The Oikos Community has several homes that were donated to them where they live and work. The office, called McGuire, was their first home. Now, although there are some
co-workers who stay there, it is used for work. There is a community computer there where the students can do their research and reports on, the Livelihood and Education
Departments are centered there and the sisters have an office within the office where they have meetings and conduct the day to day business of running a mission. I usually go to
McGuire each weekday when I am not on the move with one or more of the sisters. I assist the Livelihood team with their office work there and work on a few other projects.
Nazareth Home is just down the street from McGuire. That is where I usually sleep during the week. I live there with one of the sisters and 4 or 5 scholars. I wrote a blog about
my home there with pictures entitled My Home Away From Home. If you didn't read it yet, you can check it out. Providence Home is in a barrio called Sohouton. It is located in a
more rural setting than the other homes, with gardens and lots of trees surrounding it. There are about 20 people living here including the elementary and high school students,
scholars, some of the mothers and sisters. I stay here on the weekends with the residents of Nazareth Home. We attend mass in the barrio's church most weekends and have a
bible sharing on Sundays with the mothers who live in Sohouton. It was this home that sustained the most damage during the flood of Typhoon Ruby and where the sisters and their
charges were in the attic during the storm. Up until this week, these were the residences that I have been to. There are two more, the retired priest's home and Hin Dang. This
week, I am staying at Hin Dang with Sister Aileen and about 13 girls, mostly scholars, one high school student and 2 grade schoolers.
Hin Dang is actually the name of the barrio the house is in, but everyone just calls the house that. It is the furthest from the other homes. It has a little living room with a community
computer, three bedrooms upstairs, although one of the rooms is a prayer room and a large bedroom downstairs. In fact, when the girls were giving me a tour, they asked if it
reminded me of the house the 7 dwarves lived in... it really does!! It's a cute home! Outside in the back yard is the kitchen, eating area and laundry "room." One of the girl's mother
also lives there with us, Nanay Irene. (Nanay is the Waray waray word for mother, pronounced nienie) She helps with all the chores that need to be done and offers great support
for all the kids there, as all the naynay's do .
So, it was a different week for me, staying at a new place, getting to know the girls that live there, and working with Sister Aileen. It kind of took me back emotionally to my first
week here with meeting new people and not knowing where anything is or how I can help. But, thankfully I am a fast learner!! The girls there are really sweet, very supportive of
each other and happy. Something that I have discovered about the Filipino people in general is that they are pretty happy people. Even if something is on their mind or if they have a
worry, the face they show to others is welcoming and bright. That is true of the girls of Hin Dang as well. They have the support of the Oikos Community, they eat, pray, sing, laugh
and cry together. They are a beautiful family within the extended family of Oikos.
On Sunday we all went to 4:30pm mass in the barrio, Immaculate Mary church. All of us girls and many children who live in the barrio stuffed ourselves into 3 tricycles and went to
church. It was a children's mass boy did the children fill up the church!! Their little voices singing the songs and saying the prayers was so sweet! The Hin Dang girls did the
readings and sang in the choir. Then after mass, we went home and Sister Aileen handed out allowances for the month to all of the barrio children who attended mass with us. Even
when the children are not living in the Oikos homes, the sisters offer aid, support and love to them. Truly, their generosity knows no bounds!
Monday was a regular "office day" for me, meeting with the Livelihood team, doing some computer work, etc. On Tuesday, I traveled to the churches and schools in the northern
region of Eastern Samar to help deliver requirements and application for poor 6th graders who have the opportunity to attend a Catholic boarding high school for free in Cebu. The sisters are making sure every school in Eastern Samar is made aware of this opportunity. Even when the aid is not coming from their own community, the sisters are always trying to help those in need. Wow! The scenery on the trip was amazing, and once again, I was introduced to many priests... as a sister of a priest, of course!! The churches here are not entities unto themselves. What I mean is that within the Diocese of Borongan, there are many parishes, just like in Buffalo. But unlike Buffalo, each parish has the responsibility of administering to not only their parish, but all of the barrios within the boundary of the parish. In one church we visited, the parish had 42 barrios and only 4 priests there. It boggles the mind!!
