Day 8/40: The Season is Here!!!

I'm supposed to catch up on some backlogged work tonight but I just can't seem to move on unless I am able to catch up on my backlogged blogposts. Priorities, priorities. Haha. So here goes my first entry for tonight.

7 years ago, GK started another radical "event" that has been on my and my family's calendar for...7 years now too. The Bayani Challenge. What started as a simple call to heroism of going out of your comfort zones and daily routine for 5 days to create homes for those affected by the landslide in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte has become an annual thing. Not only for me and my family but for our fellow volunteers, advocates, missionaries, partners and those who wants to have an extraordinary summer adventure with friends and colleagues. Bayani Challenge is extra special for me because I always get to join with my family. I love out-of-town trips and mission trips with family and friends!

I only got to join 3 out of the 7 because of school. But now, I will get to join as much as I want. No summer classes to mess with my summer plans anymore. Mwahahaha! 

Bayani Challenge 2006 at St. Bernard, So. Leyte. Too bad 3 Balatayos were missing so they have to endure listening to the exciting stories of the little boys. Matt was still the cutest Balatayo back then! :) Unforgettable and the best Bayani Challenge for me.

Bayani Challenge 2007 in Sorsogon with only 3 Balatayos this time but the Paraisong Pambata team were also there minus Anne and Dawn. But another Scihi team joined us as well. Happy and fun and inspiring!

All of my Bayani Challenge adventures are on the top of my list of unforgettable moments in my 23 years of existence. Well, I actually don't have the list right now but I'm pretty sure they'll make it there. Last year's Bayani Challenge was held in Cebu so I was really, really excited because first, it'd be my first Bayani Challenge as a GK fulltime worker, second, it was held in my home province, third, my alma mater, USC, had a team for the first time, fourth, my bestfriends were there with us and fifth, the whole family was there!

Bayani Challenge 2011 in Bantayan Island, Cebu. Balatayos: complete attendance! But we didn't get to have a family picture which I supposedly want because everyone (even Poipoi with Paraisong Pambata and spreading his cute-ness throughout the island) was too busy doing their own thing. Hectic! :)

This year's Bayani Challenge will be held in 5 provinces, in 6 different locations: Cagayan de Oro, Masbate, Iligan, Occidental Mindoro and Negros Oriental (Amlan and Dumaguete). That means six times the inspiration and excitement throughout the Philippines! Though I kinda am scared because I am part of the Secretariat and Online team and this will be quite a nightmare, but I trust that we can pull this off and because God is in control and this is His work, not ours. March is the time of GK's calendar where everyone is cramming, making arrangements, booking flights, team meetings, and registering for the upcoming event and so this is one of the craziest times for Team GK too but one of the most exciting as well.

If you haven't been to any GK activity, this one is a good first GK thing. If you're a GK volunteer and haven't tried this, oh em, are you kidding me??!! You're missing a lot kapatid! Haha. If you're in the state of searching your purpose in life and your soul and your heart's desire, this is a recommended non-silent retreat. Not necessarily will it lead you to become a die hard GK builder, but it'll definitely make you think through your priorities and see what's most important in your life, in one's life. If you're looking for inspiration, then be overwhelmed because you'll be seeing loads of those. If you're looking for love, well you might just find him/her there. Yihee! If you want a summer tan, well, that you will most definitely get. Sunburn pa! Bayani tan we call that. If you're a cynic, well, you have to keep an open mind and open heart when you join this one and allow the spirit to move you. If you're in for an adventure, this will definitely make it to your expectations. Sleeping on tents, waking up early, sleeping late, CR not CR-able (Haha), cooking food, dancing, singing, partying all night with the rest of the GK family and still have all the strength and energy to work and build the next day. Immerse with the locals, listen to the stories of the families, meet new people, share your story, listen to the inspiring talks, wag maging KJ, participate, run, laugh, shout, cry, love and have fun. It's just for 5 days but boy will you have a Bayani Challenge hangover after I tell ya! Other teams still meet up for the whole duration of the summer just to reminisce and deepen the friendship and the commitment. Tell me about it! I have met a lot of good friends from those 3 years of attending.

So head over to the Bayani Challenge webpage, over here, and join us for one heck of a summer of a lifetime! Not yet convinced, this post might help you decide.

I am excited just writing this post and anxious as well as I am quite sure that the Bayani Challenge gmail inbox is flooding right now. Haha. Okay, enough with the anxiety, focus on the goal, to allow more volunteers to experience this extraordinary adventure and share the GK spirit, the GK way. For God and country! Magregister na! :)