A sharing by Anna Teresa Peter Amandus from the Phillipines

Dear all in the Diocese of Sandakan,

How have you been doing? I hope that you are all fine and happy. I am fine and happy and just recovered from my knee injury. 

Today, 30^th June 2010 is a historical event for the Philippines. Today is the 15^th presidential inauguration for the new elected president, Benigno Aquino III. In our morning mass earlier today, we offered up to God our prayer for the new elected president, hoping that he will make a change in the Philippines.

So it has been a month being in IFFA. In just a month I have learn to discover  and unfold myself little by little. It is quite challenging for me because to learn to accept the past is very difficult unless we are willing to really let it go and be open to let God enter our life. It is rather funny as I flashed back the moment I told myself that I had let go everything in order for me to really focus in this formation yet God has HIS own way helping me dig up things that I do not want to remember. I can say that the formation I undergo now is all about me. I must first know myself, I must know who is God to me and I must first accept myself as being me before going for my mission. 

Along my formation I learn to accept my fellow friends from other countries, formation team and the staff of IFFA. Living as a community here in IFFA is hard at first because we came from diverse part of Asia and culture. Yet the formation is inviting me to be open, to trust and respect.

In IFFA it is all about community. Each of us is scheduled to do out duty like cooking for the community, cleaning up the formation house, disposing the garbage and leading the evening prayer. Every once a month we will be having a community prayer. Every Tuesday and Wednesday we will be having class at St Vincent, School of Theology and every Monday, Thursday and Friday will be the in-house formation. Every Saturday is our weekly integration where we will reflect on the  happenings  of the whole week. 

There are so many things to share. Hhhmmm the most significant experience to me is the “Self – Discovery and Uniqueness”. As I shared earlier it is about discovering me as me. In this session we reflected how life is when we are pretending to be somebody, someone else to hide the real us. I remembered wearing a mask to cover the hurts and difficulties that has been burdening me. It was painful. Did I really let go? No, I did not let go. There, a point where I shared to the formation team that I hated the question. But as I reflected it again it is God’s way to heal me. I only have to trust and be open to HIM. (^ v ^)….. God to me is the “EYES” to my life who will always keep watch over me. My new insight in this session is I am not a MISTAKE! I was created according to HIS image. No one can look down on me, only if I permit that person to do so and only in God that I can seek the special in me. I am a gift and I am a blessing! Wow….

Let me share you our class in St Vincent, School of Theology. All IFFA students took the four Gospel and Theology for Beginners subject. To be honest to understand the scriptures is hard. Ha ha ha ha ha our first day in class, we learn about Mathew 1: 1-17, the genealogy. Oh gosh only that verses we end up two hours and a half to truly understand the passage. Just imagine how much time we need for the whole bible…!!! For our Theology class we learn about God in our everyday living. What I like so much about this class is it is full of inspiration. I never think of God in my everyday doing like brushing my teeth, taking my bath, walking, drink water and etc… HE is everywhere, anywhere in my everyday life. I wonder if other people realize it…

I am looking forward to this formation. I really need your support and prayers. May your prayers  accompany me throughout this formation year. Once again thank you and may God bless a special person like you every day. Till then Goodbye and have a nice day.

Here are some pictures taken during my one month formation here in IFFA.

Anna Amandus