Wish Upon A Star

by Ranzel Ganzon

Good afternoon dear sisters. It is a great privilege for me and Sister Ganzon to be given this important assignment to share with you how we feel about your needs and to counsel with you so all of us should be able to benefit and bring something in our hearts tonight as we go back home from this workshop. 

First of all, we would like to extend our love and appreciation to our District Relief Society Presidency – Sister Hosford, Sister Ganzon and Sister Forte together with the effort of our Relief Society Presidents from each branch in making this training possible. And of course, with the backbone support of our District President, President Tai and President Hillam. 

I love stories, so I would like to start this day with a story. Once upon a time, there was a little frog who lives deep in a bottom of a well. Even though it’s dark and wet yet she loves being there.  She lives in the bottom of the well all her life that she’s forgotten that there is another world outside. 

One day, she heard some birds chirping. It was springtime and the birds were singing. She hasn’t heard of such a beautiful sound before. It sparked her curiosity! “I want to follow that beautiful sound!” she exclaimed! So she started jumping and hopping from one brick stone to another inside the well until finally she found herself standing on the top of the well! “Oh, wow!” she exclaimed! “This is such a beautiful world out here! Why have I been so foolish all my life staying down in the well when there is a beautiful world out here!”   

Sisters, how often are we just like this little foolish frog? Oftentimes, we’ve been too preoccupied of so many other things in life that we’ve forgotten our own self. We forgot that there is a much more beautiful world waiting for us out there.  

When God told the Israelites to go out of Egypt and be freed from slavery, He promised them of a beautiful and bountiful place that they can call their own. They and their children, and their children’s children will not be slaves under anyone anymore. It will be a land of milk and honey.  

But you know what? They refused to go! They want to stay in Egypt all their lives because in Egypt, they have food to eat. They don’t have to find food. The food is already there. Do we see a similarity between the Israelites and us, here in Hong Kong?

If we have to sum up the status of our countrymen here in Hong Kong, we can come up with three groups of individuals. The first group would be those who are very young, very ambitious, university graduates who wants to further their career and consider Hong Kong as a stepping stone to go to another country in order to find a better life and thus pursuing their career, and also maybe with it, is a good reason to bring their families with them abroad. We do not have any problem with these individuals as they are on the right track. 

Another group of individuals are mostly mothers, who have goals to stay in Hong Kong for a few years until they can just have enough to start a small living back in their home countries where they can be reunited with their families again. For these individuals, the Church has created a welfare training program in order for them to obtain special knowledge on small scale projects to kick start a decent livelihood when they’re ready to rejoin their families.   

Our District Presidency and the rest of the District Welfare Council have been talking a lot of these lately, and we are trying our best to brain storm on how these things could work out together and yet at the same time not infringing any boundaries beyond the Church capacity.  

Now, here is the problem. We have another group of individuals, who are not residents of Hong Kong, but want to stay in Hong Kong all their lives. These individuals have no plans at all. These are they who are caught between a web of difficult situations. Ask them about their future plans two to three years from now; they will give you a smirk answer… “I don’t really know. I still have a lot of obligations at home.  

Got the clue? Remember, she’s not saying – to herself, but at home. She is that little queen frog at the bottom of the well. She wants to stay there at the bottom of the well all her life. She doesn’t care that there’s another world out there. She made herself a voluntary sacrifice. Its fine for her to be used and be abused. 

So all winters, all summers, all springs, she’s just there in her little dark world. She has decided to be the bank of the family. She is in her own little world a single welfare unit society. A friend comes to borrow money, she lends all that she’s got… kasi, she has “pusong mammon”. Her niece calls her… “Tita, can you buy me the latest i-phone?”  “Ok, Tita will send it right in a minute”. Uutang pa ng pera si Tita, may pambili lang ng bagong i-phone ni Inday. Tita, I’m marrying my jobless boyfriend. Will you buy my wedding gown? Ang ganda ganda ni Tita! Oh, by the way, I’m pregnant! I need money to buy milk for my baby and also can you include the P10,000.00 monthly rent for our apartment”. “Ok, no problem, iha, basta nandito si Tita”. Super Tita is on the rescue again.   

