By Maria Nariva, a Fijian lay missionary in the Philippines

I arrived in the Philippines in October 1996. Coming from a small country like Fiji, everything is kind of a shock for me to see. Apart from that I was surprised to see the number of people at the airport and along the streets as we made our way to the Lay Mission House in Cubao. I asked myself, “I wonder what the population of this country is?” I was not only shocked at the number of people, but also at the pollution and the heat.

Attending the language school and learning the local school and learning the local language was another big and challenging part. Spending six months in language school with a month of exposure was very helpful before I was assigned to a parish.

My Assignment

I was assignment to Malate Parish, one of our Columban parishes in the heart of Manila. This parish also encompasses two congested squatter area. The population of the parish is about 20, 000 and almost these two areas.

I was assigned mainly to one of these areas named Dakota, known as “Area 8” in the parish. It has a population of about 800 families with an average of 6 in a family. I started off by doing visitation from house to house, mainly to practice my Tagalog and to get know the people. For a dark-skinned person with curly hair to walk around among these fair-skinned people was quite hard for me, and they called me American. But because of their warm-heartedness and with the Tagalog I know, it helped me get through slowly.

After a few months I was asked to help the staff to start a BEC, or Basic Ecclesial Community, and to form Bible Study groups in the area. Apart from that I also developed a special relationship with the children in the area. I found this very helpful in finding a way through to the parents. All the children in the area call me Ate Maria. (Ate means big sister.) Whenever the children call me form a distance it really makes me feel that I am one of hem and belong to them and to the community.

Looking at these beautiful children everyday assures me that God is alive and there is life. They have also been a source of energy to me and a source of inspiration. Thank God for the gift of life.

So, after completing a term and much time on one community a, it hurts me when I think of having to leave in a few months time. These are the people that have been my father, mother, brothers and sister for three years. Their kindness and generosity touch me. I don’t know how I will be able to say goodbye. My heart aches when I think about it. The voices, laughter and the way children call me everyday is music to my ears.

The people in the area live in small houses. Some houses have two or three families living together. Some take turns sleeping in the house because it cannot accommodate them all if everybody tries to get in at one time. Mainly the men will spend most of their time outside.

Mass in the Alley

Even though they stay in small houses and congested areas, they still have faith. Every house I visited had a statue of Mama Mary and a statue of Santo Niño, the Holy Family. Every third Wednesday of the month we would have our area Masses. And because there’s no chapel in the area we just celebrated the Mass in the alley. The people in the different puroks prepare the place if the Mass in at their own purok. And they usually get excited and enjoy it.

The people in Area 8 have been great source of inspiration to me, their strong faith and how they live their life. Living in very small houses wit so many people in it doesn’t stop them form inviting and welcoming me into their home for meals and merienda. They stay in small houses but they have big hearts.

My experience with the people here in the Philippines have helped me grow and now I am ready to go home with many things I can share with my local church. And for all the people who have been a great help and a great source of inspiration to me during my three years on mission here in the Philippines, I can only say,

Thank you very much!

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