A Mother's Thank You Letter to a Blankie

It’s only 4:45 in the early morning. I just got back from the Newport News Williamsburg International airport after sending off Katie for California. This was her college graduation present of choice: a trip to Southern California to reunite with her High School friends. She has been home for over two weeks now, and she had been busy. She introduced us to her love for organic food and tempted me to let go of my love for fried foods and indoctrinated me to her freshly-made gourmet smoothies for breakfast. She completely unpacked all her stuff from her student apartment and re-arranged her room. Now, it looks like she intends to stay for a while again, although she was certain of being accepted on a job interview last week.

Now, I really missed her and went to her room to look around. There I saw important things that are still very dear to her heart.

Here is Pablo, from the famous Build-a-Bear Company. He sometimes becomes Pablita when Katie decided to dress her up with frills and laces. Now he is standing forlorn among her favorite books and movies.

Here is the dream catcher I bought her at a county fair in Texas, when she was still obsessed with everything America Indian.

This morning, I felt a need to feel her presence, so I decided to lie down on her bed to catch more winks of sleep before daylight. But sleep was far from reach. Then, suddenly, I felt a bulky lump from underneath her pillow. I turned on the light for closer inspection and then I saw it – Boobie (her blankie), her lifetime companion since she was a baby. Did she forget it? I knew she cannot sleep without it. Or is today, the day she says goodbye to her Boobie, a sign of total independence?

As I looked at its tattered hems, I cannot help but shed tears. I saw a few safety pins on some corner, a testament that she tried to fix some corners to prevent them from being totally frayed and worn out. It is no longer pristine white and the pictures of tiny bears wearing sky blue dresses are beyond recognition. It is now almost khaki-colored plain fabric with lots of stains and tear: signs that it had been well-used for comfort when she was sick, hurting or frustrated. Then memories of the past came flooding to my touched psyche and heart.

During her first trip to the Philippines when she was two years old, Boobie was her constant companion in the plane during the almost 30 hours flight. Boobie was in the stroller, in the car, to the beach and even in the hammock. Katie hugged and talked to Boobie when she saw my brothers butcher a goat to celebrate our homecoming. She simply could not sleep without it. A year later after needing a Myringotomy (ear tube insertion) at barely three years of age, Boobie took full center stage as she proudly displayed it to the nurses and doctors at the Surgery center.

Then, I remembered the day I dropped her off for her first day in Pre-School. She was full of excitement but extremely worried that nobody will take care of her Boobie while at school. I promised I would, and every time I come to pick her up, her Boobie would be waiting for her in the car and she would immediately grab it, rub her cheeks with it and then she would suck one corner and with her eyes close, she'd take a nap. All is well with the world with Boobie. This blankie has always been under her pillow through the years. She took it with her when we sent her off to Germany for full immersion of German Language and Culture when she was 13. She took it again to Zweibrucken as an exchange student for the Yorktown-Zweibrucken Exchange Program during her Junior year in high School. Boobie explored Switzerland, Austria, Paris and other European tourist spots. Boobie has cruised all around the Caribbean and Mexico.

When we unloaded all of Katie's belongings at her appointed Gladding Residence Center in VCU as a freshman, Boobie was the first to be unloaded. And it had been transported to two other off-campus apartments she has resided. I am pretty certain, Boobie had been her constant companion and confidante during exciting, frustrating as well as her triumphant moments as a student. I am sure it had been her refuge when her heart was broken. Boobie was there during all these times when I couldn’t or those nights when she preferred solitude. If I could, I would preserve this old, stained and “stinky” memorabilia and place it on a shadow box together with her diploma – because it certainly deserved its place there.

So to you, my dearest Boobie:
Thank you so much…
~for comforting my little girl all throughout these years when she was scared of the dark in her tiny room;

~for being her constant loyal companion, when she most needed a friend;

~for not being judgmental when she was not her own true self and when her attitude was not acceptable to my standards;

~for drying her tears when she was broken-hearted;

~and for simply being there for her in all the good and the bad times.

For the next two weeks while she is away, I will celebrate your existence. I promised not get so attached, knowing you will be needed again when she is back. I promised not to wash you, (tempted as I am) because your smell will be the first thing she will notice when she gets back. Today let us both celebrate her choice for independence away from both of us. And if perchance, she decides not to keep you, any longer, DO NOT WORRY! I will keep you for myself – forever.

by Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart

Post Script:
To all of you ladies, moms, sisters, aunts and grandmas - this blog has a special place where you can post all your longings, your thoughts and experiences. Please share with us your innermost feelings and experiences as moms, sisters, aunts and friends. If you do not want to write it, talk to us and we will help you. As sisters for Christ, it is great to share each other's burdens and happy thoughts.

Meet Junette Bofetiado

Junette Bofetiado

I am a Registered Nurse, currently working in MCVH as a Transplant Nurse. I married Alexander in July 1999. Together, we are blessed and thoroughly enjoying the privileges of having two healthy boys, Alec and Josh.

Country of Birth: Philippines

Favorite Hobbies: Cooking. I love to experiment on new recipes.

Favorite Color: Pinks and shades of Green

Favorite Food: All sorts of salads

Favorite Bible Verse: Roman 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". (KJV)

Favorite Woman in the Bible: Queen Esther and her bravery

I have always loved the story of Esther ever since I was a young girl. Her story is filled with intrigue, romance, bravery, and honor. It is the story of an orphan girl who became the chosen queen. And yet she did not forget her people and who through a curious mix of fate and need, saved her people just when she was most needed. It is truly a story of remarkable love and devotion to her own people and where she came from and the love of her King who admired her bravery.

As a woman of God, what do you need from your fellow women from the church? Prayer for strength, wisdom and guidance as a mother and as a woman.

Is there anything you want to do with other women or for other women? It would be nice if we can do some cooking together and do some outing as a group of church women, getting to know each other.

A short Story of your journey as a woman of God:

My parents have always been faithful Seventh-day Adventists. I grew up in an Adventist community and most of my contacts and friends are from the same Adventist Church and Church School.I spent most of my school days in Seventh-day Adventist schools. I graduated as a nurse at our own Adventist institution, Mountain View College in 1995. After graduation, i worked in Davao, Adventist Hospital, Davao, Philippines. There I worked for 7 years before coming to the United States. It is not any wonder that I married a Seventh-day Adventist man.

I firmly believed that God has a plan for each one of us. We just need to put our trust in Him completely.

"In A Little While" - by Renee Cerovski

I remember standing at the gate in Richmond International Airport, full to the brim with anticipation. Back in 1996, we could do that—wait inside the terminal for someone to exit the plane. I carefully scrutinized every face that came out of that gate. I wondered if I’d recognize her, or if I’d just know she was my grandma. Finally, a small Chinese woman appeared. Our family of four, Mom, Dad, Nathan and I jumped to greet her. During the whole car ride home, I was so excited: I was actually sitting next to Lau Lau. My grandma.

When Lau Lau came to visit us in Richmond 1996, I gave Lau Lau my room and I slept in Nathan’s room. She was completely different from my other grandma. I would sneak up to my bedroom and push my face against the frame to watch her through the slim crack in the door. I’d watch her do mysterious, graceful exercises every morning. At first, I thought it was a strange Buddhist ritual, but later learned it was only tai chi. She mostly kept to herself. During the day, I’d see her sitting on my bed playing Solitaire over and over. She looked so lonely. I finally got up my courage and timidly came in and sat next to her on the bed. She taught me how to play Solitaire and I was so happy that I’d found a way to connect to her.

I only saw her a few other times after that. But before I came to Korea, she got so excited. She wanted to give me a fur coat and all kinds of advice: don’t get involved with any North Korean men and to stay out of any political demonstrations. She wanted me to learn Chinese over there so we could talk. She wanted to tell me all about her life and about being Chinese. It tugged at my heart. Why hadn’t I tried harder? It was one of my life-goals, but the time never seemed right to learn.

About two months before I came to Korea, Lau Lau got sick. She broke her wrist and Mom wanted to go to her so badly, but she couldn’t because the timing didn’t work out. I went to Korea, knowing that I’d go to Hong Kong at some point.

