Monday, April 27 - 2009 Give and Receive

We have had a very good week.

But first I must give you the background.

Michael and I started to have a hard time these past couple of weeks with understanding how we might truly help the social centers and the very poor communities here. We felt that we weren't being given anything concrete to do, and it was frustrating because it had taken a lot for us to come to the Philippines. With these questions we decided to pray harder, just asking God to help us find some concrete way in which we could help.

This being said, we went to the Mariapolis. Mariapolis is a family retreat the Focolare hosts in all the different countries it is present. It is only once a year, and usually takes place over the weekend. It is a nice time for families to get together, learn more about how to truly live the Gospel in daily life, and hear experiences of those that do, and the impact it has. While we were there Michael and I met a couple from Brazil that has lived in the Philippines for 5 years working with a group called Facienda that helps recovering drug addicts. The program does not cost anything, it is a self-sustaining farming system, where they work to go through the program, sell and live off of the food they grow and the providence they receive. This couple is amazing. Even as volunteers, they live completely off providence! Even now that they two small children! I was astonished by the courage it would take to rely and trust in God that much. They said that they really do not worry about anything, as long as it is God's will for them to volunteer with this group, then God will provide.

Hearing this set my mind to turning. I thought, why can't Michael and I asked God for providence for law school, if it is truly His will that we study. Since we will have no income, will be only spending money for the next 3 years, we will be very poor...it sounded like a fair request. I talked with Michael about it and he also agreed. We started praying right away!! Hahaha.

On that note, Sunday came around and we were very tired from the retreat, but knew we need to make a trip to the a larger market as we were almost out of food and expecting guests for dinner the following week. This particular market is quite far and takes a lot of effort for the travel; many jeepney changes and lots of walking. Michael said...well if its really God's will to go to the market, why can't we ask Him to provide us with a ride. I at first wondered about this. Even in the small things can we ask? We went ahead and asked. Starting on our way we ran into another volunteer. She asked if we were going to the market (seeing the bags we carried). First thought? This is our ride!! We immediately said yes, only to find out that she needed us to pick something up for her. Hahaha, we of course agreed, but wondered also why we didn't receive our ride? A couple of minutes later, after discussing the fact that maybe God was asking more of us, but we still really could use the ride...someone stopped, and offered us a ride. (We had met them at the Mariapolis!) It was amazing, Michael and I couldn't stop smiling. We had traveled many times to this market, never before offered a ride. This was really an answer to our prayers.

From this experience we felt so confident in the ability to trust and also to have the courage to ask God for anything, if it is what He wants for us.

And then another prayer was answered. Our prayer of knowing how to help, in a concrete way.

Michael and I had planned an awesome trip to visit many different islands. Although the plane tickets are really pretty cheap, combined all together with the hotel, food, and other sight seeing, as you can imagine our trip was getting more and more expensive. And this realization was weighing on Michael and I for two reasons. 1)Although many people kept saying to take advantage of being in the country, this was not the original reason we had come here. 2)After we had bought our transportation Michael had shared our plans with one of the older students from the social center, later learning he had just been dropped from the program because his donor couldn't support his funds for school anymore. This second reason, Michael had shared with me a few weeks ago, and we immediately felt guilty. Why hadn't we thought of it before? We could have used the money for our trip for a student instead. But we had already bought all the plane tickets, and boat tickets. Only after the "ride experience" did we think, "lets ask God to help us get a refund on the tickets!". And that is exactly what we did today, and we got a refund on all the tickets we had purchased! So now we can offer this money to the student. This is a real, true concrete contribution.

And then we received. This same day I received an email from a Filipino priest that is at the University of Illinois Newman Center. Michael and I had met him while we lived there. He wrote me saying that after hearing of our trip, and the work we are doing, he thought we might need a little break. His sister lives in the country still, could send us a ride, pick us up and take us to where she lives, in a beautiful part of the Philippines! Hahaha, pretty cool right!?

We also had another realization. Many people here are volunteers like Michael and I, but the social centers also employ workers from the varying poor communities in the area, trying to provide them with jobs and money. Remembering this we decided to focus more on the relationships we build with these co-workers, since these are the people we came to know, and offer our time. And we have learned that it is these relationships that matter the most, learning from each other, not just giving money or material goods. But respect, charity of heart, and love.

So we learned a lot, and really wanted to share this with you. God truly has a special love for each of us, and we should never be afraid to ask anything of Him, providing it is His will. And perhaps to be ready to give what He asks of us, whether it is picking up some extra groceries for another volunteer, or giving up a trip so another student can continue her studies. Give and you shall receive!

(We'll let you know how the providence for law school works out!)

We miss you all.