A night for giving

To me, generosity means not how much I can give but rather the spirit in which I give it.

Mark and Windall came to our house on this particular evening asking me to buy a new pair of flip-flops for Mark, who had none. So I took them on a quick trip to the market. Townspeople often tend to stare at the lone white girl walking down the street, and even more so when she has several Filipino children in tow.  Once inside the store, we didn’t make too much of a ruckus, although one of the boys did manage to knock some food onto the floor; thankfully, the shop owner didn’t seem to mind. 

On the way back, they began begging me, as little children do, to buy them food. I considered it for a moment, but when I realized they had their eyes on snack bags, I thought better of it.  “Let’s go back - paingon sa akong balay para kan-on.”  They agreed to the idea of returning to my house for some rice, so we headed home. While my team prepared dinner, the boys and I read from a picture book about Jesus. I couldn’t understand the words written in Tagalog, but I could help Mark, who is still learning to read, to pronounce them.

Finally, it was time to eat! Both boys were thrilled with their bowls of rice and soy sauce, and I’m so grateful that my teammate caught their beautiful smiles on camera. Jesus tells us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive,” and yet when I give of myself I receive so much in return. Thank you, Mark and Windall, for teaching me to be generous with my time, my patience, and my love.