Habang kami nila Aldino eh nagpipicturan sa palatandaan ng KM. 0 sa tabi ng mga sasakyan sa kahabaan ng Roxas Blvd., (nakaka-hingal mag-explain, hehe) nakita na namin sila Andrew na kalabaw, Ay malapit sa kalabaw pala! Haha. (may dalawang statues ng kalabaw sa harap ng Luneta, dun) At ayun, binigyan na kami ng pins ni Ate Rizza at tumuloy na kami sa grounds. **Hillsongs Playing**
Pagpasok namin, na-excite na naman ako dahil first time kong makita ang barko ng MFHRI (Manila Floating Hotel and Restaurant). Ang lakkeeee. Well, hindi sya kasing laki ng Titanic pero malaki pa din sya. Masaya na ko sa ganun. Oh sige na, para na kong bata pero bakit ba! Hehe. Sa TV lang kasi ako nakakakita ng barko. Oo nakakakita din naman ako sa Manila Bay pero ang lalayo nila kaya maliit. Haha.
Medyo makulimlim na nung nasa grounds na kami ng Quirino Grandstand, medyo lumalakas na din ang lumalamig na hangin, ramdam na namin na uulan pero we're still hoping na hindi magtuloy. Sa mga ganung pagkakataon lagi kong naiisip na hindi hahayaan ni God na may mangyari na makakasira sa mga gawain para sa kanya as He does all the time. So nung mga oras na yun prenteng-prente ako na hindi talaga uulan, because all of us there believes. But then...
At one part of the program, unti-unti nang pumatak ang ulan. Napatayo na kami ni Ate Rizza sa pagkaka-upo namin at ginawang pang-silong yung binili naming sheet para upuan sa damo. Yung iba naki-silong nalang sa tents at yung iba, nagpayong. That moment, the rain is still tolerable and I still believe that God will stop the rain and let us go out again. Pero hindi yun ang nangyari, the rain had worsen. Yung lakas na kahit nakapayong ka na eh mababasa ka pa din. Nung time na yun naki-silong na din ako sa tent hoping na makakatakas ako sa lakas ng buhos ng ulan, pero hindi din pala.
Nasa bukana lang ako ng tent dahil marami na ring nagsisiksikan sa loob. That's why sa bawat ihip ng hangin kami ding mga nasa bandang harap ang nababasa. That time the organizers have decided to temporarily stop the program at pasilungin muna ang mga members until the rain is tolerable. As we pray the rosary, medyo naging emotional ako. I don't know why. I just felt that I'm not alone. I'm with these people. Still holding on. Inspite of trials and challenges, we still serve, we still hope, we still believe. Maya-maya unti-unti ko ng naramdaman na pinapasok na ng tubig yung sapatos ko. Nagbaha na sa buong grounds dahil sa ulan. Basa na rin yung pantalon ko, kahit yung damit ko. I'm shivering in cold. Gusto ko ng umuwi. But after a moment, naantig talaga yung puso ko nung makita ko yung isang pamilya na sobrang dikit na dikit na sila sa isa't-isa para lang maka-kanlong sila sa dala-dala nilang payong, with the parents enclosing their children to their arms. It was warm. That was love. And they never give up. So must I.
At the end of the day, I never asked God why He let such thing happen. But I realized that God gave us the rain that night for us to see His message. That whatever trials and hardship and failures we may face, all we have to do is to hold on to each other, work together, and TRUST in Him. Because He is at work at us. He has a plan. It is a test. In spite of it we all haven't given up. We stayed. It's why we are here. We are FOR Christ. Built by His love. Build on Christ.
"Lord we are your children, Chosen and called by your Name With one heart and purpose we gather To glorify you and proclaim That you Lord are our sure foundation We will not be afraid When the storm comes we will not be shaken For by your hands we are saved"
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