BCBP CDO EAST CHAPTER

Men’s Breakfast, March 14, 2020 Mulberry Suites

Good Morning my dear Brothers in Christ. Let me start my sharing by

reading to you Luke 15:20-21 & 24 “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”, it says and I
quote: “He was still a long way off when his father caught sight of him. His father
was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out of the house to meet him,
threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said: father, I have
sinned against God and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. For
this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and now is
found. Let us celebrate.”

This is one of the most beautiful, comforting, inspiring and touching

passage for all times. I for one, was deeply moved by the thought that my God
was forever waiting for my return. Yes, I was once lost but the Lord found me
again that I may praise and worship Him. He welcomed me that I may tell my
story to anyone who would listen, so that you too may have faith in Him who
loves us. I would like to thank our God in this assembly for the grace of my
conversion to Jesus Christ. It is by His most amazing grace that I was able to find
my way home.

Ecclesiastes 3;1 says; “Everything that happens in this world happens at

the time God chooses; he sets the time for death; the time for planting and the
time for pulling up…the time for silence and the time for talk”.

My dear brother, indeed God sets the right time for everything like this
time that it’s really about time for me to share to you my life experiences and
proclaim Gods love and the goodness he has done in my life.

It’s been almost 13 years from now that I was asked to give a testimony but
it’s really hard for me. My wife and I are quite hesitant to stand before the big
crowd to talk about our sad experiences. But the Lord made a way for me to do
his will so he used the community leaders to choose me as the Breakfast Head of
Tagbilaran East Chapter. ( I said to myself…kini di na gyud ko kalusot ani???) I was
really challenge being a breakfast head thinking …..nga laina pud ug ako ang
breakfast head unya nag sigi ko ug pang invite ug sharer nga ako pa shareron unya
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ako mismo nakahibalo sila nga wala pa sad maka share mao nga being fresh to my
task and at the start of the year 2017, nag alig2x na jud noon ko nga ako na jud
ang mag una ug share kay for me being a servant leader, I always had the
principle of “leadership by example” to inspire also other members especially to
the new ones to do the same…

Before I relate to you my experiences, let me tell you some facts about
myself.

I am popularly known as Alex but my real name is Alex Leonardo Egama

Paigan during my baptism, I was born on Nov. 18,1969 in Poblacion, Lila, Bohol. I
am the only boy and eldest of the five siblings of Auspicio and the late Remedios
Paigan. Both of my parents are Government employees. I graduated my Bachelors
Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Bohol in 1990 and passed the Civil
Engineering Licensure on that same year.

As a Civil Engineer during the 90’s, I really enjoy working in my profession.

I’ve worked in a prominent consulting and designing firm in a Chinese community
in Manila building Malls, Hotels, Condos and Industrial buildings in different cities
in Metro Manila and other Provinces outside Metro Manila. It was in the year of
1998 when the country’s economy was experiencing a draft down and it was the
time that the Construction industries were greatly affected, where both my wife
and I are working and it was also the time that our family also encountered
financial difficulties and being troubled with my vices. At the peak of my career,
I was being tempted by my barkadas and officemates to take illegal drugs. That
was the time when methamphetamine  hydrochloride known as Shabu was
rampantly introduced to us since we are living in a highly urbanized area
somewhere in Makati. I was really into drug addiction during those times and was
really out of control with my vices during those days. Until such time that I got
into trouble in the company that I worked for and with my co officemates; and
because of that, I decided to resign from my work in Manila. My immediate
relatives in Bohol are so worried upon knowing my situation; especially we are
newlyweds and have a new born baby. They decided to fetch my family and
advised us to stay together with them in our hometown.

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 While I was in Bohol, I had no job and was worried and so depressed while
suffering from withdrawal syndrome. In order to recover from depression, I
encouraged the Youth in our barangay to organize a basketball team where I used
to be there Manager and Playing Coach. We used to have jogging exercises every
morning and playing basketball as part of my detoxification and self
rehabilitation. Aside from our athletic activities, I was also involved and actively
participated in our Chapel and Church activities. After listening to God’s word
from the TV program and attending mass every Sunday, I learned to pray so hard
to the Lord that he will heal me and forgive my wrong doings. I even did a
reenactment of the carrying of the cross during the Lenten Season in the year
1998 to show to the people that I already renewed from my previous life.

