Simala Shrine

An aunt from Leyte, who actually resides now in Sweden but who comes home regularly (because she wants to visit her old mother), decided to visit the Simala Shrine, and invited us. She rented a van and we started our trip very early at 5:00 a.m. one Monday morning.

The trip lasted only for about 2 hours and it was very smooth because it was still very early, and there was no traffic. And when we reached Simala, there were very few people, perhaps because it was a weekday - and a Monday. The shrine is indeed quite beautiful...  

People want to believe in miracles because miracles make impossible things possible. My fervent wish is that - the shrine be kept always as a symbol of hope and belief, and that it will also be kept simple. I worry that the more the shrine becomes more magnificent, believers might get lost in its grandeur...