Reunions

Devotional: …………………………”Mud that Sticketh Closer than a Brother”…………….Eddie Zamora Editor’s Thoughts:………………………..Why Do We Have Reunions?............................Eddie Zamora

Featured Item: Skat Gals………………………………………………………………………..Raylene Ann Rodrigo Baumgart

Zoarkes ’91: Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence……………………………….Ardys Joy Caballero-Gadia

SULADS Corner ………….………….…“Through His Word I was Relieved …………..……Crisofel Abayan Patch of Weeds: ……………………………….……….……………………………………………...….. Jessie Colegado LIFE of a Missionary: ……………“The Mountain View Group of Bandung” ……...…… Romy Halasan

CLOSING: Announcements |From The Mail Bag| Prayer Requests | Acknowledgments Meet The Editors |Closing Thoughts | Miscellaneous

“Mud that Sticketh Closer than a Brother” By Eddie Zamora

uring the early days of Mountain View College, students

had to walk long distances to go from their dormitories to

the cafeteria for their meals, their classrooms, or to the

chapel for convocations or weekend services. There were no cement

walkways or sidewalks then, the students had to walk on muddy

paths. By the time they reached their destinations, the mud on the

soles of their shoes was very thick and had to be scraped off. The

classrooms and chapel were elevated and one had to go up steps.

Beside every stair is an iron strip on which students and teachers alike used to scrape the mud off their

shoes. The iron strip was necessary because the mud was pretty sticky. That started the saying about

MVC’s mud “that sticketh closer than a brother.”

That little term was said all in fun, but it had a lot of truth in it. The mud was some kind of inconvenience,

but the close relationship that each MVCian develops for his or her friends is like MVC’s mud. You might

not think much about it but I have heard it spoken very often, that anyone who had spent some time in

MVC as a student or faculty member, be it just one semester or 10 or more years, will have that strange

yearning to be with other MVCians. Many say that they could not explain why this is so. We have friends

or coworkers from other schools who are surprised to hear that we have annual alumni reunions while

most of them have no contact with many of their classmates or schoolmates. But MVCians are bound by

a mysterious tie similar to what made the mud stick to the soles of the pioneers’ shoes.

I remember last year, as we were coming home from the General Conference session in San Antonio,

Texas. We stopped at a rest area basically to use the restrooms. All of a sudden I heard a commotion

inside the ladies’ restroom. Soon a group of ladies came out, all excited, because they found out that they

were all MVC alumni from California, and even if they had never met before, they were like long-time

friends. Yes, MVCians, “Mud that sticketh closer than a brother.”

This weekend MVC Alumni will come together for the annual reunion at Rancho Mirage, California. This

is a reunion for MVCAA WUSA, meaning the Alumni Association of Western USA, but we are expecting to

meet alumni from other regions of the country. We are coming together to renew friendships, to catch

up on many things, and also to hear inspiring messages from visiting leaders who incidentally are also

alumni of MVC.

May this reunion be a foretaste of that great reunion when our Lord comes again to

tt take with Him His people to be with Him where there will be no more parting, no more

p pain, sickness or death.

May we all be there in that Grand Reunion!

Ed Zamora

D

Why Do We Have Reunions? The Editor

DEFINITION OF REUNION

1. an act of getting people together again after they have been apart: an act of reuniting 2. an organized gathering of people who have not been together for a long time

SOME COMMON FORMS OF REUNION:

Family Reunion

A large gathering of family members. Some large families have reunions so the members

could be reacquainted with other family members. This is a better way for relatives to meet

and learn more of each other, unlike just coming together for a funeral.

Class Reunion

A reunion of people who graduated from a school at the same time. My college graduating

class celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Many people like to meet their classmates of

50 years ago:

To see how they changed.

To see if they still recognize each other.

To compliment them in their success/es.

To catch up on each other’s status.

They may be other reasons for wanting to meet up with former classmates.

