Austria, Laughing, and the Filipinos...

Greetings people,

I had another memorable night tonight. Tonight was the first night I led worship in a European country. Granted, the people were Filipino, it was still in Europe. It's been so long since I've been able to praise like the way we did tonight. Thank you all you members of Couples For Christ and Singles for Christ in Vienna.

The day started out with me heading towards school. After, I met up with Cay and Jun at the Starbucks near the Operahaus. We then drove to Cay's house in the 22nd district. Jun and I took turns playing praise and worship songs together. I never realized how many praise and worship songs I don't know. It's like Europe has this secret stash of P&W that we haven't seen yet. But it was good. After an hour of playing, Jun tells me that we are playing for a prayer meeting tonight. Suprise :-) We left for the meeting at around 7 PM.

I felt like I was back in the Philippines! We stepped out of the car and immediately, as we walked into the Couples for Christ Center, I was greeted by smiling Filipino faces. There are so many Pinoys here in Vienna. I will never feel separated from my peoples. We, Filipinos, are some of the most adaptable people. Once I met a Pinoy in Haiti (of all places), and he tells me that there is a community of 300 Filipinos working construction there. Wow. So I'm greeted by Filipinos and they notice I am from the US from my accent. We speak in Tagalog and I felt so at home. For a moment I forgot I was in Austria.

Worship was awesome tonight. I was actually on guy singing, because Jun decided to leave me hanging by not taking a mic. Thanks Jun :-) JK. However, the prayer was led by an Austrian man who was married to a Filipina. He was real cool. I told him I was from Dallas and he asked me where JR from the show Dallas was. I have no idea. But he was still really cool. Tonight, a missionary from Couples for Christ Philippines gave a talk. He spoke about loving and what real love means. It was very good.

After the session was over, I met a whole mess of Filipinos again. They invited me back to play on Saturday for their general assembly. So that's what I'll be doing this weekend. Rock on. We left the center and then a whole bunch of us started piling into cars. I was told that we were going to get some Austrian sausages and gelato. Heck yeah, life is good. We drove to Stephensplatz and walked around for a bit. I love Vienna at night, it is so beautiful. I mean, its not like crazy busy like New York at night, but it's very chill and relaxed. Yet so many people are out having wine or gelato or just walking around. Very different from the rest of Austria, which shuts down after 7pm. Probably because everyone walking around is not from Austria... After the food, I felt stuffed. We walked around for a bit more.

I love being with Filipinos, because they know how to laugh. They will laugh at everything. I think it's because they have endured so much from the country's past. Therefore, nothing must be taken so seriously, or else how else are you going to make it through life? Life is hard... we should learn lessons from the island peoples. Laugh. Right now. Seriously. Tickle your feet or think of the time you peed your pants in the third grade (ok maybe that left some emotional scars). But laugh at your life, because it's pretty funny if you think about it... I was reading GK Chesterton the other night and he says that "truth is not solemn, because the truth of life is that it is laughable..."