Emails from the Desert…
Dr. Edgar A. Gamboa
Christmas 2008 came and went. The New Year has begun. Are you one of those who take stock of all the gifts you received from Santa Claus, thank those who kept you in mind during the season, then wonder what to do with all your stuff?
Despite the global economic downturn, we in these United States are still blessed with many material things. CostCo, Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, and the ubiquitous shopping malls that proliferate from Oahu to Manhattan, ensure that even a part-time worker can fill those stockings with enough goodies and line the Christmas tree with toys and gifts.
Which, indeed, is a blessing. Everyone loves Santa, no one likes Scrooge. But don’t you get the feeling that perhaps we, in this side of a lopsided globe, just have too many things we don’t really need?
I read about a family who arrived at this juncture – and did something about it.
Instead of sweaters or electronic gadgets or another set of something, these wise parents requested their grown up children to give them, for next Christmas, some charitable deed – an act of kindness – performed to benefit someone else. It could be something as simple as volunteering in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen, buying a stranger a sandwich and a cup of coffee, or teaching a child to read.
One act of kindness that made someone’s day brighter. That was all they asked for Christmas. And the idea caught on.
Their children (and their spouses) came up with all kinds of cool stuff for Christmas gifts -- helping out with Little League sports, collecting blankets for the homeless, donating books to the local library, teaching English to refugees, etc. Soon, their grandchildren came up with their own gifts of kindness – wrapping toys for orphans, collecting school supplies for needy children, distributing gifts to poor families.
The family tradition took root. It became more involved as, year after year, everyone in the family looked for a variety of ways to become a different kind of Santa. Someone delivered a Christmas tree to an “adopted” family and decorated it with gift certificates. The electric and water bill of a senior citizen was fully paid. Colorful backpacks with schools supplies were distributed to students in poor neighborhoods. Orphans across the world were fed and sheltered through monetary donations. Houses and schools in slum areas were gradually built.
The gift-giving rules are simple. The charitable deed has to be done within the year. It can be performed by spending money or giving of one’s time and energy. It can be simple or elaborate, done solo or in teamwork with others. It starts at New Year so that everyone in the family has twelve months to come up with something they could present as their special gift on Christmas Eve.
To keep track, they started taking photos, wrote about their “gifts”, and compiled them in the family scrapbook.. Every Christmas, the family celebrates the birth of the Savior knowing that they had all done something, big or small, to make someone else’s Christmas better.
This humble but remarkable family has captured the true spirit of Christmas. For did not Christ, the reason we celebrate Christmas, say: “Whatever you did for one of these, you did it for me.”?
Filipino-Americans would not find this kind of Christmas giving too unusual, having migrated from a third world where abundance is the exception, rather than the rule. But it is easy to get caught up in the individualistic and materialistic culture of Western society and, in effect, depart from the traditional value of the bayanihan spirit.
Thus, it would be worthwhile for us, Filipino-Americans, to get ourselves and our children more involved in projects that will benefit our kababayans, here in our adopted country and back home in the mother country.
Humanitarian projects, such as medical missions, the construction of schools and clinics, educational funds, and the building of homes (such as those successfully promoted by Gawad Kalinga) can be endeavors worth our time, commitment and effort.
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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
A lonely Christmas...
Reprinted from The Asian Journal, December 25,2008
Has your Christmas always been merry and bright? Gathering 'round the Christmas tree, unwrapping surprise gifts, partaking of the traditional vigil Mass and Media Noche -- very few things are as special and joyous as Christmas!
Yet, to others not as fortunate, the season may not be as joyous. In various parts of the world, violence and terror, rather than peace and goodwill, prevail. In other areas of the globe, children go to bed without receiving a single Christmas toy, without food in their bellies. As we gather warmly near fireplaces and in the company of friends, others huddle in cold sidewalks or under musty bridges, with homeless strangers.
