The Director’s Notebook - BBTF 9 brevcHacHi

 Uh…huh?  Did I hear you right? What??? Director???!!! Oh no, no, no, no!  I can’t.  Not me!

The greatest challenge as a Brev for me since I came back after my five years stay in Cebu was being appointed suddenly as director for Brevstock 8 and 9^th Breviarian Big Tent Festival to replace Brev Ricardo who got a job outside the country.  As much as I tried to make an objection against this crazy appointment, in the end, I lost my case due to a simple order of…OBEDIENCE.

After series of struggles and endless nightly tears begging the Lord for the grace to accept the so called “Director” title, I was pierced by the thought that the Lord was actually giving me a chance to serve Him during these last days of my life here on earth.  After having felt His mercy and love, how can I refuse to serve?  So I finally asked the Lord to forgive me and told Him to take control…that I may be His puppet.  I was clueless on what I was supposed to do.  All I had were my ideals and my hopes for the two major activities.

Anyways, to cut the dramatic story short and fast forward it to BBTF 9, you would have heard Brev Buttercup asking me a few days before the Big Tent Festival, “how could you be so calm about everything when the Big Tent is fast approaching?”  I told him, “It is not my project, it is the Lord’s.  Kaya bahala na Siya.”  Yeap!  I simply gave the Lord the authority to manage everything. And it worked!

Come to think of it…how could we have pushed through with this project when we only had 5 Easter Carols that year?  Out of 60 plus Adopt-a-Brev solicitation letters, only 4 were returned?  How much would we have to raise just to finance the whole 5 days with all those expenses?  Well that is financially speaking.  We have the source of all the riches in the universe – God. So how could we possibly fail?  “Be not afraid,”  He said.  We did survive the Big Tent with our stomachs full and without any payables.  Thanks to so many generous hearts.  Praise God!

I was away for almost 5 years and organizing such a big event was just a memory for me.  I had to recall everything but my small mind can not just recover all at the same time what I have stored in my recycle bin.  I would need a dream team to work according to what I would have wanted it to be.  “O Lord, give me the perfect staff who would have the knowledge to things the way I wanted it done…er…I mean…the way YOU wanted it done.” J  Besides, I don’t think I was born a leader!  I’m more of an effective and efficient follower.  Yeah…a follower – someone who simply obeys and carry out orders.  (hey, cHacHi, is it not that a leader is a follower of Christ?)

Hmm…Oh well, that was not really much of a problem because lo and behold!  I actually had the best team a director could ever wish for.  I had a team of experienced Camp Directors who knew what they had to do.  So I was just a parrot reminding them of their duties (actually just trying to act like a real director. hehe!.)  Whew!  That was a big baggage off my back. J  Thank you, fellow Brev Shepherds!  You really did a great job.  Love you always!

“Oh, and Lord, what about my leave?  I filed those weeks ago even before any other colleagues could get my slot yet they only approved theirs?   The speakers, Lord, are they the right people?  The schedule, Lord.  I hate it when it is not followed.  And about the *many other little details*…what am I going to do with them?”  These were just some of my many anxieties that I lifted up to the Lord every time I would feel that something was about to go wrong, that is, in my own perspective.  Nevertheless, the Most Holy Adoration Tent was my only refuge.  After I had pleaded all, my last words would always be, “Your will be done, not mine.  You allowed it and so be it.”  And I would come out ready to stand up and face everything bravely for I knew  mine.  You allowed it adn  my s not followed.  and ues it not that a leader is a followerHe was with me.  He really fixed them all.

To sum it all up, it was not so bad to be a director after all.  Ahem!  After all, we did have a successful camp.  More young people, including us, were inspired and are now on fire.  We even had CBCP affirm it as a prelude to World Youth Day. (thanks again Fr. Mickey).  But of course, more than the success, the overwhelming love of God manifested during the preparations and staging of this camp is the greatest treasure I would carry in my BBTF 9 memory.  Through this camp, I learned that to be a leader simply means being a puppet of God and making Him do the decision making and for us not exhausting all human efforts ending up in stress.  It is a matter of TOTAL SURRENDER AND OBEDIENCE.  Our only extra effort is to motivate others to move out of love by being a person of love.

So if asked to be a head/director/leader of another Brev Activity, of course my answer will definitely still be a NO!  But then again, HIS WILL BE DONE…NOT MINE. 

Forever praise and glory to our Lord Jesus.  Thanks and honor be to our dear Mama Mary.