As I tried to recall the lowest part of my life, the Lord started to test my
faith and really reminds me of Him after the sudden death of my mother who met
a vehicular accident in Cebu City. Her death had pained me so much and made me
so depressed again, especially our family are dependent with her financial
support. In order to support my family after my mother’s death, I drove the habal
habal of my Uncle, slaughter pigs and cattle just to earn a living. After those years
of hardship, sacrifices and trials, blessings came into my life. It was in the year of
2001, when I was elected as a Municipal Councilor. From then, I was able to
complete my 3 terms as the no. 1 Councilor in our town. Aside from being a
Councilor, I was also hired by one of the Mall operators in Tagbilaran to manage
the construction of the company’s new mall. Upon completion and opening of
the new Dept. Store, I resigned from my work. Luckily after several months from
my resignation, my Auntie received a call from the office of the number one retail
store operating in Bohol telling her that I will be given a job to manage the
construction of their Malls and Supermarket both in Cebu and Bohol and other
industrial projects as well. I was really happy with my status aside from being a
Municipal Councilor in our town, I was able to work back in line with my
professional career. I stayed and worked in the company for almost 10 years.

During my stay in the company, it was in the year of 2005 when my BCBP
co- officemate invited me to join in the BCBP. I graduated the Christian Life
Program No. 13 or CLP 13 in the same year. During my early years in BCBP, I was
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so active in the community activities and also participating in the music ministry.
After serving the Lord with all of my heart, numerous blessings big and small
came into my life. The Lord gave us lots of personal projects from foreign clients.
We are able to open several businesses such as grocery store, meatshop, resto
bar and contracting business. My wife is running our business since I was assigned
in Cebu during those times.

It was during that time that I was being overwhelmed by the money that
I’ve got from my business and other monkey business so with the VIP treatment
and favor that was extended to me from my Contractors and Sub-Contractors in
the Company that I’ve worked.

My dear Brothers I was really tempted with money and was tempted and involved
into drug addiction, gambling or even womanizing and slowly detached from my
God and became a BCBP lost command. Being far away from my family and the
BCBP Community. My drug addiction is getting worst and my life was in astray.
Almost every night, I spend my time hanging out in the bar with my barkadas and
my mistresses. My wife and I oftentimes had a quarrel every time I go home at
dawn drunk and high with drugs. My family got into trouble and my wife kept on
nagging me even in front of my growing children. With that scenario, it made my
children disrespectful to me as their Father. The situation became worst upon
knowing that my wife reported to my superior in the company all my illegal and
immoral activities. Because of the shame and the ignited anger to my wife for
what she has done, I decided to resign from my job without proper line of
thinking.

Until then for 3 years, I had no permanent job and it was really a downfall
time in my life since I was also suffering from withdrawal syndrome again. I
thought that this would not happen to me again because I already experienced
these things and learned a lesson from the past. Mao ni gi ingon karon nga imbes
graduate na unta nag Masteral pa gyud.

It was in January of 2015 when another calling came into my life from the
BCBP Community thru Bro Erwin Ucat who invited me again to be part of their
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Action Group. We join the Action group without hesitation and it was also my
intention to serve the Lord at this time with all my heart. After being bombarded
by numerous text with scriptural passage from him. We are being enlightened
and actively participating and attending our action Group Meetings and other
BCBP activities.

After attending 8 consecutive action group meetings. The Lord tested my faith
again. Unexpectedly, I was put in a prison for a case which I thought that was
already dismissed. By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our
BCBP Bro. Atty. Em-em Bernido for the acquittal of my case. But the Lord did not
stop testing my faith, trials after trials came into my life, after several months of
my active participation in the community I was hospitalized in Chong Hua Hospital
and diagnosed of having a Guellaine Barre Syndrome and I was paralyzed for 3
months. . I thought it is the end of my life. My illness is very rare as my doctor
said, that a ratio of 1 out of 100 thousand people may suffer with this kind of
disease. Upon hearing the telephone conversation from my sisters abroad, telling
me that my illness is fatal and my condition is quite critical and the cost of my
medication is very high. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself that I need to
be strong and I prayed so hard to my God that he will heal me for the sake of my
family. . I would like to thank our Almighty God for His goodness and thanks to
the BCBP Community for all the prayers and support. Also, I was thankful to our
previous action group for the financial assistance that they gave to us.

After recovery from my illness, the BCBP Governance entrusted me to serve

in this Community in various capacity. I was assigned as DGL during CLP 21 and
22, AGL, BCMR Course Leader of Tagb.North Chapter my former chapter. and now
Breakfast Head for the BCBP Tagbilaran East Chapter and Panglao Mission Team. I
felt overwhelmed by the trust that the community gave to me and it’s really
inspiring on my part because despite from all the rejection and condemnation
that I have gone through the BCBP community entrusted me of such leadership
position in the community.

