North Suburban Ministry Center
Buffalo Grove High School
1100 W. Dundee Road
Buffalo Grove, IL
Good morning – This will be my last Sunday as I am going back to the Philippines on the 15th of May. Last week I informed At regarding my departure date and he asked me to be here in front and share the communion message. Who am I to say no to AT.
As some of you know I came here in Chicago 6 years ago with my wife hoping to have a change of lifestyle.
- Been married for 11 years, she had one miscarriage and after that, had a hard time of having a baby
- It was my wife’s idea to come over here – I never wanted to be here in USA
After 2- years here in Chicago we studied the Bible with the disciples and were baptized a couple of months later, while my wife was 7 months pregnant, our second baby.
Let me share with you how the situation was..
Things were not easy, I was still under a working visa, she was still under a dependent visa.
Last 2007, my wife got sick, she lost a lot of weight, starting from easy fatigability, to weakness and progressed to inability to walk, inability to communicate effectively and inability to use her hands.
In one year’s span she was admitted 4x in the hospital and every discharge she got worst.
Last admission was the most challenging time for me. She choked after swallowing her pill, turned blue in front of me and I had to perform CPR to her.(It was easy for me to manage these during my residency days at the ER on the ward. However, this was difficult for me.)
On top of that,
- we have 4 year old and a 2 year old,
- Me and my wife don’t have any medical insurance, we were not qualified for public aid because I am not a resident or a citizen.
- I used up all my sick and vacation leave, the next absence would be without pay.
However, despite of all the things that happened, during those tough times and until now, GOD Has never abandoned my family. On the contrary, this was the exact opportunity where HE showed HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE. It was during those tough times HE shined and showed HIS glory, not just to me but to everyone, my family her family and relatives, our common non-Christian friends.
THE BODY of CHRIST HIS CHURCH was there, HIS CHURCH became the living testimony of Jesus Love and Sacrifice.
1. Schedules were made for:
- Food
- baby sitting – disciples drove and pick up the kids – watch over them the
whole day while I was working
- People taking turns to watch over Gloria during the day while I would work
o Sing songs
o Read scriptures
o Massage her
o Teach her Yoga and meditation
2. When I had no sleep as my wife would wake up several times during the night;
- sisters from the Church volunteer to watch her for a couple of hours during the evening
- A disciples mom stayed with us for a couple of days to help me out with
the kids, cooking of food and encouraging my wife
3. Holidays
- The elder couple and the teens dropped by during thanksgiving and shared with the family food .
4. tough times
- sister offered her physician a neuro specialist and her physician examined my wife without asking for a professional fee
- sisters would accompany her in her doctors appointment
5. In the Hospital
- when you feel helpless and you want to shout and cry out this is unfair – God would send his disciples to encourage me and encourage the family
6. Work
- struggling to make ends meet – to many absences – no work no pay – the church was there to provide monetary assistance
7. Last Holiday Season..
- a brother offered flight mileage so that a father can visit his two kids and a husband can visit and encourage his sick wife. Their house church shared a generous gift for the kids.
I got a debt of 80k from the last 2 hospital admissions..all of which were written of..approved by the Hospital Charity department. The last one I paid 0.3%
Reflecting on what transpired in the last two years, reflecting on how God has been there, this verse come out to life.
Acts 2:42-47
The Fellowship of the Believers
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This morning as we take the communion we remember Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection.
When we observe Communion we show our participation in the body of Christ. His life becomes our life and we become members of each other:
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NIV)
My wife went back home to the Philippines last 2008. She had her own caregiver 24/7 to care of her needs. The kids followed after 3 or 4 months. As I stayed, to settle all the remaining responsibilities. After several months I went home to be with my kids and my wife. God took Gloria on the 19th of October year 2009 to be in HIS bossom....With gratitude to God, his church, disciples, family, relatives and friends who was always there for the family.
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