Christmas Giving

So, I've returned to the Philippines, just before the New Year's celebrations, on December 29th.  I came with my first missionary partner, Paula and her husband Tom along with their granddaughter Mady.  Upon arrival in the Philippines, we got right to work in the mission!!  On December 31st, we went to a barrio called Caligbangang.  It is about 45 minutes from the city of Borongan and is the barrio just after the Borongan garbage dump.  It is upwind of the dump, but the water and the land are effected by the dump, how could they not be?  The road going to the barrio is not paved, and due to a lot of rain and the extremely heavy trucks bringing garbage, there are huge pot holes in the road, so huge and deep, we had to get out of our vehicles and put rocks into the holes so our cars wouldn't get stuck in them!!

We brought gifts for the kids, clothes for the adults, water filters for the families along with lunch for the entire barrio.  Our kids sang songs and played games with the children of Caligbangang, and a fun time was had by all!!  I love seeing the wonder and love on a new missionary's face as I did on Mady's, who is 18 years old from Buffalo, NY and is on her first mission trip.  Our Oikos kids and the kids from all the barrios we visited just completely embraced her...it's so fun to see!!

Here are some pictures from our trip:

There is no way to describe seeing kids receiving Christmas gifts for the very first time, or eating spaghetti and fried chicken...food they LOVE but hardly ever have, if ever.  There is no way to describe being the one to be able to give them these gifts, this simple food, and seeing the smiles on their faces.  I am certainly blessed to be able to be here, to be able to witness and be a part of the continual giving and loving of a people who believed the world forgot about them.  

Here's the thing about that, though...a couple of years ago, I came across a quote by the amazing Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

"I can do things you can't do, you can do things I can't do.  Together we can do great things!"

Meaning, not everyone can be here at "ground zero" helping the poorest of the poor, but if the Sisters and I had to work for the money to help the poor as we do, we wouldn't be able to help the poor as we do.  The Oikos Ptochos Tou Theou mission has many benefactors and sponsors that help us financially so that we can do God's work here.  

Thank you to the many sponsors and donators who gave so generously to the Poor Household of God in 2018.  As we begin now in 2019, I can't even begin to imagine the ways in which people will give, the ways in which the Oikos Mission will reach out to the poor.  If fills me with anticipation and joy!!

Our celebration of New Year's was nothing short of wild!!  The kids here raised such a ruckus, I'd be surprised if they didn't hear us in Buffalo!!  All of us here at the Mission are excited about this new year.  I hope you are too!!

xoxo