Sunday, November 16, 2008

Serving for Others



It was a cloudy noon when my family and I arrived in Tokyo with a bus-full of Filipino delegation to attend a Global Peace Festival. But the sideline mission I plan with my eldest 13-year old son was set as I prepared the materials a few days before. Aside from the GPF main event, the collection of plastic bottle caps as one of the projects of GPF Japan hit the goal to gather more than 2.5 million bottle caps. My kids and I collected more than 500 bottle caps and even along hte way we still collect some more bottle caps during our stop-overs.

Eventually Joseph and I made a good move in his first effort to serve others. He stand beside me as I let him hear my explanation to some pople the purpose of having fund-raising to help La Union on their effort to join GPF in norhtern Luzon and hopefully in Manila. There were a thousand of students and professional delegates coming from the province of La Union. They need more 13 buses for transportation of the delegates.

In the name of the second generation, I let Joseph represent the 2nd gen of La Union to make an appeal to some Filipinos in GPF Tokyo to support the GPF Northern Luzon. He was joined by his brother Philip too, later. He holds the placard with the printed appeal by the 2nd gen to support GPF as we welcome arriving Filipinos in the exhibit area. When a person read that sign, he would give him a letter and an envelope which has the details of the appeal.

This was my son's first fundraising with me. As the person would put some cash in an envelope he has nothing to do but offer his humility of bow of respect and say "thank you very much". Joseph was inspired to continue the effort. I do more on verbal FR works.

After the whole day's GPF, we went back to Nagano and arrived almost midnight. All the kids were so tired but sleep immediately. I did the FR report as I account all the raised amount. It reached enough to sponsor one bus of delegates from La Union to their GPF there.

The following day, I shared to my son the result we got. He was smiling as he said "sugoi" to the result.

May this essence of serving for others in a noble way give an inspiration to other second gen too.

Peace be with us all!

1 comment:

MMFA said...

Super! I am really happy to read your posting doctor. I could imagine how it looks like that you and your sons were standing during your fundraising on the event. I wish I could do that too here in our region. I'd like to educate my son the way I was educated as missionary from the Philippines.

Thanks for the sharing na pwedeng kopyahin namin dito.

alv and family