Hafa Adai!

One way to celebrate existence is to acknowledge the beauty of the world around it. And one way to acknowledge the beauty of this world is go and see it. And I am one who has been blessed with much privilege to see the beauty of some parts of this planet. And to be able to do this with a cause is the heart of this privilege.

Our latest trip for a missions project last October is in the beautiful island of Guam--a place which is three hours away from home (by plane), but feels a lot like home.

It is indeed very beautiful. And the people are so beautiful. There's too much beauty in this existence, ain't it?

There are too many photos as we've spent two weeks in it. And I've already filtered this, but I just wanna share (to possible pedestrians who will pass by my page) how beautiful it has been.

The locals were very welcoming, and we had lots of tour during our free time. Looking at our schedule, it has been a busy two weeks for us as we were there to do the cause of the visit, plus, we also obliged (much to our joy) to invitations from the lovely people there.

Let me give you a look around the island...

RANDOM TOUR

Given that it's a US territory, you can find bits of the States in it. Like this replica of that very famous statue.

And this is the bay by that replica. Isn't Guam so blue?

  

These are my teammates having a team devotion time near the statue, by the bay.

Another statue. This one's found in the Two Lover's Point Park. And i guess they resemble two lovers.

The legend in a tablet. Which from this shot is quite difficult to comprehend.

So we have another wall of hearts someplace in the planet. Still at Two Lover's

Lovely view from Two Lover's Peak

The waters below.

And the endless blue... haaaaay this one's the real deal. I have already started imagining a room to build with a very close view of this one. A plan trapped in the imagination

Asan Park bay

Cannot remember. Ugh

Western trees in the tropics.

Road

Random wild greens photo

Traveling peg.

Yo name hurts.

 

Chamorro night dancing. At the Chamorro Village This lovely happens every Wednesday night. Like a nightout x market thing.

Samoan Fire Dance at the Chamorro Night

What is Guam without the latte stones. This one's a distant view from the latte stones. These latte stones date back to the time before anything has been written in record in Guam, so it's real purpose isn't proven. But the locals were most comfortable believing it used to be where houses were founded way back then.

Beautiful view! I can't remember from where though ugh

TALO'FO'FO CAVES

View from somewhere up there on the hill of the caves

Mandatory shoe photo

Ancient writing on one of the caves. This one's pretty cool. I think it resembles a fish bone.

Streak of sunshine from deep within.

This girl is so cute!

 YPAO BEACH

An On-the-road-peg.

Well, happy birthday

I created this "baby" art on the eve of my birthday.

Yeah, I'm a girl who makes a fuss about my natal day. I mean, if not others, I want to make it special for me. I do it because I acknowledge the fact that it is a blessing to have gone through a year of storms and difficulties. And it's such a wonder to have left another trail of footsteps!

So, I am going to give myself an awesome birthday greeting. And just like any other birthday messages, I guess this will be awkwarrrd.

Skate Penny, 

Happy 21st to you. So you're young enough to wander the planet and old enough to put up with storms! Yep, this can be a year-round mantra for a life of adventures and detours. 

Every creation of the Lord has been perfectly created and designed. And so were you. You have been created with love in God's heart, and so you must be a woman created with great plans in His thoughts. Isn't it a wonderful thing to bask upon? Remember you are loved and that you don't need to seek for men's approval for you to know you are worthy. You don't need to place yourself in another's cradle just to realize that you're worthy. You have been created wonderfully and beautifully. You have nothing to feel insecure, sad, or depressed of. 

Good things have been planned for your future. All these things in the present are steps to get you somewhere unspoken of, but is very beautiful. You are being prepared for really great things. And so you be ready for it. 

The world is gonna hurt you one way or another. There might come a point in your life when the world is gonna hate you. But as long as you are fighting for and with love, as long as you are living for and with love, then there's no one who could tell you you're doing it wrong. Be filled with the Lord's Spirit in struggling with life, for then, you'll know what to do and how to battle life's great forces.

You are beautiful. Remember that. You don't need to be skinny, tall, prim. You don't have to wear fancy clothes, and to preserve yourself from speaking what you deem needs be said. You don't have to be too well-mannered that it prevents you from creating natural relationships. You just have to be yourself! You are wonderful. And really beautiful. 

You see things beyond their surface. You have judgment which may be judged as weird, but not without basis. You may not always see things from a bright perspective, but you see them as they are, and that's okay. You don't have to be sorry for how you naturally feel and think (because you do feel sorry most of the time).

You're bound to impact and influence more people's lives! Ain't it fun? These little pieces you touch will soon impact in changing the world, and you be excited for that! 

Enjoy your day, lady. You were created for greater things. Praise Him whose hands made you as you are.

Love, You.

Spell Beautiful

via

We are all broken,
That's how the light gets in.
-Ernest Hemingway

Sometimes I get confused with preferences and standards. The concepts of the un-beautiful and the overlooked. Are we always boxed within predetermined concepts that we end up adjusting to meet those standards, failing to find out what's true, pure and sincere? Wouldn't it be a lot more empowering to understand and perceive surfaces with the context underlying and surrounding them?

What is the meaning of "beautiful"? Is it an appearance or is it an expression? An appearance that is changeable and variable with time and events? Or an expression of something that is within, of something more powerful and more genuine, of pains, joys, curiosities, and passions?

You are beautiful. I'm not saying this because this line has been available and rehearsed by most people to appreciate people. There is a certain depth to these words that only those who choose to look will understand. Everyone has beauty. And every one of us should appreciate each other's beauty. But let me add another idea here. 

We are all beautiful but this beauty we possess can only be visible if we choose to show it. Never think that the definition of beautiful is the standard set by people whose eyes see only the shallowest. The beauty in you is the reality that is within you. It may be absurd, it may be unacceptable, it may be imperfect... according to the predetermined standards. What makes you real is what makes you human, and that itself makes you beautiful. 

We have fears. We are afraid that the reality in us may limit us from being accepted or loved, but true acceptance and true love sees through imperfections and weaknesses. True love appreciates real beauty. When we tamper this authentic beauty with pretensions and with efforts to climb up the society's standards, that's when we choose to hide the beautiful in us. But if we remain true and pure, then, there would we find those who will love us with sincerity. We should allow people to love the real beauty in us. 

You think you're unusual? There's so much beauty in what's different. There's so much beauty in the real expression of the spirit within everyone's flesh. Don't get bothered that you're deviated from the norms, as long as it's real and true, it is ethereal and worthy of love and appreciation.  

These words are not new. They've been paraphrased, translated, rephrased, spoken, written, believed, rejected, passed on from nations to nations, among peoples, throughout time. But its timelessness proves its strength. All of us should be reminded of these things everytime, so we might not falter to look for the wrong kind of love through the wrong ways of beautifying ourselves.

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A reminder to self

PS, this certain post's font style is annoyingly different from the whole blog's font style. Tried to do something about it, but it ain't changing ugh. Just saying.