Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A True Friend

You are a true friend till the end...we will miss you !!!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Tito Manny is God's Miracle

I met Tito Manny during a CLP session at St. John of the Cross, carrying an oxygen tank and speaks with a lot of effort. I prayed in silence and said, "God whatever he is going through please heal him". Dec. 2006 was when God answered that prayer. After his recovery, I keep on telling Tito Manny that God is so real and so alive because he is the manifestation of God's miracle.
From then on, Tito Manny has a special place in my heart. Although I worked with Tito Manny for such a short time, I was so awed with his dedication and enthusiasm inspite of his medical condition. His example is truly an inspiration especially to people like myself who still struggles with being faithful. Tito Manny is truly a faithful servant up to the end. Surely God is well pleased with him.

I will truly miss you. Thanks for the inspiration, thanks for the care, thanks for the light that you carried when we were doubting and feeling not worthy in our service, thanks for showing us hope. We love you so much.

Bro. Manny - A tireless servant with a gentle spirit

All of us have been richly blessed by the way Bro. Manny loved us, either through his tireless service in our CFC community or through his sharings, reflections and encouragements. While a lot of us complain of burnout or just being tired in our meetings or service, I've never heard of our Bro. Manny complain even with an oxygen tank on his shoulders or even when it was obvious that he is not in the best of health, gasping for air or breathing heavily. A few months after his transplant, there he was standing in the podium giving glory to our God, witnessing to God's loving kindness, encouraging those who were down. Every time he shares his experiences in the podium, tears usually fall from my eyes even though I've heard the same sharing from a number of our activities.

Bro. Manny, truly you are God''s gift to our community and to all of us. You have a raised the bar of unselfish service to our Lord.

Kuya Manny - a True Servant

Kuya Manny,
Allow me to describe to you 3 simple phrases, it comes from my heart.
You LIVE well, You LAUGH often and You LOVE much!
Thank you Kuya Manny for showing me these things, thank you for bringing the best in us. You have showed us faith, perseverance and love. You have not only touch our lives, but have touched thousands of lives. We will miss you so much and we will continue to remember you always. You will always be in our hearts

love,
lilet

Manny was a Bishop's DOL (Driver of the Lord)

Manny Aquino was a loved DOL (Driver of the Lord) serving the Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto then, during the World Youth Day, Bishop de Angelis. Whereever the Bishop goes, Manny goes. to meetings of religious groups, to announcement in churches of the WYD, to the offices of the Bishop. He was there, tired, but just smiling.

And during the WYD, we had to harness the more than 500 volunteers in the practices, briefings, food distribution and things we did for the volunteers.

It was tiring but Manny never complained. Just remembering the DOL.

Sonny Bautista
Rey and I first met Bro. Manny during our CLP in 1998. When the reflection song, " Father Make Us One", was sung, someone from behind was doing harmony in a very rich resounding tenor. Both Rey & I looked behind and saw Bro Manny with his eyes closed singing with all his heart. It sounded like he was singing a love song for the Lord, much sweeter than the song that a lover sings for the object of his love or a lullaby that a mother sings for her baby. We knew right away that this man ( we still do not know him at that time) is genuinely in love with the Lord, you can clearly hear it from his singing.
It was music that brought our families close. Rey and I have emulated the way he served the Music Ministry, the way he used the gift that the Lord had given him, to give glory back to the Lord. He became our inspiration, as such, our family followed the legacy of Bro Manny in using music to serve the Lord.
My daughter said that it meant so much for the 3 of them to hear Tito Manny's " good job, girls!" when they sing because it feel like an affirmation from the Lord.
Bro Manny, I shall always hear your beautiful rich tenor voice from the first song I heard you sing to the last song " Volare" with twisted lyrics, " me blue da pinto is blue".
Thank you for always suggesting that I should only be ordering size L for our music ministry shirts instead of XL.
Thank you for the music, thank you for your service to us in the Music Ministry, thank you for serving the people of God! A job well done! A tough act to follow!

Bro. Manny...my Buddy..my Friend...my Inspiration!

Kapatid,

You may not know this but most of the time when I feel tired of all the work, just a glance at you will perk me up...I will treasure the times when you gave me encouraging words just when I needed it and help me discern whenever I need to make decisions...Making decision to push through with our mission trip to Africa made it easier for us because of your encouraging words...I will treasure the times when I have no one to turn to, you will always be there to accompany me to go to the different pastors, to go out to scout for the different venues for our activities, and prepare materials that I need...you are my knight in shining armour....I will also miss the times that we will go out and eat japanese food...coffee together and most of all your laughters...

I can still vividly remember the words you told me right after your transplant..." Bro. Jun, as soon as I get well, I will go with you in Africa and other mission trips because I know God has given me time to live to do His works..."


...I WILL MISS YOU BRO...!!! You have been an inspiration to all of us!!! You have won God's race!

God bless

Bro. Jun (Clarito)





A true soldier

Kuya Manny,

You have been a source of inspiration to us, you have lived fully for the Lord thru CFC and you have been very faithful.
Because of your service i have learned that you don't need to be a CFC full-time worker to be a full-time worker for the Lord & CFC, while we complain you just move on and make things happen! Indeed you have taken the right path, you have built not only a highway but a FREEWAY to heaven, though it was built with your own life, many who will decide to follow already learned alot from you.
You're not only a soldier, for the Lord you are HIS General.

Francis Yap

He is a spartan of Christian ways and a gentle soldier

Manny was someone special when I met him. He was wearing a coat and a brilliant tie. He was a good dresser and I was right. He likes good clothes. But that is only a wish ... deep in him he wears the armour of God and wears a breastplate of honesty and love for God.

We will miss him ...