Reunion with coworkers

Every year, at about this time, present and former workers of a hospital in Corona, California

have a Christmas party which is really a reunion of coworkers, mostly Filipino nurses. Some

of them have retired, others have moved to other hospitals, while others have remained at

the same hospital. The venue has been the same all these years the home of a coworker

who loves to cook good food. Attendance may fluctuate, some could not attend because

they could not get the night off. Others might have other commitments. But the numbers

is usually large.

But the activities have not changed much. The first order of business is dinner. The hostess

always prepares very delicious food, plus the varied contributions brought by people

attending. Aside from the catching up on who’s who and what’s what, there is always the

pictorial as they call it. They have group pictures and individual poses. The entire group has

a picture taken by one of the spouses. The main reason for the pictorial is to remember how

each one looks. The home is so well decorated inside and out, everyone wants to be in the

picture. The house also has stairs that makes a group picture so beautiful.

Two separate reunions were held by the nurses of Corona Regional Medical Center.

On Wednesday, December 14, three friends visited us and we had lunch together. They were

members of the Skat Gals, one of them is Raylene Baumgart, an editor of CyberFlashes. We

tried to call Joy Gadia but could not get hold of her. It was a mini reunion of sorts for two

groups, the Skat Gals and CF Editors.

Our mini reunion at home.

This year several School of Nursing alumni classes had reunions, most of them were held in

the Philippines so those who have remained there could meet their classmates who are now

here in the US and in other countries. The Pioneers ’72 also had a reunion in the Orlando

area of Florida this past September which I was a part of. This class has 15 members, 10 of

whom reside in the U.S., 4 in the Philippines (2 of them are able to come to the U.S.) and

one in New Zealand. Eight attended the reunion, others were unable to join. Of those 8, one

came from the Philippines and another from New Zealand. The eight had the time of their

life and wish to attend the next class reunion.

The Pioneers ’72, at the Kennedy Space Center, and at Avon Park, FL.

Raylene and I, CF editors. We missed Joy, she wasn’t in.

This weekend we are looking forward to a big reunion, the reunion of the MVC Alumni

Association of Western USA. We hope to meet many of you there.

Eddie Zamora

MVC Skat Gals by Raylene Rodrigo Baumgart

t was in the year 1969 when I first set foot in Mountain View College as a high school student. Aloof and shy, and thousands of miles away from home, I thought I would not last a month. But thanks to very friendly academians, I lasted not only my high school years but

even until I graduated as a nurse in 1978. With a college student Dante Sitjar, as our big brother if not godfather, we formed the group called Skat Gals. The original group: The Alfonso sisters Corazon and Juanilla, the Roca sisters Jo Reme and Mignon Yvonne, me and my sister Cheryl, Evelyn Sullano, Eunice Barberan, Malou Ocaya, Thelma Gonzales, Luz Granado, Marilyn Gonzales, Virgie Bacus and Lady Dragon. Two years later, Bernadette Gonzales joined us. We were inseparable on and off campus. We have bonded as sisters through the years. Now, 47 years later, we still have fun on any planned or spur-of-the-of-the-moment reunions when time allows. I truly believe that the greatest healing therapy in life is friendship. Studies show that hanging out with friends reduce the risk of loneliness and depression. Good friends can enrich your life and are good for one’s health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also increase our sense of belonging and purpose and boosts happiness. Thus reunions among friends are important. To me, a reunion with my Skat Gal friends is therapeutic. Throughout my life, their company helped me with my self-confidence and self-worth. Whether our get-together involved going to spas or trekking through botanical gardens or merely non-stop eating and gossiping through the wee hours of the morning, the laughter shared helped me cope with life’s trials and traumas. Even my husband would say, “Go to your friends for a therapy session.” I can truly echo the famous quote of Mencius, the famous Confucian thinker and philosopher who once said, “Friends are the siblings God never gave us.”

I

The Skat Gals and friends (Shy Guys)

Zoarkes’91: Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence by Ardys Joy Caballero-Gadia

his year, my classmates and I celebrated our 25th class anniversary. We celebrated by

spending a 4-day weekend together in Albion, Northern California. We celebrated by

recounting our shared experiences, laughed at how short-sighted our vision of the future

was and we raised our voices in gratitude to God as we shared how God had been merciful and

gracious to each of us.

