Learning to serve - Serving to learn By ALEX DUNCAN and JACQUES McELHONE
During the three weeks of holidays between Terms II and III, Fr Ross Jones SJ, Mr Joe El-Khoury and eleven “immersionists” from Year 11 (St Aloysius College, Milsons Point) embarked upon an intense journey to the Philippines. Ultimately, the experience was about finding God in situations of hardship.
The three weeks were divided into four distinctly different experiences, the first major one being house-building in Bagong Silang. Instantly upon arrival the immense generousity and hospitality of the people in the community was there for all of us to see. We worked through hot and humid weather with the locals guiding us and building with us, and during breaks we would return to our sleeping/eating area to find a feast by any standards, freshly cooked and waiting for us.
During our time there, we noticed the tangible impact of our services embodied in the houses themselves, despite the use of bare minimum-tools such as spades and picks. However, more important than the houses themselves was the incredible role we enjoyed in the lives of those from the community, especially the children. It became daily ritual, after work had finished for the day, for the eleven of us to walk outside and find about fifty screaming kids waiting to play and spend time with us.
And yet despite the obviously huge impact we seemed to have had on their lives, the most amazing thing for all eleven of us was how much the children taught us about ourselves, more than we could have ever hoped for or possibly imagined.
To further our experience, we went to the large city jail in Muntinlupa, where we spent four days visiting and getting to know the inmates. While playing many games of chess, basketball and ping pong with the inmates at the juvenile prison, we were able to develop close relationships with these young men. On the last day in the juvenile prison, the prisoners shared the stories of their past lives. We had made friendships with these inmates and when told of their histories, found it hard to believe that these people, our friends, were murderers, thieves and other such men, who are so often given such negative connotations that society forgets that they are actual people; people in need of love and hope.
After seeing the remorse these inmates showed, we realised how harshly these people have been treated, often being set aside as outcasts. By visiting the prison, I think we brought a sense of hope to the inmates. We showed them that there is value to their lives, and that in a couple of years, when they are released, there is hope for a better existence.
Overall, the immersion program to the Philippines was an unforgettable experience. Not only did we learn about the Filipino culture, but most importantly, we learnt a great deal about ourselves. The generousity and hospitality shown to us was living proof of one of the tour’s mottos that “no one is too poor they cannot share, no one is too rich they cannot care.”
We learnt to appreciate the fortunate lives we Australians live, realising the hardships many people must encounter, day in-day out, particularly in the Philippines. Although our trip was short, what we have learnt will stay with us for a long time, changing the way we think, act and what we say and do. Learning to serve – serving to learn.
And yet despite the obviously huge impact we seemed to have had on their lives, the most amazing thing for all eleven of us was how much the children taught us about ourselves, more than we could have ever hoped for or possibly imagined.
