(1st of two parts) I was born in Zamboanga Del Sur Philippines in Oct. 21st 1975. I was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church as Maria Alona Diaz Dizon.
It has been quite a journey to life.
I’ve experienced both good and bad, happy and sad. This is the only way to grow and evolve as a human.
I’ve accepted everyone and have learned to love everyone. It’s peace.
It’s freedom. It’s happy and kind.
Getting out of the box is freeing.
As a kid growing up I was very curious to Know God and life. I was always gazing at the night sky, just wondering what’s in the stars.
I wonder where is the dwelling place of God and wondering where life is from.
At age 12, I asked my parents if I can be a nun. They refused. I said since you don’t want then move me to the private school because my siblings are there. They said, “you’re a girl, a public school would do. One day you’ll get married and it’ll be a waste of education for you.”
I was hurt. I’ve negotiated with them one more time and finally sent me to the Seventh-Day Adventist Academy in Narra Palawan Philippines.
I became an SDA believer. I was sincere And perhaps too serious with my New found faith.
I was president in several organizations. I became the president of the ministerial association for the academy. I was the religious president for my class. I was always asked to teach, preach and lead. I was president from year to year. I gladly did my part. I took my duty as the will of God for me.
Graduation was approaching and we were asked to pick and choose the career we wanted in college. I joined the group of men. I was the only girl. I was asked to move to other groups of my choosing but I replied “this is the group I want.”
I didn’t know that a woman cannot study theology. I asked why not? The answer was simply Because I’m a woman.
I enrolled in school of theology and biblical languages in Mountain View College in Malaybalay Bukidnon in Mindanao in 1992.
The Argentinian head professor of Theology was annoyed by me after two semesters. He told me that I can’t just study Theology subjects. I must take some minor subjects as well. So I did music for a bit. Eventually he asked me to choose another major subject to study because I’m a woman. My grades were As but I was kicked out. It was hurtful especially that I was a good student and took life seriously. I left the college and I didn’t know what to do with my life. I was left in the dark and I asked God why?
I moved to Cebu. I enrolled in the School of Aeronautics just to say I’m in school. After three months I quit. Then I enrolled in Yamaha school of Music but quit after a few months. Nothing makes me happy. I was wondering where to go to school where women are accepted to study about God. I was always looking up to the Sky talking to God. I had many questions.
Eventually, I figured out what to do with my life but still now quite sure. I was depending on my gut feelings and was praying for guidance.
I accepted the scholarship offered to me to study in the School of Health in Georgia USA. I studied health sciences and natural healing. I was offered two scholarships for nursing school but I refused.
The school of Health was my stepping stone to enroll in the School of Theology and Biblical Languages in the state of Michigan.
I was welcomed and loved by my professors. Most of the time I was the only girl in class but I felt like I was home. Andrews University is a place i can consider a second home in America even to this day.
I love the vegetarian food and loved to see all kinds of human race in the campus.
I topped in the Hebrew Class. The Greek language was easier for me.
I planned to study Hebrew in Tel-Aviv Israel and wanting to also study Greek in Greece. It was cheaper to study abroad and where could be a better place to study but where the language is spoken. I thought. But a fatal car accident detoured my life to a direction I’ve never thought of.
I lost my eye sight. I lost my brain too.
I had an amnesia for a few months. I had many stitches on my head and face. I thought my life is useless. God must have turned his back on me. But a miracle happened. My eyesight came back after three months. And I began to remember who I was but I can’t remember the car accident. I came back to school. I had many headaches but my professors were so kind to me. Would offer me a special exam when I’m pain free.
I was asked by my Hebrew professor to get my PhD in Languages to teach at AU (Andrews University).
I graduated in 2003 and went to the city of Chicago. I enrolled in the PhD program for Biblical Languages. I was assisted by a good friend to cross enroll at the University of Chicago where Albert Einstein taught Physics.
Einstein caught my attention after seeing his statue at the University.
It was then that I value virtues even more above all things. I’ve never really paid attention about World War 1 & 2. I didn’t even understand it until i read the life and work of Oppenheimer and Einstein.
It was then that I began paying attention about Politics and Science.
The teachings of Jesus and the saints are the education that humans need in order to create a world so advanced in technology and yet valued Extentionality or Love above all things. For without love there’ll be a great absence of justice, peace and abundance. With its absence it creates a society filled with crimes and insurgency. With the presence of war, humanity will always regress. Ignorance will continue. The chasm between Rich and Poor will be so deep. There’ll be no peace.
I’ve observed life.
Love has been out of balance and so as justice.
As a woman I’ve been denied of some of the privileges so easy for men to get. I’ve been scorned for speaking in public and even the role of leadership wasn’t easy for me just because I’m a woman. But as a dean of women elected by the school board of directors in Georgia USA, my pain wasn’t just because I’m a woman but I’ve also suffered racism and prejudice just because I’m from a third world country and I was very young for a dean. I was only 22 years old.
Eventually, I left religion altogether and had engaged in business.
I found out that even the business world is run by men. There are only a handful of women who thrived in the business world. And they had to fight their way in. Oprah Winfrey is a good example of this fight. Many women in Europe fought for women’s rights way before America was even a country.
It’s quite a surprise for me that women are actually revered in politics in the Philippines. I believe we have more women presidents in the Philippines more than any other countries in the world.
Ancient Egypt was run by women Pharaohs. Eventually men took the leadership. Egypt died out. The fame and wealth gone. There was an imbalance in their politics. It was violence and war after war. (to be continued)
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