Like most of you, reading this email, I have been blessed to have my family around to enjoy the commemoration of Christ's birth. I remember experiencing only one particularly lonely Christmas. It was the year, after graduating from medical school, when I interned at the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Quezon City. I had been on duty the days preceding Christmas eve and could not fly home to Cebu in time for the holidays.
At the time, I was staying at my sister's place in the city, near the Araneta Coliseum. My sister had left to join her in-laws outside of Manila a few days earlier, so I found myself all alone that Christmas Eve.
I walked towards the Coliseum mall to do some last minute shopping. Already, stores were closing though a few restaurants remained open. I remember going into one of the restaurants, to eat alone at a corner table, watching passersby hurrying home for Christmas dinner. I had all the time in the world and no one to spend it with.
If anything, that experience of a lonely Christmas, gave me an insight into how terrible it can be to be all alone during this merriest of seasons. It is not surprising that the ERs get packed and that many lonely folks get sick and die during the holidays.
A week or two ago, I received in the mail a "Christmas Gift Catalogue" from a charitable organization. A20$9 gift would feed a malnourished child for a week. A $15 donation would provide for school supplies or a month's tuition so a child can learn to read and write. $75 would provide for care, shelter, and rehabilitation for a child enslaved in a sweatshop or forced to serve as a child soldier. $100 would provide temporary shelter for victims of natural disasters. The variety of charitable projects was astounding.
You must have heard of Gawad Kalinga. The organization aims to build decent housing in numerous slum districts in the Philippines. The cost of building a "Benetton House" - so called because these colorful homes are painted according to availability of donated paint -- has increased to P85,000 but the project has been a resounding success. A CEO in the Philippines has reportedly pledged to donate a house a month until he dies. Naturally, many in the organization are praying that he live a long and productive life.
In addition to giving our friends and families the usual gifts this Christmas, perhaps we can find time to serve in a soup kitchen for the homeless. Or send a check to a charitable organization. How wonderful it would be to know that in our small way, we kept a homeless person from experiencing a lonely and hungry Christmas or gave a family the experience of celebrating Christmas in a place they could truly call home.
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Yet, to others not as fortunate, the season may not be as joyous. In various parts of the world, violence and terror, rather than peace and goodwill, prevail. In other areas of the globe, children go to bed without receiving a single Christmas toy, without food in their bellies. As we gather warmly near fireplaces and in the company of friends, others huddle in cold sidewalks or under musty bridges, with homeless strangers.
Like most of you, reading this email, I have been blessed to have my family around to enjoy the commemoration of Christ's birth. I remember experiencing only one particularly lonely Christmas. It was the year, after graduating from medical school, when I interned at the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Quezon City. I had been on duty the days preceding Christmas eve and could not fly home to Cebu in time for the holidays.
At the time, I was staying at my sister's place in the city, near the Araneta Coliseum. My sister had left to join her in-laws outside of Manila a few days earlier, so I found myself all alone that Christmas Eve.
I walked towards the Coliseum mall to do some last minute shopping. Already, stores were closing though a few restaurants remained open. I remember going into one of the restaurants, to eat alone at a corner table, watching passersby hurrying home for Christmas dinner. I had all the time in the world and no one to spend it with.
If anything, that experience of a lonely Christmas, gave me an insight into how terrible it can be to be all alone during this merriest of seasons. It is not surprising that the ERs get packed and that many lonely folks get sick and die during the holidays.
A week or two ago, I received in the mail a "Christmas Gift Catalogue" from a charitable organization. A20$9 gift would feed a malnourished child for a week. A $15 donation would provide for school supplies or a month's tuition so a child can learn to read and write. $75 would provide for care, shelter, and rehabilitation for a child enslaved in a sweatshop or forced to serve as a child soldier. $100 would provide temporary shelter for victims of natural disasters. The variety of charitable projects was astounding.
You must have heard of Gawad Kalinga. The organization aims to build decent housing in numerous slum districts in the Philippines. The cost of building a "Benetton House" - so called because these colorful homes are painted according to availability of donated paint -- has increased to P85,000 but the project has been a resounding success. A CEO in the Philippines has reportedly pledged to donate a house a month until he dies. Naturally, many in the organization are praying that he live a long and productive life.
