On September 18, 1932, two months short of the United States Congress' passing of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the premise of granting Filipinos independence (which was eventually vetoed by President Herbert Hoover), Thomas P. Las was born to Seisi Las and Brigida Perez.
Ten years later, Thomas became breadwinner to the family of seven, all of whom suffering from malaria in the war-torn of town of Lipa, Batangas. The Sino-Japanese War concomitant to the World War 2, put the family in greater danger-- the Japanese Imperial Army became very suspicious of every Chinese-descent family in the Philippines. The family moved to the sleepy town of Sta. Maria, Laguna to flee the ravaged city of Lipa taken over by the Japanese. Gen. Douglas McArthur had retreated to Australia following a fierce fight between Allied forces and the Japanese in May of that year. Thomas witnessed the murder of one of his uncles and a number of his neighbors, including women and children by the Japanese Army. He watched hiding beneath bales of nipa as the soldiers stabbed townfolks with blood-stained bayonets. I remember him telling me that it was then when he planned on joining the US Airforce, and avenge the death of his uncle and friends. He did apply for it once when he turned 18 in 1950.
The family's move from Lipa to Sta. Maria required another change, the family name. From Las, the heads of the family agreed to use the name Olan. A couple of decades earlier, my great-grandfather acquired the Las surname through sponsorship by a Spanish-Filipino businessman in order that he may be granted Philippine citizenship in 1911.
When the war was over and years of studies at the Laguna Institute, he worked for the Bishop of Lipa, Alfredo Versoza. It was then when he started to become very religious-- going to church 14 times a week regardless if he understood Latin or not! He sought to understand the teachings of the Church but was discouraged by the priests to read the Bible. He can vividly recount a season in his life when his health began to fail which resulted to a temporary blindness. He never called on the Lord as desparately until that time. He regained his strength and his sight after three months.
It was in 1956 when he saw a group of young men with open Bibles in Sta. Maria, Laguna. The open Bibles attracted him. He joined one of their activities called Bible studies-- something new to him even though he'd worked as a catechist for years. He kept attending but was warned by his father to never desert the Catholic faith by choosing to be baptized in the Baptist Church. In one of the Bible studies, he understood the Gospel message, believed in the finished work of Christ, and was born again. I remember him telling me that he walked home after that Bible study with so much joy in his heart, he couldn't stop smiling and laughing that he had to cover his mouth with a brown hankie from the Baptist chapel to his house.
Time came when he could no longer resist the Spirit's prodding to follow Christ in baptism. A couple of days later, he was gladly baptized by Pastor Quimba. He expressed his desire to enrol in Bible college, FEBIAS. When my grandfather heard of my dad's desire and decision, he was cut off-- disowned. He worked as a janitor, a bus conductor and as a clerk, to support himself. It was about the same time he met a 20-year-old school yeacher named Marina, who eventually became mother to his five children. In order to honor his father's wish and provide for his young family he quit Bible college to run the grocery, restaurant and the farm, but never stopped serving in the church any which way he can- as a missionary, Bible study leader, a sexton, choir conductor, a pianist, a trustee, an associate parson. His pursuit of a theology degree was so intermittent that he did not receive it until 1975-- 23 years after he first enrolled.
From the time I was born up until college, all I knew that my father ever was was a pastor! It was his day job as well as his night job. There was no distintion between his roles as a father and as a pastor. He has preached hundreds of sermons (to the church he led for more than two decades), and couple of hundreds more to his children who needed them.
Now at 76, he's still as agile as a 40 year-old fitness buff, as smart and articulate as a 35 year-old lawyer, as cool as 25 year-old urban professional. He looks way younger than his youngest sibling. Today is his birthday!
Happy birthday, Dad!
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