MANILA, Philippines - Mother China, or Mommy Nelly, was mother to five beautiful children, whom?as all souls, even the kindliest ones, eventually do?she had to leave here on earth. On the day of her funeral, 28 priests celebrated Mass, and a thousand white balloons and hundreds of white doves and butterflies were set free.

The 40th day of her passing was recently celebrated: countless mourners gathered for a holy Mass every morning for 40 days straight. Such was the extent of her loved ones? emotions. On that day, the place was filled with a hundred angels (children dressed as angels) and fireworks lit the night sky. It was to rejoice over Mother Nelly?s triumphant entrance to heaven as an angel.

?Magdalena Lim was ever grateful all throughout her life,? Msgr. Josefino Ramirez, the Deputy Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Manila and the Head of the Divine Mercy for Asia, said of the wonderful soul that has left this earth to join the Almighty.

Mommy Nelly was orphaned and widowed at an early age, but the stormy life she went through did not stop her from moving on. Rather, it transformed her into the strong woman that everyone knew her to be.

She was a passionate woman and a faithful lover to her husband. This love echoed even beyond his grave, when after his death she promised him, ?Ikaw lamang ang aking iibigin?magpakailanman.? Though parting was painful, she remained thankful to God because out of such love arose five wonderful children.

Mommy Nelly raised their five children all by herself. Her children grew up as she had always wanted them to: successful in life and in their own respective fields as God-fearing Christians.

To Mommy Nelly?s grandchildren and great grandchild, she played the roles of second mother, grandmother and a friend. She never got tired of taking care of everyone.

Inspired by Our Lady of Manaoag to whom she was also deeply devoted, she unfailingly embraced them with her warm love and affection. She never stopped worrying as it was her way of showing how much she cared for them. She taught them the significance of moral values, enthusiasm and having unshakeable faith. And all throughout, she thanked the Lord for blessing her with such an intimate and devoted family.

Philanthropic works

Mommy Nelly never refused to lend a hand to anyone who sought her assistance; no plea was left unheard by her. She was truly ?Mommy? to everyone. She never chose people to whom she extended her hand, be they her closest friends or the poorest of strangers. Her philanthropic works ranged from micro-financing for small scale businesses to feeding the poor and underprivileged.

Mommy Nelly actively supported the Smile Foundation, whose primary objective is the teaching and helping of people to start new businesses, so that in return, they can extend the same help and assistance to other people.

Also, she consistently provided financial contributions for the education of priests and nuns. Among her charities were the Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol and The Holy Rosary Seminary of Bicol Region. She regularly provided financial assistance to several visiting Chinese priests for their basic and advance Theology courses in the country.

She was also an active benefactor to the Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where she tried to assist the nuns in every way she can. The Children?s Joy Foundation, an orphaned children?s choir, was another of her favorite charities, as was the Blessed Margaret Choir, composed of street children in Quiapo and the Table of St. Joseph Foundation, which runs a feeding program for the poverty-stricken at the Quiapo Church.

A former Buddhist, Mother Nelly became a Charismatic Christian Catholic. Perhaps one of the most important legacies she left her family was teaching them how to pray fervently. She believed that the ultimate source of her strength was God.

After her conversion to the Catholic faith, Mommy Nelly?s closeness to the Lord intensified. She started and ended each day communicating to her Savior. This piousness was another beautiful inheritance she left her dear ones.

Physical distance

Her concern for others, her friends and family bridged the physical distance between them. The fondest memories of Mommy Nelly all have a common theme: food. Each time mealtime came along, Mommy Nelly would be seen calling out to everyone to come together and eat. Whether you were a relative or not, she would invite you to join the meal.

She knew that in a fast-paced world, family time, togetherness and a little rest were extremely important. And out of the greatness of her heart, she made sure everyone got their share of these.

She went out of her way to contact her family members even if they were out of the country, just to check if they had eaten their meal. During these calls she would always compare the food she had prepared to what they had abroad and jokingly tell them that hers was much better, so they should come and visit to see for themselves. Of course, everyone knew it was only a ploy to get them to come over. Every moment spent with Mommy Nelly was a moment to be treasured.

As her children used to say, ?Sunday is Mommy?s Day.? With her grandchildren, it was ?Sunday is Grandmommy?s Day.?

Mommy Nelly?s memory will definitely remain among those people whose lives she touched. But more than just memories, the people who held her very dearly would cherish her numerous acts of selflessness. She will remain in their memories and hearts forever.

Mother China
We look back through our childhood years
Thinking of our happiness and tears
We meant to say, ?Thank you,? but time was in demand
Was going to say, ?I love you,? but knew you?d understand
Weeping souls sobbing night and day
In our hearts you?ll forever stay
You are more than just my Lola
You?re the mother who knows us best
Our tears will stay in the days to come
When we think of our memories that have gone
For we have lost where our smile came from
?Mommy,? you?re sure to be missed by everyone
Though amidst it all our hearts remain strong
For you taught us to fight and hold on
Until the last moment you showed us courage not fear
You tried so hard whispering message we can barely hear
Praying to God washed away our pain
We all can?t wait until we meet again
There are so much more, more than words that we can?t say
We?ll just continue loving you since we know you?re always here ... forever and always

(This poem was composed by the members of Mommy Nelly?s family. Recalling what they loved most about their mother, friend and lola, each family member took turns writing the lines of the poem, until their testament of love and gratefulness was completed).