Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Philippine Update #1
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
On the road again! Kim dropped me off at the Houston airport Tuesday at 1:00pm to catch my 4:50pm flight to Cebu, Philippines (with a few stops along the way). After patiently awaiting my marching orders from above, I finally zeroed in on my next Great Grandmaster Adventure and was lead to make contact with my next teacher in this adventure, Master Henry Jayme. Master Jayme is a well rounded practitioner of Philippino Martial Arts who I will be studying under for the next two weeks. I have asked him to train me as well as to introduce me to the local practitioners where I will witness their training methods and train with them as the opportunity arises. I have been in prayer for this great opportunity for some time now and I know many of you have been praying for me as well.
As I find my seat on the plane, I meet my next answered prayer. Let me introduce to you, Michael Holcomb, President of Keppel Marine Agencies International. Keppel manufactures offshore rigs and Michael is president of the Houston location and in charge of marketing all of Keppel’s locations worldwide. Michael is 56 years old, a father of two, and lives in Missouri City, Texas with his wife. His office is in the Galleria area and he is traveling to Singapore on business. We have a 24 hour flight to get to know each other and, come to find out, we have a lot in common. Michael is a marathon runner with 17 marathons under his belt and a goal to run one in every state. I have four marathons under my belt and (though not quite as ambitious as Michael’s) a goal of running one every five years. As Master Instructor I have asked my black belts to keep a "stretch goal" in their life to keep them growing and always reaching for a new level. I set that goal for myself after running my first marathon at age 35 as a way of leading by example, and God willing, I will run my fifth marathon in 2011 at age 55. It was inspiring to meet someone else who is setting and reaching similar goals.
The first leg of our trip our trip is exactly 12 hours to Moscow and the second leg is 12 more hours to Singapore. Needless to say, we have plenty of time to get acquainted. Being runners gave Mike and I an instant connection and we exchange running war stories and stories of overcoming. We also have time to exchange our work experiences, our family blessings, and I filled him in on my Great Grandmaster Adventure. Michael was interested in how I incorporate Christ into teaching the Martial Arts. Talk about a captive audienceJ! Neither one of us had anywhere to be so… his curiosity was enthusiastically answered with an introduction to some of AGPMA’s core concepts (Jim Collins’ "Principles of Good to Great," Chip Ingram’s "Ten Characteristics of Great Christians," Stephen Covey’s "Eight Habits of Highly Effective People," and AGPMA’s "Core Scriptures"). Michael was quite an interesting guy and he seemed very interested in the introduction that I gave him. He even showed interest in attending one of my Boot Camps! (Mike…If you are reading this, I hope to see you drop in for my next Boot Camp scheduled for February 15!) Pray for Michael and our future time together. I have a feeling our paths will cross again and I know that God has a purpose in our meeting that is way beyond our understanding. I leave his company feeling like I’ve made a new friend who I hope to keep in touch with.
On my final flight, from Singapore to Cebu, I meet seven month old, Marcus, and his mom, Sara. Sara is an intensive care nurse in London who is Philippino. This is a very short flight in comparison to the first two. I read, sleep, talk a little with Sara, and help with Marcos from time to time.
Travel mercies have been granted and I arrive safely at my destination in Cebu, Philippines 30 hours after leaving the Houston airport. I exchange $20 for pesos and begin looking for a taxi cab. I was approached by many cab drivers and their representatives, but I was advised by Master Jayme to find a cab with a meter and with the price posted. Turns out, this was very good advice. I find a cab and I arrive at Fuente Pension House, my home for the next two weeks, around 1:30pm on Thursday. The attendant informs me that there is only internet connection in the lobby and café. As anxious as I was to communicate, having had very little sleep in the last 30 hours, I retire to my room where I quickly crash and burn.
I wake up at around 1:00am (my schedule a little off) and I unpack, shower, and check to see if, by chance, I can get internet access in my room. Bingo…I have access (I must have misunderstood him)! So I sit down to check my email and to write this update to you. I have an email from Master Henry Jayme and I communicate with him, making plans to meet him in the morning for our first training session. I am full of anticipation as to what my training here will bring and to who all God will put in my path along the way!
It has been amazing to watch as God has put together the pieces of this trip from the time that He put it on my heart until now. I want to thank my sponsors who have so generously given to this trip. I, of course, have to mention our accountant and friend, Mr. Joseph Polizzi, who helps keep us in line. I can’t thank him enough for all he does for us and for the community (If you need an accountant, he is your man!) Also, as many of you may have heard, for the last few months, Premier Martial Arts has been home to a church family who was displaced by Hurricane Ike. After the hurricane, our students and friends, Pastors Carter and Laura Ware, were without a place to meet and we offered our school’s facilities. I have in turn been so blessed as I have been a part of the transition and growth at Faith for All Nations. The pastors and church family decided to bless me by supporting this trip with their missions offering and they were overwhelming generous in their contributions. Last Sunday, before I left for the Philippines, I was asked by Pastor Carter to encourage the members of Faith for All Nations and to say thanks for their contribution. That morning as I was studying my Bible, God gave me the encouragement I was looking for, both for myself and for the church, and it was found in the book of Isaiah. The following scriptures were scheduled for my morning reading (no coincidences…just Divine arrangements J).
