right place, in the right time.
Of course, all three of us acknowledge that the puno't dulo of all these is God. He is the reason why we got together in the first place, and He is at the core of this friendship. Like what Christ said, "for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).
No comments:
Post a Comment