It was my 9th birthday, I had only two (2) wishes then, one is I would like to see how i would look like if I had a fair complexion, two, I always wanted to have new t-shirts those printed ones because all of my clothes or at least the shirts are either old, needs mending or does not fit me anymore.

And believe it or not, all these wishes came true, you might be thinking 'very shallow', but you have to read on and find out, if it really is.

It was November 9, 1976, the past five months I was a 'Sakristan' an altar boy for our parish church in Marcopper and our Chapel in our school, I do not know it then something attracted me to serving in the church as a Sakristan, I even fight for slots just to be able to serve. Sometimes I think if I remember it right is I attend almost 3 times in a day on Sundays or Saturdays, and at least 3 times a week on a regular day on our schools chapel. Maybe its the prestige or personnal satisfaction, I cannot say its because I am very religious, but yet I know the value of going to church regularly.

You see, I was attending a dominican school then ran by sisters and well suffice to say the sisters are very keen on the students observing the Catholic practices. I am the eldest son of both working parents we are not rich but were not poor. I have all my needs, as necessary and as timely as possible, nothing in excess. I was an average child, but very outgoing, loves to play outside and under the sun. You could only imagine how dark complexioned I am. So, Im always teased 'Negro','Maitim' by classmates..during those times although I really never paid attention to it, but it also got to me. I dont have much clothes so, my church clothes and casual clothes, especially the shirts are all the same and I had probably then three (3) that I can use and these are very old ones, no new ones.

And so I never really prayed to GOD to grant me my wishes but I always thought about the wishes. And by golly, on my Birthday, the first thing that happened was when i looked in the MIRROR, I could not believe but for the first time in my life I was looking at myself with a reflection of me having a fair skin. And later in the afternoon during my birthday celebration I was not even getting any gifts yet. I was already depressed but since a lot of my friends where there my mind was quickly off of my gifts. Alas, I could still remember the setting, the sun has just gone down the whole surrounding dimly lit because the evening was here, a Toyota Land Cruiser stopped in front our house and a friend of my dad alighted from the vehicle with a gift as I presumed then and I was right it was a gift, I greeted my dads friend he gave me the gift and greeted me back with a Happy Birthday, I went ahead and opened the gift and what do you know it was 2 freshly printed t-shirts, now all my wishes came true, what a day, I did not even remember if I thank the LORD our GOD for it, but again as I was trying to impart with this sharing of experience, that our LORD Hears our every prayer and wishes, and young as I must have been during that time I know GOD rewarded me for all the good deeds that I must have done and I must have really pleased HIM then.

But GOD gives us what we need even before we ask for it, but HE gives it on HIS own time, on our side let us try to do HIS will and hope to please HIM and everything else will be given to us..all your wishes come true. Amen.