   

brevcHacHi's letter - BBTF 9 Director's Notebook

May 26, 2008

Dear Beloved Shepherds and BBTF Staff,

First, I would like to thank you for all the efforts you are exerting for the success of our 9^th Breviarian Big Tent Festival.  I cannot thank you enough.  May God be pleased with all of you and may He grant us the grace to have more bricks to your homes in heaven. 

I know you have sacrificed a lot of your time and energy…practiced more patience and love during the preparations and of course, now.  Nevertheless, may we be blessed and may our labors not be in vain. 

Tomorrow, we will be at the peak of this journey and there will be more surprises for all of us.  So may we continue to work with love and joy.  This is our great privilege to serve Him.  It is not plainly because the youth needs to be guided, but more so, it is because we need to work out for our salvation.  This is His unique grace for us.  He has given us a venue to rediscover the joy of having a community; to feel His healing grace; to accept His love for us so that we may learn to love ourselves and other people; to rejoice in His mercy and forgiveness.

We have been given a special task that while we are growing in His grace, we have the responsibility of making others walk with us in this journey.  This is not a burden we would have to carry; rather, a chance to express our love to Him by obeying and heeding His call of service.  It is my hope that as we renew ourselves during this camp, others may join us.  May all of us have the heart of worship and learn holy humility.  Pray always.

We may have a lot of spiritual warfares especially during this time so always pray for protection. But since He has promised that He will always be with us, we do not have a reason to be afraid.  Let us stand up together and do our best.  We may commit mistakes but all events have a purpose.  He may allow us to fall but He gives us the grace to pick ourselves up and persevere.

As Camp Director this year, I would like to thank you for giving me this special title despite my weakness and unworthiness.  Thank you for loving, trusting and most of all, forgiving me.  Nevertheless, this is just a title.  The REAL director is God.  This inspiration came from Him and we once again consecrate this camp to Him.  Whatever happens, whatever the circumstances may be, may His holy will be done.

Let us continue to be open to His promptings.  Shine your best.  This is all for His greater glory.

GOD BLESS US ALL.  STAND UP…FOR JESUS!

Your Servant in the Lord,

brevcHacHi

Flashback by Brev Grace Arias

brevgrace: BBTF13 Camp Director

THE UNtold SPEECH of BBTF 13 Camp Director

August 25, 2011

Good evening guys.

How to start my speech. Maybe a recent trivia would do?

Did you know that the CEO of Apple company has just resigned? Yes, the owner and the mind behind the amazing world-class computers and MAC gadgets resigned last Wednesday. And he wrote a very good resignation letter which you can google. Very short, simple, and honest.

Tonight, I have the same confession to tell you-I will not be directly handling Brevstock 12 and bigtent 13. Thus, demoting myself to become the assistant to the leadership of our Junior brev leaders. Of course this is with the blessing of our formator, kuya Alex. We all know that it’s hard to say NO to BroA. 

Steve Jobs wrote in his resignation letter: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come,"

On the same note, I have to be honest to you guys that unfortunately, that day has come: that I don’t have the luxury of time, that my job demands too much even if deep in my heart I really wanted to say YES. Reality check: I had my turn and it is but right to give it to someone else deserving of the role.

Our VP for SM Supermalls Marketing, Ms. Ma Cristina Adriano said: If you’re really a good leader, the Mall or your Department should run even without you. Because it just means that you have delegated the role effectively to your subordinates or team.

Don’t worry guys, I didn’t really say NO. You see, I would still be doing what Im best at-connecting people.  It’s the kind of leadership I want to express and I’m proud to be part of their team leadership. I hope you guys will support the four of us: So shall I introduce them now?

                Please welcome with a round of applause

I am regularly meeting with these lovely ladies. As well as they will also be responsible to giving you guys an update of what’s next for BREVSTOCK 12 AND BIGTENT 13.

That’s it for now.

I am looking forward to get a chance to personally hear from you in our monthly dinner together. Every month, we will have a sit-in brev to join the WOJTYLA Brevs get together.

Again, I remain to be your ate Grace.

At your service. At His service.

Thank you very much.

**********************************************

This speech was supposedly for the Red Carpet Night- the official turnover of Brevstock 12 and Bigtent 13.  But when I got to the venue, I was overwhelmed with the presence of new faces and burning fire from the blossoming new brev members.  I thought that my speech might be out of place and that I might sound out of context during that night. Anyhow,  let this be my way of saying thanks to you all, special gratitude to the outstanding leadership of Mary Grace Ann Soriano-Maigue,Lally Mae-Dulatre, Lynelle Dacumos, and Leonard Guinguino.

-brevgrace@yahoo.com