The Servant Encounter

...let me share this article i made for the Suloy Newsletter

The Servant Encounter 

Maria Angelica Castro

 

Just a little while after lunch, my family and I would get ready to leave for Darasa Resort in Tanauan. Mama would bring several documents with her. As Papa revs up the car, it would mean the beginning of about three to four hours of Sing and Dance practices.

 

The Family Encounter Weekend No. 4 was nearing and so our performance should be close to perfect. I can still clearly picture Brother Obet Guia and his family, together with other shepherding families, demonstrating the steps to action songs, while simultaneously holding up signs like: “SMILE”, “EMOTE”, and “BE STILL”. Then after, it’s Merienda time! Our parents would eat their merienda as they hold a meeting. And us kids, well, we’d discuss and practice for our Saturday night presentation!

 

Even though our Sundays then turned out to be a tiring one instead of it being a rest day, I believe I speak for my fellow servants that it was a weekly Sunday afternoon routine that will surely be missed.

 

Being a Servant is an Encounter all by itself. Undergoing the FE weekend is just the beginning of the Family’s Journey.

 

About ten months ago, we relied on our Souvenir Kits to identify each family and its members. Now, we know each other by heart: the Cabalhin Family (Tito Liv, Tita Chris, Lance, and Coleen), the De Leon Family (Tito Raul, Tita Marilyn, Kuya Patrick, Jasper, Aaron, and Dominic), the Hernandez Family (Tito Pol, Tita Elvie, Ate Kay, Ate Gela, JV, and Caloy), the Lindaya Family (Tito Jojo, Tita Sonia, Archie, Lanz, and Phia), the Morales Family (Tito Ross, Tita Ann, Izah, Cholo, and IG), the Ramilo Family (Tito Edgar, Tita Len, Edward, Earl, Hazel, and Ervin), the Rodelas Family (Tito Nick, Tita Cynthia, Andrea, Rizza, and Raciel), the San Buenaventura Family (Tito Rey, Tita Liza, Alyssa, and Alyana), the Turalde Family (Tito Willie, Tita Marlyn, Wilson, and Wilma), and our family, the Castro Family (Papa Noli, Mama Pauline, Lique – myself, Cess, and Mike).

 

We all were committed, as well as enthusiastic, to give the FE4 families a great experience. I truly believe that God made such things happen. Personally, I never really had the eagerness to perform or to facilitate. But then, I just that did at the time. I secretly felt happy when the families we served laughed and bonded. I did not feel much exhaustion whenever we performed. I didn’t mind procrastinating as I made a script for my hosting act for the Saturday Night performance (I unexpectedly did it anyway!). I overlooked the pang of the afternoon sun as we crammed for the completion of the Souvenir Kits. Isn’t it just amazing how service equates to a great deal of will-power? I guess that’s the nature behind the Love for Service. One gets to feel a sense of fulfillment and inevitable bliss to serve and care for others, so that they in turn may feel that same sense of pleasure just because somebody bothered to care.

 

Who would’ve thought that the ten Sponsoring Families, who barely knew each other a year ago, would create such a close connection that resulted in a successful FE 4 Weekend?

 

Goodluck to the new appointees, FE 5 Head, Rolly and Siony Macatangay from Lipa, FE 5 Head Servant, Ed and Len Ramilo from Calamba, Chapter Head, Manny Rosales from Batangas City and the new FE 5 Presenting Families, the Turalde family of Cavite-Imus and the Madrid family of Binan-San Pedro.

 

I bid Kudos! to my fellow servants. We did great!

 

Till the next reunion!