I was job searching after I came back from my trip from Medjugorje. I started to work at a big company earning half of what I was used to. (This was not so bad at all compared with the low salaries in Panama. I just lasted a month as the owner was a mean old man, and I was selected by his son and he did not realized that I was not going to work for him but with his father. It was not a nice experience at all. I was fired with no explanation after working for a month when his son and daughter were traveling. It was truly a relief for me as the man is the kind of person that make believe he help the poor and the needy but only to make believe, his heart is made of stone. One of those old Spaniards that now that he has money thinks he is a god. Well, he has a god alright, money!

I was running out of my severance pay that I earned from my 17 years of working with the American at the Canal and luckily I still had $10,000 left on a time deposit which I already borrowed from my own money so what I really had was $7,000.00. To crown it all my car broke down so and spent a few thousands fixing it. (How I got my car for the first time is another testimony).

September arrived and the tour I was looking forward to go, left to Medjugorje. I could not travel with the group as the time deposit was due in October and did not have money to go with them.

Soon the month of November came in too and one day, I found myself praying at El Santisimo at the Radio Maria’s chapel and in my conversation with our Lord and our Lady I was complaining that I could not go to Medjugorje and it was the Jubilee year. If I could have an opportunity to go, but how. By myself would be awfully expensive and there was no tour until September next. Well, when I stepped out of the chapel, I met a friend of my daughter, a volunteer, who had travel with me the year before, (see first part of the story) and while talking to him I happened to mention how sad I was feeling because I could not make it to Rome and Medjugorje on Jubilee year and able to receive all the special gifts from our Lord. Then to my surprise he said to me "señora Alina, Padre Paco is planning a trip now for Xmas." "But Juan" I answered "how come you think I would go during Xmas, it is a time of the year to be with my family, you know that Xmas is impossible for me to travel there" He then answered with a smile "think about it señora Alina, the trip will only be to Medjugorje, far much cheaper and with a very small group this time"

I wasted three precious weeks thinking about it. I became upset and pretty frustrated and felt unrest and not in the best mood. How I longed to spend Xmas in Mejdugorje, so my prayer group and I prayed hard for this intention. Also Juan prayed, Steve Shawl prayed and lot of my friends who are very devoted also prayed.

One day I was doing an errand and while driving, switched on Radio Maria. Heard the news on Father Slavko’s death. To my surprise, I did not feel sad, on the contrary, a peace invaded me, something hard to explain. I headed to Radio Maria and when I arrived there, stayed and prayed the Merciful Rosary and felt afterwards an urgent need to go to the travel agency, so after talking to a few friends at Radio Maria, I drove to the travel agency. The young man that attended me, informed me that there was no space left and then he dialed my friend’s Angelica phone number, (see part 1), and handed me the phone after briefing her about me wanting to go with my son to Medjugorje. She informed there was no space available but for me she will open one. (I never found out why she said that, probably the Holy Spirit inspired her).

Next day at home I informed my husband that there was a trip to Medjugorje and that it was not expensive, as I could not find a job I said that I was running out of money I do not want to miss this opportunity. "Well" he answered me "you always do what you want" But it is Xmas I said. He looked at me in a funny way and said nothing. When I mentioned to my son and daughter, they answered me, "how come mum, during Xmas? and started to fuss, so what came into my mind (the Holy Spirit inspired me for sure) "well, when it is Xmas none of you wants to accompany me to Church and to me we are celebrating Jesus birth and I have always told you that we are not doing things right, He should be first in our lives and you only think about what you are going to get as presents". They kept quiet, and believe me, they did not make life impossible to me as I thought they would. My husband smiled like saying, she sure is smart. I promised them that I will be back to spend New Years with them and that is what I did even though deep in my heart I wanted to spend it in Medjugorje.

