My Logos Hope Adventures: Feeding the Street-dwellers

walking the streets of Cebu to the local house
to package food.

On Tuesday, I left the ship with nine other people at 5am. We walked together to a local house where we helped to package 150 portions of rice and meat into plastic bags. We were separated into smaller groups led by OM Cebu workers and we took our food parcels to meet the street-dwellers of Cebu.

packaging the rice and meet into portions

At first, it was exciting. It was heart-warming to see the gratitude and happiness of the people at receiving good food to eat. None had a permanent place to call home, and

for many this was possibly the only meal they would have in a week, or one of very few meals for the week.

However the excitement soon faded and was replaced by sadness. I met a beautiful family with four children – one was a 15-day-old baby who had been born on the street where they were, with no doctor or medical help. The baby was already sick. As the food quickly disappeared to outstretched hands, more people surrounded us and I hated having to show them my now-empty hands while I could see their very empty stomachs.

God reminded me, however, that this is where we need to look at the greater picture. It would be so easy to lose hope, as we barely made a dent in the need of Cebu. Yes, we feed 150 people, but there are thousands more who are still hungry. It was at the moment that God brought a picture to mind of the smiles I had seen that morning – despite the lack, there were 150 people who believed that what we had done was very worthwhile.

Above all, I am daily learning more and more of our need for God. Not just me, but each and every person upon this earth. There are so many situations that seem hopeless. With our human eyes, we can look out and see the street kids who meet us at the gate with no homes, no families; we can see the 15 day old baby whose life may probably soon be over before it really has a chance to start; we can see those who came from the provinces in hope of finding a job to support their families lying on the streets as their hopes fade.

But when God shows me what He sees, I see the hearts of those who work so hard to help these people; I see the parents who know a love so deep that they do whatever they can to ensure their children will live; I see communities coming together so the strong can support the weak; I see people who have hopes and dreams regardless of their situations; I see joy that comes from hope in God, regardless of circumstance because they know that though there are trials in this life, that eternity in heaven awaits them.

It is this view that keeps me going, keeps me reaching out, stops my heart from becoming cold, hard and hopeless and gives me the strength to go on, to do my little bit.