Seniors in their golden years need not sit around and view TV or just wait for the bus to go to one of the casinos for their recreational needs, if not to gamble. They can involve themselves in making life meaningful for others and in so doing, give more meaning to their lives.
Let’s take a look at the Senior
Adult Ministry (SAM) of the First United Methodist Church of National City.
Most of them are septuagenarians, if not octogenarians, but they are such a
lively, alert, and enthusiastic group. There is never a dull moment with them – in their
meetings, in their choral practice, in their home visits, in their Bible study and
in their monthly fellowship every third Saturday of the month.
The
SAM is currently led by Doring and Lita Pacio, a very dedicated couple
who see to it that SAM members are well-informed of what is going on in the
church and among members of our church family. They are selfless when it comes
to church volunteerism. They are the conduit of information as the group engage themselves in various activities. They offer their time and voices to celebrate
life passages, singing at retirement parties, wedding anniversaries, birthdays,
and giving assurance and comfort to bereaved families.
I thought of writing about the Senior
Adult Ministry when I was teased by Reno Bagasin after he read my column “Remembering Rosario Cabrera Araullo.” He said, “When I die you also have to write about me.” I
laughed but actually he gave me the idea of writing about the Senior Adult
Ministry.
Reno, who changed his name
from Irineo when he became a US citizen, is a livewire World War II veteran. His wife Elring and he were the first coordinators
of SAM. They are frequent flyers to the Philippines for two reasons, to attend
some of the significant functions in the military life of their son, General Samuel Bagasin, Deputy Chief of
Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and to enjoy the travel privileges
made available to them by another son, Capt. Joel Bagasin, a pilot of Eva
Airlines, who flies to Los Angeles every other week. Reno and Elring led
the Senior Adult Ministry during its infancy together with another talented
couple, Naty and Benny Reyes.
Last
week, Elring Bagasin led the group as they sang at the memorial service of
Chari Araullo at the California Mortuary, after which they proceeded to the
Chapel of the Roses at Glenn Abbey to comfort a member and friend, Adoracion C.
Adamos , widow of Cesar Adamos. We were saddened by the unexpected demise of
Cesar. He was one of the ushers in church the last time I saw him. Then a week
later I was informed that he passed away in Maryland after a long flight from
San Diego to attend the promotion ceremony of his son-in-law, Capt. Val Castillo.
This
week the Senior Adult Ministry will sing a beautiful hymn, “Praise God,” at the retirement party of
Gene and Elizabeth Ablola. Gene
and Beth are still very young to be members of the Senior Adult Ministry, but they are always welcome to infuse fresh
energy to the group.
Next
week, they will give comfort and solace to their very own Pastor John Riingen
and his son, Omar. Gloria Mandac Riingen, a loving wife and mother, succumbed
to her long bout with cancer. They will also sing at the memorial services for
Gloria.
The
SAM has become a reliable source of
comfort and strength as they sing such beautiful hymns like, “Under His
Wings,” “God Will Take Care of You,” “Does Jesus Care,” ably conducted by Naty Reyes, or Elring Bagasin when Naty is not available. The
accompanist on the piano or the electric organ is Purie Villanueva, a retired
school principal from the Philippines.
The
SAM is not only good in singing. They are generous givers not only of their
time and talents but also of their treasure. They support youth activities,
especially the Methodist Youth Fellowship Christmas Institute, where they raise
funds through caroling in homes of members to enable some young people to
attend this Christian leadership training event. They also support selected
churches back home in the Philippines. Last year, they sponsored a Thanksgiving
Lunch for the homeless. They also do home visitation to homebound members and
conduct Bible Studies. They send greeting cards to members on their birthdays
and wedding anniversaries with beautiful original thoughts written on these
cards, making the recipient feel that she or he is really special.
SAM
has become an anchor for many of us. We share our stories, our jokes which evoke
healthful laughter, our concerns and frustrations, trusting that the process of
sharing will enrich our experiences, provide deeper insights into our own
problems, help us resolve inner personal conflicts, and heal our frustrations. Unknowingly, SAM has become a source of
strength for its members, perhaps because of the open sharing of our stories in
an atmosphere of love and caring.
The
Senior Adult Ministry takes pride of the skills and accomplishments of its
members.
Nem Ocampo’s experience in
the Philippines is put to good use as he leads the Bible Study and other
activities he and his wife Mila are good at. They even share the proceeds of
their fishing expeditions at Imperial Beach to the group, thus adding healthy
viands of “pinaksiw na mackerel” during lunch held at the
Fellowship Hall after the worship service.
Benny Ravancho is the money keeper. One can truly learn from him – the art of handling funds, his attention to details, and his innate honesty. . His wife, Ligaya, a retired nurse, keeps us laughing with her true-to-life stories besides being ready to share her beautiful voice to sing “solo” at a moment’s notice.
Tita
Reyes, a dressmaker in the Philippines and a good singer in her own right, usually sews the uniform attires of the ladies. Naty Ablola, Nanette Oreas,
Brigette Meneses, Linda Funtillas, Emy Mangaoay, Josie Montalvo, Jerry Grant, Alex Fedalizo, Zeny and Ruben Ramos are
strong pillars of the organization, always available and ready to help make
things happen.
Joe
Santos who retired a few years ago from the Office of the District Attorney has
come up with an announcement corner where helpful tips for seniors are posted.
He also coops the group in his Evangelism Committee.