We are moving our site but not our mission

To all our dear friends and readers,

Due to the strong restrictions that China has imposed on all social networks and blogs, we have transferred our Maia Outreach Programs (formerly Maia Foundation) website to a new one so we can continue to update you about our mission to reach out to the poor children of our parish.

Please check out our new site at http://maiaoutreachprogram.i.ph (or click this blog entry title to connect to the new site)

Thank you for all those who believe in us by donating and praying for our different projects and activities.
With God's grace, we can make a meaningful difference in another child's life.

God bless all our families.

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

I am down with flu since Monday, sleepless nights of indescribable pain and I developed whooping cough that makes it harder for me to sleep with runny nose causing my severe headache like I’ve been hit on the head with rock by all the people I’ve hurt in my entire life (just saying it with exaggeration). Then, I thank God for my fever of only 38.7 degrees Celsius so this is not swine flu (my fingers are crossed while typing this article). I don’t have those vomiting and diarrhea symptoms too though the body weakness with heaviness are present. Medically speaking, I don’t know the normal values anymore, when to say its critical, life threatening or a mild condition for it is in constant change depending on the latest seasonal flu type or what’s IN, hmm… Then, my 5 year old son got infected too with the same illness on my way to recovery in exchange of staying by my side (he took care of me and he sings while lying beside me everyday). This helps my fast regain of strength so I could play with him again.

I get a lot of chance to reflect on what my daughter was feeling on the night of her sickness and people who are suffering from any type of illness at the same time. I feel so weak, vulnerable and the pain makes me weep since I haven’t got to experience illnesses quite often in my lifetime. I am so thin-skinned and terrified with any kind of body pains that every time, I would ask God if this is some sort of my reprimand from Him or simply a way of calling me to slow down and have some quite moments with Him.

And at this time, I get to asked myself if I am ready to go now. I said YES without any hesitation, argument or bargaining deals with Him. Well, I know for certain this will be the closest thing I will ever get into stage 5, I just pray to let it be done to me during my sleep feeling no pain but only at peace and quiet. Did I disappoint you? I just felt that I’m already done in this world by offering my most beloved daughter to Him as my greatest sacrifice so far, I can’t think of anything else greater than this that I can still offer to Him. Can my family survive without me? I’d say YES. Their strong faith will lead them always in the right path of life and they are surrounded by good people who are willing to support them unconditionally but most of all I know God loves them more than I love them. He will watch over them.

I want to share a poem written by Fr. John Sherlock titled “TO MEET IN HEAVEN”

To meet in heaven! How sweet a thought, when life short years are past.

No more to weep, no more to part, to meet in heaven at last.

To meet in heaven! O blessed thought. All care and suffering over.

Meet in the mansions of the blessed and love forevermore.

To meet in heaven around the throne of him who died to save.

Be this our hope, our anxious care to meet beyond the grave. Amen.

My God is being merciful and forgiving this time for not answering my plea, as they say; we get the most rewarding experiences in life from all our unanswered prayers. He still wants me to do more for Him and live life to the greatest extent. Ever since, I’ve been asking God to let me go ahead before my family for I may not be able to survive a loss and still keep my sanity all over again. I pray for wisdom to know my life purpose and do live it according to His divine will.

On another aspect, my husband and I get a chance too for a deep conversation regarding purgatory, a place where of deep longing to God. He told me that every soul must stay there for some time even if the sins did received penance here on earth except for those children with uncorrupted lives that goes straight in heaven as an angel. Like for the case of our 22 month-old daughter, our Parish priest kept on declining our persistent request to bless her or celebrate a mass during her wake while assuring us completely that she is saved already and happily serving God as an angel in heaven. He blessed her too during a short visit after his daily morning mass in the parish church, purportedly, only for our family’s peace of mind.

Before I totally recuperated, I get to offer my pains to all souls in purgatory.

In sickness and in health, I praise You my Lord and my God our Healer.

GRIEF AND DEPRESSION

Hi Everyone.

In writing this, how I wish I can say that I am on the road to recovery from my DEPRESSION and ANGER this time for in assessment to my indication related to the Signs and Symptoms I am experiencing right now the majority of it are that;

1. My sadness triggers my lost of interest in things I enjoyed to do everyday in where I am right now.
2. I am with constant conflict with my husband in a less than a month of being together again.
3. I’ve got a lot of disappointments lately unexpectedly from my family, from people I’ve looked up to and most of all to myself.
4. My moods can shift from calm to anger instantly with huge amount of irritability especially towards my family.
5. I am extremely in search of spending some quality time with long time friends who can help me cope up in my current situation.
6. I have a feeling of guilt and worthlessness most of the time that leads to my excessive crying over and over again.

These are the 5 Stages of Grief and loss;

1. Denial, Numbness and Shock
2. Bargaining
3. Depression
4. Anger
5. Acceptance

Can I ask you to please join me in saying this prayer for Healing Depression below?

“I am terribly depressed, Dear Lord, and I need your help.

I come to You trusting in Your great love for me and believing You will not forsake me now.

Help me Lord, I am hurting badly and discouraged.

I feel so lost and empty with no sense of direction in whatever I am doing and where I am heading.

Everything around me seems to be dark and gloomy.

My present situation and thoughts about the future all seems hopeless.

Nothing seems to lift up my spirits any longer.

Even those things and activities that used to bring me joy all seem dull and meaningless these days.

I humbly beseech You now, Lord.

Please let me feel your loving presence, your loving care and concern, all Your tenderness melting my pain, and all my feelings of worthlessness.

Let Your powerful presence touch all areas of woundedness in my heart and in my spirit.

Deliver me from my fears, my anxieties and all negative feelings.

Hold my hand during these trying moments in my life, Lord.

Lead me to the right path, the right places, and the right people who can be Your instruments of healing and love.

Lord, I need Your strength now to keep my sanity during moments when I feel like I’m losing my mind and just giving up.

Help me to believe that this situation is only temporary and things will be better soon.

Help me to be able to cope, especially during moments when I feel so desperate.

Take care of my loved ones during these times when I feel unable to care for them.

Give me the grace to understand Your purpose behind this suffering that You have allowed me to experience.

Trusting that all things always work out for good for those who love You and those whom You call for Your purposes.

Jesus, my Lord and my God, You are my Refuge, my Hope, my Strength and my Divine Healer.

Please heal me and have mercy on me.

Deliver me from this depression and after I have been healed, let me bring Your glory and be a witness to Your love and healing power for others.

I pray all these in Jesus’ name through Mary and all the angels and saints. AMEN.”

That I may pass this stage to recovery and ACCEPTANCE sooner in accordance to His will.

And I Thank God for making me recognizes this things going on inside me.

God bless.