FEAST NEWS
Issue 5/ 7 May 2012 5 YEARS IN HARMONY: HIGH FIVE”
TAWAGAWIT, AN OBLATION WE ARE CALLED FOR AS CHRISTIANS “I've looked at TawagAwit simply as an opportunity to serve the Lord, giving back a little considering all He does for us, through something we love doing and being fulfilled in the process,” Bro Mikki Guantero, Servant Leader of TawagAwit-St Mark’s Pakuranga chapter, told FEAST NEWS, in response to the question raised by FEAST NEWS on what message he had for all members of the ministry on the occasion of its 5th founding anniversary. He expounded on the challenges that members go through in the ministry, “I do understand some of us still struggle to find the time to practice and, much more, to participate in the activities of the wider group because of other priorities; if we look at this as really serving Him and giving ourselves, giving up some things and letting Him use us for His own purpose - which might lead us to do things other than singing - then perhaps we are able to see our being Tawag Awit servants as an oblation we are called for as Christians.” Bro Mikki said that he had always wanted to serve at church and thought of joining a choir, but never got around to joining one. “The urge has always been there and all I can say is that the Holy Spirit guided me to Bro. Chico's place for that first practice and provided me and my family the time to commit since then.” Though formed in 2010 through the initiative of Bro Chico “Estoy” Duhig, the chapter was attached to St Mark’s Pakuranga in the later part of 2011, as the members jokingly admitted that “they didn’t want to sing where people knew them.” So for more than a year, they sang in Good Shepherd Parish in Balmoral during the Filipino masses. When they learned that one of the music groups of St Mark’s disbanded, Bro Mikki contacted the parish of the group’s intention to sing; and the parish priest gladly assigned them a monthly schedule (every 4th Sunday at 8:30am). “We’re trying to get involved in the parish, not just in leading the liturgy but in all other activities,” the servant leader said, “We're blessed to be in a very multicultural community and the parish priest and other leaders highly encourage involvement in parish activities in pursuit of common goals.” Bro Mikki concluded, “Commitment is certainly an on-going challenge and we just have to keep the faith and support each other, following the path as we have for the last five years and going where His music and other acts of love would lead us.”