A Sacrifice that’s Worth it All – Maria Wilma C. Velarde

 General Accounting Supervisor –  Wilma C. Velarde

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap, if we do not give up.
-Galatians 6:9

Making sacrifices is part of life.  Sacrifices are necessary to produce positive results – the way scientists and inventors would devote their time and research learning about the subject matter that they want to discover. Imagine a world without the light bulb, if Thomas Edison did not sacrifice his time and labor to invent it? The world wouldn’t be as we knew it. It is the same with our parents. They made choices about what is most important and set priorities. They toiled on their work to give us food, shelter, clothes and a good education to equip us in the future. We owe it all to them. Maybe it had crossed their mind to enjoy the fruits of their labor for themselves but decided to prioritize the needs of children first. As we grow and mature as adults, their investment of time, money and effort comes to fruition.  We children are the proof that their sacrifice is worth it all. Quoting from Mitch Albom in his book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, “Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.”

A place of Abundance – Russel Amoranto

EDO Assistants – Russel Amoranto

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
Psalm 66: 8-12 NIV

Abundance.  A word commonly associated with worldly riches and good harvest. And for most people, it is a concept most would aspire to. Who doesn’t want a life of abundance? Never having to worry about what to eat for the next day, where to live or how to educate the children.  Abundance. This seemed to be the opposite of the scarcity embedded in the memory of Russel Amoranto, one of KMBI’s EDO Assistants as he was growing up.

Choosing the Path of Christ – Evelyn N. Francisco

Branch Manager – Evelyn N. Francisco

“Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt….” (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Our ordeals are truly blessings in disguise that are meant to purify us. Afflictions are opportunities for us to have faith in Christ when we choose to suffer the patience of our trials. Like in the life of Ma’am Evelyn Francisco, each tribulation becomes a decision to show her faith in the Lord.

Making Life Worthwhile – Maribeth N. Pabayos

Branch Manager – Maribeth N. Pabayos

What keeps you going?

No matter who we are, there’s always a reason and a driving force that makes us wake up in the morning and be excited for the days ahead. It could be our family, work, friends or our interest and this defines what really matters to us to keep us going.

Metro Davao 1 Branch Manager, Maribeth Pabayos, or Beth for short, has her own driving force – her children. “My greatest dream is to see my kids graduate because that’s what will help them to have a good life in the future,” said Beth. And to give them a good education, Beth has been working hard and is on her 6^th year of working in KMBI.

Following The Voice Inside – Elizabeth P. Bernaldez

Branch Manager – Elizabeth Bernaldez

We have continuously been asking God for signs; signs which would bring us into making better decisions in life; but the real question here is, are we really looking or are we just waiting for God to personally place it on our hands? According to Oswald Chambers, “God did not direct his call to Isaiah – Isaiah overheard God saying, “… Who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a selected few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I heard depends upon my spiritual attitude.”

Leaving it All Up to the Lord – Janet J. Subaldo

Branch Manager - Janet J. Subaldo

“Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.” – Horace

Everyone can attest to the fact that life cannot be lived easily. To reach your dreams, you must really work hard, persevere and give your best shot; for miracles don’t happen to those who do not, at least, try. Trials will always come our way and we may never always get to figure them out right then and there; but what’s important is that we try to live; we fight to survive and give it our best shot to live our dreams.

Taking a Step Forward to Success Leah C.Caido

Program Unit Supervisor (PUS) - Leah C. Caido

According to a famous quote, “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” One of the reasons why some people fail to grow is because they underestimate their own capabilities. Little did they know is that God has given them so much talent and all they need to do is develop the confidence they’d be needing to fully utilize God’s gifts to them.

Opening the Doors of Opportunity – William G. Cureg

Branch Manager - William Cureg

God has plans for us – a perfect plan way better than what we expect it to be.

William Cureg is currently the branch manager of KMBI’s Novaliches branch. Happily married with four healthy and hard working kids, William notes that he has gone through a lot of transitions and some challenges in life which tested his faith and trust in the Lord.

Reaching the Goal – Jose Archie R. Cruz

Branch Manager - Jose Archie R. Cruz

The road to reaching our dreams is never an easy one. There would be boulders which we may not be able to push at first try. If we choose to give up, how would we ever get to where we want to be? If we would just sit in one corner we won’t be able to get anywhere. “By perseverance the snail reached the ark,” said Charles Spurgeon. Remember Noah’s ark? Imagine if the snail just gave up at getting on the ark. It was a long journey for a snail considering how slow and small it is. If the snail did not persevere into getting on the ark, we would not have known about its existence.

Overcoming the Storm – Ruel A. Espiritu

Sr.PA/PUS Trainee – Ruel A. Espiritu

 When we come to encounter problems, often times, we question God why we need to go through it. The pain takes over our mind and heart leaving us depressed and full of hatred. We know it’s not right but we keep on telling ourselves that it is in our nature and we cannot help it. Remember, we always have a choice. It is our choice to, sometimes, sulk in great depression and hate the world.  Some even go to the extent of taking their own lives or other people’s.  During the past few months, we have heard of suicide stories and people shooting their loved-ones at the mall. How did things end up like this?