Heroes Editor’s Thoughts: .................................. “Heroes” ................................. Melodie Mae Karaan Inapan Heroes Today ................................................................................................................... Eddie Zamora My Heroes ............................................................................................................. Joy Caballero-Gadia
CLOSING: Announcements |From The Mail Bag| Prayer Requests | Acknowledgements Meet The Editors |Closing Thoughts | Miscellaneous
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Editor’s Thoughts: “Heroes” Melodie Mae Karaan Inapan
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Today, November 30, the entire Philippines honors the memory of one of the Philippine heroes, Gat Andres Bonifacio. It would have been Bonifacio’s 155th birthday. Andres Bonifacio was a revolutionary leader and founder of a group that resisted Spanish rule and was said to be the Father of the Filipino nation. What makes a hero? He or she is an ordinary person who does extraordinary things. Anyone can be a hero in our own way. As we have our own journeys, we can make the ordinary become extraordinary when we lend a helping hand, show compassion, do seemingly impossible tasks, enrich lives, or change the world. Truly, we can be heroes in our own perspective. This week’s edition of the Cyberflashes features the ordinary, unsung heroes who make a difference in our lives. We say unsung because unless someone mentions who these persons are, or what accomplishment or deed they may have done, these individuals may remain completely unknown and their acts unappreciated. During these troubled days of the world, events happen which adversely affect many lives. These events include natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, wild fires, earthquakes and tornadoes to name a few, and other man-caused events like arson (causing wild fires), mass killings caused by differences of beliefs or opinions, and problems caused by worsening human behaviors. It is during events like these when heroes show up. These individuals did not plan to do heroic acts, but the good in them just make them do the right thing. Sometimes performing the brave actions can cost some individuals their lives. Nevertheless they are true heroes, and are often unsung. We might remember incidents, but we don’t remember their names. As the Philippines celebrate its heroes, let us also think of all the other heroes we may have encountered or just heard about. Above all let us think of our greatest Hero, our Lord Jesus, who willingly came down from heaven to die on this earth in our behalf. Let us live lives worthy of our Lord’s sacrifice, and maybe become heroes ourselves.
Melodie Inapan Page 2
Heroes Today Eddie Zamora
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rowing up back home, whenever National Heroes Day was celebrated on the last day of November, certain persons came to my mind. At the top of my mental list was Dr. Jose P. Rizal who seemed to be considered almost like a god by historians. We know he was shot one early morning at Luneta and we remember him by his poem “Mi Ultimo Adios,” which our Spanish teachers made us memorize and which I think is a beautiful piece of poetry. Other names in that list include: Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo del Pilar, Gregorio del Pilar, Juan Luna, Emilio Aguinaldo and many more. These heroes were all enumerated in our Philippine History classes because they fought against the Spanish government which wanted Filipinos to be their subjects. Others not mentioned as often like Dagohoy who led the longest rebellion. Another name was Tandang Sora or Melchora Aquino. I don’t remember exactly what she stood for, forgive me for not being a history guy. Then there is Lapulapu who did not want to be ruled by a foreigner; he and his men killed Ferdinand Magellan, the man considered to have discovered the Philippines. We had a visitor and speaker at our church over the weekend who pointed out that our country was already known before Magellan came. He only gave the name Philippines (in Spanish, of course) in honor of Spain’s King Philip. What did they do to be considered heroes? Let me check for the current definition of a hero. He or she is a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character; a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal; the principal character in a story, play, film, etc. another name for a submarine sandwich. Obviously from these definitions numbers 3 and 4 won’t apply. Number 1 does apply to our Philippine heroes—courageous acts, noble characters. But the second definition might disqualify some of them, especially being role models or ideals for young people of today.
