Family on Mission

My family and I, along with Msgr. Allen Aganon, just returned from an 8-day mission trip to Brunei and Miri, Malaysia. We were blessed to have been invited to CFC Brunei's 17th Anniversary.  Here are some of my mission reflections:

1. Expose your family to mission.  On our way to Brunei, my wife Michelle asked my 4 year old son Sev, "Are you excited for the mission?" He answered, "No, it's not mission mom, it's a vacation." After 8 days on the way back to the Philippines, Michelle asked Sev again, "So Sev, did you enjoy your vacation?" Sev replied, "It was a mission mom!"  Sev may have just played most of the time with the other kids while in Brunei, but he was conscious that we were already doing mission. I also witnessed my one year old daughter, Kaitlyn, raising her hands and closing her eyes, mimicking us in worship.  These little actions are already part of her consciousness and will be a seed of faith that will blossom as she grows.   It's hard to let our kids understand mission by just describing it, they have to experience it.  "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6)."

2. Nurture old friendships. One of our good friends whom we visited was Bishop Sim. Michelle went on mission to Brunei back in 2003 for a Kids Conference and bonded with Bishop Sim, who was then a Monsignor.  It was good to catch up on life and get guidance from him.  Great things happen with strong, genuine friendships. Friendships also go through a time of testing, but it is for the purpose of strengthening and deepening. Friendships are our lives' treasures. Many are willing to go forego friendships because of a hurtful experience. In friendship there is love. But love has three kinds. The Eros, the Philia, and the Agape love.  Eros is more of the joy of physical attraction and Philia is about the joy of togetherness. Both can fade and be replaced. We are to strive the Agape love in our friendships, wherein love is sacrificial and is about the joy of seeking the true good of the other. We learn to love someone despite of and not only because of.  Old friendships go through a time of testing, until our love becomes agape.

3. Your community is your family. We were hosted by gracious families. It was a blessing to have shared each others' lives in our stay with with them. Opening your home is like saying, "You are family to us." Being in a community like Couples for Christ brings us to understand how the first Christian community lived. "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common (Acts 4:32)." Our hosts would always tell us, "Feel at home, tell us if there is anything you need." I believe that hosting should be a practice a Christian community should not lose. It is convenient to send our guests to a hotel, thinking that they will be more comfortable there. But we lose the essence of being community and being a family.  It doesn't matter if you have simple food or limited space, what matters is that your house is open to your brothers and sisters and that we break bread with them.

We thank God and our bretheren in Brunei for the outpouring of love upon us.  We pray for all Christian communities all over the world who share in the conviction of mission, nurturing friendships, and building more communities for Christ.