This is just a quick continuation of my previous post. After my Queensland adventure, I went to stay with family friends/churchmates during my last three days in Australia. And I gotta say, that has been the highlight of my Australian trip — bonding with the Celis family. <3

They toured me around Brisbane and made the one big thing I wanted to do before I conclude my Australian trip: to see the kangaroos and koalas. And what a great time we had together!

Today I received a heartwarming message from Ng Ercelle (the mother) via Facebook. This made my day despite my not feeling well today. :)

Hi Joni,

Si Manang mo ni.

I just want to share with you the latest with our 2 kids. You have been part of their lives and I hope you’ll be blessed with their lives as well as they have been with yours.

We have been trying to teach these two the importance of prayer thus when they ask for toys or anything that we need to buy, we always tell them to pray about it. It might take days or weeks or months for us to buy whichever they have asked for (kay ga pray man kmi tagaan kmi ni Lord pang buy! LOL). [translation: we're also praying that God will gift us the capacity to buy.]

One time, your manong and the kids went out and naturally they end up in the toy section. Ethan found a toy he really liked. He asked his papi for it. It was a little bit expensive than what your manong was ready to spare. So he told Ethan that he should pray and ask Jesus about it. Ethan kept on holding the toy. So his papi had to ask him to put back the toy in the shelf and just to pray about it. He kept on holding on the toy. Your manong was ready to tell him the 2nd time to put it back. He then replied, just wait papi, I’ll pray. Then he closed his eyes and was still for a moment. Then he returned the toy back in the shelf and said, I’m done papi. Let’s go.

The incident made my eyes water and felt so proud of him and grateful to God. If I felt that much love towards my son, how much more loved are we by the Father above?

Erryl loves reading. Your Manong and I decided we will buy her her own devotional appropriate for her age. Since we bought her the devotional, she spends time reading it and telling me about what she had learned. At times, she asks her Lola about things she didn’t understand. One time, she brought me a list. She said, mom, these are the things I was praying for. I thought, as a kid, toys or things she wanted to have would be the first things she would have written. To my surprise, she wrote there: people without food and home, children, better schools, Mrs. Chye’s baby (this is her pregnant teacher) and other things. Not one was about her or her wants or needs. As a mother, this brought me to my knees. In this cruel and selfish world, I prayed that my kids will be equipped enough not just to survive but to shine for the Lord. I have learned so much from my kids what God is like. I hope you did, too.

We all miss you.

Blessings,
Manang

The kids she’s talking about are these two adorable ones with me on the next picture. Ethan is four, Erryl is seven. :)

Their family is such an inspiration to me. They live a simple life in Australia yet they’re so close, and happy, and loving toward each other. The kids are disciplined and very obedient. They are very makulit but one stern look from their mother or father and they behave instantly, haha. I must have asked Nang Ercelle and Nong Tisoy a hundred times how exactly are they bringing up their kids, I want to know their secret! Lol. I am so in love with this family. Given the chance, I would go back and visit them again. :)

This is what I ask God to give me someday — a loving, Christ-centered family. Granted this, I won’t ask for anything else. Yes, at 26, it’s normal for me to think this way. :D

Related posts:

Weekend Snapshots #7: My Family When He Speaks, I Am Silenced A Random Heartwarming Story Rant