SHE FOUND HER FATE BY INSPIRATION

By: Norberto Betita

I found her name from the first names of two different young women in a magazine Lori and Lynne. I presented it to my wife and was accepted without objection. I later found however that such was a combination of a girl and a boy’s name. Lori is a baby girl’s name which means a symbol of honour and victory both in Spanish, American and English cultures, while Lynne is also a baby boy’s name. However, in English it meant an abbreviation of Lynnette who accompanied Sir Gareth on a knightly quest in Arthurian legend. The combination then finds a cohesive and correlated meaning for the story of Lynnette and Sir Gareth as one of honor and victory.

From such meaning I am reminded of the wonderful story of Gareth who served in the King’s kitchen only one month and a noble blooded Lynnette the concerned sister of Lyonors, a lady also noble, rich, and most beautiful who was imprisoned in her own castle guarded by four brave and strong knights who wanted that she marry one of them so that they can have her great wealth. Gareth by his insistence and after being tried was secretly made a knight by the King and Sir Lancelot. When Lynnete came seeking assistance from the King about her sister Lyonors, she requested for Sir Lancelot who was the most popular and strongest fighter among the knights of the King’s roundtable. But instead she was given Sir Gareth to help her. Sir Kay questioned the King’s wisdom to send a Kitchen boy, but Sir Gareth assured the King that he can beat them all. Lynnette was very mad and immediately left. Sir Gareth was instructed by the King to follow Lynnete. Sir Kay also followed, but he was thrown by Sir Gareth from his horse. Sir Gareth also saved a man from being killed by six men, but Lynnete still do not believed his capability to save her sister. She said repeatedly that she smelled the kitchen grease all the time. But Sir Gareth told her that her cruel words have put strength into his arm. Sir Gareth defeated all three of the strongest and bravest knights guarding the bridges to the entrance of the castle, but still he was labelled having the kitchen grease by Lynnette. When Sir Lancelot overtook them, he thought that Sir Gareth was an enemy and attacked him. The latter was defeated by the strength of Sir Lancelot. Sir Gareth fought the last guard and finally won the battle and saved the sister of Lynnette. In a great feast offered for them Sir Gareth and Lynnette sat side by side. Later they were married and eventually went to Camelot to live with King Arthur.

Lori Lynne has her own wonderful story of struggles, honours, triumphs and victories. She was our third child, born on July 11, 1984. She was lovely, fair-skinned and truly another delight for the family. Her birth was not that difficult for her mother. However, a month after she was born a very strong typhoon “Nitang” smashed Surigao City with devastating fury. We wrapped her with soft plastic as we evacuated at the ground floor of our rented dwelling for safety. But sea water surged inside with rushing speed as to immediately fill the room with waist deep water. We immediately get out of the room for safety and braved the rising water, penetrating rain and very strong winds. We did not even mind the whistling sound of flying GI sheets. We took refuge in a nearby strong and elevated house. The whole night we were wet except for the children. We did not have any sleep.

We feared lest she would be affected by the stress and trauma that she experienced plus the fact that she was breastfeeding from her mother who suffered much under the storms and the strains of the ordeals we have gone through the night. But she survived the possible effect of the strongest typhoon in her infancy.

She grew strong as a child. She has a fair white skin than all her siblings. During her elementary grades she possessed perfectly lined permanent teeth, but a classmate pushed her resulting to a broken front tooth and eventually a slightly deformed jaw.

At church she is very active in her primary and youth activities. She attended and graduated from Seminary. After graduation from High School she followed her dream of becoming a nurse. We should have sent her to study at a university in Cebu city, but she chose to study in the local college. She graduated with a degree in Nursing. She took the licensure examinations but did not make it. She continually served at church and eventually found the Sir Gareth of her life in the person of Fraodel Reyes Preciosa, a returned missionary and a young man of humor who always prided that during his elementary grades he was always number ten which his mother appreciated not knowing that there were only ten pupils in the class. He was a Mechanic turned financial counsellor, like Gareth a kitchen boy turned knight. While Lynnette smelled kitchen grease from Gareth; Lori Lynne should have probably smelled mechanical grease from Fraodel.

After having found themselves committed and meant for each other, they finally decided to tie the knot and start the journey to their happily ever after. With the help of family and friends they travelled to Cebu City and kneeling on the altar between the mirrors of eternity, they received the ordinance of the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. There was no great feast offered, yet higher than the marital vows of Sir Gareth and Lynnette which was till death do they part; Fraodel and Lori Lynne were pronounced husband and wife for time and all eternity.

After more than a year of living in the king’s nest, they were blessed with a son. She stayed as a full time mother, while serving in the church as primary president of the branch. Her great love in teaching gospel lessons to the primary children inspired her to take on a new career outlook. She tried her fate and went back to college for a teaching course for a year. She enrolled for a review, but just when the classes had started her husband lost his job and they were left without any income. She had to stop while her husband was trying to find temporary work. In a short time her husband found a job and she prepared to take licensure examination for teachers without any formal review.

Finally she made it and she is now a licensed professional secondary school teacher, major in Science. Indeed, she found her fate by inspiration. She is now engaged temporarily in teaching at an elementary private school while still waiting for her professional license to be released soon, at which time she will start preparing to apply for a teaching position in a public school. God’s providential hand guided her to the noble profession He knows most appropriate for her---teaching, no greater call. And to prove it was right for her, Heavenly Father called her to an elevated responsibility as District Primary President to preside and oversee the teaching of gospel lessons to the children in the Primary Organization of the six units of the Surigao Philippines District of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter- Day Saints.

Today, July 11, 2015 is her 31st birthday, while enjoying her first month as a professional teacher. We are hoping and praying that she will continue to have the needed faith and courage to do whatever God had placed upon her shoulders apart from her responsibility to assist her husband in providing for their family needs. As God inspired her to find her fate, may He open the windows of heaven for blessings He deems necessary for Lori Lynne and her family today and in the years to come?

MAY OUR MOST SINCERE GREETINGS BE A DELIGHT TO YOUR HEART? HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR DEAREST LORI LYNNE!!!