Reaching out to the less fortunate and giving a smile on their faces has always been one of the closest things in our hearts as a community.

I recently experienced such joy when we went for our usual home visitation at Payatas 2, a huge slum area in Metro Manila.

That day we went with Fr. Francis and John, and since it is summer in the Philippines with soaring temperatures, we decided to take a whole extended family, numbering 22 persons, out to the park.

It is an experience worth sharing, because a simple gesture of giving a child a chance to ride in a car and seing his happiness, was enough to show me how unappreciative I am of the things that God has given me. These are some of the instances when my missionary zeal is put back on track.

The eldest among our group was the grandmother, or “Lola” in the Filipino language: she is 79 years old and can barely walk, and the youngest was a 4-month-old child. It is a family of 4 generations all living under the same roof of tiny house. It was a wonderful experience to see how the kids were just so happy to be with us. It was an experience that reminded the 3 of us of how a small intervention in a community can bring about such a significant impact.

These little sparks of joy can be the light that continues to guide us in our path of being good christians.

By Timothy M. Kaburu