In addition to giving our friends and families the usual gifts this Christmas, perhaps we can find time to serve in a soup kitchen for the homeless. Or send a check to a charitable organization. How wonderful it would be to know that in our small way, we kept a homeless person from experiencing a lonely and hungry Christmas or gave a family the experience of celebrating Christmas in a place they could truly call home.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Miracle at Solana Beach
Reprinted from the Asian Journal
Decembr 28, 2007
Once again, Christmas came -- like a fresh stream of cool water through a sun-baked, blistering desert. It came with jolly Santa on a sleigh, bags full of toys for children, naughty or nice. It came with multicolored lights and parols, melodious Jingle/Silver bells, trees galore and fun-packed malls.
It also came with warm family reunions, friendly gift exchanges, solemn Midnight Mass, and the traditional “Noche Buena”. People the world over came together in joyful celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth -- humankind’s greatest miracle.
The greatest miracle of all reminds me of another miracle, albeit on a much smaller scale. Akin, in some ways, to the tale of St. Joseph’s miraculous staircase in Sante Fe, New Mexico, its sacredness lingers on though more than a decade has passed.
Sometime in 1993, Sr. Dulce Flores, a nun at St. Leo’s mission church in Solana Beach, and my wife Lucie were busy with plans to build a charity clinic. Sr. Dulce was particularly concerned about young mothers -- spouses of farm workers or migrant workers themselves -- who did not have the financial resources to seek prenatal consultation.
Many of these pregnant women, whether legal residents or undocumented workers, did not show up for their doctor’s appointment until they were in full labor and about to deliver their babies. Many times, they ended up in hospital delivery rooms with toxemia or other life-threatening obstetrical emergencies for both mothers and babies.
At a church related gathering one evening, at Harold and Ginger Gaulbert’s home, Sr. Dulce approached Lucie, who had a pediatrics practice in nearby La Jolla, to see if they could put their heads together and build a clinic, specifically to aid these poor mothers, but in general to serve the needs of poor families and their children.
One morning, while Sr. Dulce and Lucie were reviewing preliminary plans at St. Leo’s Church, a stranger knocked on the door. Slightly tall but of medium build, with brown hair and gentle eyes, the stranger had a kind and handsome face. He introduced himself as an architect. He had heard about their plans to build a clinic and he was more than happy to offer his services for free.
Lucie recalls thinking that was a bit strange. Very few, if anyone, had known of the project. But she quickly brushed away the thought. Short of funds, the project could use a pro bono architect. The stranger’s offer was timely and most welcome.
The architect asked Lucie and Sr. Dulce a few questions but he seemed to know exactly what they needed. He did not inquire too much detail about examining rooms, waiting room, or how big a storage space they needed, etc. They showed him the back section of St. Leo’s Mission Church, which the sponsoring parish of St. James in Solana Beach had set aside for the project. Local civic and religious organizations were getting together to raise funds and things were just starting to fall in place.
Several days later, the volunteer architect returned with rolls of blueprint. He showed Lucie and Sr. Dulce and a few other individuals in the room the beautiful blueprints he had designed for the clinic. Lucie remembers looking at the plans laid out neatly on the conference table but could not recall if the architect’s name was printed on them.
Soon, a cadre of volunteer engineers and workers started construction, faithfully following the architectural plans. The functional clinic was completed in a few weeks. Doctors, nurses, dentists, social workers, etc., volunteered to attend to patients on Saturdays. The clinic took off from day one.
When plans for an inaugural ceremony were set, Lucie and her staff put together an invitation list for the event and tried to contact the architect. It would be the proper time to formally thank him for his valuable contribution to the project.
Lucie vaguely remembered that the mysterious architect had introduced himself as Michael. However, she could not recall his last name. She scanned the phone directory and made several calls to local engineering and architectural firms. The clinic staff asked around but not a single parishioner knew who Michael was or where he lived or worked. He had appeared twice at St. Leo’s mission church and vanished!
