Tim Tebow taken on the first round of the NFL draft

Tim with Pinoy orphans

I'm so happy that Tim Tebow got drafted 25th overall by the Denver Broncos on the first round of the NFL draft. Considering that he'd been picked apart by scouts and  a lot of "experts" were betting against him... this is indeed great news. C'mon Tim, prove them wrong!

I've rooted for Tim Tebow ever since I've read this Filipinas magazine article about him: The Philippines Is In His Heart. I just think he has an inspiring story.

“My conception and birth were beautiful stories of life. They were not stories about choices. They were stories of my parents’ selfless love of life and their unwavering faith in God who knows and sets the bounds and ends of our lives” says Tim, in describing the agonizing circumstance and joyful outcome of his birth in the Philippines, where his parents, Bob and Pam Tebow, worked for five years as Baptist Church missionaries in South Cotabato, Mindanao some 24 years ago.

Because of the poor sanitation that was and still is a common situation in the rural areas of the Philippines, Tim’s mother contracted dysentery while pregnant with him. She fell into a coma. To combat her infection, her Filipino doctor administered a high dose of antibiotics that triggered the side effect of placental abruption.

The Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country, outlaws abortion except in cases when the life of the mother is endangered. Thus, the attending physician of Pam Tebow recommended abortion. “But my Christian faith led me to decide otherwise,” says Pam. “I was flown to Makati, the country’s business capital, to seek the second advice of a medical specialist. With my strong trust in God and in the power of prayers, and encouraged by the care of my new doctor, I carried Tim to term and delivered him a normal infant.”

Wow. What a wonderful story of faith. Even if there are doubts about his mechanics and the way he plays football, there's no question that he has good character and is willing to work hard to succeed. I hope everything works out for Tim Tebow--and I hope his work with orphans here will continue to flourish.

Update: The Tim Tebow Foundation is building a children's hospital in Davao with CURE International.

...and The coolest place he's ever visited is? Boracay!


*** photo from Tim Tebow Foundation website