Of Churches and New Adventures

     Hey wanderers, what's up?  I owe you guys an apology for not updating my blogs frequently this year. I have several truly valid reasons why I've been away which I've explained on a separate POST. Do click on the link if you're curious as to what I've been doing since my previous updates.

     Anyway, last November 8, my brother left for the United States to embark on a new adventure. He was a bit tensed days before his flight so we've decided to calm his nerves by visiting some familiar churches in our area. I told my brother that he needs to pray for courage and seek for God's blessings before his trip. And so, we spent an entire day going around Albay and was able to visit five genuinely magnificent churches:

Our first stop:  St. John the Baptist Church in Tabaco City, Albay

Second stop:  San Lorenzo Ruiz Church (also known as Tiwi Church) in Tiwi, Albay

     The photo I took of Tiwi Church wasn't that good as it was just taken by my phone's camera. Here's a better photograph of Tiwi Church borrowed from Wikipedia:

*Above photo of San Lorenzo Ruiz Church in Tiwi, Albay courtesy of Wikipedia.

Third church we visited that day:  St. Raphael The Archangel Church in Legazpi City

**Fourth destination:  Saint Gregory The Great Cathedral in Old Albay, Legazpi City.

**This image is again borrowed from Wikipedia. There were so many people by the time we were there and I got shy so I wasn't able to take any photo. ☺

     And our last destination before going home:

Fifth and final stop:  Daraga Church in Daraga, Albay.

     The 18th century Baroque church behind me on the above photo is the famed Daraga Church which sits on top of a hill looking over the busy town of Daraga. I assume that they're trying to fix the place because I saw some renovation going on at the time of our visit. Of course Jeb needs to have a photo taken as well. Here goes:

     Churches are a symbol of our faith, an edifice that gathers and holds people together; churches are a place of worship and prayer. Churches may represent a lot of things to different people, but for me, it's more than just a structure -- it's where many of the happiest moments in life took place. I remember weddings, fiestas, Christmases and new years that are spent initially in churches.  I can recall memorable encounters with familiar faces, of chancing upon old friends I've never seen in a while, and many other family gatherings that include going to church together. For me, churches are our source of strength, a confirmation that there is a higher being -- and it gives me that peaceful feeling that someone looks out for us. That's why I told my brother that we should always have faith and one way to strengthen that faith is through prayers.  I've seen many people go through some really tough times and surviving them all because they have faith. However, faith is not enough -- we must couple it with perseverance -- so goes the familiar phrase: "Do your best, God will do the rest."

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     As for my brother, he's doing well and have adjusted little by little to his new environment. I told him to enjoy the experience and learn as much as he could. Here's a photo of him checking out downtown Miami while on his rest day.

     Lots of tall building eh bro? Don't get lost tho, LOL!

     Anyway, I hope to post more updates in the future. Come back soon to check them out. Until my next wandering, see ya! ☺

*Photos used are all property of the blog owner except for the two images borrowed from Wikipedia as indicated within the article.

tags: baroque churches in Albay, prominent churches to visit in Albay, churches to visit in Legazpi, Albay, must-visit churches in Albay and Legazpi, Visita Iglesia in Legazpi, Albay, Bicol, Daraga, Tabaco, Tiwi