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he United States has its own National Heroes, which include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and many more. But today heroes abound, especially with the recent fires which destroyed thousands of homes and businesses here in California. These heroes are not named because they are so many. Most of Page 3
them are alive today, living heroes, unlike most of the heroes that are revered who are dead. They are often referred to only as the “First Responders,� men and women who fought the fires working for days on end, to save lives and properties. They are the fire fighters, members of the police force, paramedics. The fire fighters are the people trained to put out fires putting their lives in danger often, working day and night lugging heavy equipment up mountain slopes to meet fires head on. The police help to protect people, animals, and property. You would be surprised that there are people who try to loot or steal from the less fortunate, even at dire times like these. Then there are the paramedics, persons trained to provide medical aid to those who need these services. Not to be forgotten are members of the Red Cross who man the evacuation centers and help provide much needed stuff like water, food, clothing, beds and beddings to people displaced by the fires. Assisting them are welfare organizations and members of the military and National Guard. These people help provide the much-needed food and water and many other things to people who lost everything due to fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. In the last issue I featured a family friend who was the manager of the ICU at the Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California. I say he was a family friend because we knew him and his family as he and his siblings grew up. He first finished marine engineering but his heart must have been in nursing as his mother was a nurse. Many considered him a hero, just as the rest of the first responders in the different catastrophes. But their response was the same, they were only doing their jobs, jobs they were trained to do. Many of the first responders were rewarded by different establishments for their heroic acts and exemplary services performed. They were given special meals by restaurants. Appreciation was shown in different ways. To everybody they were heroes, but to them it was just part of their regular duties. Just this week a highway patrolman stopped a car which was going fast and the driver seemed to be driving erratically. The driver pulled over. When the officer looked into the car, he found the wife of the driver about to give birth. He called for paramedics and then offered assistance to the couple. These officers have been known to assist in child birth. The paramedics, though, arrived in time to assist in the birth of the baby. The young mother said the patrolman was a hero for helping them. He said he was just doing his job. These individuals may never get their names into a list of heroes, but the people they helped will always remember them as such. So on this day when heroes will be remembered in the Philippines, let us think that there are many everyday heroes where we live. They are living heroes who continue to do noble deeds. If we really analyze the definition of a hero, we may also be included among these elite group of individuals, people who have achievements and qualities that others look up to. Let us strive to be heroes, but let us not boast to others these achievements. Page 4
My Heroes Ardys Joy Caballero-Gadia
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magine yourself in this snapshot: You are 21 years old. You hold a letter and your Last Will in one hand, ready to hand them in. You are dressed in fatigues and combat boots. Your blood type and the letters NKA are written in bold red letters in the tongue of your boots. The “Will and Letter” is a standard practice in the US military, mandated even by most commanding officers. The Last Will and Testament will tell others how your property will be distributed in the event of your death. The letter is your farewell to your loved ones, telling them one last time that you love them and that you want them to live life to the fullest. In case of getting seriously wounded in the battlefield having your blood type and, in Andy’s case, NKA (no known drug allergies) written inside the tongue of his boots would be extremely helpful to medics and lifesaving to you. The belt-like contraption loosely around the waist or thigh is called a rachet; it will serve as a heavy-duty tourniquet in case a limb gets blown off. This snapshot was Andy’s daily life whenever they were in special missions, which was many times a month. Parachute jumps behind enemy lines, a particular four-days of non-stop gunfire while he guarded his wounded buddies and his fallen best friend. Andy was a young engineer employed at a prestigious firm in downtime Los Angeles, California, when he placed his career on pause to serve in the US Military as is the Gadias’ proud legacy for generations. He did not feel particularly heroic, however. He explained that like puberty, it was something they all went through. I am blessed. I am surrounded by heroes. My list is long and I have stories to tell but for this Hero’s Issue of CyberFlashes, I will be brief and mention a few MVC alumni members who I see as heroes: • Dr. Gemini Fancubit Asok is a highly innovative educator currently SHINING ON! at Mountain View College. She is well known and highly respected amongst her peers in the Philippines, both in the private and public sector. She is admired for her brilliant ideas and leadership, and is respected for her values and principles. As an educator, she keeps raising the bar higher each year challenging students to think outside the box and thus training and nurturing them to become cutting edge educators who live well balanced lives. Her talent, passion and dedication to her mission certainly places MVC on the map! To be able to garner that kind of respect and keep raising the bar, she is a hero. • Lylibeth Palma Halasan is a dynamic educator that everybody simply loves. Currently SHINING ON! at Mountain View College, she is a tour guide that get students excited about Page 5
