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February 1, 2010

ANCIENT FESTIVAL IN MODERN TIMES

Our world continues to age and concern is mounting for the ability of the planet to sustain the increasing billions of souls living on it.  When the Apostle Paul went on his three missionary journeys in the book of Acts the then known world was confined to countries boarding on and leading from the Mediterranean Sea with an estimated total population of 200 million.  This has all changed now with billions of people living almost everywhere and seeking to derive their food from our planet on a day by day basis. Although some things change with time many things don’t. One constant here in Kalibo is the Ancient Ati-Atian Festival now 798 years old.  That means that for hundreds of years people have gathered in the second week of New Year to celebrate this festival which has increased in numbers during those years as well.

2010 saw people come to Kalibo from all over the world in the thousands to attend this Festival.  There is no specific theme planned as local organizers set up the minimum of formal programs.  It also has little discipline and people join in the dozens of processions held before the event as well as on the main weekend.  Often it is a time for family re-unions and many people living overseas or in other parts of the Philippines keep a number of ancestral homes or small apartments in Kalibo just for this time of year.  All rooms are booked even on the expensive resort island of Boracay about an hour and half away. These people come from that resort island in buses, cars and special vans for the main processions.  Food stores are emptied of their stock and dozens of small stalls selling drink and snacks appear everywhere around the town. People also buy pigs to roast and all the chickens for sale in the town and consume these during the event.  This means after the festival store shelves are empty and people have to wait sometimes a couple of months for the many basic items you buy to be re-stocked.  Like most overpopulated countries the Philippines does not produce enough food for their own people let alone the tourists who often come for special events.  The hungry can often get something to eat from friends who have a bit more but food on a day to day basis is still limited and now much overpriced. We had trouble getting our drinking water from the supplier as most trucks were bringing in alcoholic beverages like beer and rum. Carol had put some water aside in small bottles and was able to get some drinking water on one of our outreach trips to the city during the month that we had no drinking bottled distilled water available in Kalibo. Darryl has to drink a tremendous amount of water each day because of his on-going kidney problems and so this was a bit of a worry for us when water was in such short supply.  The local water from the tap is not suitable to drink or filter even if boiled.

Drums, cymbals, zylliphones and brass sounded all through the nights on the weekend of the festival. Loud music, parties and singing also were heard everywhere.  The nights are cooler and many people from outlying towns don’t have a place to stay so they just sleep in the plaza or on the footbaths.   They play and sing through the night to pass the time and run for cover when the rains come as they often do this time of the year.

We noticed that the people attending and participating in the festival are expressing aspirations and hope for a better life.  This is seen on their faces and observed in the often fanatical attention placed on the ritual side of this event.  Floats have animistic images combined with the Spanish religious statues of the Santa Nino or baby Jesus. Since the Spanish came only 300 or so years ago lots of the floats represent animism and folklore prior to their arrival with symbols of Christianity.  Groups walk in tribal clusters which represent communities, ethnic groups, schools, business and government agencies.  They all have their patron Baby Jesus statue and often dress it in clothes representing their groups. This year we hear and see a great feeling of desperation in the lives of both visitors and residents as they join together in this festival.

It is comforting to note that Jesus never changes and He continues to express a passion for the lost through the efforts of those who are saved by His wonderful message and Grace.   Please join with us in this task to pray for and reach some of the lost billions of souls with the message of Hope and Love from our Lord.  The planet may not be able to accommodate its masses in the ideal ways we would like but Heaven is another Story!  Heaven is able to accommodate the faithful and true for all eternity!  What a wonderful Lord we serve!

Serving the Lord with Concern for the Lost,

Darryl & Carol Krause