Memorial Day in the Philippines

In honor of Memorial Day, I thought I would write a short post describing how I remember honoring it back in the Philippines. Though Memorial Day is usually associated with America, the holiday is shown some reverence in the Philippines as we remember how two nations were effected in that time and both fought together during a common foe in World War II. I saw the unique relationship of the two nations remembered on the Sunday before Memorial Day each year.

While my family and I were still living in the Philippines, I was part of the Boy Scouts of America in Troop 352. It was great to be a part of a group that could take advantage of experiencing the nature and history of the Philippines. We went on campouts in jungles, beaches, mountain tops, and even at the base of volcanoes. My favorite place to camp out was the island of Corregidor. This island was a United States army base back in WWII, and fell in the hands of the Japanese. Being forced to flee by executive order, General Douglas MacArthur made his famous three word promise (“I shall return”) to retake the Philippines from the Japanese.

There is a ceremony on the day before Memorial Day that takes place at the Manila American Cemetery, just outside the city. It is the largest overseas cemetery for fallen veterans of World War II. There are rows upon rows of white, cross-shaped tombstones honoring the more than 218,000 veterans who gave their lives fighting in the war. At the center of the 152 acres of land is a chapel surrounded by a round hall with the names and ranks of the fallen veterans, plus a map of where the battles took place around the Philippines.

The day before the ceremony, my troop and a troop from another school would come out early in the morning and place two flags by every single tombstone out there. One would be the American flag, and the other the Philippine flag. I don’t know how with the thousands of tombstones out there, but somehow we managed to get it all done that same morning. I think my troop always came in late, because by the time we got there we were sometimes hard pressed to find a lot that wasn’t already prepared.

The next day we would appear at the cemetery in Class A uniform to attend the ceremony where the US Ambassadors, Filipino representatives, and other international officials attended. We were seated in front of a small bell tower which served as a sanctuary in this case. Color guards carried each flag to the entryway of this tower with perfect attention. I remember one year one of the flags ended up covering one of the guard’s head, but he didn’t move to get it off and remained in perfect attention. The ambassador gave a speech, and at the conclusion of the ceremony an American and Filipino child would come to the top step of the tower and lay down a rose for the veterans, and at the same time speak into the microphone, “We will never forget.”

For me the experience is very valuable. I have a respect for the soldiers of both countries who gave their best to defend freedom and justice in the world. I am proud to remember this occasion both as an American citizen and a former resident of the Philippines.

Time in Prison

I was having a devotional time one morning when I read Genesis 40, the story of Joseph interpreting the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. To recall the story, Joseph went from being sold from his brothers as a slave in Egypt to being thrown in prison for a crime he did not commit. Now his two cellmates each had a dream and asked him to interpret it for them. He told the cupbearer that he would receive his position again in three days, but the baker would be killed on the same day. As he told them each their dreams, Joseph asked the cupbearer to do one thing for him: to tell Pharaoh about him and grant him justice. Unfortunately for Joseph, when the cupbearer was restored to his position he forgot about Joseph.

At first glance this looks like yet another low point for Joseph as this ungrateful servant forgot about the guy who foretold his good fortune. Joseph was probably thinking, “This is my one chance to get out of here. Pharaoh is the highest authority of Egypt, and he can overturn my prison sentence and grant me justice. If I can just get someone out there to tell him about what happened to me, then maybe he can see fit to release me.”

Having this in mind, I wondered what Joseph intended to do if he was freed from that moment. Would he attempt to go back home to Canaan, and perhaps try to get revenge on his brothers? What would Jacob, his father, do when he discovered that Joseph was alive and came back in this way? Would he punish his other sons for what they did? Or because Joseph was a slave would he have nowhere else to go but to another slave master? Joseph was at a point where he faced an uncertain fate. As far as he could see, he would either be free, but have limited options and resources of carrying out his own plans, or he would be doomed to remain in that prison forever.

What he did not know, is that he would spend two more years in that prison, but the circumstance will change dramatically. The cupbearer does in fact remember Joseph when Pharaoh himself has trouble with his own dreams. So Joseph is called out to interpret his dream, and because of his wisdom and logic Joseph becomes the second highest of authority in Egypt. He would be in charge of helping the Egyptians survive a severe famine in the years to come, and as a result his brothers come to Egypt for food and eventually reunite and reconcile with Joseph.

I believe that God used Joseph’s time in prison as a time to prepare him for what was ahead. For Joseph, the future was unclear until God opened the door in His own time. Not only was Joseph able to save Egypt and his own family, but he also had a part to play in the growth of the nation of Israel, the establishment of the law of Moses, and even the salvation given by Christ Jesus.

Right now, I also face a point of uncertainty as a recent graduate. I’m on the lookout for jobs, which will determine where I live, and how long I might be able to keep it. This story gave me hope by remembering that I may not know what the future holds for me, but God sees it clearly and is preparing me for a purpose that He will reveal in the time He intends. I hope that his comes as an encouragement to you as well if you are going through a similar situation.

Thanks Mom

Mother’s Day has come again, and I feel that I need to give a big shout out to my Mom today for doing so much to help me in my life. I feel indebted to her for helping me in just about all of my greatest accomplishments in life. There are three in particular that I want to recognize her for helping me as I grew up.

The first is the time I achieved the Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts of America. Achieving this rank is the highest honors for a Boy Scout as he has demonstrated leadership, discipline and perseverance. It was not an easy task for me and I almost did not make it, but with the help of my family and friends I managed to complete all the requirements needed. Mom was one of my biggest supporters in this task, helping by motivating me and pushing me on to do what I needed to do in the time I had to do it.

The second is the time I graduated high school. From the time that I was born to that point I was totally dependent on my parents. My mom had done a lot for me by taking care of my basic needs. High school gave me a chance to grow in preparation of becoming a man and thinking for myself. On graduation it was a hard time for me to let go, and I know it was hard for my mom as well, but she showed how courageous she was to allow me to pursue the next step, and that gave me the confidence I needed to pursue college.

The third and most recent is my graduation from the University of North Alabama. College is one of the biggest tests for an individual by seeing how he or she can do on their own. It was a big step for me, especially having to fly to the other side of the world away from my family to go there. But even from such great a distance, I relied on my mom for counsel and guidance for critical decisions made these past four years. It meant a lot to me and my mom to get done with college, and to do so in four years took motivation that she could give. It was so great to have her come for my graduation ceremony yesterday even after flying in from overseas the day before.

There is a fourth highlight that took place in my life that exceeds the first three, and I was reminded today in church how much my mom was involved in it. This highlight that I refer to is my salvation in Jesus Christ. I remember at a young age I saw one of my best friends go to be baptized at our church. I did not understand it, so my mom took time to explain it to me. Even though I did not receive Christ that day, my mom helped plant the seed and eventually I came to a point where I understood what baptism and salvation was.

So thanks Mom for helping me press on through some of the hardest tasks, for showing how to be courageous, and for always being there when I need help. But most of all, thank you for sharing the light with me. Happy Mother’s Day.