Both our parents came from
the island of Leyte in the Philippines. Our father (we call him "Papa") came from the town of Naval while our mother
(we call her "Mama") from the town of Villaba. They were married on May 15, 1961 in Villaba but started their family
in Naval where Papa was the justice of the peace and Mama the pharmacist in the local hospital. They had four children
(Lelit, Bella, Nathan, and Daisy) while living in Naval. In 1967, when Papa was appointed as a government prosecutor
for the province of Leyte, the family moved to Tacloban City (the capital of Leyte). Mama (who was also a teacher) then
taught at the Leyte National High School and the then St. Paul's College. Two other children (Ethel and Felix, Jr.)
were born to them there. Papa's being assigned to Ormoc City in 1970 necessitated another move. This time, the
family settled in Villaba, it being nearer Ormoc. The last two children (Glenn and Helga) were born in Villaba.
That makes eight children in all!
What fun we had while
we were growing up in Villaba. With Lelit as our leader, we would do comical skits, shadow pictures, puppet plays, treasure
hunts, aside from the rough-and-tumble games. Children would come to our house to play with us. Our parents never
minded the noise we made as long as we stay inside the house. Despite being busy with his work, Papa made time to teach
us the 3 Rs - reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. He was a strict teacher. Before we would start our lessons, he
would first let us sing our national anthem and recite our pledge of allegiance. His hard work paid off. All his
children entered school well-prepared and confident. Then in 1978, Lelit had to go to college in Tacloban. Because
the others would soon be bound for college, our parents bought a house in V&G (a subdivision in Tacloban) and that's where
the younger ones grew up. At present, most of the family members are still living there.
Nathan was the
first child in our family who got married. He met his wife, Vilma Tupaz (from Dulag, Leyte) in college and they were
married in 1985. They had two children (Dikki and Kienne); however, Dikki (the first child, grandchild, and niece) got
sick and died in 1987 at the age of 2. What a sad, sad day for us all. She was a very smart kid, very loving,
lots of fun. She loved Jesus so much and even told us not to be sad because she's going to heaven. We'll always
miss her. Then in 1992, God blessed Nathan and Vilma with a baby boy - Jan Vincent (whom we fondly call "Ian").
How we rejoiced in his birth.
In 1993, Lelit died
after an illness. She was also a person who loved the Lord with all her heart and her witness shone through to the very
end. The next years brought new triumphs - graduating from college, passing Board exams, finding work and, in 1999,
two marriages - Bella (to Kevin Combs from California, USA) and Felix, Jr. (to Evelyn Alcazar from Ibaan, Batangas).
Three more grandchildren
were added to Papa and Mama's family after that - Joshua (Bella and Kevin's son) and Therese and Bea (Felix, Jr. and Evelyn's
daughters). Then in 2001, after an illness, the Lord took Papa home to be with Him. In 2003, our family again
faced tragedy when Daisy got sick and died. Going through another death just two years after Papa's death
was so hard to take but, with God's grace, we made it through. God was our Great Comforter.
The Lord has blessed
our family in so many ways and we are constantly amazed by His goodness. On December 2003 and March 2004, He added to
our family two cute little girls - Kaylin (Bella and Kevin's daughter) and Kyla (Kienne's daughter).
Years
afterwards, Glenn met Judy Justimbte and they started a family. A son, Kenji, was born to them in 2008 and a daughter,
Sofia, the year after that. Children are indeed a blessing from the Lord. Thank you, God, for each
member of this family.
The year 2012 was a challenging year for us. Bella got sick
and Mama died. Such is the circle of life. Through all these, our family remained strong. God's constant
presence and help sustained us. We are so blessed.
