Enthusiasm Personified

Last May 14, I was supposed to teach the topic on enthusiasm to the street children, but then I knew I’d be coming from a 5k run in Fairview, so I told Daryl that I had to pass since I might arrive late. I was surprised when I learned on a weekday that he’d be teaching since Bro. JB, another regular teacher at He Cares who has a knack for hosting and engaging the kids, couldn’t grace us with his presence.

I arrived at past 8, so I took the backseat. Watching Daryl, my spiritual son, lead praise and worship made my heart swell with pride. Through the years, he has grown leaps and bounds in his spirituality. He first became my CG (Care Group) member last 2009. He was the first of the opposite sex I pastored. The sex difference rattled me at first since I came from the batch of Esthers (Light of Jesus sisters) wherein the sisters were separated from the brothers (Joshuas) during chapter and CG meetings, but it had not been much of an issue to me. As with my other CGs, God brought our CG together. We were all bonded by our brokenness and woundedness. Believe it or not, my petite stature intimidated Daryl’s gigantic figure at first, but that didn’t stop him from asking a naïve question during one of our CG meetings. “How do you finish reading a Bible?” I gave him my best answer — consistency is the key. I also provided some tips on how I finished reading my own Bible. Right there and then, I knew that he’d go far. I saw the fire (enthusiasm to be of service to others) burning in his eyes. I even prophesied that he’d make a great worship leader. Now, he rubs elbows with prominent LOJ figures such as Bro. Joe Dean and Sis. Ardis Sola, Bro. Obet Cabrillas, Bro. Eng Si, Bro. Alvin Barcelona among others.

As his former CG Head, I feel proud that the guy who once asked me a simple question is the same man who decided to say yes to God’s call to be a full-time missionary. He supported me in our CG’s first outreach at He Cares Foundation two years ago. His lower CG was full force when we had a culminating activity at Anawim (home for the abandoned elderly) in 2010, so when Bro. Joe Dean asked if I’d be going to Montalban with Daryl that day, it was my turn to support him.

On the way to He Cares Montalban, Daryl asked me to share my life testimony in the prayer meeting. I wanted to take photos of the breathtaking sceneries while sitting beside him and Kuya Toto, but I was also busy mentally rehearsing my life testimony summarized in five to ten minutes, so the photos could wait (which means I have to go back there one of these days). I just wrote my life testimony years ago and even managed to have it published, and I had been preparing to share it in a community gathering someday, but it didn’t occur to me that my spiritual son would be the one to provide that opportunity. I thought Bro. Joe Dean would. It might be an impromptu sharing, but the Holy Spirit guided me.

Equally enthusiastic at He Cares Montalban were the mothers slaving away in front of the sewing machine from Monday to Saturday to augment their family income. They are headed by Ate Cecille Marquez and supervised by Ate Julie Bayron. After interviewing Ate Cecille for this blog entry, I learned about the different kinds of machines used for sewing: piping (double needle), edging (double needle), and high speed machines (used depending on the purpose). It was enlightening for me since sewing and I don’t jibe together. Putting Velcro in my bag one night took me three long hours just because I didn’t have a thimble available.

The suburban community at Block 17 Rodriguez, Rizal (also known as Erap City) was relocated from the squatter’s area in Project 6, Quezon City years ago. They were given a livelihood program by Bro. Joe Dean last April 7, 2010. The 13 sewers in the small factory get paid weekly depending on the number of hours they work and the type of machine they use. Aside from their daily allowance, they even have quota allowance as an incentive for those who can produce more output. Bro. Joe Dean wishes to duplicate this livelihood program to other communities. They have 19 machines in the small factory in Rizal— some are second hand; some are brand new. Aside from the 13 sewers in the factory, there are two mothers working outside with their own machines. He Cares Montalban is  in partnership with Growth Sales Enterprise in Pantranco in Quezon City which sells finished female toddler dresses and clothes to SM Malls under the brand name Baby Me. I am quite familiar with that brand since I sometimes buy clothes for my nieces and goddaughter at SM, and I can say that it’s of good quality. Thanks to Ate Julie’s supervision and quality control skills.

         More than a week after Daryl’s talk and a few days after my lecture about enthusiasm, I can say that I have imparted enough theories while Daryl put all those concepts into action. Together with the He Cares Montalban mothers, they are enthusiasm personified, and writing this blog entry is my way of honoring them.

