PROJECT HEART AND HANDS

Goal and rationale

• We are called to love one another (1 John 3: 16-18)
• Aside from helping our brothers and sisters, we have the responsibility to extend our resources to those outside our community

• This project is a concrete expression of our spirituality, this is our Sector’s expression of its oneness with God’s people
• Compassion is a work of one’s heart and hands; building lives means giving from our hearts and doing it with our own hands
  • Respond for “such a time as this”
  • Manifest concretely our love for one another
  • Support the needs of our brethren

• There is much to be done in the aftermath of Ondoy as well as the other typhoons, and as disciples on mission, we are called to

What kind of project we want to implement?

REHABILITATION OF DAY CARE CENTERS
IN MARIKINA, CAINTA, PASIG AND TAYTAY

Why Day Care Centers?

• It has a multi-dimensional impact:
  • shelter for children as parents pursue their livelihoods
  • can serve as evacuation centers
  • can be a venue for community-building activities like livelihood/skills training for the parents, training and support for day care workers
  • has direct contact and impact on the local community
  • It provides opportunity for direct trans-gen community involvement
  • It creates an opportunity to be involved in the lives of the children
  • It is manageable, doable and has long term benefit to the beneficiaries

Why Marikina, Cainta, Pasig and Taytay?

• The areas were hardly-hit by the floods
• Close to our homes

What are the tangible forms of assistance to be provided?

• Educational books and toys for children
• Television sets and DVD players with educational materials
• Facilities, i.e., blackboards, wash rooms, cabinets, book shelves, teacher’s tables, play ground
• This model can be adopted when we pursue projects for our outreaches and public schools

How can you help?

• Three choices:
  • financial support – personal donations or solicitation
  • provisions in kind – any of the items mentioned above, transportation
  • presence and support for proposed ancillary activities – medical mission, skills and livelihood training, feeding program, tree-planting, prayer meeting and turn over ceremonies
• Pray and discuss as a family your response or form of service you can commit to give
• Fill up the pledge form (given during the SA; see also attached) and submit to your District Servants on or before 20 November 2009

When will the project be implemented?

• 12 and 19 December 2009 – initial delivery of assistance and donations to the identified day care centers with Sector brothers and sisters
• December 2009 – fund-raising activities
• January 2010 – additional deliveries of assistance and donations; community-building and interaction activities

For further information, please contact the following project team members:

• Toby Estrella                      – 09178820725
• Dennis Pilapil                     – 09189105347
• Jobaqs Baquiano              – 09228207179
• Sharee Roque                   – 09209787427
• Avic Gaborni                      – 09165004934
• Shawie Villaflores            – 09179261189
• Mae Chatto                        – 09175389271

Watch the video presented during the SA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIlxt3HE1-o

 When each of us arrived home from Caliraya last Sunday, I’m almost certain, most, if not all, the Brothers were asked either one or both of these questions: 1) “Kamusta yung Retreat?” and 2) “Ano ang na pala mo?”

Glenn de Guzman

I answered the first in the best way I could – using “imagery”. I told Lalay – my wife: Imagine over 200 men – some not earlier predisposed to participate due to work problems, family concerns or plain personal anxieties suddenly come alive and become completely engrossed in a time of worship, literally shouting praises to the Lord, praying loudly in tongues, eyes closed and hands raised, singing songs of praise that echoed throughout the room in a single but booming baritone voice and bursts of tenor. Toby (Estrella) described it quite aptly as nothing less than a “majestic site”.

And I fully agree.  Why?  Simply because it was very powerful, so uplifting and unmistakably Spirit-filled.  These worship sessions – which I believe totaled at least six throughout the Retreat — best characterized the entire 2-day activity.

Kaya sa tanong: “Kamusta yung Men’s Retreat?” Simple lang ang sagot ko – powerful, uplifting and Spirit-filled.

After yun unang-unang prayer worship pa lang, napatingin ako sa katabi kong Brother and sabi niya: “Bro, ang lakas ng dating. Tinamaan yata ako.” Sabi ko: “Oo nga na halata ko. Tulo ng tulo ang luha mo.”  Sabi niya: “”ikaw nga, pasayaw sayaw ka pa.” Gusto ko sana sabihin sa kanya: “Hindi ako marunong sumayaw Bro. Na nginginig lang yun katawan ko.”  Pero, bakit pa?  For both him and I, we indeed felt the Lord’s presence and it was real enough to make his broken heart and my trembling body whole.

Ano ang na pala ko?  Quite frankly, much much more than I set out for.