The night before I departed, my daughter could not find her car keys and after half an hour of searching, I gave her mine so she would use my car. That night I did not go to a job interview because I wanted to stay at home. Besides, I did not want to give up my trip to Medjugorje. When my friend Angelica asked me if I wanted to go again to England, my answer to her was no because I had plan to have a spiritual trip this time. I was giving up visiting England so I could spend New Year with my family back home. To make the story short, my daughter was involved in a car accident with my son, grandson and two friends, and Thank God no one was hurt but the trunk of the car could not be opened. I was planning that afternoon to place my luggage in the trunk but changed my mind and left the suitcase closed to the main house’s door. I could see that the Ugly one was mad again for this trip to Medjugorje and he knows that I am very fond of my car as I pray to my dear Gospa that I needed a new car and during that time, I did not have the money for the down payment, but I could afford making monthly payments. My husband had some state bonus and he gave me the down payment and he remarked "you will say that it was the Virgin who gave you money for the down payment" I just smiled and thought, who else could have touched his heart to do so. I knew that he became our Lady’s instrument but as he does not understand those things, I kept quiet. My car has stained glasses and part of my prayer group used to pray with me during lunch hour to pray the Rosary. My son the first day that the car arrived home, placed the Queen of Peace Plate in front of the car.

Continuing with my second Medjugorje trip, let me tell you that it was far much better experience as I live every second of this journey, as I knew the places to visit and where to spent more time for example, as in Mass at St. James, and could feel the devotion of the Croatian people which is so contagious, so peaceful, so joyful, there is no way to describe it but most of the people who have traveled to Medjugorje, knows what I am talking about. My soul was healed several times during Croatian Mass and during Eucharist exposure, and Cross Adoration. I would not change that experience for all the gold in the world!

I also went to visit the lady where I stayed the year before and brought her a present. When I was leaving the boarding house, I informed one of the nuns that I was going to visit Ivanka (the lady where I used to stay) and a friend. I do not know why I said that but then I thought I meant our Lady in Church.

When I arrived at Ivanka’s house she was so pleased to see me and was really very happy and said "I have a wonderful surprise for you" "your Argentinean friend is here" Adriana and I hugged each other and jumped of happiness. Our beloved Gospa reunited us again as we shared so many experiences that could not be share with someone else. She is an air steward on Aerolineas Argentinas and she was lucky to have vacation during Xmas as it was difficult to give vacations during Xmas time. I bought a statue of our beloved Lady. I searched for it so much as I had in mind a sort of a Lladro (can you imagine a Lladro in Bosnia?) and I was sad because I could not find the one I had in mind. While shopping with one of the girls of the group she came up to me and said "look mamita, the Virgin up there is smiling at you". When I looked at her, I felt immediately in love with her. It was a plain one, made of clay but I found it so special and bought it. It only cost me $30.00 and I was planning to spend more money.

Well, the day we were heading to Father Jozo, it was raining for the first time. As we were below cero all the time, the temperature raised a bit. For us Panamanian below cero is too cold, we are not used to such low temperature. While inside the bus, I looked up to the sky and I said, "the sun is coming, rain will soon stop" But, no one said a word so I guess they were all concentrated in their own thoughts and then when I looked out of the window again up to the sky, the clouds were opening and then our Lady silhouette appeared and all around her was shaped with a string of gold. I stare looking speechless and thanking God for such a beautiful Gift and only could mumble to my friend Adriana who was sitting behind me, "look up to the sky do you see what I see?" and she answered ujum (yes). Later on she told me that she did not see our Lady, it was meant for me to see and sealed it in my heart. I had my camera with me but at the moment of the apparition, I never thought of taking a picture. I was happy and also sad because no one mentioned seen her and I wanted to share this experience with others, but as my friend said to me, it was for you to see and she looked so much like the statue I bought, no crown, no stars, and tears poured into my eyes and I kept thanking our Lady for giving me such a gift!.

