10 years ago. A movement was born when a couple of selfless young people and those young at heart decided to go beyond youth evangelization and started building homes for the least then later on communities. They have chosen to leave the comforts of their family and friends out of great and selfless love for their fellowmen who have less and who have been stripped off of their dignity and called them family.
And 10 years ago, when families chose to spend their family day in malls and beaches and resorts, my family chose to spend most of our Sundays in the attention deprived leper community in Eversley, Mandaue City, Cebu.
I was then a first year student but in my young mind, I know that there will always be someone or a family who out there who needs our love and "kalinga". It was my first experience of being exposed to those who have long been forgotten by the society because people are just too scared to just even be in the same room with them. But my papa and the GK team never had second thoughts of having the first ever GK village in that community. Their families have been looked down by our society for years just because a family member has contracted the disease. But the GK family stood by them and embraced them. They're eternally grateful for the love because it made them see their worth and brought back their dignity. Some have missing body parts brought about by the disease (but they're not contagious anymore) yet they chose to help in whatever way they can to "pasa-pasa" sacks of gravel and sand and painted their homes and their neighbor's homes, their chapel and multipurpose. I gained new friends and new families. I learned that loving my family means loving the least, the broken and the lost. I realized that my parents are the most generous and loving people in the world (I am very biased on this, i know, but hey, this is my blogsite) cause even if we have just enough resources for everyday, they still chose to share our blessings to these communities.
From that time on, GK has always been a way of life. Our family's way of life. A lifetime commitment. I will be forever grateful to GK for just bringing us closer together as a family. I see Christ in every GK volunteer and worker I come across. They are living witnesses of the love of God to the broken. GK has taught me to be braver and stronger and love amidst the pain and hurts. And as I continue my journey in this path I chose, I could not help but look back to the humble beginnings of being a GK advocate. I am still overwhelmed by the gift of GK to my family, to the poor, and to our country after all these years. And I promise to document and share every heart-capturing GK trip and inspiring GK story that I'll witness. All for the love of God and country! Yay!
Trivia: GK Sto. Nino, Eversley is one of the first few GK villages that has been constructed across the country. But it was in GK Ermita, Cebu which GK first existed. SIGA, the youth program of GK, was first launched there but the GK village for the residents there was not materialized since the residents refused to be relocated. GK Ermita is the most dangerous place in Cebu and is a den of thieves and serial killers, small time and big time. But the youth were quite welcome for change. It even came to a point that if you're a GK worker, and if you're wearing a GK shirt, Ermita will be the safest place for you. No kidding!
I can vividly remember there was this time that papa brought with him a youth who was shot (but he was actually innocent, he just came to their place because he left something...talk about bad timing, but he was a former thief and drug-user before GK came) because the place where they usually had a pot session was raided. He stayed at our place for a week. It was also the first time that I visited the police station because my papa was helping him work out his papers. GK moment: he was so touched of papa's gesture of having him stay at home for a few days that he actually shed some tears when he left. Personally, at first, I was really hesitant and scared that papa brought him home, a total stranger to us and a former criminal. Who wouldn't be scared? But then, I am just thankful that papa has risen above the norm and welcomed him. I was just touched and moved!
Blast from the past:
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| Team GK Cebu. Old school! |
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