In March, I learned that she was doing much worse. She hadn’t healed well from her injury back in October and had lost a lot of weight. She had advanced-stage lung cancer and it had spread to her bones. Mom got on the earliest flight to Hong Kong and got there at the beginning of April. Once in Hong Kong, Mom said Lau Lau was slowly doing better, so I decided to go at the end of April during my term break.

After I arrived in Hong Kong, I took the bus to Sheng Shui, the small town where Lau Lau lived. It’s the New Territories, almost in China. Mom met me at the bus stop. She told me that Lau Lau was doing better, but she had lost a lot of weight and was still very weak. Even though I knew this, nothing could prepare me for the shock of actually seeing her. I couldn’t recognize her at all. The tiny, stick-thin woman who greeted me with a tired voice looked nothing like the Lau Lau I had known, or rather, always wished I’d known better. However, her mind and will were still as strong as ever. Mom said that the doctors said she should have at least 6-8 more months.
That night, as I sat on the couch next to Lau Lau, she started talking to me.
“Soon….Lau Lau go bye-bye…” she said in mixed Chinese and English. She pointed at herself and made sleeping gestures with her hands. I understood her, but pretended I didn’t. I took her hand.
“I’m praying for you,” I forced myself to say. For some reason, speaking had become almost impossible.
Mom walked over, and Lau Lau started talking to her.
“Lau Lau wants to say goodbye. She wants you to take good care of yourself, you have a good future,” Mom translated.

I couldn’t keep the tears from spilling out.
“Lau Lau says you’re a good girl. She says not to cry.” Mom said and I managed to hold it back.
Those next few days felt like I’d hit the “pause” button on my life. Every day, I’d wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed and go walk around Sheng Shui with Mom. We’d look at clothes, or pick out food for lunch. After a couple hours, we go back home and cook lunch. Depending on how she felt, Lau Lau might join us. I’d take a nap while Mom talked to Lau Lau. Then, we go out again and repeat the process until dinner. Sometimes my aunt came home early enough for us to make dinner with her. Then, we’d all sit in front of the TV and watch Chinese game shows and dramas. Those few days in Hong Kong are so precious to me. When I came to Hong Kong before, I was always a tourist. Now I wasn’t a tourist, just Lau Lau’s granddaughter who had come to visit.

That Sabbath, my 24th birthday, Lau Lau decided to become a Christian. People from the local SDA church came over in the afternoon and anointed her. They prayed for her and sang with her. When they sang “God Will Take Care of You” in Chinese, Lau Lau looked so happy. I know that this was one of Mom’s greatest wishes come true.

In June, I got an e-mail from Mom saying that Lau Lau had passed away in the night. She had been in the hospital for a few days and was in a lot of pain. They gave her a lot of morphine and oxygen and it made her drift in and out of consciousness.
I learned one Chinese phrase this last time I was in Hong Kong. “Yet tsung geen” means approximately, “see you later.” It’s “good-bye,” but not for long. We’d tell that to Lau Lau whenever we went out shopping. After she passed away, I remembered that phrase. As a Christian, it expresses the greatest hope I have. This isn’t good-bye forever. I’ll see her again, in a world where there is no more sickness or pain. Yet tsung geen, Lau Lau.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV

Getting to know the Women in our church

MEET MARCELA ALEXANDER



I am originally from Brazil. My family were originally German miners who migrated to South America and lived in Chile for a while. I am married to Hebe Duarte, a Civil Engineer. Heber is a Pastor's son whom I met at an Adventist Retreat-Revival Camp when I was in college. We got married in Patterson June 16, 1991. Together we have two beautiful girls: Sofia and Sabrina.



Country of Birth: Sao Paolo, Brazil. It is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the western and southern hemisphere, and the world's eighth largest city by population. The city is ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among the five-largest metropolitan areas on the planet. São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state and exerts strong regional influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment.

Favorite things to do: Spending time with my daughters.