We then arrived at Father Jozo and it was a marvelous experience. It was meant to be a private hearing with our group but some Italian and some American showed up so even though Father Francisco was translating in Spanish, Father Jozo spoke in Italian as most people there were Italians. I must mention that I have lovely rosaries but the one I treasure most is the plastic one that was gifted to us by him. He imposed his hands and asked my friend and I to step forward (only the two of us) and I had a feeling that he was able to see something on us, as he skipped some people and gathered some other people such as families. I met during this trip, the sister of one of my best friends who died of leukemia. She traveled with her husband and adopted child. He is becoming blind and then after they adopted him they started to have family of their own. They do love him dearly though.

The Lord do works wonders. My friend Adriana sent to me after our Medjugorje trip, an album with some special photos that I saw while we were in Medjugorje. I only wanted two photos but she said that she prayed and in her heart she started to feel joy and in all her stops while traveling, she made a whole album for me. It was our Gospa whispering into her soul to gift me with it. I shared so many things with Adriana and thanked our Lady for such a beautiful time full of deep devotion that we spent in Medjugorje.

I hope one day soon I will return again to Medjugorje. Right now only memories and experiences as the one of my friend that with a very humble and lovely heart, she has send me the photos taken, which are so much treasured by me.

I also would like to share with you something that happened to me. When I was new in my former job, on the first week, a nice young man, came to me and asked me for some help. He needed to burn some copies. The entity where I worked for, is a huge entity with lots of departments. When he thanked me and gave me his name I asked him if he was a cousin of someone who was in the same group on the Xmas trip and he answered me "yes", he happened to be his cousin. I then asked his cousin during a first Saturday devotion, to send me with his cousin a book that I was reading on the plane. He then embarrassed confessed that he has never met his cousin but he sure would love to meet him and to invite him to First Saturday devotion next month. His cousin agreed and so many things happened that I thought I could never make it on that day, but finally I did go, and they met and left together to have lunch so they could talk and learn about each other. My friend was happy and thanked me but I said to Thank our Gospa as she planned it all along. See the mysterious way the Lord works. We have to learn how to listed to our Jesus that talks to our heart all the time.

I do not consider myself a fanatic as many unbeliever think of us who follows the Lord. I try to go to Mass every day since I went to Medjugorje as our Lady asked from us. While I was jobless, I used to go to 11 o clock Mass, but my husband kept inquiring me where was I going every day as I had no money. I did not want to let him know that I was going to Mass each day to be able to convert each day but as he is not in the same path as I, what he will think is that, I am a fanatic. When you are not open hearted, you cannot understand what is going on in our lives.

I also want to share one experience I had during St. Joseph day at Church. I was in Mass with my son, and all of a sudden I started to see rings in many heads of the people who were in Mass. So many head crowned with these. The rings resembles so much as the ones from the photos that Adriana gifted me. During those days I was naïve and shared my experience as soon as I arrived at home, with my husband. He told me then that probably I had a tumor in my head and those were the rings that I saw. As he does not believe in supernatural events, I did not finish telling him the whole experience and what my heart felt at that moment. I preferred to keep it to myself and from there on I try to be more careful and just shared it with people that have had experience on that field.

Life has not been so easy since I returned from Medjugorje, but I pray all the time that I will experience the same peace and joy in my heart. I have to struggle with my family who are not converted. But with our Gospa and Jesus I believe I can make it. I pray to the Lord each day that my Faith will grow.

You do not need miracles to believe in God and my love to our Lady was born in such an imaginable way that only God knows how my heart was touch and I thank Him because life is hard and He has show me how much He loves me and the things I have experienced and still do, are ointment to my heart because I do not deserve all the Love He has given me throughout these years and when I visit him and the Eucharist (El Santísimo), memories from the past are revealed at those moment I am knelt before Him, and then I remember some spiritual experience and some other revelations that now I am starting to understand. We are all God’s creature and we are here in this World for a purpose. We have to gain paradise so we have a long way to walk but with Jesus and Mary our Cross becomes as light as a feather.