Fri Crew at Tali Beach

Once upon a time, in a nearby land (of New Manila) under the blazing heat of the sun, fourteen young (and young at heart) adults met for a joy ride to a beach 3.5 hours away. This group of people, eager in their beachwear took some pictures...

before the ride...

and also during the ride when laughter filled the car. From the talks about the four temperaments, some friendly debates between the phlegmatics and cholerics with Jen as our tie breaker, to Kim and my corny jokes and Eric and David's dry humor, the 3.5hr ride was all worth it.

We passed by a very bumpy road. I guess it lived up to its name - "Pebble Road." :P

Here's a glimpse of the girls' kitchen. We arrived just in time for lunch! :)

After lunch, we had some team building activities. The sequence of the games is as follows: first was to get an "impression" (usually the first impression), then to "get to know" and to continue building the relationship through "trust." A few moments later, we all hit the beach!

Time went by fast, little did we know it was sunset hour already, and dinner was about to be cooked...

and served.

After a sumptuous meal of Ahya Eric's porkchop (using Kim's marination) and Spaghetti, we had a short and sweet devotion on this passage: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:25. This is also the theme verse of the Ortigas Cell Groups.

Then we played an "ice breaker" game where in everyone had to list 7 questions and 1 dare on small sheets of papers, fold them and place them in a pot. As the pot is being passed around, each person has to get a piece, read the question and answer honestly / do the dare.

The first day was wrapped up when the group was divided into pairs and each pair prayed for and encouraged one another.

On day two, I fought with the bacon. I had difficulty controlling the heat (as I tried making the bacon crispy while avoiding unecessary splattering). So my two assistant chefs were there for support.


Here's our smiling breakfast: bacon, hotdog, corned beef, garlic rice, and tomatoes with salted egg.


We had another round of the ice-breaker game. Plenty of interesting questions. We have to answer the rest of the unopened questions one of these days!

I realized in building relationships, it is not in the number of activities or experiences that people have in common, nor is it in the number of times they meet (although both may play a factor). It is more in the depth of conversations, the sincere care and the unselfish giving. One very important factor in friendship is HUMILITY. To be humble enough to show one's weaknesses, humble enough to accept help from others, humble enough to think more of others.

Sharing with you a text message I got from Pastor Don:
Humility is not thinking LESS of myself; it is thinking MORE of others.
Humility is not putting MYSELF down; it is lifting GOD up.
Humility is not denying my STRENGTHS; it is being openly HONEST about my WEAKNESSES.
Humility is seeing that without CHRIST I can do nothing, but in Christ, I can do ALL things!


It was indeed an enjoyable fellowship trip with some of my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Looking forward to our meeting together on Friday! Till the Day approaches, then we'll live happily ever after with our Father, the King. :)