The  concert scheduled at 7 p.m. was a special presentation for the 97th Anniversary of the First Evangelical Church of Malolos. Since we could not leave earlier than 5:45 p.m.,  Ate Mims and I tried contacting the pastor immediately after the Saturday rehearsal until 4 p.m. Sunday to request for a 30 minute-delay and to get more specific directions on how to go there. But all our efforts to contact him failed.

So we went as scheduled and arrived at Estrella Theatre at about 7 p.m. but we were not sure where to go from there. We asked a few tricycle and jeepney drivers for directions. I found it strange however that nobody among the local folks could tell us where it was, considering that the church must have been in the community for quite sometime.

We requested a tricycle driver to take us to Bulacan-Bulacan Road, the next point in our directory. Of course, all of us were a little apprehensive as we were led through deserted and unlighted roads along the fishponds. I could see Alex in the van in front of us laughing away his impatience and irritation which was finally vocalized when we reached our destination, which to our dismay was not the First Evangelical Church but a Catholic church. It must have been 8 p.m. then. We were already an hour late.

Gamy, who just flew in from Tacloban at about noon that day,  joined us. If he was irritated about this “kapalpakan,” he hid it very well. Dean Paguio was cool and collected. I suppose he was getting hungry since he was asking where we could eat before we set off for home.  Everybody was feeling uncomfortable and irritated perhaps but nobody let emotion get the better of him/her. At this point, my daughter Jennee pointed out to me that Manang Angeling’s car was no longer with us. So I surmised that she must have decided to  go back for reasons unknown to us. I then requested the tricycle driver to just bring us back to Estrella Theatre for Ate Mims and I thought that if we could not sing anymore, it would be best for the pastor to know that we did not renege on the engagement.

What we did not know was that Manang Angeling’s car ran over a pile of tires. It was driven by Manong Rudy;  Heather and Agot were the passengers. They had to stop to get those tires out of their way. When they finished, they found all of us gone (they were the tail of the convoy). They asked some men if they saw where we were heading and got a No for an answer. They were in turned asked by the men where they were going. Surprise, surprise, the men knew where the church was and, to make the long story short, Manang Angeling, Manong Rudy, Agot, and Heather finally made it to the church an hour and thirty minutes late. Manang Angeling was asked by the pastor to say a few words. All she could say was that all of us were in the vicinity at about 7 p.m. but were led astray. She suggested that Agot just play 2 or 3 piano pieces, but lo and behold, there was no piano --only an organ. Heather sang “Empower Me” (now, you know why we did not get to sing that song!) with  Agot at the organ.

Meantime, we found our way back to the Estralla Theatre, which by now was somewhat deserted already. There we found two elderly men who knew exactly where the church was --just a few meters ahead, next to Curative Drug Store. Heather was singing when we arrived. And boy, weren’t we glad that we would still be singing after all since a sizable portion of the congregation waited for us. We were given five minutes to change and at 9 p.m. we all positioned ourselves in front to sing our opening salvo, “This Is Day.” But not before Brother Alex told the congregation, “talagang malolost ka sa Malolos” with a big smile of relief. He also mentioned that although he heard that the CRL Choir was only a second or third choice for this concert, he assured the congregation that this would not be so after  tonight. He then introduced some members of the Choir, including Gamy, whose fans over there were sure glad to see Vice Mayor in person. We were done by 10 and we ate dinner after that. We left Malolos at about 11:15 p.m.

I took full responsibility for the “boo-boos” but being the cock-eyed optimist that I am, I do not dwell on the “kapalpakan.” I paused and reflected on the value of that misadventure. Alex jokingly said over dinner that the moral of the story is never to ask a tricycle driver for directions. Nene was telling me that as we were traversing the fishpond corridor, his instinct told him that this was not the way. Manong Pope was commenting that even if we took  the right way, we still would have turned left since there was a very big “ROAD CLOSED” sign in the middle of the road. Members of the congregation were saying that they should have met us at Barasoain.

Taking all these perspectives has in fact taught me some good lessons. First, on the mundane side, I'd say hope for the best but always be ready for some unexpected twists and turns along the way. No matter how well thought out a plan is, it is no assurance that the going will always be smooth  Second,  I've learned never to take for granted that since we are singing for the Lord, He will automatically make the way smooth for us without us asking Him to. On two occasions, we left in haste and forgot to say our prayers, and on these occasions we were delayed and met hitches along the way. Yes we are His messengers, but let us never take Him for granted. For it is only when we uttered some words of prayer that the way was shown to us.

The third lesson that I’ve stumbled upon on this misadventure is more of a perpective. It is said that a person’s quality is made more manifest under trying circumstances. I see in the members of the CRL Choir who were on that outreach a quality that sidelines self for the task at hand. I was in fact wondering how well we could sing after what we went through.  We did sing well. And we could only sing well if our hearts are not filled with resentment, irritation, and other negative emotions. I say  we are really troopers for the Lord, and may He favor us with opportunities not only for singing His message but also for learning His lessons that our spiritual life may blossom as we continue to reach out to others through our ministry.