Isaiah 52:7 How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace And brings good news and happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God Reigns!"
Application- God says that the feet of those who bring good news are "beautiful". It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share God’s Good News with others, his news of redemption, salvation, and peace. To whom do you need to give the Good News?
Cross Reference- Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
It is truly amazing the way God puts things together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! As I mentioned earlier, I have been in prayer for this great moment and I know that many of you have been praying for me as well. I want to thank you for your support and to ask you to keep the prayers coming – for me and for my family and staff as they keep things running while I’m away.
In closing, I want to encourage everyone to walk in the Spirit and to read your Bible first thing in the morning. When we give God the first part of our day, He will bless you and prepare you to be a blessing to others in your day.
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. If you are new to my Great Grandmaster Adventure, I invite you to go to algarza.blogspot.com to read about my trips in 2007 to Thailand, Brazil, and China. (Thank you to Pastor Laura Ware for putting my blogspot on-line for me.)
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9 League City, TX 77573
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
On the road again! Kim dropped me off at the Houston airport Tuesday at 1:00pm to catch my 4:50pm flight to Cebu, Philippines (with a few stops along the way). After patiently awaiting my marching orders from above, I finally zeroed in on my next Great Grandmaster Adventure and was lead to make contact with my next teacher in this adventure, Master Henry Jayme. Master Jayme is a well rounded practitioner of Philippino Martial Arts who I will be studying under for the next two weeks. I have asked him to train me as well as to introduce me to the local practitioners where I will witness their training methods and train with them as the opportunity arises. I have been in prayer for this great opportunity for some time now and I know many of you have been praying for me as well.
As I find my seat on the plane, I meet my next answered prayer. Let me introduce to you, Michael Holcomb, President of Keppel Marine Agencies International. Keppel manufactures offshore rigs and Michael is president of the Houston location and in charge of marketing all of Keppel’s locations worldwide. Michael is 56 years old, a father of two, and lives in Missouri City, Texas with his wife. His office is in the Galleria area and he is traveling to Singapore on business. We have a 24 hour flight to get to know each other and, come to find out, we have a lot in common. Michael is a marathon runner with 17 marathons under his belt and a goal to run one in every state. I have four marathons under my belt and (though not quite as ambitious as Michael’s) a goal of running one every five years. As Master Instructor I have asked my black belts to keep a "stretch goal" in their life to keep them growing and always reaching for a new level. I set that goal for myself after running my first marathon at age 35 as a way of leading by example, and God willing, I will run my fifth marathon in 2011 at age 55. It was inspiring to meet someone else who is setting and reaching similar goals.
The first leg of our trip our trip is exactly 12 hours to Moscow and the second leg is 12 more hours to Singapore. Needless to say, we have plenty of time to get acquainted. Being runners gave Mike and I an instant connection and we exchange running war stories and stories of overcoming. We also have time to exchange our work experiences, our family blessings, and I filled him in on my Great Grandmaster Adventure. Michael was interested in how I incorporate Christ into teaching the Martial Arts. Talk about a captive audienceJ! Neither one of us had anywhere to be so… his curiosity was enthusiastically answered with an introduction to some of AGPMA’s core concepts (Jim Collins’ "Principles of Good to Great," Chip Ingram’s "Ten Characteristics of Great Christians," Stephen Covey’s "Eight Habits of Highly Effective People," and AGPMA’s "Core Scriptures"). Michael was quite an interesting guy and he seemed very interested in the introduction that I gave him. He even showed interest in attending one of my Boot Camps! (Mike…If you are reading this, I hope to see you drop in for my next Boot Camp scheduled for February 15!) Pray for Michael and our future time together. I have a feeling our paths will cross again and I know that God has a purpose in our meeting that is way beyond our understanding. I leave his company feeling like I’ve made a new friend who I hope to keep in touch with.
On my final flight, from Singapore to Cebu, I meet seven month old, Marcus, and his mom, Sara. Sara is an intensive care nurse in London who is Philippino. This is a very short flight in comparison to the first two. I read, sleep, talk a little with Sara, and help with Marcos from time to time.
Travel mercies have been granted and I arrive safely at my destination in Cebu, Philippines 30 hours after leaving the Houston airport. I exchange $20 for pesos and begin looking for a taxi cab. I was approached by many cab drivers and their representatives, but I was advised by Master Jayme to find a cab with a meter and with the price posted. Turns out, this was very good advice. I find a cab and I arrive at Fuente Pension House, my home for the next two weeks, around 1:30pm on Thursday. The attendant informs me that there is only internet connection in the lobby and café. As anxious as I was to communicate, having had very little sleep in the last 30 hours, I retire to my room where I quickly crash and burn.
