September 5, 2010 Household Prayer Meeting

Here's one of the pictures of some of the attendees of the September 5, 2010 Couples For Christ (CFC) Household prayer meeting at Kuya Vic and Ate Emily Lau's Residence in Pathumthani, Thailand.

The sharing after the prayer session was really a very inspiring one. Three of the attendees: two sisters and one brother were coming from Singapore to serve the CLP in Phuket.

We're so inspired and encouraged of how the Holy Spirit has moved these people to say YES to the calling to serve outside their comfort zones.

Traveling from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand just to give the talk really inspires not only the Christian Life Program (CLP) participants, but also us, members of the CFC community.

It's really amazing how our Lord, God moves people to response His call to continue the work He had started.

Let's praise and thank God for this inspiration.

God bless us all!

Health Products

My whole family used to drink Intra from the company called Lifestyles here in Thailand for more than two years. Though it’s costly if you are not a member, but I really like the product. It helped us a lot in terms of health. But I was just surprised to hear that the Thai government was complaining about the company for its claim that is totally untrue, according to the news.

Now, I am not so sure whether the business is still going on because as I heard about the news few months back, the government was not really happy about it. Whether the rumors are true or not, personally, I didn’t see any problem during our more than two years of consuming it.

Fortunately, we have now Vital C. It’s not a replacement, but over-all, the product is also excellent. It’s our eight months now of using this product and we are all satisfied of it. It’s an excellent protection for the family to any of the common sickness: colds, coughs, AH1N1, bronchitis, etc.

It’s another type of vitamin C. It’s non-acidic (alkaline) vitamin C in sodium ascorbate, made in the Philippines, but with the ingredients sourced outside the country, especially in Switzerland.

After Charice Dream Come True Concert

After more than six hours of standing, while waiting for about four hours and watching Charice concert for just more than an hour, their feet had finally relaxed.

It was a very nice experiece for our two children who were able to got in the restricted area. But for our youngest child, since she won't get it without her Mommy, she was left behind and just went up and down from the escalator to have the chance to see Charice singing beautifully.

While we're still at home, everyone, especially our children was hoping to have a very close look or even an autograph or picture taking with Charice. Unfortunately, we didn't have that opportunity.

Anyway, at least we have these pictures with the Thailand's popular singer, Zani and our beloved Charice, posted on the wall outside the concert venue, at Siam Paragon building.

I just hope and pray that one day, one of these children will also make something significant and postive that people will praise forever.
This time we couldn't determine yet what they really want for their life. But, they also love singing and dancing, and at school, there doing very well with their Taekwondo lessons.

When they were still too young, I tried to put in their minds and hearts everything about tennis, and the result was very encouraging. They always wanted to come with me when I played it. I had coached them and they were learning very quickly.

Unfortunately, when I had changed my work, we don't have that opportunity to come to the tennis court anytime we want. At that time, tennis courts was just on the rooftop of the building where we were staying inside the compound where I was working.

Charice Dream Come True Concert, Siam Discovery, Bangkok, Thailand

Yesterday's "Dream Come True" concert of Charice Pempengco at Siam Discovery, Bangkok, Thailand had drawn a very huge and mixed and excited crowds.

People from different walks of life were patiently waitng for her stage appearence which was about 45-minute behind schedule. In spite of the delay, people's excitement seeing her performances were not lost. In fact, more and more people were arriving while Charice was still behind the stage.

Initially our standing positions was very okay and it's very close to the stage. But, few minutes before the the concert has started with the Thai singer, Zani, the winner of AF6, securities asked people to move backward a little bit causing all the people to stand up making our positions very inconvenient.

We were standing there since 2 P.M. not leaving the spots to avoid filling it with somebody else. Unfortunately, since the show didn't start as scheduled at 5:00 P.M., my wife and our youngest child could no longer wait further and they moved out.

At about 5:45 P.M. Zani, the Thai singer came up to the stage, showcasing proudly her very good singing skills and abilities which are also well praised by Thais. After her three songs, she was interviewed briefly by the host while waiting for Charice appearance.

Fortunately, our two elder children was able to get inside the restricted area through the help of a very kind Filipino lady and understanding few Thais standing in front of us.

So, they were able to watch the show very clearly from the start to the end.

