Men, they say, are notorious for being bad shoppers. First of all, they don't like shopping. Secondly, they are clueless what to get for someone.
I'm sure many men don't fit this description but I certainly do.
So what could I get, that would be meaningful, for a woman whose selfless dedication to a project to promote the love and knowledge of our Chamorro people knows no bounds? She has put employment on hold so she can spend every waking moment on the I Am Chamorro documentary, which will showcase the history of the Chamorro people.
This ambitious project started out as a dream during a conversation we had in her Los Angeles kitchen.
We have raised quite a bit of money, and we need much more....but the love and support of our people in Guam, Saipan and the US mainland has been phenomenal. This documentary will get done. And it's thanks to this woman : Joanne Carbullido Tabor Modic.
She flew to Guam several weeks ago, with the blessings of her very supportive and helpful husband Rich Modic, whom I thank as well. She extended her stay and will be back soon. All so she can continue to sell t-shirts, drum up support and get the word out.
She leaves tomorrow back to LA. So I wanted to get her a meaningful gift. But what?
Two Sundays ago Joanne was at my Mass at the Friary. I didn't know for sure if she were coming. It was Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. I asked a gentleman in the congregation to take photos. I didn't know if Joanne was coming; he didn't even know who Joanne was. But, as people lit their candles, the photographer snapped this picture of Joanne lighting her candle for the procession. Her pic was the ONLY one the photographer took of a single individual doing so. All the other pics showed several or more individuals.
When I saw this pic, I knew that God arranged it.
Faith is a light. When all seems dark, our faith keeps us going, like a beacon of light. Joanne's faith in this documentary is such that, despite all the odds against raising thousands of dollars, she forges ahead with great faith. Her faith is a light to me. And here is a picture of her lighting a candle in church.
So I had the shop put HINENGGE at the bottom. FAITH.
I couldn't have found a better parting gift. And the Lord arranged it all behind our backs!
One of our I Am Chamorro shirts designed by our good friend Rex. Available at :
www.iamchamorro.com