I wake up at around 1:00am (my schedule a little off) and I unpack, shower, and check to see if, by chance, I can get internet access in my room. Bingo…I have access (I must have misunderstood him)! So I sit down to check my email and to write this update to you. I have an email from Master Henry Jayme and I communicate with him, making plans to meet him in the morning for our first training session. I am full of anticipation as to what my training here will bring and to who all God will put in my path along the way!
It has been amazing to watch as God has put together the pieces of this trip from the time that He put it on my heart until now. I want to thank my sponsors who have so generously given to this trip. I, of course, have to mention our accountant and friend, Mr. Joseph Polizzi, who helps keep us in line. I can’t thank him enough for all he does for us and for the community (If you need an accountant, he is your man!) Also, as many of you may have heard, for the last few months, Premier Martial Arts has been home to a church family who was displaced by Hurricane Ike. After the hurricane, our students and friends, Pastors Carter and Laura Ware, were without a place to meet and we offered our school’s facilities. I have in turn been so blessed as I have been a part of the transition and growth at Faith for All Nations. The pastors and church family decided to bless me by supporting this trip with their missions offering and they were overwhelming generous in their contributions. Last Sunday, before I left for the Philippines, I was asked by Pastor Carter to encourage the members of Faith for All Nations and to say thanks for their contribution. That morning as I was studying my Bible, God gave me the encouragement I was looking for, both for myself and for the church, and it was found in the book of Isaiah. The following scriptures were scheduled for my morning reading (no coincidences…just Divine arrangements J).
Isaiah 52:7 How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace And brings good news and happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God Reigns!"
Application- God says that the feet of those who bring good news are "beautiful". It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share God’s Good News with others, his news of redemption, salvation, and peace. To whom do you need to give the Good News?
Cross Reference- Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
It is truly amazing the way God puts things together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! As I mentioned earlier, I have been in prayer for this great moment and I know that many of you have been praying for me as well. I want to thank you for your support and to ask you to keep the prayers coming – for me and for my family and staff as they keep things running while I’m away.
In closing, I want to encourage everyone to walk in the Spirit and to read your Bible first thing in the morning. When we give God the first part of our day, He will bless you and prepare you to be a blessing to others in your day.
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. If you are new to my Great Grandmaster Adventure, I invite you to go to algarza.blogspot.com to read about my trips in 2007 to Thailand, Brazil, and China. (Thank you to Pastor Laura Ware for putting my blogspot on-line for me.)
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9 League City, TX 77573
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
Monday, February 2, 2009
Philippine Update #2
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
Just completed my final workout/study of week one with Henry, followed by my first burrito here in Cebu (yum!). Wow! It’s been a fun and fulfilling week with so much to tell you about and some exciting Kingdom results to share.
So here we go…Friday I was having breakfast in the café here at the hotel when Henry arrived for our first meeting scheduled for 8:00am. Now let me introduce you to my teacher, Henry Jayme, a well rounded Pilipino Martial Artist with a background in Shaolin Kung Fu. Henry is one month younger than me, so that makes him 28 years and 11 months oldJ! Ok, ok…I know you don’t buy that. Henry is 52 years young and he began studying Balintawak (a style of Pilipino Martial Arts) in the late 70s. Over time he has been able to marry the Balintawak and the Kung Fu styles in his personal training.
After briefly getting acquainted, I go over my objectives and purpose for being here and then we’re off! We catch a cab and…oh boy…flashbacks from China, Brazil, and Thailand (Is my life insurance paid up?) After a few close calls and no time wasted, we arrive safely at Henry’s home/school. I am always impressed and inspired by the simplicity of the environments in the foreign countries that I have visited, and this is no exception. Basically, there is nothing wasted. They make do with very little and they make it work very well. Henry’s training facility is basically a small shed about 8ftx16ft. Nothing fancy…in fact, it makes the first back street Rocky gym look like an uptown training center for the pros. We get right down to business, starting with Lesson 1 of the 16 Balintawak Lessons that he has written on a dry erase board. Lesson 1 is their version of the 12 Basic Strikes with two footwork variations. Then we’re on to the 12 Defenses, followed by the 12 Defenses at random with Pakgang. Lessons 1-3 down and we skip ahead to Lesson 13, Combat Judo. Henry explains that, in this version of Combat Judo, they don’t believe in taking the opponent to the ground. Instead, they use joint locks to control him, then they just kill him while he’s standing (Did he just say "kill him"?). He goes on to explain that they believe it is too risky to take the opponent to the ground, so they just finish him off while standing!
Over the course of Friday through Monday, we had daily review (and correction), and to date we have covered most of the 16 Lessons along with a few disarming techniques and some knight fighting. While the stick training has been fun and interesting, Henry is also teaching me some Tat Kun Tao ("Touch Fist Way/Knowledge") forms. These are Pilipino style inside fighting forms based on boxing fundamentals… very interesting. This has been an unexpected pleasure and it complements my personal fighting style very well. I love it!