Favorite Color: Yellow

Favorite Food: Italian food: Pasta and anything Italian

Favorite Bible Verses:

Joshua 1:9 "Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Do not be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.
Romans 12:2 "Do not shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; then you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect."

Favorite Woman in the Bible and why: Ruth

Ruth was poor, a foreigner from a despised Moabite nation, and a woman, and all this counted against her. But when her husband died, she decided to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi and faithfully followed her including her beliefs in her God. She shared loneliness, anxiety and grief with her and returned with Naomi to Bethlehem. Because of her unfaltering loyalty, God blessed her. She married a close relative of Naomi and had a son called Obed who grew up to be the grandfather of King David

As a woman of God, what do you need from your fellow women from the church or what can you do to help other women? ~ I love helping the Spanish Community as a translator. I am multi-lingual and speak Spanish, German, Portuguese and English. I am very open to any task that I am needed for the church.

Tell us a Story of your life's journey as a woman of God - My mother's family are mostly Catholics. My father was a former Lutheran. But in Brazil, to get a good education, you have to enroll at the Adventist Church School. So, I grew up with Adventists all my life. Most of my friends as a young woman were all Adventists. So it was normal for me to become an Adventist and to go to church regularly and attend all retreats and revival meetings for the youth. I attended college at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Federal University of Minas Gerais, abbreviated as UFMG). It is a public university located in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is one of Brazil's five largest universities, being the largest federal university. Then I taught as an Agronomist, specializing in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. After meeting my husband,who is an Adventist Minister's son, it was only expected that I become a true believer on the faith. We both came to America to work in 1989, got married in June 16, 1991 At Patterson. I was meant to be a Seventh-day Adventist.

Getting to know the Women in our Church

ROSANA MARIA SANTOS

I am happily married to my husband Altamir and I am blessed to have these three boys that God gave to me: BRUNO, GABRIEL and ANDREW.

Country of Origin: BRAZIL

Favorite things to do: Play volleyball

Favorite Color: Red (also Black)

Favorite food: PASTA

Favorite Bible Verse: Psalms 23 New International Version
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness.
For His name's sake.
Even tough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for You are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You annoint my head with oil, my cup oveflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Favorite Woman of the Bible: Hannah

Hannah was a good woman who loved God. But she was sad, for she had no children. Each year, her husband took her to a place called Shiloh, where they worshiped God. And each year, Hannah prayed a special prayer that God would give her a child. One year, she prayed, "Dear God, if You will only give me a son, I will give him back to You, to serve You all his days."
Hannah desperately wanted a son. She even promised that if God gave her a baby boy, she would dedicate him to doing the LORD's work. And God heard her prayer. It must have been difficult for Hannah to keep her promise, but she did by giving her son Samuel to Eli the priest.Because of a mother's great love and trust in God, her son became a great priest, prophet and leader in Israel.


As a woman of God,what do you need from your fellow women in the Church? I need your prayers, support, smiles and hugs.

Is there anything you want to do with the other women or for other women? I would really love to go out at least once a month, just to talk and have fun together to share our experiences and prayers for one another.

Life's journey as a Woman of God:

My parents were not Adventists. But my grandmother was a devout Adventist and she took me to Sabbath School as often as possible. And that is how I knew my Jesus through my grandmother. I am very happy and fortunate to find a good and wonderful husband who also love God. We both want our children to grow up in the Lord. I pray every day for God to bless my family. And for God to give me patience in dealing with Andrew's health needs. God is so good and He is with me, every step of the way. I feel helpless sometimes and I just pray to God because oftentimes I do not know what to do. But He always has a ready anser to my prayers.

Leap of Faith

There is nothing quite as rewarding in life as doing something you never thought possible. I recently had the opportunity to take a leap of faith out of a plane, something I never really thought I could do. Sure, I had put it on my bucket list, and I certainly thought it was something I wanted to do before I died. But as I drove to Delaware to the skydiving site, my stomach just got more and more twisted.

More than once I thought of calling my friends and telling them I would not be able to join them. Yet, I kept driving. Something inside me kept pushing me to take this leap.

Once I arrived at the site, they had us fill out all this paperwork "in the event of an accident"...yikes, nerves came back big time!