At the height of CLP 22 and three days after the Baptism of The Holy
Spirit, miracles happened into my life. For me, I considered this as a big blessing
for it was an answered prayer. A friend of mine from Manila called me that one
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of the Contractors of the Holy Spirit School is in need of a Project Manager to
manage the Construction of the Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran. “What a
coincidence?” . . . No, I don’t believe it’s a coincidence ... I do believe, its God’s
plan. Immediately, the owner of the Construction firm hired me and entrusted
me the whole project after having a telephone conversation. In fact after a month
of working with them, he awarded me a labor contract for the Architectural
finishes and all other engineering trade. And aside from that, last December
2016, another client from Cebu who is planning to build a vacation house
awarded me a design and build contract with a reasonable amount and aside
from that there are projects coming to my way.

For me, Life is a struggle. Sometimes there are lot of blessings that came
into our life and sometimes we also experiencing problems big and small, trials
and sacrifices. last May of 2018 my wife was diagnose of having an ovarian cyst
that block her ureter and affected her kidney which resulted her continues
menstrual bleeding and frequent UTI. I’m so worried seeing the worsening
situation of my wife who is suffering from pain every now and then. So we
decided to bring my wife to PGH manila for 2nd opinion with the help of her sister
who is a nurse working at PGH. After being examine the doctor told us that the
tumour is quite big and already block her kidney ureter that cause infection and
inflammation on her left kidney. Immediately we decided to have it operated but
our problem is we have no money to pay for the hospital bills in fact we are just
borrowing money from our BCBP brother for our air fare going to manila. Our
small saving was being invested my project acquired from DPWH which I was not
being paid for the longest time we are so broke during those time but thanks God
that I have sisters in law who sis working at PGH who help us arrange the
payment of our hospital bills and accommodating us to stay in their house for
almost 1 month for my sister wife recovery and rehabilitation.

My dear Brothers and sisters, it’s only now that I realized how God loves
me and remains so loving despite my sinfulness. Looking back, I have realized that
in spite of the problems and trials we had encountered, there were a lot of
blessings that the Lord has given to me and my family. Although he has not given
me material wealth I would like to have, He has given me the best gift. “His great
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and everlasting love”. After having served the community, our family we’re
blessed of having son and daughters who excels in their study. I am so proud with
my son Andrew who passed the Nursing Licensure Examination held last June
2017 and immediately employed at Philippine General Hospital, Manila and now
currently pursue his Medical course at Cebu Institute of Medicine in Cebu City,
my second daughter Alyssa Alexis who is currently studying at University of the
Philippines, Visayas Campus, and my youngest daughter Aleona Alexandra for
being the first honor in the ABM strand and Graduated salutatorian at Bohol
Wisdom School last March 2019 and currently studying at University of the
Philippines Visayas also taking up BS Accountancy. Aside from all of this blessing
that we received, I could also say that God is so good to me and to my family that
after our sufferings and financial crises and hardships which brought about my
construction business in which I was not being paid and the illness that my sister
wife experiencing. God give me a new job a new opportunity in which I was being
offered by one of the real estate developer to be there managing partner and CEO
at the same time on our newly organized construction company base Cagayan de
Oro city. I now firmly believed that God loves me a lot in spite of my inequities
for He has not allowed me to ruin my family with my drug addiction. I am also
thankful to my ever supportive and prayerful wife Sis. Lalaine and my children,
who had not abandon me although I have not been a good pastoral head of my
family. But most of all I am thankful to my God for his magnanimous love.

In our life, we need to believe that God is still very much in control, that
life’s trials and disappointments are not the reasons to surrender. They are simply
a reason to sit tight and wait for God. God did not call us to be successful; he has
called us to be faithful. What I truly consider as real blessings are not the material
things in our position, nor do I consider them rewards for my being good and for
serving him. They are just an added bonus from him. What matters to me now is
the peace and joy that Me and my family now experienced in our service to him.
I am enjoying life better now because I am serving others, as a breakfast head in
the brotherhood, and not just myself.

In closing, let me share to you what Mother Theresa said, ”A life well spent in the
service of God to His people will be surely be rewarded by the Lord.” He rewarded
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me already by taking away my painful past, even my sinful bandages and is
creating something beautiful in me a broken humbled man who is eagerly willing
to serve God for his greater honor and Glory.

And for this, I would like to thank this community, the BCBP which we now
consider as second “home”, for without you as God’s instrument, we cannot be
with you today to answer the call of Jesus. As in Luke 8:30, “Return home and
tell how much God has done for you” and “Let your faith be bigger than your
fear”

Thank you. Good morning once again and may God Bless us all!!!!