My training sessions with Henry are each 4 hours long. They go by fairly quickly most days and I manage to get in some Bible training with him at the beginning or end as well as go over scripture during breaks. It has been fun getting to know Henry. Turns out he’s a very interesting guy – a Pilipino Martial Arts teacher, a treasure hunter, a taxi driver, and a spiritual leader to the locals here (filling the shoes of his late father who had a following of people). I’ll explain more on that when I return from the mountain. On Saturday, I am scheduled to go to Henry’s home in the mountains, where I will meet his mother and some of the people that he leads spiritually.
A quick note to my UFC fans out there…How about St. Pierre? Henry and I watched the fight on the web (St. Pierre v. Penn). The only problem was it kept freezing up so we missed a lot of it. On some fights we didn’t get to see the results. But, I did see enough of the main event to know that Pierre dominated! This was Henry’s first introduction to UFC and he loved it. Oh…and we watched it on my laptop at a Starbucks! I know…diehardJ!
Ok…now back to my training and the real reason that I’m here. During one of our discussions, Henry asked me some questions about Revelation. One question lead to another, so it was time to go to "Revelation School" in God’s Word. God has a way of taking over sometimes and boy am I glad when He does. That night, as I was looking for answers to Henry’s questions, I found a 31 lesson study on Revelation by Keith Krell. After studying a few of the articles in search of answers, I asked Henry if he would like to join me in the study. He said yes, so we moved our workout sessions to my room. To date, we have made it through the first 12 lessons. Though Henry said that he was a Christian, his reasoning was that his father told him he was born a Christian. So yesterday I took him through the plan of salvation and invited him to ask Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. I explained that, if nothing else, this would be a rededication of his life to the Lord. Victory! Now, there is no doubt that Henry is a born again Christian! It’s amazing that God cares so much about each one of His children that He doesn’t want to leave one behind. I truly feel like God brought me all the way here just for Henry and I know that He has a plan to use Henry to lead the people who followed his father into the Kingdom of Heaven. I am excited just thinking about it! And as for me, God is training me in His Word in Revelation like never before.
It’s now 3:40am and I am expecting Henry to arrive soon for week 2 day 1 of our training. We will begin with the 13th lesson in Revelation, "All Heaven Breaks Loose" (what a great titleJ). I am giving you the website below and I want to encourage (or entice) you with this verse:
Revelation 1:3 - Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Maybe you are like me and at a point where you welcome blessings but, more than anything, you want to understand more so you can be a blessing to others. If so…join me and Henry as we go to "Revelation School."
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. To join me in this GREAT study go to www.bible.org/series.php?series_id=195. You’re going to LOVE it! To read past updates from my travels go to algarza.blogspot.com.
Just completed my final workout/study of week one with Henry, followed by my first burrito here in Cebu (yum!). Wow! It’s been a fun and fulfilling week with so much to tell you about and some exciting Kingdom results to share.
So here we go…Friday I was having breakfast in the café here at the hotel when Henry arrived for our first meeting scheduled for 8:00am. Now let me introduce you to my teacher, Henry Jayme, a well rounded Pilipino Martial Artist with a background in Shaolin Kung Fu. Henry is one month younger than me, so that makes him 28 years and 11 months oldJ! Ok, ok…I know you don’t buy that. Henry is 52 years young and he began studying Balintawak (a style of Pilipino Martial Arts) in the late 70s. Over time he has been able to marry the Balintawak and the Kung Fu styles in his personal training.
After briefly getting acquainted, I go over my objectives and purpose for being here and then we’re off! We catch a cab and…oh boy…flashbacks from China, Brazil, and Thailand (Is my life insurance paid up?) After a few close calls and no time wasted, we arrive safely at Henry’s home/school. I am always impressed and inspired by the simplicity of the environments in the foreign countries that I have visited, and this is no exception. Basically, there is nothing wasted. They make do with very little and they make it work very well. Henry’s training facility is basically a small shed about 8ftx16ft. Nothing fancy…in fact, it makes the first back street Rocky gym look like an uptown training center for the pros. We get right down to business, starting with Lesson 1 of the 16 Balintawak Lessons that he has written on a dry erase board. Lesson 1 is their version of the 12 Basic Strikes with two footwork variations. Then we’re on to the 12 Defenses, followed by the 12 Defenses at random with Pakgang. Lessons 1-3 down and we skip ahead to Lesson 13, Combat Judo. Henry explains that, in this version of Combat Judo, they don’t believe in taking the opponent to the ground. Instead, they use joint locks to control him, then they just kill him while he’s standing (Did he just say "kill him"?). He goes on to explain that they believe it is too risky to take the opponent to the ground, so they just finish him off while standing!
Over the course of Friday through Monday, we had daily review (and correction), and to date we have covered most of the 16 Lessons along with a few disarming techniques and some knight fighting. While the stick training has been fun and interesting, Henry is also teaching me some Tat Kun Tao ("Touch Fist Way/Knowledge") forms. These are Pilipino style inside fighting forms based on boxing fundamentals… very interesting. This has been an unexpected pleasure and it complements my personal fighting style very well. I love it!