We graduated from Mountain View College in March 1991. It was a stormy week and we had

prayed for sunshine. That week we scrambled to finished the required number of clinical duty

hours, the number of surgery cases (if I remember correctly, it was 25 minor cases and 20 major

cases) plus the number of live deliveries (25?) we were supposed to have assisted in. Then on

Thursday that week, we had our pinning ceremony at the Tibanga Central Church in Iligan City.

We were a bit teary eyed because we realized that, for many of us, that would be our last worship

service in the church we had called home for 2 and a half years. Bright and early the very next day,

we trekked up the mountain in buses, hoping to get to Mountain View College before noon. That

weekend was a blur. I wish we savored our last moments together but instead, it seemed that we

were always in a rush. But for good reason! On the way up from Iligan, 3 of our dear friends –

classmates who we had trained with for five years – decided to publicly attest their decision to

serve God. Babette Ching, Bernadeth Florin (Cabahug) and Ma. Theresa Singson (Villarosa)

decided to get baptized. So on that cold, rainy Sabbath afternoon we joyfully witnessed their

baptism in the pool near the ramps! Sunday graduation day even hectic day. We were expecting

the Vice President of the Philippines Salvador “Doy” Laurel to arrive by helicopter and needed

everyone to be inside the Florence Kern Auditorium so that when the chopper arrived, it would

have unobstructed landing, ie: less people around, and there would be no crowd outside. Before

we knew it, graduation was over and with the mad rush to get here and there … it seemed that

we all simply parted ways without really saying goodbye. I remember crying in the plane ride to

California two days after graduation thinking I would never see my classmates ever again. Little

did I realize that my classmates and I would get good jobs after we passed the board exams and

T

that we could just as easily buy airline tickets to see each other! Little did we realize that many of

them would eventually come and settle in the United States and the United Kingdom!

Last August 2016, our group met up at Northern California. Some flew from the different parts of

the U.S, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The rest of us drove. Seeing each other again

was wonderful! In a way, it was like we simply picked up where we left off. But on the other hand,

some of us had had a rough past few years. And as we caught up, we laughed and cried together.

But three things I really cherish about my classmates (Zoarkes’91) is that a). no matter how broken

someone’s life has become, they simply love you for who you are: no questions asked, no sides

taken. b). no matter what the topic or project, this group is such a rich variety of intellectual

resource. c). no matter what is going on laughter, good food, and time for spontaneous prayer is

always part of the agenda. Good food? Yes it helps that most of us married guys who love to

cook and who cook well!

That weekend at Albion, we hanged out. We had group games (I wish I knew how to reformat

video so that I could share with you some hilarious scenes!), a talent show and a beauty pageant.

The hubbies & kids went hiking, canoeing, and sightseeing. Some others went berry picking. Later

the group returned to Loma Linda passing via the Angwin, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and

Las Vegas.

Our next reunion will be in the UK in 2018 where more than a dozen members of Zoarkes’91

reside. For some of our classmates, this will serve as a joint 50th birthday party. The following year,

in the summer of 2019 will be our grand reunion were most of us will celebrate our 50th birthday.

Coincidentally, MVC School of Nursing will also celebrate her 50th anniversary. We have decided

to celebrate together at the Hilltop. If time shall last, we certainly look forward to these two

reunions but, even more so, we look forward to the better reunion at the Earth-Made-New where

classmates and loved ones who have since passed away could join us and meet up with our

Heavenly Guest Speaker, Jesus Christ Himself.

Zoarkes’91 with former clinical instructors Elsa Luceñara, Marilou Dello, Paul Gerapusco and friends.