the worlds and cultures under the microscope! Under her no-nonsense leadership and training, she is growing a new crop of highly talented medical technologists who are passionate about their field, excited about missionary outreach endeavors, and Godfearing. She teaches that opportunities to serve are around us each day. Her students stand out among their peers and are shining beacons of hope. To be able to inspire like that, she is a hero. • Dr. Nelson Madriaga is a multi-talented educator who recently retired from Mountain View College where he not only carried an extra-full teaching load but also, for many years, took the time each week to write very informative Campus News for CyberFlashes touching many aspects of campus life including the names of students who received awards, students who made it to the Dean’s List, Week of Prayer speakers and their topics, alumni members who visited campus, and many more bits of information that alumni members around the world cherished. During his tenure at MVC, he touched many lives and he continues to do so. When nobody else stepped up, Dr. Madriaga stood and became MVC’s one-man unofficial communications and media department. To be able to achieve all that, he is a hero. • Nellie Pelayo Llaguno is a highly respected name in Africa and the Middle East. Serving for decades in this part of the world where she has performed efficiently in many leadership roles making a big difference where it was critically needed, she is currently SHINING ON! as an officer in a 2-person office in South Africa doing what sounds like an impossible mission. AIDS has affected Africa in pandemic proportions. 70% of the world’s AIDS cases are found in this continent. And there serves Ms. Nellie working alongside her husband Dr. Alex Llaguno. She is the Office Manager and Finance Officer of the Adventist AIDS International Ministry (AAIM), an institution of the General Conference, while he is the Executive Director and physician. Their responsibility covers the West African Division, the East Africa Division and the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division. He supervises and coordinates the HIV AIDS program of the Seventh-Day Adventist church in the whole continent, covering 50 countries while she provides the administrative support. To effectively handle that enormous responsibility with grace and astounding positive results, both the Llagunos are heroes. • Daryl and Sarah Famisaran have retired after serving for many years as leaders of the SULADS Philippines organization. However, unlike many retirees who slow down a lot, the couple ended up adopting a new born baby who was thrown away by her tribe. They are working in faith to create an orphanage for babies who are thrown away by their tribe. To have the heart to do this huge work and to actually just do it, both are heroes. My list goes on. I would have liked to write a couple more issues of CF featuring these alumni heroes, interviewing them and sharing their stories, for we have many! But… As we celebrate heroes day today, let us pause to look around us and point out who the heroes in our midst are. Page 6
SULADS’ Corner No stories received this month
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In Closing … Announcements | From The Mail Bag | Prayer Requests | Acknowledgment Meet The Editors |Closing Thoughts
Prayer Request for Sulad Daryl Famisaran
Last Friday, former SULADS Director Daryl Famisaran decided to bake bread in preparation for the Sabbath. When he leaned over to start the oven, the oven exploded causing him third- and fourthdegree burns. He was rushed to the Adventist Medical Center in Manila where he received treatment. Yesterday he was discharged home. When we asked permission to share his story in CF today he consented and stated, “God’s miraculous care has been evident in the way my life was spared and the way I am healing very quickly. Thank you to everyone for their prayers and love.” Let us raise our hearts and voices in thanking God. Let us also continue to pray for Daryl’s healing. Page 8
Condolence to the Gonzaga, Huilar & Gentapanan Families Ardena Gentapanan Gonzaga passed away on 11/18/2018
Closing Thoughts The Editor
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ometimes heroism may take different forms, maybe even forms we might think are not something we would do.
Ashley was a bartender at the Seagrape Café in Fairfield, Connecticut. Among her customers were three gentlemen who were quietly spending their time together. They were not loud or rude, they just kept to themselves. As they were about to leave, they asked Ashley if they could have time with her in private. It was about their bill. Ashley became apprehensive so she asked them if they could meet in the manager’s office with Carlos, the manager, present. The men agreed. Ashley was desperately wondering what this private meeting could be about. Was her service not good enough? Were they offended about something she did? As they all sat down in the office, one of them said they wanted to tip all four bartenders in the bar, including Ashley, and they produced their tab for the evening. Their bill totaled $112 and the manager was rather dumbfounded at the tip--$500. No, one of them said, read it again. Carlos read the bill again and found his mistake. Ashley’s tip was actually $5000 for their tab of $112. She was so ecstatic, she began to cry. They said that Ashley and the other bartenders were so busy that night they decided to tip each one of them for work well done. They said that they belonged to a movement called “Tips for Jesus.” Their slogan was “Doing the Lord’s work one tip at a time.” A strange form of heroism probably, but for the recipients like Ashley it was unbelievable. This movement was not a one time or one night event. One waitress received $1000 for a tab of $85. In Manhattan, NY, they gave a total of $11,500 in tips to 3 separate restaurants. Let us just say these heroes were sharing blessings with people who were doing honest work. We might think it strange, because they frequented bars, but they still are considered heroes by those they came in contact with. I hope we could be heroes in our own special way. Page 9