I am scared.

(Photo source: http://www.school-clipart.com)

What the heck did I get myself into? I was asking myself that very question as I was riding a jeepney back to the office early this morning.

At about 10 AM this morning, I met with my friend Schelley at the Baclaran Church, where she serves as lector, to talk with the spiritual director of Sarnelli Center for Street Children. I was to ask permission to celebrate my birthday, which is this January, with the kids that they nurture there. Schelley, knowing almost everyone there and having served the kids often, introduced me to the people that I will be working with on this plan. I met with Kuya Bimbo and the others (I already forgot their names! lol), and I learned that this doesn't usually happen, I mean someone celebrating his/her birthday in the Center. Thus, they were pretty excited about it. They were so excited they were already thinking of getting the whole youth ministry involved with emcee-ing and facilitating the games, booking either the Romano Hall or the courtyard outside the center, talking tables and chairs, among many other things. Whew! All this time, I was just dumbfounded as to how "big" an event this is slowly becoming. And this left me INTIMATED.

There is no other word I can think of right now that can describe how intensely afraid I am that I may not be able to pull this off. By the time, Schelley and I parted ways, I wanted to go back inside the church and make my way toward the altar on my knees. Lol. I was already praying for God to provide for me the money to feed 35 kids ranging from 6 to 15 years old, 4 houseparents, 9 social workers, about 10 youth ministers, my friends, and myself. I was also to provide loot bags for the kids and prizes for the games. And if the budget doesn't allow it, I think I might need to scrap that idea I had of donating to the Center a box full of toiletries, including soap, toothpaste/brush, and other hygiene stuff. You can just imagine the ton of numbers circling inside my head as I did mental calculations during the ride back to the office. I think the math dried out my brain cells to point of wilting! Lol.

Haay. How am I going to do this? I only have a certain amount to spend. Dear Lord, help me raise enough money to get this party going. I just want the kids to have fun just this once and provide for them some of their basic needs. God, ikaw na bahala. We can do this. AJA!