“Through His Word I Was Relieved” By Crisofel Abayan. Malinawon & Sagabalan Supervisor

ister Leah, it’s your turn. What is your prayer request?” “God has already answered my prayer,” was the short answer from Leah Abayan, one of the mothers in Malinawon and a relative of my husband. During our week of prayer in which

the Malinawon SULADS pupils participated, the non- Adventist and Adventist pupils joined together and did their parts well. Two days before our week of prayer started, Sis. Leah went to the SULADS cottage, and with tears she said, “Ma’am Neng, what should I do? And why are these things happening to me again?” I said “Why, what has happened to you? She answered, “I heard again that the NPAs are around and somebody went to our house and told me to hide or run away because they might catch and kill me. I have children to feed and care for, and still care for my husband. I’ m so tired hiding and running away.” I answered, “Auntie I think God has a purpose for these things that are happening.” Auntie Leah was raised in a Higaonon tribe who followed faithfully the traditions and culture of the tribe. One of their cultural practices is “Buya.” This means that the parents will do the arrangement for the wedding of their children. Auntie Leah was one of the victims of this kind of marriage arrangement. She was forced to marry her husband even though she was already bearing the baby from her real boyfriend. During that time her faith was not yet so established so that’s why she got pregnant. The parents forced her to marry the man they wanted to be her husband even though she did not want to comply. But the Lord blessed them and she bore 4 more children. According to her, still she did not faithfully follow God’s will. She disobeyed one of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shall not commit adultery.” Many times she committed this in. Still she realized that our God is the God of love and forgiveness. Her situation was told to me by one of the members of the Malinawon church. With God’s help I was able to advise her and pray for her.

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In November 2015, Auntie Leah was re-baptized by Pastor Nimrod V. Saramosing and he advised her regarding what she should do. She and her husband joined the program we held, ‘Renewal of Vows’ after the re-baptism. She then changed for the good. The NPA threatened her that if they caught her, the next thing that the village would hear was that she was dead. The NPA got angry with her because of what she had done a long time ago. She realized what she did and she decided to accept the advice and be re-baptized. This time when Auntie Leah expressed her grief and worries, I just said, “Auntie, don’t hide or run away, they are just scaring you. We have a God who will protect you. He knows you are now doing His will faithfully. Our week of prayer will start on Saturday after the A.Y. program. I am expecting you to be there every night, ok? Especially since your son, Leo, is one of the speakers and Louie also has a part in the nightly program. So don’t be absent because they need you to be there also.” She said, “Ok, I’ll just stay here and ignore the rumors”. We started our week of prayer program and after the message, we gathered to pray.. For two nights Auntie Leah’s prayer request was about her situation. The third night, it was the same situation. This time when somebody called her to give her prayer request she said, “I am now happy and I am not afraid anymore. God answered my worries and griefs. Psalm 30:5 (King James Version) says, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” The message of the third speaker focused on this Bible text and the title of his sermon was “THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN.” He delivered the message well including some illustrations. After the program that night, I called Auntie Leah. She said, “The message tonight was enough, I heard it clearly that worries are just for tonight but the joy will come every morning. If I will die in the Lord there are no worries because there will be a resurrection to be followed by a great reunion. Thank you so much, Ma’am, for this opportunity that our children were the speakers of our nightly program. It was a blessing to all of us, especially to me. I think God wants me to hear that verse to let me know that even through listening to the words from the Bible it will give me comfort and assurance no matter what happens because He is God. I really feel His word.” God uses different ways to teach to His children to feel, realize and experience how powerful His words are. God wants us to put our full trust only in Him. Like Auntie Leah, through His word she feels relieved and afraid no more. I am so thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for this opportunity that the SULADS continue serving in the mountains because our lumad brethren really need guidance everyday.