Lalay and I have shared this a few times before to our men’s and women’s group.  We have 3 adult children: Nicole who is 30 years old, Chuck who is 28 and Miguel who is 27.  Back then, our concerns about how to raise them revolved around just a few simple and basic rules:  Study hard, don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol and never ever take drugs.   I’m happy to say that to-date, these have been close to 100% complied with. The only blemish are those few beers my son Chuck takes occasionally as part of what he calls: “social drinking”.   And yet over the years despite the nearly full compliance, we’ve come to realize that these were not enough.

As parents, we were lacking towards assisting our children develop a much deeper, more personal and sustained relationship with God. Often I wondered, that if we started with this as end-in-view, perhaps Lalay and I could grow older more peacefully.

And so for the first group discussion starter when we were asked to explain why we decided to join the retreat, I candidly replied: Not for my sake but for my son Chuck. I wanted him to be touched by “community life” just like me. I found the Lord through Ligaya and I was hoping that someday he would too.

After having been afflicted with Parkinson’s disease since 2005, I have grown accustomed to my condition.  Although at times it can be disconcerting when during the entire Retreat, Brothers from other Districts — and whom I did not know — would offer their chairs for me to sit, allow me to stay ahead of them in the buffet line and offer to serve food on my plate.  I was even exempted from participating in the “sports fest”.  I struggled to believe that all these favors were out of the kindness of their hearts and not because of my condition.  

More so when we arrived at Caliraya that early Saturday morning.  Chuck and I were met by my good friend Emon Ilustre who ushered us to the boat ride enroute to the Resort Complex.  Emon quickly took my baggage and held my hand so I wouldn’t slip and fall in the lake.  Sabi ko kay Emon, “Bro, huwag mo ng gawin yan at kaya ko naman.” Sabi niya, “Okay lang yun, handicap ka eh.” Sabi ko, “Pare, that is a politically incorrect statement. Di ako handicap, I am disabled.” Ayaw pa rin ako bitawan. Pero nung dinagdagan ko na ng, “Baka magselos si Lois”, at tsaka na lang tumigil si Emon makipag holding hands sa akin.

Saturday evening as I lay in bed nursing a slight fever, it was Brothers whom I did not recognize that were checking out my condition, offering medicine and praying over me throughout the night.

Chuck and Sebastien

Two years ago I became a grandfather.  Chuck had his first-born son. He named him Sebastien. An hour after Sebastien was delivered, I texted Chuck the following message: “There exists a special bond between a father and his first-born son. Starting today you will begin to realize just how much I love you.”And true to this pronouncement, I found myself inconspicuously watching over my son throughout the Retreat. Wanting to see his progress. And guess what I saw? The familiar site of Brothers unknown to both him and I, either engaged in friendly but very sincere chat, breaking bread, sharing wine, praying over him, and exhorting him in the same gentle and loving way they would me. I thought the Brothers only behaved that way towards sick men. I was wrong. Only then did I really grasp the meaning of a “Ligaya Brother”.

Over the many years I have been with Ligaya I have come to learn that: They are the ones that keep you “fighting the good fight of faith” during times you are weary and prone to give up. They are the ones that keep you on the right path, help carry your burdens and share in alleviating your needs. They are the ones you draw strength from to persevere and draw inspiration from to continue bearing your cross. They are the ones that know you and understand you. They are the ones that protect you and defend you from unfair challenges, accusation and slander.

A Ligaya Brother does not care who you are or what you’ve been, what you have or how you look, what you lack or who you know. Unfortunately, you’ll have to attend the 2^nd North Sector Men’s Retreat just to find out for yourself what is a “Ligaya Brother”.

And so, ano nga ba ang na pala ko sa Retreat? Let me answer this second question by again using imagery. When we got home from the Retreat we were greeted enthusiastically by Sebastien who was then playing with his grandmother. Upon seeing Chuck, his brows suddenly raised, his eyes started to break into a wide open smile and his face lit up with joy — eager to embrace his father.  And as Chuck drew near to hug his son, the extreme tiredness which accumulated over the past 2 day and which was reflected in his brows, eyes and face suddenly changed and instead also mirrored that of his son.  It was then that I knew just exactly what I gained from the Retreat.

Love is indeed transforming. Thank you, Brothers, for your unconditional love.  Kapatiran niyo ang aking na pala.  With all of you around, my son Chuck — and even his son Sebastien — shall always be in good hands.  Maraming salamat uli.

Glenn de Guzman, NORTH A