When Lucie told me about it, I asked if she kept the rolls of blueprint the untraceable architect had left behind. She went to the clinic to look for them; others searched for the precious documents..….they were nowhere to be found.
Decembr 28, 2007
Once again, Christmas came -- like a fresh stream of cool water through a sun-baked, blistering desert. It came with jolly Santa on a sleigh, bags full of toys for children, naughty or nice. It came with multicolored lights and parols, melodious Jingle/Silver bells, trees galore and fun-packed malls.
It also came with warm family reunions, friendly gift exchanges, solemn Midnight Mass, and the traditional “Noche Buena”. People the world over came together in joyful celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth -- humankind’s greatest miracle.
The greatest miracle of all reminds me of another miracle, albeit on a much smaller scale. Akin, in some ways, to the tale of St. Joseph’s miraculous staircase in Sante Fe, New Mexico, its sacredness lingers on though more than a decade has passed.
Sometime in 1993, Sr. Dulce Flores, a nun at St. Leo’s mission church in Solana Beach, and my wife Lucie were busy with plans to build a charity clinic. Sr. Dulce was particularly concerned about young mothers -- spouses of farm workers or migrant workers themselves -- who did not have the financial resources to seek prenatal consultation.
Many of these pregnant women, whether legal residents or undocumented workers, did not show up for their doctor’s appointment until they were in full labor and about to deliver their babies. Many times, they ended up in hospital delivery rooms with toxemia or other life-threatening obstetrical emergencies for both mothers and babies.
At a church related gathering one evening, at Harold and Ginger Gaulbert’s home, Sr. Dulce approached Lucie, who had a pediatrics practice in nearby La Jolla, to see if they could put their heads together and build a clinic, specifically to aid these poor mothers, but in general to serve the needs of poor families and their children.
One morning, while Sr. Dulce and Lucie were reviewing preliminary plans at St. Leo’s Church, a stranger knocked on the door. Slightly tall but of medium build, with brown hair and gentle eyes, the stranger had a kind and handsome face. He introduced himself as an architect. He had heard about their plans to build a clinic and he was more than happy to offer his services for free.
Lucie recalls thinking that was a bit strange. Very few, if anyone, had known of the project. But she quickly brushed away the thought. Short of funds, the project could use a pro bono architect. The stranger’s offer was timely and most welcome.
The architect asked Lucie and Sr. Dulce a few questions but he seemed to know exactly what they needed. He did not inquire too much detail about examining rooms, waiting room, or how big a storage space they needed, etc. They showed him the back section of St. Leo’s Mission Church, which the sponsoring parish of St. James in Solana Beach had set aside for the project. Local civic and religious organizations were getting together to raise funds and things were just starting to fall in place.
Several days later, the volunteer architect returned with rolls of blueprint. He showed Lucie and Sr. Dulce and a few other individuals in the room the beautiful blueprints he had designed for the clinic. Lucie remembers looking at the plans laid out neatly on the conference table but could not recall if the architect’s name was printed on them.
Soon, a cadre of volunteer engineers and workers started construction, faithfully following the architectural plans. The functional clinic was completed in a few weeks. Doctors, nurses, dentists, social workers, etc., volunteered to attend to patients on Saturdays. The clinic took off from day one.
When plans for an inaugural ceremony were set, Lucie and her staff put together an invitation list for the event and tried to contact the architect. It would be the proper time to formally thank him for his valuable contribution to the project.
Lucie vaguely remembered that the mysterious architect had introduced himself as Michael. However, she could not recall his last name. She scanned the phone directory and made several calls to local engineering and architectural firms. The clinic staff asked around but not a single parishioner knew who Michael was or where he lived or worked. He had appeared twice at St. Leo’s mission church and vanished!
When Lucie told me about it, I asked if she kept the rolls of blueprint the untraceable architect had left behind. She went to the clinic to look for them; others searched for the precious documents..….they were nowhere to be found.
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