Welcome to the Team

Wednesday morning after driving 9 hours on Tuesday, I arrived to the Episcopal Diocese of Santiago compound where I was welcomed in the best way possible by the whole staff! First we had Morning Prayer, which is usually on Monday mornings but they changed it this week for my arrival. Then, they sung me a beautiful song. If you did not know Filipinos love karaoke and it seems as though they are all musically talented. I’ve posted a short video below of them singing to me in Ilocano.

The lyrics translate to:

“Welcome to the family. We’re glad that you have come to share your life with us as we grow in love and may we always be to you what God would have us be a family, always there to be strong and to lean on.

May we learn to love each other more with each new day. May words of love be on our lips in everything we say. May the Spirit melt our hearts and teach us how to pray. That we might be true a family.”

Oh and since I’m from Virginia, the Bishop said, “We have a particular song for you!” And “Country Road” followed the welcome song. It was perfect and brought back memories of singing it at St. George’s camp.

After going around the table with staff introductions, it was my turn to introduce myself. Traditionally the Bishop has the newcomer sing a song. Talk about nerve-wracking! My choice was “Amazing God” which is short and repetitive; simple enough. The rest of the morning consisted of a short one-on-one meeting with the Bishop, a tour of the offices and newly consecrated Cathedral – consecrated in May – and a lovely lunch with the staff.

Wednesday afternoon was filled with activities to settle me into my new place. Some of the women from the staff came with me to fetch my things from the hotel and then accompanied me to the mall for some grocery shopping. Nothing out of the ordinary stuck out at the grocery store. They have similar aisles and items just they’re Filipino brand. I bought some basics such as chicken, soup, frozen fish, fruit, veggies and a fail safe – peanut butter, jelly and bread. Finally, it was time to see my new living space, unpack and settle in!

My next post will be all about my new home for the next year. I love it and cannot wait to share! But I cannot express how kind, friendly and welcoming everyone on the staff has been towards me. I’m happy to become a part of this team!

Thanks for reading! Peace be with you.