A Volunteer’s Story

By Myee Campos

       I came to know He Cares Foundation through the Feast, a weekly prayer meeting and Eucharistic celebration of the Light of Jesus Family.

I visit He Cares twice or thrice whenever we have a culminating activity for our CG (Care Group), so visiting the street kids and preparing food for them were not novel to me.

When Daryl invited me to join him at He Cares last December 2010, I readily said, “Yes! Sure, no problem,” or so I thought…

I assumed that it would be a one-time activity for his CG. It was an honest mistake. ;)

He said that it will be a weekly commitment serving the street kids. Wow! Weekly? Are you serious? I work at graveyard, so coming to He Cares after my shift every Saturday will be a tall order; however, I decided to give it a try. Why not? Giving a fraction of my time to them is nothing compared to the countless blessings I receive from above.

Ems wanted me to try the hygiene area wherein we’d be in charge of bathing the street kids. "Yeah! Why not? It will be cool,” I thought. These kids have not taken a bath for a week — that would be a big challenge.

The normal routine very early in Saturday will be picking up the street kids in NIA and Agham Roads. You can see how happy the kids are to see the van that Toto drives. You don’t need to haul them; they will just come to you. In a matter of minutes, the van is fully loaded with the kids, their moms, and grandmothers. Oh, you can even smell the stinkiness of the kids!

My very first encounter with the street kids — they were so filthy. Whew! The biggest challenge was putting everything in order since I am very meticulous. But I’m not complaining. The moment they stepped out of the van, they ran towards the center to line up. It’s a good thing the other volunteers brought liquid soap and shampoo for them; otherwise we had to use bar soap and Guard shampoo for their very young skin. So much realization dawned on me during that time. As I scrubbed the dirt off from the kids, I saw the grime flowing out. I compared that to my own journey to the LORD. The kids represent me; the center is the LORD. I was running back to Him — taking a bath is like washing my own dirt, and the Lord is washing me without conditions, without judgment. The new clothes given to the kids represent a new hope for me… I felt GOD was telling me, “Go on… Start anew…”

I thought everything was okay after bathing the kids; however, we still needed to prepare food for 250 kids. It was tiring but fun. It was like going to the gym and working out.

As we always say, despite our own problems, trails, and life’s difficulties, upon seeing the children’s plight, we have no right to complain.

Despite my graveyard shift and heavy work load, I always look forward to my Saturday mornings because I see myself in the faces of the dirty kids, and I see God at the center. I always keep coming back to Him…

I Found What I Was Looking For: Love for God’s Poor

By Leeanne Sy
 

“He who searches must walk.”

               I have been a member of the Light of Jesus Family for almost four years now, but I joined the PLW (Prayer and Life Workshops) three months ago because I was in search of something — something far deeper, more profound, and more significant in my life. After several weeks of diligent and faithful attendance, I found what I was looking for.

               The PLW was very timely because it coincided with my commitment to serve at the He Cares Foundation and eventually inculcated in me a preferential option for God’s poor. The second session of the workshop coincided with my first day of service at He Cares. Since I work at night, I lacked a much-needed sleep. I was dog tired by afternoon after a fruitful service and fellowship in the morning.

               I learned from one of my PLW sessions that “prayer should challenge life and vice versa.” The PLW challenged my life all right. It challenged me to leave my comfort zone and walk on waters. I experienced walking on waters when I learned to love God’s poor. This was a daunting task for me because I grew up in a punitive environment, which contributed to my being fearful, anxious, and insecure. It dawned upon me that I had so much difficulty embracing God’s poor all through the years because I don’t personally know them at all. Some of them are so messed up that it’s hard to see God’s face in them. Most of them are even “fruits of moral and family disintegration.” Now that I know at least some of them, I can say that I’m learning to love them gradually — in small, baby steps — at a pace I’m very comfortable with. I am slowly unveiling God’s face in each and every one of them every time I serve at He Cares.

