Caroleen’s Treasures

Remember how Ella eagerly listens to Donald when he explained about baptism last Sunday? Well tonight right before dinner, Ella was shooting questions about the Creation one after another. So Donald had to answer them all before she complains that “Daddy doesn’t know everything about bible…” She started asking about God. She asked what’s the name of God….Donald said “God” Ella was stunned…”God what?…He has no family name?!!!” They had a quite long question and asnwer portion. Since we arrived here, Ella was the one who is praying before meals. And so tonight she said the longest prayer I have ever heard! She sounds so cute talking to God.

“Dear God thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the sun so bright. Thank you too Lord for the rain…plants are so happy to get a drink….thank you Lord for making us human, we are your favorite Lord that you made our mouth talk. Thank you Lord for our home, our life is a lot nicer here. Thank you too Lord that you made chicken, dogs, birds, cats and fish. Please help us Lord that we can have juice always……” Oh well I could not recall everything she said! Trust me, it’s toooooo long!

After dinner, she hurriedly went to shower and brush teeth. When she was dressed, she let me get her children’s bible on the shelf and waited for Donald to read to her. Her bible has illustrations. She listens attentively, this will be until midnight I guess…Donald has to read in English and translate in Tagalog plus the question interruptions on almost each sentence he reads! LOL

Ella at age 2 has bulit a strong faith. She prayed everynight as if talking to God. I didn’t make her memorize a prayer. She just says about her heart’s content. Everynight she always amazed me at how she prayed like an old woman. She even has the choice of words that she never uses except when talking to God.

Yeterday when we are heading to McDo, we passed by a stall of Smart Bro, so we stopped and inquired about the internet connection process. It took me few minutes to fill up the form. I turned around to see Ella was inside a boutique which sells religious statues, rosaries and the like. When I was done, I called her and held hand towards McDo. Ella said “Mommy, I talked to Jesus in the store….I held his feet and said we are moving and that I am going to receive birthday packages….” I looked at Donald, waited for him to take care on this issue. We were protestants and we don’t have such things as statues but Ella has quite a knowledge that what she had seen was the figure of Christ (for the catholics). I don’t know where did she get that, she even knew that the woman is Jesus Christ’s mommy. Then I remember that she’d seen this on a house blessing we have attended. There’s an altar and she knelt there and even made the sign of the cross. Since then, we are trying to teach her all the best we can about faith…that we don’t have such things, and she pretty well understood.

When we are in the jeepney going home, we are bombarded by questions one after another about Christ, God and Satan…she even asked if heaven’s gate is already closed so Satan could not enter again.

Yesterday, Ella was muttering “Sana gawa na uli si Lord ng ulan…” (I hope God will make rain again). I asked her why, her short reply was “Gusto ko kasi sana maligo sa ulan…” (I wanted to bathe in the rain) God must have heard her innocent request and so today, it did rain AGAIN. I was awakened by giggles and loud voices, I stood and went to see what’s going on. And there she was, playing in the rain with her daddy Well, she need to experience that once in a blue moon. We seldom let her out in the rain, she had played only 4 times in the rain in her whole life. So that’ll count once every year :-)  Still half asleep, I grabbed my camera to take a few shots of her once in a lifetime privilege.

I was amused how children ask God for something. I can not help but smile everytime Ella prays. She would thank God for the food, for the bed to sleep on, for mommy and daddy and even prays for a friend who is sick, the dogs and the cat.  I had a book Children’s Letters to God. I was dying to have one before but I can not spend that much for a new book. When I found one in the bookfair which is more than half the price, I didn’t had any second thought.  I would like to share some of the letters written by those innocent kids. I bet you would also grin from ear to ear.

In sunday school they told us what you do. Who does it when you are in vacation? -Jane

How did you know you were God? - Charlene

Dear God, I read the bible. What does begat mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison

Dear God, on Halloween I am going to wear a Devil’s costume. Is that all right with you? - Marnie

Dear God, are you really invisible or is that just a trick. - Lucy

Dear God, Did you mean for giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? - Norma

Dear God, Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don’t you just keep the ones you got now? - Jane

Dear God, who draws the line between the countries? - Nan

Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that OK? - Neil

God, It’s OK that you made different religions but don’t you get mixed up sometimes? - Arnold

Dear God, In bibile times did they really talk that fancy? - Jennifer

Dear God, I would like to know why all the things you said are in RED? - Joanne

Dear God, Is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through business? - Donny

Did you really mean do unto others as they do unto you, because if you did then I’m going to fix my brother. - Darla

Dear God, My grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go? - Love, Dennis

Dear God, I am american. What are you? - Robert

Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy. - Joyce

Dear God, How come you didn’t invent any new animals lately? We still have all the old ones. - Johnny

Dear God, Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now. - Ginny

Dear God, It rained for a whole vacation and is my father mad! He said some things about you that people are not supposed to say, but I hope you will not hurt him anyway. Your friend, but I am not going to tell you who I am.

Dear God, Why is sunday school on sunday? I thought it was suppose to be our day of rest. - Tom L.

Please send me a pony. I never ask for anything before. You can look it up. - Bruce

Dear Mr. God, I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had 3 stitches and a shot. - Janet

Dear God, How come you did all those miracles in the old days and don’t do it any now? - Seymour

Dear-God-if-we-come-back-as-something-please-don’t-let-me-be-Jennifer-Horton-because-I-hate-her. - Denise

Dear God, If you give me genie lamp like Alladin I will give you anything you want except my money or my chess set. - Raphael

Dear God, my brother is a rat. You should give him a tail. Hahaha - Peter

Dear God, I wish that there is no such things as sin. I wish there is no such things of war. - Tim

Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so mcuh if they had their ow room. It works with my brother. - Larry

Dear God, I want to be just like Daddy when I get big but not with so much hair all over. - Sam

Dear God, I keep waiting for spring but it never come yet. Don’t forget. - Mark

You don’t have to worry about me. I always look both ways. - Dean

Dear God, I think the stapler is one of your greatest invention. - Ruth

Dear God, I think about you sometimes even when I’m not praying. - Elliott

Dear God, I bet it’s very hard for you to love all the people in the whole world. There are only 4 people in my family and I can never do it. - Nan

Dear God, Of all the people who work for you, I like Peter and John the best. - Rob

Dear God, My brother told me about being born but it doesn’t seem right. - Marsha

Dear God, If you will watch in church on sunday, I will show you my new shoes. - Mickey

God, I would like to live 900 years like the guy in the bible. - Love, Chirs

Dear God, I don’t ever feel alone since I found out about you. - Nora

We read that Edison made light. But in sunday school they said you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea. - Sincerely, Donna

Dear God, If you let the dinosor not exstinct we would not have a country. You did the right thing. - Jonathan

Dear God. Here’s a poem. I love you Because you give Us what we need to live But I wish you Would tell me why You made it so We have to die. - Daniel

Dear God, It is great the way you always get the stars in the right places. - Jeff

(Compiled by Stuart Hample and Eric Marshall)