My training sessions with Henry are each 4 hours long. They go by fairly quickly most days and I manage to get in some Bible training with him at the beginning or end as well as go over scripture during breaks. It has been fun getting to know Henry. Turns out he’s a very interesting guy – a Pilipino Martial Arts teacher, a treasure hunter, a taxi driver, and a spiritual leader to the locals here (filling the shoes of his late father who had a following of people). I’ll explain more on that when I return from the mountain. On Saturday, I am scheduled to go to Henry’s home in the mountains, where I will meet his mother and some of the people that he leads spiritually.
A quick note to my UFC fans out there…How about St. Pierre? Henry and I watched the fight on the web (St. Pierre v. Penn). The only problem was it kept freezing up so we missed a lot of it. On some fights we didn’t get to see the results. But, I did see enough of the main event to know that Pierre dominated! This was Henry’s first introduction to UFC and he loved it. Oh…and we watched it on my laptop at a Starbucks! I know…diehardJ!
Ok…now back to my training and the real reason that I’m here. During one of our discussions, Henry asked me some questions about Revelation. One question lead to another, so it was time to go to "Revelation School" in God’s Word. God has a way of taking over sometimes and boy am I glad when He does. That night, as I was looking for answers to Henry’s questions, I found a 31 lesson study on Revelation by Keith Krell. After studying a few of the articles in search of answers, I asked Henry if he would like to join me in the study. He said yes, so we moved our workout sessions to my room. To date, we have made it through the first 12 lessons. Though Henry said that he was a Christian, his reasoning was that his father told him he was born a Christian. So yesterday I took him through the plan of salvation and invited him to ask Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. I explained that, if nothing else, this would be a rededication of his life to the Lord. Victory! Now, there is no doubt that Henry is a born again Christian! It’s amazing that God cares so much about each one of His children that He doesn’t want to leave one behind. I truly feel like God brought me all the way here just for Henry and I know that He has a plan to use Henry to lead the people who followed his father into the Kingdom of Heaven. I am excited just thinking about it! And as for me, God is training me in His Word in Revelation like never before.
It’s now 3:40am and I am expecting Henry to arrive soon for week 2 day 1 of our training. We will begin with the 13th lesson in Revelation, "All Heaven Breaks Loose" (what a great titleJ). I am giving you the website below and I want to encourage (or entice) you with this verse:
Revelation 1:3 - Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Maybe you are like me and at a point where you welcome blessings but, more than anything, you want to understand more so you can be a blessing to others. If so…join me and Henry as we go to "Revelation School."
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. To join me in this GREAT study go to www.bible.org/series.php?series_id=195. You’re going to LOVE it! To read past updates from my travels go to algarza.blogspot.com.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Philippine Update #3
Hello PMA Friends and Family,
Well…once again God has divinely arranged this trip beyond my expectations. It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of His grace and peace. Keith Krell, the pastor and author of the Revelation study that Henry and I just finished, says “we must know God’s grace first; then we can know His peace.” I believe this is so true because, with every step of faith I take in my walk with the Lord, I experience another degree of God’s grace and peace as I watch Him orchestrate His will in my life.
Sunday morning, as I was thinking about home…missing Kim and Ashley…dwelling on missing Cody’s first fight in adult men’s division in an AOK tournament (Congratulations Cody…I am very proud of you!)…wishing I was going to be there to help Jacob and Cody build a fence for a friend…missing my friends…my students…my cat (you name it, I missed it)…God put on my spirit this scripture:
Mark 10:29-31 – Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! (The Message)
WOW…a promise like that sounds like a win/win to me! God has a way of encouraging us in His Word. While I still missed everyone, it did help me get back to focus on the right thing.
I am here in Cebu for a very specific objective that God has called me for, so I took care of business and didn’t get around much to see the country. What I did find out from my travel guide is that Cebu is a long and narrow island located centrally in a group of islands that form the Visayas, which is central of the three main Philippine island groups. It is geographically unique because of its size, stretching 122 miles long and nowhere exceeding 20 miles across. The island has a population of 3 million. In comparison, Galveston has a population of approximately 57,000 which gives me something to relate to to get a better understanding of its size. Cebuano is the native tongue, but Filipino is commonly understood and spoken. And thanks to God that English is widely used throughout the island. For the most part, I had no problems with communication and, when I did, it was one of those “iron sharpens iron” moments where Henry came through for me. From experience, I can tell you that the food was good, though I wasn’t very adventuresome. I had one traditional Filipino meal and other than that the list consisted of pizza (which made the list twice), mauhi mauhi (also twice), burger, burrito, pasta (a couple of times), and some fasting. Getting around was mostly done by cab and walking, but the streets are filled with colorful “jeepneys” (little buses that remind me of the Art Car Parade in Houston) available for a minimal fare. The U.S. dollar exchanges for 45 pesos which makes for a great deal for us. I also learned that Cebu is known for making world class guitars. I saw some really nice ones and they were very cheap (I would love for my son, Jacob, to see them).
