Fr Colin Apap gives seven thousand one hundred and seven (7,107) reasons why his eight-year stay in the Philippines makes a tapestry of life.
7,107 reasons by the God of Surprises
“What, are you still here? Don’t you know that you were supposed to leave for Manila an hour ago?” That was the beginning of a divine adventure by the God of Surprises! A first YES to God who is Love – a YES that implies a long chain of other Yeses.
I never ever thought of going to the Philippines. Once I said YES to God to follow Him as a priest I was convinced that missionary work was part and parcel of my choice. Brazil was my dream. Like so many other seminarians of my time. Yet God of Surprises had other plans for me…
I was eating dinner with a group of friends at Scuola Internazionale di Formazione of the Opera di Maria in an old dilapidated Capuchins’ convent in Frascati, Italy. Frascati, for me, was not only famous for its wine. For us these were the first adventures as foreign students visiting Italy as part of our ‘cultural love’ for the Italian language (of course, everything paid by the University authorities). I remember the first time we visited Frascati, a group of adventurous seminarians, our main concern was how to enjoy the delicacies of Frascati. I never thought that Frascati was to be the jumping plank to Manila!
I went to Frascati School for six months - after I was ordained a priest. I had my own dreams for my future. Hoping they coincided with what I thought was God’s loving Plan for me (I did think that God, in my case, would need a little prodding). My plans were to go to Oxford, read an MSc degree in Applied Social Sciences and then return to continue my assignment with Mgr Charles Vella of Cana Movement. All that had to change. I don’t know why, really. But I did believe that was God’s plan for me.
