Do you believe in prayer? Try the prayer brigade!

By Carlos A. Arnaldo
Manila
August 8, 2015



 “Sure, my prayers are with you! We start the prayer brigade now!”

Time passes quickly

“He's almost fine, the latest treatment and his medications worked very well, thank you. His appetite's better, and he has time and energy to watch TV. He knows and appreciates that you're all thinking of and praying for him. A few more days and he'll be home, good as new!” From Marilyn.

“Our wishes and prayers for Rudy's speedy recovery.”

“You're helping not only Rolly with your prayers and well wishes, but also the rest of the family who've been going to and from, here and there to take care of him. Your posts and thoughts are always with us, like a rainfall of petals! God bless you!” Marilyn again.

I remember when Marilyn and Rolly came to see me late one night in February, bringing cartons of hundreds of tsinellas of all sizes for boys and girls of Tacloban, and a donation which got us some 200 plushy toys. “And here’s 200 packs of instant coffee for the trip and for the school teachers there!” said Rolly. We were trucking our way in convoy Parañaque to Tacloban by Maharlika Highway and Roro, 24 hours of straight driving, but we had a professional driving team, and vans provided by a concessionaire.

“Each tsinela and each plushy toy is a prayer from the kids who will never forget you, even if they don’t know your name or your face, you are both written in big letters in their hearts!”

Truly "thru thick and thin ♡ #‎true love breeds #‎truewisdom." Anonymous!

“As soon as Papa Rolly arrived home, he went straight to the piano. Despite his stroke, his nimble fingers tickled the keys in a crescendo ‘Thank you’ to all who stormed the heavens for his recovery. The prayer brigade was really working! But the road post-stroke isn’t going to be easy. He’ll need a pacemaker! Hindi bale, for now, we are all just happy he is home!”

Hmm, only one of the ten lepers came back to say ‘Thank you.’

“Thank you Lord for giving my dad another chance at life. Thank you also Lord for helping my mom get through with it this past week. Praise God for He is truly powerful and merciful! Your will over mine. God is bigger than us.”  Tinka.

Salamat din po sa lahat ng mga dasal! Sa lakas ng ating prayer brigade!

An unexpected knock on the door on a Sunday afternoon. A big box dropped on the floor.  “Heard you needed more tsinelas for the boys with cerebral palsy at Cottolengo?”