Focolare Movement – EN — articolo.php?codart=6618&lingua=EN –
Posted by amijares on October 11, 2009
Manila, Typhoon Ketsana-Ondoy: stories of heroism and sharing
In the midst of the most extensive flooding of the Philippines in the last 50 years, the heart of the Filipino people emerges: a strong family spirit and a great generosity
07/10/2009
We have received a letter of the delegates of the Focolare Movement in Manila, which we are publishing here.
«We wanted to share with you the strong experience that we are making on account of the recent tragic flooding of the metropolis.
Many of our members had to survive over the past 2 days on the 2nd floor of their house, the lower part having been submerged in the murky floodwaters. Some others had to take refuge on the roof. Notwithstanding this, as a young girl said: “…but we still have our houses, the neighbouring community in Sulyap lost theirs! Let’s go there, they need our help more!”
“Sulyap” – meaning glimpse of hope – is the name of a small community of 30 houses built in collaboration with the New Families’ project One Family One Home. Over the weekend, with the modern means of communication, there was an instant coordination among our families and in a very short time several teams made up of young people, families, friends were mobilized to cook lots of food, make thousands of sandwiches, gather clothing and bring these relief goods to the neighbouring community of Sulyap, where 1500 families had been hit by the tragedy and 26 had lost their lives. They had all agreed – more important than the food and clothing they were bringing was the love, concern, sympathy they wanted to share to the flood victims.
Arriving at Sulyap (Quezon City), there were hundreds of people to serve. Many of them had sought refuge there, graciously received by our families of the housing project with much selflessness, notwithstanding that they themselves are poor. In an atmosphere of much love the distribution of relief goods to some 300 families was immediately carried out. Surprisingly, in spite of the tragic situation, there was no chaos, instead, there was order and serenity.
It was moving to witness how some declined to receive the relief packs in favor of others who had lost more and who therefore needed the relief packs more. However, there were simply too many victims and soon the relief goods ran out.
Just when our people had sadly announced that there were no more relief goods to distribute, God provided…
A caravan of rich well meaning people showed up from nowhere with carloads of relief goods almost triple what our members had brought! It was a group that intended to help the flood victims in some place, but they had gotten lost and ended up in Sulyap. For our people, “they had not gotten lost, they had been guided to Sulyap… by some bright star”. They were only too happy to join us. They were moved by the experience they made. They have become our friends and have promised to give…more.
The “reinforcements” that arrived allowed our members to venture deeper into the squalid low lying area beyond Sulyap, an area, in fact, urgently in need of assistance because the residents there had been trapped. Our people realized why when they saw a scene that they were not prepared for – a sea of mud had engulfed the place, but not before the floodwaters had swept away the simple poor shanties that had stood there just the day before.
In front of the deep suffering of the devastated community, what our members had previously agreed on earlier, to welcome the brother in every moment, was what was needed: to be one in feeling the pain of loss; to listen in loving silence to the victims’ frightful stories; to be there with them in this moment of great need as brothers and sisters.
One of the residents pointed to a tree relating how they had clung to its branches for almost 24 hours to survive the raging floodwaters. Another had swam, asking God “only for strength, only for strength” to rush home to safeguard his family only to find his house gone and the family clinging to a banana tree for dear life. Another had lost 8 family members.
This experience with the flood victims has just started and is ongoing, but it is one that is already touching many people’s lives. For many young people “…it’s a reality check! I think I’ve got many things wrong. I have to review my life, and the things I am living for.” »Ray Asprer, Mariella Floridia - Manila
Posted via web from Am Mijares