© SULADS International, Inc. If you would like to support this mission program dedicated to taking the Gospel to the people of Mindanao, please write a check to Gospel Outreach. Mark it for the SULADS and send it to: Gospel Outreach P.O. Box 8 College Place, WA 99324 You may also donate to the SULADS using your credit card by logging on to Gospel Outreach's donation site (http://www.goaim.org/) and follow the directions. Again, mark it for SULADS. If you would prefer, you may write your check to the General Conference of SDA and mark the donation for SULADS and send it to: General Conference of SDA Donations 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Thank you for your support of this very important project. If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, Unsubscribe To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link Forward a Message to Someone this

High School Class Reunion

e was a widower and she a widow. They had known each other for a number of years being high

school classmates and having attended class reunions over the last 20+ years without fail. This

anniversary of their class the widower and the widow made a foursome with two other singles. They

had a wonderful evening, their spirits high, the widower throwing admiring glances across the table. The

widow smiling coyly back at him.

Finally, he picked up courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"

After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered, "Yes, yes I will!"

The evening ended on a happy note for the widower. But the next morning he was troubled. Did she say

"Yes" or did she say "No?" He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over

the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank. He remembered asking the question, but

for the life of him could not recall her response. With fear and trepidation he picked up the phone and called

her.

First, he explained that he couldn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the past evening. As

he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her. "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say

'Yes' or did you say 'No?'"

"Why you silly man, I said, 'Yes. Yes I will.' And I meant it with all my heart."

The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat.

Then she continued. "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember who asked me!"

(from the Internet)

Ball and Chain

man who was sightseeing just after having arrived in heaven, noticed several persons dragging a

ball and chain around with them. On expressing surprise that such a thing could occur in heaven, he

was informed that they came from MVC and that was the only way they could be kept from going

back.

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Reunion Dinner

group of high school classmates gather to discuss where they should meet for their 20th reunion.

Finally it is agreed that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because the waitresses there

have low cut blouses and the waiters are svelte and handsome.

Ten years later, for their 30th reunion, the classmates gather and once again they discuss where they

should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because the food

there is very good and the wine selection is good also.

Ten years later for their 40th reunion the group gathers and once again they discuss where they should

meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because they can eat there

in peace and quiet and the restaurant is smoke-free.

Ten years later, for their 50th reunion the group gathers again and once again they discuss where they

should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because the

restaurant is wheelchair accessible and they even have an elevator.

Ten years later, for their 60th reunion the group gathers again and once again they discuss where they

should meet. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because they have

never been there before.

(from the Internet)

Celebrating

y wife and I were sitting at a table at my 30th high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken

lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table. My wife asked, "Do you know her?"

"Yes," I sighed. "She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many

years ago and I hear she hasn't been sober since."

"Oh my goodness!" said my wife. "Who'd think a person could go on celebrating that long?"

See, there really are two ways to look at everything!

(from the Internet)

Heaven v. Hell

illy Graham has described heaven as a family reunion that never ends.

What must hell possibly be like? Home videos of the same reunion?

(from the Internet)

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High School Reunion

he following is an excerpt from an essay by Edward Beardshear, from Newark, Ohio on why he still

loves to attend his high school reunion.

"So, lastly, why is my affection for all these people so extravagant, what are some reasons nobody forgets

their high school years?

This was the place I grew up.

This is my spiritual home.

This was the place where I was safe.

This is the ground where the seeds of later life got sowed.

These were the people who were the anvils upon which I forged who I was and what I would become.

These people were the loving teachers of all the really important lessons of living and of life.

To forget your high school years is to amputate a major part of you. It isn't over, of course. The members of

the Class of 1953, they teach me yet.

They teach me now of the importance of holding life in reverence.

They teach me the critical importance of enjoying the moment and living well in it.

They teach me the strength of humility, the futility of pride and the emptiness of achieving money and power

and status at the price of soul.

And most of all, they teach me gratitude.

God Bless them all."

(from the Internet)

Difference

hat is the difference between a University graduate and a Savings Bond?

Eventually a Savings Bond will mature and earn money!

(from the Internet)

A Christmas Prayer

ost Holy & Majestic Father, there's so much "hype" around Christmas time. I have to admit that I

enjoy all the jolly jingle and festive frolic as much as anyone. But, Lord, as I enter into the fast-

paced season ahead, help me walk slowly and quietly.

Let me stop and listen to the angels sing of the greatest news ever told!