After many years in Hong Kong, Tita, has grown old. After waiting for twenty years, her boyfriend has decided to marry another woman. He exclaimed, “No use of waiting!” Tagal-tagal! 

Remember that niece? Now, she’s got 10 children. They’ve all grown strong and healthy. They’ve all finished their universities. Thanks for the full scholarship Tita has provided, plus daily allowances.  

Now, it’s time for Tita to go home for good. The strong body she used to have when she was young has now shrunk to a weak disabled body. When she arrived home, not even one of those she supported was there to meet her at the airport. In the minds of those people… “Our bank has given up on us. Let’s send another one!” 

Sisters, does this story rings true to most of you? You may not want to admit it, but it could be one of you. You may probably be a mother in this story, a sister, an aunt, a friend, or a grandma. Whoever we are in this story, I would like to invite you tonight to take a quick look in the mirror and ask yourself a question… “Is it worth to allow people to use and abuse me all my life?” Is this the life that Heavenly Father wants me to have? 

We are all children of a loving God. He knows the intentions of our hearts. But He also allows us to make choices. He wants us to teach ourselves how to sacrifice for others but in a wise way that we don’t allow others to take advantage of our goodness and generosity.  

There is always a good saying that goes like this…” Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; but, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” 

This is what we need to keep on reminding ourselves again and again. In my life, I have supported my sisters through college, and when they’re done, they fish for themselves. 

It’s hundred percent important for all of us to set goals in life. On my job interviews, I am always asked by the interviewers with the same question again and again… “Where do you see yourself one year from now; two years from now; five years from now; ten years from now?” 

Why such question? What’s the logic for that question? Employers apparently ask this question because they are looking for people who know what they want to do and who are focused on specific professional goals. If you lack goals, you will have difficulty answering this question. Be sure you arrive at the interview with a clear vision of what you want to do today, tomorrow and five years from now. That is the logic. Now, if I may ask you, where do you see yourself one year from now, two years from now, or five years from now, can you give me a straight answer? If you can’t then, you have a big problem to resolve. Because I can tell you now, sisters, that Hong Kong is not forever, and that’s the truth. Sooner or later our body will retire and the only way out of Hong Kong is back to our home country.  

Save for yourself. Learn as many new skills as possible. The internet is flooded with easy to reach resources. YMCA in Hong Kong is a must for those who are seeking for new skills. If the schedule of your studying comes in conflict with your church meeting in the afternoon, then attend Victoria 1 Branch in the mornings until you finish your schooling. Let your Branch President know about your plans so he can give you sound advice. 

I tell you sisters, that nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Careful thinking and hard work will solve nearly all your problems. Try and see for yourself. 

We are telling you this because one day you find ten years have gotten behind you. If no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun. All the rest of your friends and families are already on the finish line, yet you haven’t even left the starting line.  

Sisters, know where you are going. If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.

Dream! Ok, let me talk a little something about dreams. Do you know that dreams are necessary for life? You know that in my dreams, I’m ageless. That’s what I like so much about dreaming.  

I am a dreamer because a man without a dream is a man without a vision in life; and a man without a vision in life is a man without a future.  

Have you ever wished upon a star? When I was a child, there was a rhyme we would say in the evening when the sky began to get dark. As soon as it was dark enough for us to see the very first star in the sky, we would say,  

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight. 
 

Remember the story of Pinocchio? The little puppet boy who wished to be a real boy? One day, his friend Jiminy Cricket appeared before him and sang him this song: 

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

Sisters, tonight as you go home, look up to the sky and when you see a star, kiss you thumb, close it in your hands, place it close to your bosom and make a wish. In your room, kneel down and pray for your wish that Heavenly Father will help you make it come true.  Work for it. Dream of it to happen and I know that with faith in your heart, you will reach that dream. 

This is my testimony that Heavenly Father lives and He answers our prayers. I know that there is nothing in this world that can stop us from achieving our goals in life if we only try to start it with a little faith in our hearts. 

This testimony I leave with you in the sacred name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.