In my younger years, I met the Focolare and its spirituality of unity, and this had a profound influence on my life. Through the members of the Movement, I saw the way of love that Jesus taught in the Gospels lived out concretely, and soon after, I myself started to live this way. Later on, I got married, became mother to 6 children and now, a grandmother to 5 grandchildren. We live by the coastal area of Noveleta, Cavite, where around 80% of the residents live in poverty.
Making myself one with those who suffer and those who rejoice is now almost instinctive for me. With this burning desire to spread this fire of love to others, in February-March 2020, I and my companions helped organize a “School of Life” formation course for mothers and fathers, conducted by the Focolare’s Pag-asa Social Center. Graduation was scheduled for these parents when the hard lockdown was imposed. One mother informed me about at least 50 families living along the coast who had nothing to eat. I was disturbed by this, and at once, I felt that Jesus was knocking on my heart, telling me to do something to alleviate their situation. Together with some companions who are also trying to live the spirituality of the Focolare, we planned how we could help them.
The following morning, we were able to solicit pledges for 10 cavans (500 kilograms) of rice from 3 friends. But the banks were closed. I had some money entrusted to me that was supposed to be used to make the graveyard of my mother who had just died at that time. I was sure Mama would be happy if I used the money in the meantime to buy food for those who were hungry. In no time, we were able to pack and distribute 125 bags with 4 kilos of rice each which was more than double the number of families we wanted to help. This initiative grew! We received many other pledges and providence came. It became like a contest in loving! We received so much that we were even able to help our community when our Barangay Captain (village head) requested food packs for 200 families. We also earned the trust of our assistant parish priest when he entrusted us with Caritas gift checks for 350 families and also many food packs for the poorest in our community. Indeed, the pandemic became a way for us to discover the potential, the power we can generate when we work together, helping our brothers and sisters in need.
When our supplies started to run out, we concluded that maybe our task had ended. We decided to empty our storage of all the rice. But by nighttime, donations poured in! We understood that God wanted us to be His arms so that His love could reach our needy brothers and sisters. To this day, we still have rice in storage. Help of all kinds (clothes, canned goods, etc.) come from all over, even from Japan and the US. Now our donor friends are preparing to send more this coming Christmas.
As we were carrying out all these activities, God made us understand that we also had to give Him to our neighbors. Thus we spread this spirit of the Gospel to groups of youth, grade schoolers, and their parents. Even the lockdown could not prevent these teens and kids from coming to our place to join our activities, learn songs, dances, and anything that spoke of God. Collectively, we also helped a neighbor who was seriously ill with COVID. Thank God she survived and has recovered! Amid the pandemic, a vibrant community was born. How true it is that, in these times, we can still be a family, accompanying one another, without discrimination, regardless of age, class, religion, or educational attainment. God has cast our fear away, and we learned to hope, to believe, to love, and to serve. We understood how to live His words, trusting Him like little children.
Nini Lumunsad