Let my heart, mind and soul join the chorus, "Glory in the Highest!! The Messiah has been born!"

Among all the bright sparkling lights and cheery holiday tunes, let my spirit travel once again toward

Bethlehem to honor and worship Jesus, my King, The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Hosts, Mighty

Counselor, Son of God, the Lamb. All Your love, mercy and power somehow made flesh in the tiny form of

a humble baby born in a manger. Let me worship the only One who is able to take our sin away and

reconcile men and women with God once again! Amen.

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Psychologists at the College Reunion

wo psychologists meet at their twentieth college reunion. One of them looks like he just graduated,

while the other psychologist looks old, worried and withered.

The older looking one asks the other, "What's your secret? Listening to other people's problems every day,

all day long, for years on end, has made an old man of me."

The younger looking one replies, "Who listens?"

(from the Internet)

Fishing Bait

y sister-in-law and nephew Eddy were digging for fishing bait in my mother-in-law's garden.

Uncovering a many-legged creature, Eddy proudly dangled it before his mother.

"No, honey, he won't do for bait," his mother said. "He's not an earthworm."

"He's not?" Eddy asked, his eyes wide. "What planet is he from?"

(from GCFL)

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The Mountain View Group of Bandung

his week let me share with you my city in Indonesia – Bandung.

Bandung is the capital city of West Java, and the third largest city in Indonesia after

Jakarta and Surabaya. Nicknamed Paris van Java (Paris of Java) by the Dutch for its

resemblance to Paris and European atmosphere back in colonial times, Bandung also

earned another nickname as Kota Kembang, literally meaning the Flower City since Bandung used

to have a lot of flowers.

Located at an altitude of 768m and surrounded by the lush and beautiful Parahyangan mountains

makes the climate mild and pleasant. The city has been well known for its universities, clothing

and a great place for gastronomic adventure. Nowadays, Bandung has become a very popular

weekend escape for tourists from Jakarta, who would crowd the city on weekends and national

holidays.

Today's Bandung is a sprawling city of 2.7 million people and suffers from many of the same

problems as other Indonesian cities.

Bandung is located in the central highlands. It can be reached from Jakarta either via the toll road

or railway by train.

Bandung is two hours away from Jakarta by car, thanks to the new Cipularang toll road that

completes the inter-city highway between Jakarta and Bandung.

You know that you are near Bandung when you see mountains all around. Bandung is located at

high altitude and because of this the weather is always cool. It’s similar to Baguio City. As you

approach Bandung, you will see the railroad tracks on the sides of the mountain.

Here in Bandung, there are many things to see like tea plantations, volcanos, and lots of volcanic

craters, lots of hot springs and lakes and rivers. Near our house we have a floating market

patterned in Thailand.

T

Travelling around in Bandung is quite complex and frustrating, especially to newcomers. There is

no mass rapid transit system, metro nor tram in Bandung. Locals travel using small public

minibuses, known as angkot from angkutan=transport and kota=city.

SDA Organizations in Bandung In Bandung, we have many Adventist institutions like the Adventist University of Indonesia,

Bandung Adventist Hospital – one of the biggest hospitals of the SDA, Indonesia Publishing House,

West Java Conference, academies and many others. This is due to the fact that it’s a nice place to

live in due to its cool climate all year round.

Our Adventist University of Indonesia which I am currently residing at is located high up in the

mountain close to forest and famous volcano called Tangkuban Perahu. Here nobody is using air

conditioners and even electric fan because of the cool temperature. Here we can plant and grow

vegetables and fruits that can only be planted in cool climates.

Mountain View Group Our housing project is located inside the Adventist University of Indonesia (UNAI) particularly in a

street called Mountain View. This is due to the fact that UNAI is overlooking the city of Bandung

and you can see a lot of Mountains. From Bandung, as you climb up to UNAI, you will see many

farms and shops selling all kinds of flowers along the way.

Here in UNAI we have a group named Mountain View comprised of all Indonesians. This is a group

of teachers and faculty members of our university. We enjoy our new-found friends here in

Indonesia because Indonesians are one of the most hospitable and friendly people of the world.