Now for some history on the island (the short version)…I found a couple of interesting personal connections with the following things. The Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan lead a contingent that arrived April 7, 1521 on Cebu island (April 7 just happens to be my birthday). This date is widely considered to be the beginnings of the Philippines. They celebrated with a mass that was lead be Magellan’s chaplain, Father Pedro Valderrama, and a crucifix was planted and still remains there to this day. The crucifix has come to be known as “Magellan’s Cross,” a monument which is synonymous with the island of Cebu. According to Henry, this was the first arrival of Christianity to the Philippines and, a week after their arrival, 800 natives were converted to the faith after witnessing a miracle of some kind. Magellan’s leadership was known as fair and generous and he led the natives to bring their idols for a mass burning.
Throughout my trip I was looking for the opportunity to bless others with the donations given to me by Polizzi Financial and Faith for All Nations Church, so I asked Henry where I could find some hungry moms and kids to take out for a meal. So…just what the doctor ordered…Sunday evening, he took me “uptown” (that’s what he called it) where we found a group of women and children around the corner of Magellan’s Cross and beside the church. We talked to a few mothers and their kids and, before we knew it, we were surrounded by 54 women and children – ranging in age from a few months (with their mothers holding them) to teenagers. I was totally blessed with the opportunity to take 54 hungry mommas and little children to dinner at Jolbee’s (which is basically equivalent to McDonald’s). The managers brought us in the back way and gave us the whole upstairs section. They each ate a burger, fries, a drink, and ice cream for dessert! This was exactly what God had put on my heart to do with the gift that was given to me and it was so amazing how He made the way for it to happen. What a blessing! I’ve never seen such appreciation and love shown in return. I let them know to thank Jesus for the gift and told them how much Jesus loves them. I know God is overjoyed and smiling down on my sponsors.
Proverbs 27:17 says “you use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another” (The Message). Well…Henry and I have experienced two weeks of building a friendship in Christ and in Balintawak. At times, I have felt like I was being sharpened with steel when he hit me! We have trained no less than 4 hours a day for the last 12 days (some days for 6 hours). The last 8 days of our training took place in my hotel room and was interwoven with reading the lessons in the Revelation study. What a great way to stay alert, stretch out, and let go of stress. As the saying goes, “repetition is the mother of mastery.” I was given the opportunity to do the drills, forms, and stick fighting many, many times (so I guess I’m on my way to masteryJ). I have been humbled and built up by my training in Balintawak and have been pleasantly surprised by the bonus of training in Shaolin concepts and exercises. I look forward to sharing these lessons with my students upon my return. The Tat Kun Tao (“Touch Fist Way/Knowledge”) forms are also an important link that I will enjoy introducing into the Premier Martial Arts training methods. I know that Master Robles and Mr. Van Over will love the boxing and inside fighting concepts (as I do). So for the Martial Arts side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.”
Have you heard the joke about the optimist and and pessimist twins? Well…in case you haven’t, here goes…
A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other said the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist.Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly. "Why are you crying?" the father asked. "Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken," answered the pessimist twin.Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. To which his optimist twin replied, "With this much manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"
Yes…God makes us all different! I tend to be like the eternal optimist, for I am always looking for the pony in people and in situations (in spite of all the @#$%...oopsJ)! Zig Ziglar calls this being a “good finder.” My nature is to see the positive, the pure, and the praiseworthy and I realized this is how I see God and Christianity too for the most part. I look at God as a loving Father who filled the void that was in me and freed me from my bad habits. While I am aware of His wrath and I have a healthy fear of Him, my study of Revelation has brought the wrath side of God to light for me like never before. God has given me an assignment to be a voice for him in the Martial Arts and I have been growing in this mission since 1979. I love sharing His Word and helping others to know Him and His love. But, I gotta tell you…God has a side of Him that I don’t ever want to see anyone stand before, unprepared to answer the questions that He has for us. I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that it all comes without us doing our part to get the Word out and to be there for one another. I love the saying, “if time is short and hell is hot, we need to be telling others about Jesus!” It’s true that Jesus is the gentle Lamb patiently waiting for us to accept Him and not wanting anyone to be left behind. But Revelations brings to light the side of Jesus who is a roaring Lion who will judge the world. Bob Dylan had a song waaaaaay back in the day called “You Gotta Serve Somebody” and I think the lyrics are timeless…”It may be the Devil, it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!”
Henry and I succeeded in reading the entire 31 Lesson study on Revelation. In our study, I learned that Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises us a blessing for reading, hearing, and heeding its contents. We are a people built to love and thrive for reward, so this got my attention. This means that Revelation should be thoroughly read and applied and I’ve determined in my heart that I will return to this great book many times. I want to share this book with anyone who will listen. While I am still learning, I know that the Holy Spirit will provide the key to unlock the book of Revelation and continue to lead me divinely. So…on the spiritual side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.” Plus, the soul of a leader here in Cebu has been saved and will be ready and willing to be used to lead his community to Christ…”major bonus points”!!