Then it was time to meet our dive instructors. My instructor's name was Joe. He pointed me in the direction of the suits and then got started on placing the harness on me. As he tightened all the various cords to me, I began to feel my body relax.

They called our names to board the plane, my body relaxed even more. By the time we were up in the air I felt such a thrill that my nerves were completely gone. "I'm doing this", I kept thinking.

There was a "ding" in the cabin and Joe announced "three minutes till we jump". Before I realized what was happening, the door of the plane opened and out went the more experienced divers. Joe started shouting orders at me over the noise of the plane: "stand up", "walk to the door", "on your mark, set, go"...and off we went. It had all happened so fast I had no time to get nervous again before we plunged into the open air.

I always imagined that skydiving was a bit like a roller coaster. That my stomach would surge as I fell, and that the earth would be approaching me at an alarming speed. Yet, the reality was quite different. It felt like I was floating, the ground looked the same as if I were looking out of an airplane window. The view was magnificent. The Chesapeake on one side and Ocean City on the other.

Before long Joe flashed me the signal to open my parachute. It was a smooth ride down to the bottom.

A incredible sense of accomplishment flooded me as I finally hit the ground. I had done something crazy. I had taken a leap of faith.

This experience will continually remind me that taking a little risk can be incredibly rewarding if you have the right instructor on your side. "With God, all things are possible".

Getting to know the Women in our church

Meet Idaflor Gozo Cabaluna

Short Bio: I graduated from Mountain View College in 1979. Just like many Filipinos, I wanted to be a nurse so I could help lift up my family from poverty and help other family members financially so they too can have a brighter future. After taking some qualifying exams I went to work to Saudi Arabia and spent four years in Jeddah and Riyadh from 1984. After passing the CGFNS examination, I arrived in Connecticut in 1988 and then moved to New York to start a family. My goal in life has not changed. I have helped a lot of other Filipinos come to America and helped them start their new lives here. I am still supporting a lot of relatives in the Philippines, helping them reach their goals of finishing their college degrees so they too can achieve their dreams.

Now, I am so blessed to have married Tom, an Adventist whose goals are just like mine: making sure that our two children Jabriel and Krezhia love Jesus and make Him first in their lives. Jabriel is enjoying his studies in VCU while Krezhia is now in the Philippines to finish her High School and eventually follow my footsteps in pursuing a career in Nursing. It is a lot of sacrifice to send my baby, my Krezhia away at her young age, but this is what she always wanted and I can only support her with every step of the way. I am comforted with the thought that she is in an Adventist Institution, following her dreams. Tom is with her right now during her adjustment period, and both of us will do everything we can to show her that we love her and wish her only the best. It is never easy to be separated from the people that you love, but when it is for their best interest and happiness, I know my sacrifices will not be in vain. I have learned through the years that putting your complete trust in God is the blessed assurance that all will be well.

Hobbies: Sewing and crafts

Favorite color: BLUE

Favorite Bible Verse: John 14:1-3 "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in Me. There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if this was not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me, so that you may be where I am."

Favorite Woman in the Bible: RUTH. Ruth was a young foreigner who became a widow at a very young age. She could have chosen to leave her mother-in-law and got married again on her own. But instead, she was loyal and faithful to the aging Naomi and stayed with her, taking care of her and listening to her for her wisdom and advice. She had shared loneliness, anxiety and grief with Naomi, and now that the older woman was completely alone, Ruth would not abandon her. ‘But Ruth said,
“Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
Where you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die
There I will be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me
And more as well
If even death parts me from you!”’

So the two women returned to Bethlehem in time for the autumn harvest of barley.Because of her faithfulness God provided for her a better life.She became the wife of Boaz, a rich and good man, and she had a son, Obed. Eventually, Ruth would be the great-grandmother of King David.

As a woman of God, what do you need from other women in the church: I just want us to be closer to each other, just like sisters, sharing our experiences as wives, moms and women.

I grew up as an Adventist and I will never depart from the doctrines and beliefs that I grew up with. I have dedicated my life and the lives of my family to God. He knows what is best for us.