Actually all of them could have been inside the restricted area should our youngest child had agreed to go with them without her Mommy. But as usual, she won't stay anywhere without her Mommy.

I was also about to leave my spot, but I couldn't leave our children alone worrying that something might happen when unexpected thing will occur like what had happened in India couple of months ago.

We (I and my wife) said to each other never to get into this kind of event when it's done on the same kind of venue. We better pay it than watching it for free without a proper sitting space. I just hope that next time, in October this year's concert with Charice, it would be held somewhere which is more convenient for everyone. Hope the cost would be affordable, especially for big families, like ours.

After six-straight hours of standing, from 2 P.M. to passed 8:00 P.M., my feet were aching. It's my first experience to this kind of show without sitting all the way to the end of it. We had once watched a paid Barney show at Siam Paragon before, and we were okay with the set ups. It's very convenient for everyone. All our children were enjoying it very much without any hassle.

Hope in the next concert with Charice, about two months from now, at least the same venue, like the one used with Barney show, would be used by then.

Surely, all Charice fans and followers would be willing to support it.

For us, it's the right time to start saving for our tickets for the whole family for the next Charice's concert. Hope everything is okay: Charice, her family, her team, all her fans and followers would be healthy, and Thailand would be peaceful by then.

No matter what, over-all, it was a great and mixed experience for my beloved family.

Now at home, the show seems to be still fresh to our children's memory. They keep on singing Charice's Pyramid song and humming the part of it which they can't remember.

Family Bowling Time

Family bowling times here in Thailand were so much that it had drained lots of our financial resources.

I started bowling since I was in the Philippines during my college days back in 1989 during our Physical Education (PE) subject. We had the options to choose which sport we want to play for the whole semester.

Knowing that my grandfather was also a very good bowling player, I was more motivated to play more to achieve that status.

Because of my passion to this sport, I was able to improve more and more in terms of average and even won lots of tournaments, especially in our Diplomatic Bowling League (DBL) here in Thailand.

This more than 40-year International bowling club (where I became a President for one year -38th year) is composed of players from different people around the world who are working in Thailand, including Thais.

I came to Thailand alone and because of bowling, I met my wife in one of the bowling centers here in this country and the rest are history as you can see from these pictures which were taken during one of our weekly tournament every Sunday with my other bowling club composed of all Filipinos, supposedly. But, since some of the members have non-Filipino spouses, then it's a little mixed up.

Since the early part of 2000 until the early part of 2008, I had joined at least four bowling clubs, which one of it is from the University where I was working with.

My one contribution to this university bowling club was winning at least three tournaments and the most unforgetable one was during the all Thailand Inter-University Bowling tournament which was held in Nakhonsawan province where I had made an average of 212 (with 258 as the maximum score) beating all the other university team players.

It was a five-men team each playing 3 games and the scores were combined. All of my colleagues won't forget me because of this winning. They were so hungry for this winning because it was one the greatest bowling events for all Thailand's university bowling players they hadn't won yet as champion.

My greatest struggles was winning within my fourth clubs I had joined at Major Rathayothin bowling club every Sunday. I ended up a 1st runner-up only. My schedules were so hectic and my budget was so limited that I cannot do a lot more to perform excellently all the times.

However, I still felt great during those times because my family is always with me during most of my weekly and big bowling tournaments.

Now that all of our children are at school, I completely stop this passion to this sport mainly for financial reason and secondly, because of the nature of my work which involves lots of travelings outside Thailand.

If you really want to excel on this kind of sport, you need time, money and of course, the passion to do it.
By the way, before I forget, I have played and was playing and winning lots of tournament using a simple, straight bowl.

My greatest achievement so far was the passing of the qualifying round during one of the Thailand Bowling Open where I had the opportunity to play along with one of the World's Greatest bowler - Mr. Rafael (Paeng) Nepomuceno.

Icecream Party Time

These pictures were taken at the lobby of Richmond Hotel at Rattanathibet Road, Nonthaburi, Thailand while waiting for our friends coming down to meet us. After the meeting, we then had our icecream party. Everybody was so happy for this simple, but memorable and most relaxing day of the week. Our children always look up to this kind of activities and we're trying to adjust everything to give way to them. We always pray together that we will always have the resources to do this family bonding.