Explore to Free Yourself: Ask, seek and knock!

"No pain, no gain". With my condition last November 2017, I was literally in pain, but doing the churches visitation, I gained peace, satisfaction and contentment.

"Turn to Jesus, He knows every nuances and thoughts, He knows every sigh and silent wishes."

Source

I was out of the office for 2 weeks due to back pain, muscle pain and abdominal pain. Some people didn't understand and thought I was just making some excuses but honestly speaking, the pain is unbearable.

I undergone series of tests and lab examinations. The impressions are Mild Lumbar Levoscoliosis, Lumbosacral Sprain and GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease). Experiencing these conditions at the same time left me with sleepless nights, made me weak, emotional, depressed and stressed. Sometimes, I also refrain from taking high dosage of medicines to avoid being dependent. My love ones are always cheering me up and taking me to the brighter side of the situation. My brother told me, "Stay strong, be positive. We all struggle sometimes". My mom is a devotee and she advised me to visit Our Lady of Manaoag which known now as the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.

Not every wishes are being granted for free. The man of my life, Sol Khristopher, accompanied me in visiting 9 different churches from Lingayen to Manaoag in the province of Pangasinan. Yes, it was a Visita Iglesia. As mom's suggestion, we decided to do a Visita Iglesia for petitions. I am so thankful of him for being by my side for better or worse, in sickness and health. I also wanted to extend my appreciation to my family for supporting us doing Visita Iglesia.

The man of my life. Photo taken at SM Aura.

My Family. Photo taken at Oldwood Beach Resort in Lingayen.

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Churches Visitation

It is a tradition to visit seven different churches but sometimes there’s a particular or no set of number as it depends on the faithful’s personal preference. So, we visited 8 other churches on our way to the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.

See the photos I took during Visita Iglesia last December 4, 2017. You can also visit my original post in Facebook and Instagram.

Our journey started at 10:00 AM and visited St. Rose of Lima Parish, in our barangay. It's a sunny day. We could feel the heat on our skin and I was afraid that it could be so tiring and hard for us to get from point to another til the endpoint. With dedication and perseverance, we did our best and made it to our last destination, Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag. The sweat and hardships - everything is paid off. We officially ended our day at exactly 8:18 PM.

Domalandan ➡️ Lingayen ➡️ Binmaley ➡️ Dagupan ➡️ Mangaldan ➡️ San Fabian ➡️ Mapandan ➡️ San Jacinto ➡️ Manaoag

St. Rose of Lima Parish Church, Domalandan, Lingayen, Pangasinan

Ephiphany of our Lord Parish, Lingayen, Pangasinan

Our Lady of Purification Parish Church, Binmaley, Pangasinan

St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, Dagupan City, Pangasinan

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Church, Mangaldan, Pangasinan

Parish Of St. Fabian Pope And Martyr, San Fabian, Pangasinan

St. Joseph the Patriarch Parish Church, Mapandan, Pangasinan

St. Hyacinth Parish Church, San Jacinto, Pangasinan

Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, Manaoag, Pangasinan

My Partner and I.

I won't deny that I have petitions in doing this act because asking for help is normal but mostly I came across to the Lord for penance and thanksgiving. It was a very tiring day but a fulfilling one!

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MEOW!

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[07142018] This is my first post here in Steemit. I haven't gone yet in posting an #introduceyourself blog. I just got so excited in sharing my Visita Iglesia experience. Thanks for taking time to read my post. This is MJ Fresco. Have great one! And please don't forget to follow me @canarypenman! ❤❤❤❤