Every month we always get together and have potluck for fellowship. We always have fun

whenever we meet. Whenever someone problems, one member the group is always willing to

help like when one of the member’s family or relatives died. The group is always willing to give

financial help.

Every year, there is always an outing. Last year, the group went to Singapore and Malaysia. This

year our target is to have a 3-day holiday in a boat to Flores island of Indonesia for swimming and

snorkeling and also watching the famous Komodo Dragons.

This Christmas, we will again celebrate. Christmas in a Muslim country is quite different from the

Philippines.

After 6 years, we have begun to love the place. This is because of our Indonesian friends. The life

of a missionary is not lonely when you know how to make friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Romy

Bandung, West Java Indonesia

Bandung, the metropolis Growth in Bandung- the Bandung Hospital

UNAI The UNAI SDA Church

Our first home in Bandung A mall beside the hospital

The Mountain View group, not MVCians, Indonesians

MVC alumni visiting UNAI

A familiar sight, durians

A large mosque in the center of Bandung

The crater of Tangkuban Perahu Volcano

Swimming in a hot spring pool

A tour bus in Bandung

Deer, wild life in Bandung

Tea Plantation in Bandung

Our Condolences Our heartfelt condolence goes to the family of one of our former CyberFlashes editors, Kerry Tortal. His funeral will be held tomorrow, Saturday, at Avon Park, Florida. Let us remember his family, especially his wife, in our prayers. From the current Cyberflashes Editors Elmore Jornada passed away this morning at LLUMC. He was the brother of Mrs. Belle Jornada Castro, a former faculty member at MVC, he was also a well-loved former principal of West Visayan Academy and a friend of many MVC alumni. Funeral plans are still pending.

Welcome

The CyberFlashes editorial staff welcome to our reunion Pastor Edwin Gulfan, MVC School Board

Chairman and President of the South Philippine Union Conference, and Dr. and Mrs. Gladden

Flores, MVC President. Dr. and Mrs. Jose Dial, former MVC President and currently a missionary

to Pakistan, are also expected to attend the reunion.

From the Mailbag From Bella Beb Sunega Thank you CF Editors for spending your precious time to make MVC alumni and family happy and proud to be part of this unforgettable and memorable school of the light. As of this issue, I was touched again with Jesse's contribution where God's true and faithful servant Desmond Doss was mentioned. My tears I can't hold for this story every time I think of it, and my greatest wish for us is to be the REAL Son and Daughter of God no matter what. Thank you Jess for your contributions especially the laughter. God bless CF team, happy holidays!!!

Meet The Editors

This week’s issue of Cyberflashes was by Eddie Zamora. Next week’s issue will be by

Evelyn Porteza Tabingo. Please direct all entries to her or any of the editors.

NAME: EMAIL ADDRESS: Eddie Zamora ezamora594 at aol dot com Evelyn Porteza-Tabingo etabingo at gmail dot com Jessie Colegado Cyberflashes at gmail dot com Joy Caballero-Gadia watermankids at yahoo dot com Lily EscaraLare Lily_lare at yahoo dot com dot ph Melodie Mae Karaan-Inapan melodieinapan at yahoo dot com Raylene Rodrigo-Baumgart raylene.baumgart at gmail dot com Romulo ‘Romy’ Halasan romsnake at gmail dot com

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Ackowledgment

I wish to thank the following for their regular contributions despite their heavy workload:

Jessie Colegado for the chuckles in “Jessie’s Patch of Weeds”;

Romy Halasan for the first-hand mission stories in “Life of A Missionary”

The SULADS and Gospel Outreach for their weekly updates in “SULADS’ Corner”;

Raylene Rodrigo Baumgart and Ardys Joy Caballero Gadia for their reunion stories.

Prayer Request

For the success of the MVCAA Reunion. For the bereaved families.

Closing Remarks

It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate,

And our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days.

Bob Bickford

Have a pleasant weekend and a

Happy Sabbath to all.