God's servant for life

Indeed, once a Lingkod, always a Lingkod. As I am writing this, I have been in Lingkod for over 13 years! I had my Christian Life Program (CLP) in Lingkod-Makati in 1994, moved to Lingkod-Alabang in 1997 as part of its Mission Team and serving as Branch Women's Moderator (BWM). Prior to my joining the Lingkod National Office as its Fund Development Head in 2003, I was also part of the Branch Visitation Team (BVT) and I was tasked to oversee the Cebu, Mactan and Ormoc branches. Early this year, I moved to Lingkod Ormoc to continue serving in Lingkod as a married person, ably supporting my husband, Junjun Ocampo, who happens to be its current Branch Leader. At present, I am still serving the National Office as its Regional Fund Development head for the Visayas.

I would always say that "I love Lingkod!" I recognized that it is Lingkod that God will use to bring healing to my wounded past and it is through Lingkod that I will experience God's unconditional love through the brothers and sisters. True enough, it was in Lingkod Makati that God showed how faithful He is to me. The love of my action group and my other brothers and sisters helped heal the painful memories of my childhood, having been raised in a broken family.

My experience in Lingkod Makati was what convicted me to serve God faithfully through Lingkod. I was healed to help others. I have been blessed to be a blessing. So when I was asked to be part of the mission team for Lingkod Alabang, I immediately said yes. Ever since that time, my default answer every time I'm asked to serve is "Yes." My constant Yes is my way of saying thank you to God for all that He has done for me.

In one of my prayer times, God spoke very powerfully to me through Psalm 116:12 "How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?" I was certain at that time that God was calling me to be His servant at the National Office. That call came three years after a very fruitful and joyful service as Alabang's BWM.

I really wasn't sure at that time how someone from Cavite would be willing to go to Quezon City where the National Office of Lingkod is and serve as its Fundraiser, a service and work very unfamiliar to me. It was "pure grace" that I survived almost four hours travel time every time I would go to the office.

Fundraising is a service not many would volunteer doing. They say it takes a lot of guts to do it! But I realized that fundraising is not about guts —it's about believing in the mission of your organization and believing in it passionately. And I have passion for the cause of Lingkod in abundance. I've appreciated in my own life and the lives of my brothers and sisters how Lingkod has been used by God to transform ordinary single men and women to become faithful and committed men and women serving God with so much love and joy. Through fundraising, I discovered other talents and gifts God has given me. I would look back and thank God for allowing me to serve Him in that capacity. I would praise God and thank Him for sending me brothers and sisters who made serving Him a blissful experience!

A little over eight months ago, I experienced God's steadfast love once again through the sacrament of marriage. I can't thank God enough for giving me a husband/brother who is also very passionate about serving and loving the Lord. My husband Junjun Ocampo hails from Ormoc City, Leyte. And after much discernment, I decided to move to Ormoc with my husband right after the wedding.

I am certain that God called me here to Ormoc — interestingly enough, serving God here is as hectic as in Manila. Junjun and I are not only serving in Lingkod but we are also given opportunities to serve in BCBP, and other religious organizations here. Nothing really compares to the joy of serving the Lord! Our house has become the home of our brothers and sisters here — they have become part of our family budget. Thanks to the formation we received from Lingkod and Ligaya, serving each other has become our way of life! We would always say "pinagsisilbihan nga namin ang hindi namin kakilala yung isa't isa pa."

Last May, as Junjun and I agreed, I went back to work. I have been blessed to be doing something I love to do: training. Junjun is an invaluable help because most of my trainings are in Bisaya, Tagalog and English. Junjun is as equally blessed in his work. Our clients are like manna from heaven — they just come. We know very well that it is God who leads us to the right customers. Thanks be to God for continuously blessing the work of our hands.

From Makati to Alabang to Quezon City to Ormoc and wherever God will bring me, I will continue serving Him with love, zeal and gladness — the only response I know for all of God's goodness to me!

Vannie Siloterio-Ocampo