Margarita Rana

Obituary – Margarita Rana Margarita Rana went home to be with the Lord on Friday (June 13th, 2025 @ 12:28 pm). Leaving behind a wonderful legacy filled with faith, hope and love, Margarita went home to meet her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at the age of 86 years. Born on June 10,1939, Margarita was raised in the northern province of the Philippines, Ilocos Norte – in the town of Pinili, barangay Arinaya. Having been raised with eight other siblings in a farming community, Margarita was taught valuable life lessons and hard work at an early age. The names of Margarita's siblings are Pedro Rana, Rafaela Reyes, Dionisia Dela Cruz, Arsenio Rana, Artemio Rana, Guillermo Rana, Juanita Rana and Sidario Rana. She was married to Ricardo Rivera Jr. and was blessed with three beautiful children (two sons and a daughter). Sammy (58 years of age) and Sandy (55 years of age) are located in the Philippines. Sheila (56 years of age) resides in the US (Fresno, California). Due to economic hardship in the Philippines, Margarita shares the same journey as others who are looking for a better life – known as Overseas Foreign Worker (OFW). She signed up for a OFW contract to work in Greece. Little did she know that she will be living in Greece for the next 30 years. While in Greece, Margarita became involved in the local Christian church and came to a deeper understanding of God's Word. What seemed to be a matter of religious tradition in her upbringing became personal when she encountered the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ. Experiencing God's power, peace and affection, Margarita personally devoted her life to serving God in whatever capacity. Being filled with the joy of the Lord, she became bold in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, the Name that is above all names where every knee will bow and every tongue confess (Philippians 2:10-11). In the early 1990s, Margarita had the calling to fund and sponsor a Christian church to be planted in her hometown (Pinili, Ilocos Norte). Having her brother, Artemio Rana, host the two pastors (Benny and Robert Gumtang), the work of the Lord flourished under the name Jesus the Seed of Abraham Christian Ministry-Pinili Chapter. For over 31 years now, the established church continues to serve the people in the region with the message of hope that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. In the year 2012, Margarita relocated from Greece to United States to join her family in Fresno, California. She was united with the rest of her extended families who have been slowly migrating to the United States since the mid-1980s, including her daughter Sheila. Margarita held this Bible verse near and dear to her heart, which states: "1. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 3.Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6. nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9. If you say, "The Lord is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10. no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11.For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12.they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13.You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14."Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15.He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16.With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."" (Psalm 91:1-16). A few of the memorable experiences with Margarita are: - Sheila: I remember when we were in Greece, everyone except my Inang was in the boarding house. She said that she was ringing the doorbell many times but I never heard any knock or ringing. She got mad at me and was scolding me asking why I never answered. She brought me groceries and said she left it at my front door step. But when I checked there wasn't anything there. I went down and saw that my Inang went to the wrong house, she left them on the first floor. We lived on the second floor. When I told that to her, she just started laughing. - Sammy: My favorite memory with Nanay is back when I was in grade school, we owned 15 piglets at the time, and Nanay directed me to feed the pigs but all I did was let them loose from their cage. The pigs ended up eating all our vegetable plants and she got mad at me and spanked me. I put thick newspapers in my butt, but Nanay found out and got more mad at me and refused to give me my dinner. o Back when I was in grade 4, Nanay attended a parent's meeting at my school, she was introduced as a teacher and asked where and what school did she work at. She was confused and asked them who told them that she was a teacher. My teacher told her that it was me who said that. When we got home, she scolded me and said sobra talaga kulit mo. - Sandy: Things I could never forget with Nanay were all the times we fought and argued. o I remember when we were in Greece and Nanay and Nene would visit me at my work. On my day off, I would go to Nanay's place to eat. o When I was alone at the boarding house, on my day offs, Nanay would come and bring me food. Having been blessed with 3 children (Sammy, Sheila, Sandy), 8 grandchildren (Joshelle, Ivan, Sheryl, Samshy, Sarah, Mary Rose, Kendrick & Gabby) and 45 extended grandchildren, Margarita's life journey is a testament of faith, hope and love. Her legacy will be long remembered. Her pursuit for the work of the Lord impacted countless lives. Until we meet again Margarita, rest and peace in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen…