HOMECOMING. Text by María Teresa Martínez.

Queridos hermanos. 

Una gran disculpa porque hemos dejado de enviar materiales para el blog, realmente después de que regresamos de México, muchas cosas nos esperaban en Filipinas como retos continuos.

Esta vez queremos publicar este articulo de nuestra hija Maria Teresa Martinez, esperamos que sea de su agrado y lleve luz a sus corazones.

Los tenemos muy presentes en nuestras oraciones. Adriana y Poncho.

There is no comparison to the feeling of being at home again after being years away from it. A house is not a home. House is built with concrete things that could be torn down. A home is built with things that aren't easily destroyed - tenderness, passion, courage, strength, love and faith.

 Six months ago I got the chance to go to Mexico for Christmas vacations. I felt an indescribable joy when i saw from the aero plane all the lights of Mexico city and i knew that i was home ,.my heart was full of happiness when i hugged my friends and family when i saw all the places, all the colors ,of Mexico ,It has been one of the best months in my life.

 Sadly it was time to leave Mexico, I dint want the pain of leaving to come again,. I didn't want to leave all my family, friends and memories behind. I didn't want to say goodbye, I just wanted to stay in Mexico and not to leave again. I felt sad and discouraged, I even started to cry! My heart was in pain but then a memory came to my mind, a memory that gave me strength and comfort. There was a day in Mexico when my friends and i visited a museum in the city of Puebla, we walk along marvelous decorate hallway’s with nice paintings but only one thing caught my attention, it was a quote that said;:" Las personas son de Los lugares y llevan su tierra, su hogar junto a ellas, "(People come from places and they carry their land, their home with them.)  In that moment I realized that maybe home belongs to your spirit, not at all to some place.

Some people say home is where your heart belongs, but what if my heart belongs to all the places that have touched and inspire my soul, to all the sunsets and nature, It belongs to all the books, paintings, movies and songs that have inspired me and changed my way of seeing things. It belongs to all gestures of kindness, of generosity, of humanity that people have given me. It belongs to all the people who have touched my life, who have believed in me, who gave me strength and courage, who have made me who I am, these things have influence  the person i have become .

A sudden and striking realization made me understood from a new and deeper perspective what the meaning of home really is. .The surprising and fulfilling feeling made me feel peaceful. I packed all my things, I say goodbye one last time and me and my family made our way back to the Philippines, but I didn't leave with a heavy heart because I knew that I wasn't leaving anyone, any place, any experience, behind nor even my culture, I wasn't leaving all those things behind because I keep them with me because home belongs, have always belonged not to one place, not just to Mexico, not just to the Philippines or all the places I have been, not just to my friends and family it belongs to my spirit., my spirit cannot be seen but cannot be destroyed. 

2015: "DON’T STOP DREAMING "

We began 2015 with many challenges: in our family, in the course of formation of marriages, in the apostolate we carry on this island and of course in finances. It is not easy to carry-on when you experience in the heart so many questions, uncertainties and human practicality which asks : How can a missionary family with four children live here without a secured income? Is it necessary to risk so much, and live without a salary or social security? Should we go ahead with the mission when we are experiencing so many difficulties?

As I write now, Pope Francis is concluding his visit to the Philippines. We had the feeling of having experienced through him, God's answer to our questions, when in a message to Filipino families in the "Mall of Asia" he stated: "Do not stop dreaming with your children, your marriage, and with the world " Inwardly I experienced that God answered my fears for the future of our children who have come with us to the Philippines, the future of the couples in the training course who are preparing to engage in the evangelization of families in this country, and the concerns we have as we face the future off the project Verbum Dei Missionary Family in the Philippines.

I understood deep in my heart, "Keep dreaming, do not stop dreaming, all this is born of a dream, a dream from God, and now I share it with you, that we may dream together.

However, there is a strong fight in my heart. Dreaming is not easy, we face the harsh reality that makes us want to "put our feet on the ground" (“be realistic”) and in me is constantly the questions: "How can we keep dreaming of continuing in the Philippines when we see that we do not yet understand this culture?"

 "How can we keep dreaming of raising up a branch of couples who are dedicated to evangelization, when there are no financial resources to do so in the Catholic Church, and this kind of vocation is not understood?"

"How can we dream of an evangelized Asia when we are still millions Catholics, locked in our own selfish pursuit of security?

In a moment of prayer, I was asking the Lord "Give me the key to keep dreaming with you and like You." After making this request, there came to my mind a Bible passage that confronts me a lot: "Whoever would save his life will lose it , but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will find it" (Mk 8:35)

"What security do I seek, Lord? Why do I have this need to save my life and my family?"

 Behind this strong and clear invitation of Jesus, I realized that the dream involves self-abandonment, surrender, and trust in His Word over my fears. A degree of passion for the Gospel that gives us a touch of "madness" in the face of our temptation to always need to ensure everything is ‘in order’ and to be "feet on the ground." (practical and 'realistic').

My answer was: "Lord, I will not give up the missionary dreams that You yourself have placed in our hearts since we were dating. Ask Mary to teach us to dream, she who despite being at the foot of the cross of her Son, did not stop dreaming and hoping for the promise of the Resurrection.