There are friends, and there are friends who become family…
In anticipation of the feast of St. Padre Pio on September 23, 2024, I wish to publicly honor some of my closest friends who have also shared a deep love for my favorite kids in the world and have embraced the devotion of the Cross through the spirituality of St. Padre Pio De Pietrelcina.
They are Jepoy, Joanne, Marlon Pete, Joanna, Jun, Luz, Romeo, Riz, Marlone, Linlin, Geovy and Mariciris. They are all of Team Wafol. We are families of love. Last June 16, 2024, our group was given a noble task of participating in the blessing and inauguration of the new formation house and Spirituality Center of St. Padre Pio in Biao, Guianga. Indeed, it was one blessed experience, a very moving spiritual experience under the banner of St. Padre Pio.
Many years ago, my life was intertwined with Team Mabanag. Ate Linlin and Kuya Marlone and their eldest daughter Tristine w Archi Nicole and Kiana were among my very first mission partners for my favorite kids in the world. Last 2021, God placed me in their household during the pandemic.
I lost my mother on January 27, 2021.
One of my greatest blessing list that year was being cared for by this team. I have shared some of my deepest secrets with Ate Linlin and she has guarded it with so much love, respect, and empathetic listening ears. During my period of grief, I would call her via Messenger and pour my heart out. I cannot imagine surviving losing my Mom in the pandemic without this team.
Today we continue to serve through our respective GKKs as inspired by the deep love and devotion to St. Padre Pio, which leads me to my next testimony of faith. Thank you Padre Pio for leading us to each other. I now speak lovingly about Team Duron.
During the pandemic, I met up close and personal Ate Joanna and Kuya Marlon Pete. We were in dire need of pledges and mission partners for my beloved children. Businesses were closing, thus some of our regular donors and benefactors lost their source of income, too. Then God led me to Team Duron.
I specifically requested for sanitary napkins and hygiene supplies, and this team always supported us. Bisan sa kalisud, naa jud sila padayon nag hatag ug gugma kanamo.
In the pandemic too, God led me to Team Vidal. I was invited by Miss Ysabella Teruel to join Zap It ph. I made sure that if I decided to be a member of Zap It Ph I would be bringing my Team Padre Pio to this ministry. That year I was blessed to find 92 mission partners joining me in Zap it and team Ate Luz Vidal was the first one who said Yes.
My Zap it testimony will be another sacred story. Soon.
One of the first ones I met in my Davao ministry was Team Tanaid. Ate Cris and Kuya Geovy were our friends even before the pandemic. We have also deep secrets together and we value our space and respect each other deeply. We have a shared advocacy of Balik Bukid and thus my love for farming was enkindled through my engagements with this team. I honor them for being gentle loving presence in this time and age. For my December wish list ministry, Ate Cris was always there to pitch in.
Then came Team Castanaga. After losing my Mom in 2021, God was gracious enough to put me in the inner circle of Kuya Romy and Ate Riz who I fondly call Mama Riz. They are the kind of friends that when you are with them, you bask in meekness and gentleness and wisdom. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by Godly people. I am blessed to be around people who are friends and become family, who live out Integrity day in and out. We have also shared some of our deepest secrets, especially with Mama Riz. She has cared for me like her own. I love them both. They must be my Mom’s answered prayers from heaven.
Last June 16, Sr. Angel and Sr. Elsie gave us a special task in the Installation Mass in the new formation house of Padre Pio. Team Wafol, represented by Mama Riz, was assigned to offer the new altar cloth to be blessed by the priest. It was a wonderful moment of faith for this team. We were all moved with gratitude and a much more deeper devotion to the Eucharist because of this new mission. Thus, we always say, Team Wafol Forever!
Then finally testifying to the goodness of the Lord by allowing our paths to meet with Team Jepoy and Joanne. Indeed, there are friends, and there are friends who become family! By their good example and witnessing, I am strengthened in my faith. I honor them both for teaching me fidelity in my mission and ministry. Especially in these years of friendship, both our families have been beset with family issues, crisis and trials which have led us closer to Padre Pio.
After the health scare of Kuya Jepoy lately, I also was able to look at my health habits and food intake. It was a great wake up call.
I remember during that week he was at SM Lanang Premiere, I also prayed as though I had never prayed before. I knocked on the hearts of all our prayer warriors all over the world just so he would live. Sr. Elsie can attest to my persistent faith. I was drawn to this family even before our lives could meet. We were destined to be family. We were destined to serve the Lord together through thick and thin. We have cried together. We have been at our worst and still loved and respected each other. We have shared our deepest fears and anxieties in parenting the new generation and have prayed for our families like we have never prayed before. We have seen our best especially in our service to the church through our unique ministry. We have appreciated farming and entrepreneurial pursuits amidst the challenges of the post pandemic and have risen above them all by God’s amazing grace. We are grateful to be mentored by our best dragon fruit king Team Jepoy. Marian and I will continue to savor the best shake in Mindanao, the dragon fruit shake variety and how this team. Especially on how the sisters of Ate Joanne were able to deliver 44 shake orders to the children in Padre Pio Home on my Masteral graduation day. We are so blessed to be loved by this Team.
Thank you Lord for my Wafol friends. We are families of love forever. By Frances Nina Fernandez-Bitang