A lot of celebrations this month of May, the wedding anniversary of Adna and Al, then the same day also is the birthday of Al’s older sister, the one who almost bring Azia out of the country which caused Al and Adna’s big quarrel.  Then the feast of the church where Adna served as a missionary.  Adna when 11 years old to 17  years old served in the church as a catechist where some students of Adna were one year older than her. Good that Adna is tall so her age was not easily noticed being younger than them. Adna also became a reader in the mass held in the church for five years, then became a member of an organization serving the poor members.  It was decided then that Adna would be one of the five delegates for the first World Mission Congress held in the next city where Adna had the privilege of meeting dignitaries from different parts of the world and also the president of the country.  Then after the Congress,  Adna served as a missionary whose work was only to evangelize.   Her evangelization was being part of the Ecumenism where different sects of Christian faith with a Trion God, meaning who believed The God the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit.  They were composed of different pastors, while instead of having a priest to be part of them, it was decided that Adna would be the one to have a topic which was God the Source of Unity.  Adna was also given the opportunity to re-echo what she learned from the Mission Congress.  Adna aso had the opportunity to talk about marriage, where the wedding ceremony is just the beginning, it is just an hour ceremony, much lesser time than in the reception.  Married life is a calling and for Adna this is the most difficult calling of a person.  Why it is difficult, because it is full of uncertainty, full of surprises, full of trials, full of difficulties.  It is uncertain, what children you would be entrusted by God, it is true that through ultrasound, one can already tell the gender of the baby inside the mother’s womb, but it is not certain if the child would be perfectly healthy in mind, body and spirit.  It is uncertain also if the finances of the couple are stable, no one is certain of the tenurity of his job.  No one can tell that as years come by, any of the couple would not get sick which could affect being efficient of his/her work.  Getting married also carries the responsibility of serving the older ones in the family, the family of the wife and the family of the husband, the so called extended families.  Even relatives who are no longer part of the obligation but sometimes demand for help and other people would consider them a liability.  There are many times when they knew you have good financial standing, they would come almost everyday and then when worst time comes, they would left for good.  There are so many aspects in life which would cause a turmoil.  Family relationships, health, financial, fame, temptations, legal battles that sometime occur internally in the family and also outwardly caused by other people especially those who envy, those who would rob what you have specially in times when weak.  There may be advices from those on your side, but they would not carry all the burdens, they would never own it, specially when it comes to money.  The couple have to be strong together with the children.  No matter what, family will have one beat of heart, one mind, one soul and most of all one God to hold on.  Married life is a day to day journey, holding hands amidst the strong wind which try to dismantle.  There is one song, ‘’hide me now under your wings, cover me within your mighty hand, when the oceans rise and thunders roar, i will soar with you above the storm, Father you are king over the flood, i will be still and know you are God.  Find rest  my soul, in Christ alone, know His power in quietness and trust.  When the oceans rise and thunders roar, i will soar with you above the storm. Father you are King over the flood, i will be still know You are God.’’

Then Adna wanted to do something else which would give meaning to her life, answering an extraordinary calling.  She has a calling for being married, then she would also answer another call serving the people.  To Adna, merely speaking and evangelizing needs something more, then that would be serving other people.  She started asking permission from the Bishop who seemed like a grandfather to Lex, Azia, and Al the second.  The good Bishop assigned young priests to work with Adna.  The priests worked respectively in the different acts of mercy which Adna desired in her heart with the full support of her husband Al and children, Lex, Azia, and Al the second.  After few years when priests were transferred to different church and got the chance to meet Adna and her family at the mall, the first question of the priest to Adna, ‘’are you still serving the poor?’’  Adna answered, ‘’yes, specially giving rice for Christmas and New Year’s eve.’’  The feeling is so fulfilling.  Though Adna had been through so many trials, just like when she was not yet serving the less fortunate and made sure they have something to eat during the most joyous season, Christmas,  Adna and Al had always four sacks of first class rice for the family.  They could not consume it but it was the practice of Papa Mar to always have a stock of rice more than enough of the families need and consumption, but when Adna shared rice to other people, every meal they need to buy a kilo of rice for their meal.  Al the second is assigned to buy a kilo of rice every day for their meal.  There are many times when Adna would open the small container of their bought rice, and it is empty.  One time, Azia was asked by her classmate, why she did not have rice on her lunchbox?  Azia answered,’’ mom has no more rice at home.’’  At night, the classmate of Azia brought ten kilos of rice and also food for the family’s dinner.  Since Al the second also used nebulizer, and Adna run out of nebule, she also brought ten nebules which are expensive for her as a student yet.  Adna only asked one nebule, but she brought ten nebules.  That classmate is the one who did not have Christmas tree in their house.  Both Azia and Lex are now the godmothers of her two children.  The other classmate of Azia also who knew that Adna run out of rice while Lex was having immersion when she was third year in nursing, she also brought one sack of rice which contained fifty kilograms.  She told Adna, ‘’i don’t like that you will go hungry’’.  Adna just smiled, she felt the kindness of Azia’s classmate and that is her gratitude of having Adna her volunteer guardian in her life when Adna promised to her mom that she would take care and protect her daughter so Adna told her, ‘’continue your journey, do not worry about your daughter, I am here for her.’’  Adna felt that when she spoke to her she listened because after her burial, few weeks later, a lot of orders from Adna’s  fashion accessory local buyers gave a lot of orders.

Adna told Al, ‘’God want us to feel and truly experience the life of those in need.  No need of much explanation when they come to us because we already know how it felt,  We were on their shoes.’’  Al sometimes would express his shakening faith because he would question why it is too difficult when doing good to others.  Why most bad people are successful and have easy and comfortable lives.’’  Adna shared to him about one old movie shown on television, when the person also asked the same question why bad people are successful and powerful.  Then God answered him, ‘’what you have seen is not the end of the race, because not a single bad person would be successful at the end of the race.’’