The Delivery
My land lady was still awake and handed this envelope to me when I arrived home on Friday night the other week. When I saw the color, my thoughts flowed with appreciation. They kept the communication coming in spite of my non-responsiveness for many years now. I haven't yet touched the envelop when I noticed the "Air Mail" stamp. No, it can not be from overseas because World Vision has a headquarter in the Philippines. They may have excess air mail envelopes. I reached out to take the envelope and confirm my thought. It came from the in-country office.
It is a Christmas card from my sponsored child through World Vision. Every year, World Vision asks the sponsored children to create a Christmas card for their sponsors. They never missed sending, at least for my case. And this envelope brings me back to six year ago when I first started with World Vision.
Front of the card
Child Selection
World Vision is a non-profit organization which focuses on:
helping children, families, and their communities overcome poverty and injustice.
I believe I mentioned somewhere on one of my previous posts that I learned about it through one of my former professors in graduate school. He shared his story about it and has awaken my interest to do the same. That was in second quarter of 2012 when I immediately signed up on the website.
During the sign-up stage, there were questions about what profile of a child do I want to sponsor - gender, age bracket and from which place. I wondered about the questions and left them all blank except for the country. Where else am I supposed to pick, at least for a start?
When World Vision came back to me, I was given a four-year-old boy from Negros Occidental. Negros region! That reminded me of our famous folk singer Freddie Aguilar's song "Mga bata sa Negros." The song was an outcry to help and save the children in that place. It was like a local version of "We are the world" by USA for Africa. The song was released in 1985. I was just a kid and did not understand the economic situation of the country that year but I once saw on TV a famine scene of the region. I supposed it was no longer like that back in 2012. Let's see...
A Day in a Lifetime
In the third quarter if the same year, I told World Vision that I want to visit the child. They do not allow direct visit to the family's home so they will arrange for a meeting place. That is usually in a World Vision satellite office in Bacolod City. However, I have to do it during weekend. We scheduled the meeting on one Saturday of November.
In November 2012, I flew to Bacolod City very early in the morning. The sun was not even showing yet when we landed. Our meeting place was in the mall which opens at 10:00 am so I had enough time for junket to their government center then to The Ruins. World Vision is strict in posting photos with sponsored child. There is a different level of approval which I do not want to go through so I can not share here.
Finally, time has come to meet the child. He was with his mother and the World Vision representative. The child was shy at first. The World Vision representative made short introductions and gave me a background of the family and their place. One thing that caught my attention with what he said is that Negros is one of the poorest region in the country. "So for almost three decades, the song still applies," I thought.
When I took them to the children's toy land, he first pulled his mother to join then eventually played on his own. While we were watching him, his mother was telling us stories about their family. My thoughts rushed to I don't know where as I have mouthful to say but I kept quiet. She continued that this boy is the only one among them siblings who got this chance through me to go shopping and in a mall.
Over lunch, the World Vision representative said that release of their Christmas cards are a bit late this year. Had he known earlier that I was coming, they could have just handed it to me.
We went for shopping and groceries. Again, I had mouthful to say as we were roaming around but I chose to keep them to myself. I did not know how to say them then. I may not know how up to this time.
That was a day in a lifetime that I will never forget.
The famous Ruins in Bacolod City.
Second Attempt
In December 2014, I asked World Vision if I can visit the child again but they declined because of the calamity that super typhoon Haiyan just brought in the nearby areas the previous month. Then I went on with my excuses of being busy. Nevertheless, the communication kept coming. Progress reports are coming every quarter and Christmas card come every last quarter.
Spiraling Back
I guess that is enough for the flashback for now. Let's take a look at the Christmas card. Here is the message.
I do not want to be dramatic here but to highlight the child's message: Christmas is the time to be with family especially during Noche Buena with gift giving; Love one another. I can imagine the excitement...
Here are close-up shots.
And here is the back of the card with parting words from the National Director.
As early as now, I wish everyone a blessed holiday!
Join #ccc for Guaranteed 👍 Daily Income 💵 and Payout 💸 for Newbies (2.0) 🐟 🐜 🐛 in #ccc 👣 and Follow 👣 the Honor Code 🏅 - the Creed (Conditions and Limits Inside) AND the latest update <<< please click to read.