               “Only a poor person can serve the poor.” My family was financially and spiritually poor while I was growing up, so the face of poverty is not novel to me. In fact, it’s so familiar that I refuse to stare it in the face any longer, but here I am, serving at He Cares Foundation where God sent me to cater to the needs of the street children. I saw the need to serve them, so I decided to stay. Now, I look at poverty in a different light, and I can say that I can stare it in the face without flinching anymore. Because of the PLW, I encounter God’s love in the silence of my heart. Since I reside in Christ and witness love grows, I strive to transcend His love to the poor children entrusted to me.

               I bask in God’s love every Saturday afternoon and during my sacred half-hour (prayer time), and this kind of love lasts until Saturday morning. The superficial “existential loneliness” is either put aside, forgotten, or erased, and I find myself falling in love with God’s poor over and over again.

A Fruitful Friday

By Leeanne Sy
 

Last Thursday, I received a prompting that I should go to He Cares Center after Daryl’s invite, but I ignored the call of the Holy Spirit to go there on a weekday. Good thing that the father of my students informed me that we wouldn’t have any classes the following night. “God, You really want me to go there, huh? I want to make my Friday special, so I will go even if my body wants to rest. No more excuses!” I said as I spoke to my Father during my prayer time.

I was supposed to observe Rapha, a French volunteer, teach the street children last Friday morning, but I already scheduled a date with my mom in the morning, so I told Daryl that I’d be coming over after lunch. He told me that the program would be over by then. (Awww!) There’d be no more kids, but I could hangout with the other people there. I had two agendas in mind: to drop off the used clothes and to interview Bro. Joe Dean Sola, founder of the He Cares Foundation, for our “project.”

I arrived at the Center without being toasted by the summer sun. Much to my surprise, I was met by a drizzle, so I ran to the center where I saw a teenager who pointed me to where my friend was. Daryl and Nanay (the Iron Chef of the kitchen) were already busy peeling potatoes, preparing for the feeding program the next day. Although I don’t jibe well with the kitchen, I got my own peeler. I started peeling away as Daryl updated me with what happened in the morning. He laughed at me whenever the big potatoes jumped out of my small hands. In one of our CG meetings before, he taught me how to open a can without using a can opener, but using only a knife, so he has a license to laugh at his former CG Head.

“Ouch!” I cried as I peeled my nail. “That was a close call!” I told them that it was just a nail. By the time I started peeling the carrots, Daryl said that I was improving. I told him that the carrots are just easier to peel than the potatoes. We also peeled mangoes for dessert.

At past one, they started to eat their late lunch (I had mine earlier), but I still joined them for dessert because I didn’t want to isolate myself in the kitchen and talk to myself. The preliminary interview with Bro. Joe Dean started over lunch. I grew silent when he and the household boys (former street children under his care now) reminisced and talked about gangs, violence, rape, drugs, and death (words that seem taboo to my ears). I tried to absorb their words while I controlled my initial reaction which was fear. “I thought those things only happen in movies,” I reflected. They also named places such as Delta, West Avenue, Pantranco, the vicinity of SM North EDSA among others where crimes were prevalent before. I know those places by heart. I often pass them by.

“If you look at those places now, they’re mostly clean (figuratively and literally).” Bro. Joe Dean related. “They’re (the gangs are) not there anymore?” I made sure as I was thinking of avoiding going to those places. “No, they’re not there anymore,” Bro. Joe Dean assured me, “because they’re all here,” and we all laughed.

After lunch, Ate Vangie arrived, and we finished peeling and cleaning the potatoes (they did all the slicing). Time for me to say goodbye. Daryl offered to accompany me to the jeepney stop. I told him that he didn’t have to do that since I was not scared. He informed me that the place is not safe because there are people who get or kidnap children and women to sell their organs. “Oh, great! Now, I’m an easy target,” I told myself. I’ve been to the place for almost three months now, but I haven’t encountered any goons yet. Good to know that my guardian angel still works full time.

While I was inside the jeep, I tried to digest their stories. I also checked out the places they mentioned. They were right. The places are now relatively clean. Phew! The coast is obviously clear. I only saw a street child or two, three at most, near SM North EDSA. Even Pantranco appears safe during the day. I also alight there at night when there’s no more jeep in Araneta Avenue. There’s nothing to be afraid of.

I had a very fruitful day, all right, and to cap it all, I caught a glimpse of the orange-blue sky on my way home. What a way to end my ordinary-turned-fruitful day!