This trip would not have been possible without the generous donations provided by my sponsors, Polizzi Financial Services and Faith for All Nations Church. If you are ever in need of an accountant or a church home, I pray that you will bless them with your support. I have to also thank my awesome wife and children. A Christian parent’s greatest joy is stated in 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” I might add my students, friends, and family to this too! To Master Falco and my second to none staff…You Rock! To my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners and our great president, Mr. Van Over… thanks for sharing the vision and allowing me to be a part of raising the standard through Premier Martial Arts. We are making an impact on the Martial Arts world and we’ve only just begun! To all my friends and family…keep the faith and keep on keeping on!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. As I celebrate another successful adventure, I invite you to join me and be part of Jesus’ “Party Starters Club.” Here are the details in Michael English’s song “Start a Party”…
Starting my day, with big preparationsGoing out strong, with great expectationI want the world, To know that my Jesus lives
I have a clue, that my reputationCould show that God's love, has an open invitationI won’t miss the chance, that someone might call His name
I wanna to start a partyUp in heavenAnd get those angels dancin'For a new heartbeatIt's a righteous celebrationSingin' hallelujahI wanna start a party
Angels rejoice, and the demons all trembleWhen a lost one is found, all of heaven assemblesIf we each do our part, This party could last for years
Great Stuff…huh!!! J
Faith for All Nations Church
Pastors Carter & Laura Ware
http://www.faithforallnations.org/
171 Gulf Fwy South
League City, TX 77573
(281) 316-2332
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9
Well…once again God has divinely arranged this trip beyond my expectations. It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of His grace and peace. Keith Krell, the pastor and author of the Revelation study that Henry and I just finished, says “we must know God’s grace first; then we can know His peace.” I believe this is so true because, with every step of faith I take in my walk with the Lord, I experience another degree of God’s grace and peace as I watch Him orchestrate His will in my life.
Sunday morning, as I was thinking about home…missing Kim and Ashley…dwelling on missing Cody’s first fight in adult men’s division in an AOK tournament (Congratulations Cody…I am very proud of you!)…wishing I was going to be there to help Jacob and Cody build a fence for a friend…missing my friends…my students…my cat (you name it, I missed it)…God put on my spirit this scripture:
Mark 10:29-31 – Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! (The Message)
WOW…a promise like that sounds like a win/win to me! God has a way of encouraging us in His Word. While I still missed everyone, it did help me get back to focus on the right thing.
I am here in Cebu for a very specific objective that God has called me for, so I took care of business and didn’t get around much to see the country. What I did find out from my travel guide is that Cebu is a long and narrow island located centrally in a group of islands that form the Visayas, which is central of the three main Philippine island groups. It is geographically unique because of its size, stretching 122 miles long and nowhere exceeding 20 miles across. The island has a population of 3 million. In comparison, Galveston has a population of approximately 57,000 which gives me something to relate to to get a better understanding of its size. Cebuano is the native tongue, but Filipino is commonly understood and spoken. And thanks to God that English is widely used throughout the island. For the most part, I had no problems with communication and, when I did, it was one of those “iron sharpens iron” moments where Henry came through for me. From experience, I can tell you that the food was good, though I wasn’t very adventuresome. I had one traditional Filipino meal and other than that the list consisted of pizza (which made the list twice), mauhi mauhi (also twice), burger, burrito, pasta (a couple of times), and some fasting. Getting around was mostly done by cab and walking, but the streets are filled with colorful “jeepneys” (little buses that remind me of the Art Car Parade in Houston) available for a minimal fare. The U.S. dollar exchanges for 45 pesos which makes for a great deal for us. I also learned that Cebu is known for making world class guitars. I saw some really nice ones and they were very cheap (I would love for my son, Jacob, to see them).
Now for some history on the island (the short version)…I found a couple of interesting personal connections with the following things. The Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan lead a contingent that arrived April 7, 1521 on Cebu island (April 7 just happens to be my birthday). This date is widely considered to be the beginnings of the Philippines. They celebrated with a mass that was lead be Magellan’s chaplain, Father Pedro Valderrama, and a crucifix was planted and still remains there to this day. The crucifix has come to be known as “Magellan’s Cross,” a monument which is synonymous with the island of Cebu. According to Henry, this was the first arrival of Christianity to the Philippines and, a week after their arrival, 800 natives were converted to the faith after witnessing a miracle of some kind. Magellan’s leadership was known as fair and generous and he led the natives to bring their idols for a mass burning.
Throughout my trip I was looking for the opportunity to bless others with the donations given to me by Polizzi Financial and Faith for All Nations Church, so I asked Henry where I could find some hungry moms and kids to take out for a meal. So…just what the doctor ordered…Sunday evening, he took me “uptown” (that’s what he called it) where we found a group of women and children around the corner of Magellan’s Cross and beside the church. We talked to a few mothers and their kids and, before we knew it, we were surrounded by 54 women and children – ranging in age from a few months (with their mothers holding them) to teenagers. I was totally blessed with the opportunity to take 54 hungry mommas and little children to dinner at Jolbee’s (which is basically equivalent to McDonald’s). The managers brought us in the back way and gave us the whole upstairs section. They each ate a burger, fries, a drink, and ice cream for dessert! This was exactly what God had put on my heart to do with the gift that was given to me and it was so amazing how He made the way for it to happen. What a blessing! I’ve never seen such appreciation and love shown in return. I let them know to thank Jesus for the gift and told them how much Jesus loves them. I know God is overjoyed and smiling down on my sponsors.
Proverbs 27:17 says “you use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another” (The Message). Well…Henry and I have experienced two weeks of building a friendship in Christ and in Balintawak. At times, I have felt like I was being sharpened with steel when he hit me! We have trained no less than 4 hours a day for the last 12 days (some days for 6 hours). The last 8 days of our training took place in my hotel room and was interwoven with reading the lessons in the Revelation study. What a great way to stay alert, stretch out, and let go of stress. As the saying goes, “repetition is the mother of mastery.” I was given the opportunity to do the drills, forms, and stick fighting many, many times (so I guess I’m on my way to masteryJ). I have been humbled and built up by my training in Balintawak and have been pleasantly surprised by the bonus of training in Shaolin concepts and exercises. I look forward to sharing these lessons with my students upon my return. The Tat Kun Tao (“Touch Fist Way/Knowledge”) forms are also an important link that I will enjoy introducing into the Premier Martial Arts training methods. I know that Master Robles and Mr. Van Over will love the boxing and inside fighting concepts (as I do). So for the Martial Arts side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.”
Have you heard the joke about the optimist and and pessimist twins? Well…in case you haven’t, here goes…
A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other said the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist.Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly. "Why are you crying?" the father asked. "Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken," answered the pessimist twin.Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. To which his optimist twin replied, "With this much manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"
Yes…God makes us all different! I tend to be like the eternal optimist, for I am always looking for the pony in people and in situations (in spite of all the @#$%...oopsJ)! Zig Ziglar calls this being a “good finder.” My nature is to see the positive, the pure, and the praiseworthy and I realized this is how I see God and Christianity too for the most part. I look at God as a loving Father who filled the void that was in me and freed me from my bad habits. While I am aware of His wrath and I have a healthy fear of Him, my study of Revelation has brought the wrath side of God to light for me like never before. God has given me an assignment to be a voice for him in the Martial Arts and I have been growing in this mission since 1979. I love sharing His Word and helping others to know Him and His love. But, I gotta tell you…God has a side of Him that I don’t ever want to see anyone stand before, unprepared to answer the questions that He has for us. I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that it all comes without us doing our part to get the Word out and to be there for one another. I love the saying, “if time is short and hell is hot, we need to be telling others about Jesus!” It’s true that Jesus is the gentle Lamb patiently waiting for us to accept Him and not wanting anyone to be left behind. But Revelations brings to light the side of Jesus who is a roaring Lion who will judge the world. Bob Dylan had a song waaaaaay back in the day called “You Gotta Serve Somebody” and I think the lyrics are timeless…”It may be the Devil, it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!”
Henry and I succeeded in reading the entire 31 Lesson study on Revelation. In our study, I learned that Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises us a blessing for reading, hearing, and heeding its contents. We are a people built to love and thrive for reward, so this got my attention. This means that Revelation should be thoroughly read and applied and I’ve determined in my heart that I will return to this great book many times. I want to share this book with anyone who will listen. While I am still learning, I know that the Holy Spirit will provide the key to unlock the book of Revelation and continue to lead me divinely. So…on the spiritual side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.” Plus, the soul of a leader here in Cebu has been saved and will be ready and willing to be used to lead his community to Christ…”major bonus points”!!
This trip would not have been possible without the generous donations provided by my sponsors, Polizzi Financial Services and Faith for All Nations Church. If you are ever in need of an accountant or a church home, I pray that you will bless them with your support. I have to also thank my awesome wife and children. A Christian parent’s greatest joy is stated in 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” I might add my students, friends, and family to this too! To Master Falco and my second to none staff…You Rock! To my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners and our great president, Mr. Van Over… thanks for sharing the vision and allowing me to be a part of raising the standard through Premier Martial Arts. We are making an impact on the Martial Arts world and we’ve only just begun! To all my friends and family…keep the faith and keep on keeping on!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. As I celebrate another successful adventure, I invite you to join me and be part of Jesus’ “Party Starters Club.” Here are the details in Michael English’s song “Start a Party”…
Starting my day, with big preparationsGoing out strong, with great expectationI want the world, To know that my Jesus lives
I have a clue, that my reputationCould show that God's love, has an open invitationI won’t miss the chance, that someone might call His name
I wanna to start a partyUp in heavenAnd get those angels dancin'For a new heartbeatIt's a righteous celebrationSingin' hallelujahI wanna start a party
Angels rejoice, and the demons all trembleWhen a lost one is found, all of heaven assemblesIf we each do our part, This party could last for years
Great Stuff…huh!!! J
Faith for All Nations Church
Pastors Carter & Laura Ware
http://www.faithforallnations.org/
171 Gulf Fwy South
League City, TX 77573
(281) 316-2332
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9
League City, TX 77573
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
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