Journeying with Children

One of the highlights for me during the past months here in the Philippines is journeying with the children in Montalban. I’ve never had any prior experience teaching or journeying with Children, so this is a new experience for me. I felt that God is challenging me to embrace this new ministry which my leaders have assigned to me. I’ve learnt a lot and journeying with our children weekly – providing basic catechesis through simple activities and faith sharing, had taught me many different things and I grew in compassion and patience for those God had sent to my life. Many children come to our ministry, with an eagerness and hunger for the word of God, for our love, our embraces and our presence. They are always very excited to see us and await for our arrival early before our session begins. Through their simple faith and trust, I’ve experienced a profound consolation of God’s presence. I’ve learnt what is means to ‘love and welcome’ little children , by just simple gestures of loving them, playing with them, spending time with them and showing acceptance to who they are. I thank God for this opportunity to love his little children, and also to be invited also to be like these little children, trusting that HE can love me.

On the 15th Dec, we held a Christmas party for about 80 children beginning with a children’s mass. It was an enjoyable time. Some of these children have been part of our weekly ministry for 2 years, seeing the growth in our relationship with them brought a lot of joy. I’ve been blessed by their openness to grow spiritually, their hunger for God and their poverty of the Spirit. A total of 80 children attended the event which started with a Mass for children at the Maria Ina ng Kapayapaan Parish (Mary, Mother of Peace Church). Fr Jun, the Parish Priest was our main celebrant. During mass, we offered the Nativity made from clay and pictures prepared by the children. These items were offered as a sign of the children’s love and openness to receive the baby Jesus.

After the mass, we held a party filled with games, food and gifts. With the contribution from our sponsors, we provided each child with a set meal from Jolibee and a Christmas gift. It was a treat to see the excitement and happy faces of our children whom we’ve journeyed with over the past year. Their simplicity, eagerness and contentment with the little they have and what we provided touched our hearts. Our team was uplifted by the event and in awe to see how God provided for these children. Through them, we too experience the message of hope and joy Christ brings in this season of Christmas.

Through them, I’ve also learnt how to appreciate and be grateful for what I have, my relationships, my family and all that God had provided. Seeing their living conditions often breaks my heart and makes me question how come there can be such disparities in our world. I was often led to feel a sense of injustice for them. I pray that as I continue to serve and minister to Children, I'd grow in discovering more and more the love of God through them. I pray that I would , despite my limitations, love them as Christ had invited us to 'love the little ones'. Wishing all of you a joy-filled Christmas Season.

Time of Anointing

There have been lots happening in the past six months of my stint here in Philippines. I would like to share with you some of the ministries our community pioneered and different outreaches, through which I’ve experienced God’s faithfulness and love for his people, and for which I would like to give thanks and glory back to God.

Besides our on-going ministry with children and adults in Montalban and youth leaders formation for our parish youth, we conducted a two week seminar, the Pastoral Counseling school, and were also invited to journey with some youth from another international community. I felt God’s anointing upon our community and in my own life as I served through leading worship, teachings, supporting, journeying, using the gifts which He had provided.

In July, we conducted the Emmaus Experience. This is a two week seminar for those who are interested in having a community experience and mission exposure in the Philippines. There was two weeks of intensive teachings, sharing lives, ministering to participants from Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and the USA. Participants were exposed to different groups of people here in the Philippines. They reached out to children, university students, those in prisons, people living in slum areas and adults in our weekly ministries; through house visits, university and prison outreaches and a parish seminar. I was assisting in leading and organising this event and it was a great experience for me to see God’s hand through the way he led us in the organization of the seminar and how he transformed and touched the participants. I was again invited to take leaps in trusting and following him.




Teachings
Outreach at Parish Blessing and final mass for participants

Group Photos with Emmaus Experience participants

We also concluded the final session of our 6 months introductory language Course (Tagalog Lessons). I can now converse a little with the children whom we minister to, but I still need to improve much more in the area of language so as to be more effective in our ministries.

In August, our founders Anna and Mario visited us, I was able to spend some time with them, listening to them share their visions, stories and desires. We had teachings from both our founders and an enriching time together as a community. We also continued with our monthly Youth Leaders Formation for the Parish youth and ran a Leadership Camp for them. This was a highlight for me, as it was an outdoor camp. In the middle of a forest farm, we saw the wonders of God through his creation.

Anna, Slywia, Jeanny,Joan,Suzan,Celine,Mario

In September, we began a series of weekly outreach to youth from the Fondacio Community. We were invited to provide weekly inputs and also journey with these youth who come from different parts of Asia and are here in the Philippines for a one-year formation so that they can go back to work as pastoral workers in their respective churches. I was amazed by the way God had called and is anointing youth from Asia to do his work.




Catholic Youth from the Fondacio Community come from different parts of Southeast Asia including Mymmar, Laos, Cambodia, China, Malaysia. It was a great priviledge meeting and serving them.

In October, we had a three week Pastoral Counselling School with 35 participants. Some community members and I participated in this School. We had three international speakers focusing on different aspects of inner healing, pastoral issues to take note of when journeying with those in our ministries. I was able to look at my past and life in a new perspective, and with a great sense of gratefulness. One of the speakers – Sr Hannah, from the Beatitudes community, made an impact through her life sharing, which stirred different desires in my heart.

PCS Participants