Monthly Archives: December 2010

January Updates

We are taking a bit of a Christmas Break, but things start up again strong in January. Here are a FEW of things going on during the month.

1. January 4th (all day) . “Shepherd in Every Classroom” training being held for teachers at Union School International, in Baguio City, Philippines.

2. January 6, 10am – 12pm. Proctor Training for those who want to volunteer with us in overseeing IQ and personality testing.

3. January 10-14. Psychometric testing at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Maybe because of all the training seminars, testing, and projects, we get asked if we do counseling. YES! We do free individual and group counseling, as well as referrals in the Baguio area. Contact us if you need help.

The “Ceppo”. A Christmas Thought

A ceppo is a Christmas decoration used in Italy. It consists of a wooden frame filled with symbolic gifts. Typically, the frame exists in three tiers.
Bottom Tier. Manger scene, representing the gift of God.
Middle Tier. Fruits and nuts, representing gifts of the earth.
Top Tier. Items representing the gifts of man.
Topping the ceppo is often a pineapple representing hospitality, or a star, representing the star of Bethlehem.

It is good to be thankful at Christmas… and in fact, year around. The gifts of man are nice… but they are unreliable, as man is just as good (if not better) at taking as giving. The gifts of the earth are wonderful and more reliable… but nature’s bounty can also be temperamental and can bring destruction as well. However, God’s gift is a sure thing… that’s why it is at the foundational level. We can count on God’s gifts, and hope for the rest.

Christmas Break

We are taking a bit of a break for the Christmas holidays. We will start things up again starting January 4th with Pastoral Care training at USI, and personality testing it IHM-La Trinidad the following week (with some others of us at Lide-Walker).
NOTE: Slots for CPE I (March 21 – May 28) are filling up fast. God to the ARTICLES section of http://www.bukallife.org and download the CPE application form now if you want to be considered for chaplaincy training.