On Wednesday, I went with Sister Aileen to Bayobay. It is a barrio close to Hin Dang that receives care from Oikos. The sisters have formations and bible sharing there. Sister Aileen is taking charge of a home building project with EDM, a charitable mission foundation run out of France. EDM is supplying the materials for 24 families in Bayobay to have new homes and they are working with the Oikos Community and Sister Aileen in particular to do this. On Wednesday all of the materials were delivered to the families so we went there to make sure that everything ran smoothly. Once again, I had a sweet time with some children who were shy at first, then quickly became friends with me. It was really cute! The families all were so appreciative of the materials and the house building will begin on Monday. Wednesday was also the birthday of Anabing, one of the girls at Hin Dang. Sr. Aileen and I made pizza for the occasion!! There are no ovens in any of the Oikos homes, but most have an open fire pit where you can grill, so we grilled homemade bread and made pizza. It was a hit!! Now I have requests for grilled pizza on Christmas!!
Thursday is always a bonding day for the Oikos Sisters. After mass and breakfast ( and a brisk walk from the cathedral to Hin Dang, about 8 kilometers) Sr. Aileen and I went to Providence Home with the other sisters. We had a holy hour and lunch, followed by a meeting for the sisters. I gave me time to plan a religion class for Saturday, do some journaling and take a nap. I was tired after that walk!! Thursday night I facilitated a bible sharing with the Hin Dang girls. Once again, after reading the Gospel for Sunday, the girls shared what they felt God was telling them through His Word. And once again, I was completely humbled by the trials and tribulations these kids have been through in their short lives. I only hope and pray that sharing their stories and letting go of some of the pain they have endured will lighten their load and bring them closer to God.
So, now it is Friday and I am back at McGuire. I am playing hooky from doing work for Sr. Clarissa!! (Ssshhh!!) I have already unpacked my bags from my week at Hin Dang and repacked them for a weekend at Providence Home. This, I am told, is the life of a missionary... always on the move, always flexible when it comes to plans and where you lay your head at night and always thankful to God for His providence.
Just a few cute things from Hin Dang...
--- Angel is 10 years old and is in my religion class on Saturdays. She is also sleeping in my room with me. Before sleeping, she requests a story about Jesus. Today, she asked Sr. Aileen how many days until I return there... super sweet!! I will be spending the second week of each month I am here at Hin Dang and lead the bible sharing that week.
---Angel also has homework in English that I have been helping her with. She had to find the proper verb to fit in the sentence. They were the craziest sentences I ever heard of and many times no verb they gave made no sense in the sentence. The girls were laughing because Angel got one question wrong... and she told the teacher I was helping her! I actually was shocked that she only got one wrong!!
---The Hin Dang home has a watch dog named Charik. He is a pretty smallish dog who thinks he is much bigger than reality! In the mornings when we are waiting for a tricycle to pick us up for mass (at 4:30 in the morning) Charik paces in front of us and growls ferociously at any dog that even walks across the street from us. One day, he is going to meet a dog meaner and bigger than him, and then he will be in real trouble!! Charik also is the first one in the prayer room when the prayer bell is wrung. Sr. Aileen jokes that Charik will be the first vocation from Hin Dang! He does love and protect his girls!!
It was a great week with my new friends at Hin Dang. I am looking forward to my next visit!! It seems every week I am learning new ways the Oikos Sisters are helping others. I would almost have a hard time believing it if I wasn't here witnessing it for myself.
Just one other thing... the Charik vocation thing was a joke, but it is no joke that the Oikos Sisters do need vocations. I am not sure where God is leading me here, but I do pray daily for vocations for Oikos so that their work can continue here in the Philippines. Please pray for vocations!! Thanks!! xxoo
