Conclusion
For Singaporean couple Mike and Evelyn Thung, it was compassion that led them to trade their comfortable life in Singapore with a life of service here.
Asked to compare how their life has changed since moving back here, Eve puts it simply. She says that back in Singapore; life is motivated by the five Cs: cash, career, credit card, condominium and your car. These C’s determined the quality of your life and whether you led a successful life or not.
Now, after trading her job in a multinational company for mission work, she has reconfigured the five Cs into: Christlike, cross, compassion, contriteness and contentment.
Coming to the Philippines has been a tremendous eye-opener as they interact with the needy daily.
They consider their journey a “calling”—sparked by Fr. Andy Altamirano, a missionary priest they met in Singapore. After a few years of working with him in church activities, Father Andy suffered kidney failure and had to undergo treatments in Singapore. Since the priest had no family there, Eve offered a vacant room in their home.
The couple took it upon themselves to be Father Andy’s caretaker. Eventually, the priest was advised to retire and go back to the Philippines due to his deteriorating health. As his departure neared, Eve felt uneasy. She kept praying for true enlightenment—her life’s mission—until it dawned on her that she wanted to accompany Father Andy back to the Philippines.
She was conflicted, concerned about what her husband would say.
To this day, Eve is amazed as she recounts how Mike simply listened and did not even ask questions. It was only a week later that he told her that he would be canceling a job interview.
Thus in 1999, the couple escorted Father Andy back to the Philippines, with no plan or clear purpose. The couple decided to stay for good.
They prayed and waited for their mission to be revealed. Until one day, Eve heard Mass and sat in the front pew right before a sign language interpreter. Just like how it began, a feeling pointed Eve to her next journey in the Philippines.
The couple set out to learn American Sign Language and Special Education. They became involved with the deaf, mute, blind and children with special needs, in Paco.
Their organization, Precious Community, meets Sundays at Paco Catholic Church.
Today, 13 years later, Mike and Evelyn consider the Philippines their home, even long after the death of Father Andy. The priest’s last request was for them to stay and continue their mission.
“The mission—anyone can do! More than the mission is the formation of my spiritual life!” Eve proclaims. “It really comes down to God choosing you. If He calls, you go…we could not have done what we have done without his plan.”
Flame of compassion
Eunice Chua says, “When I got into this, I only had my being a mother.” It was the instinct to protect and nourish that pushed to look for an avenue to give back and feed the hungry.
Her journey started with a soup kitchen in Bambang, under the guidance of Fr. Boyet Concepcion. They ran a feeding program providing lunch and dinner.
Though her intentions were noble, the soup kitchen became the object of intrigue and complaints from the neighborhood. The children hung out in groups out in the sidewalk waiting for the next meal, causing disturbance.
This prompted Eunice to open the soup kitchen full time and provide a place for the kids to enjoy a wholesome fellowship. It became apparent that she needed to start a values formation program, aside from running the feeding program.
She soon realized that her battle against the vices of these kids was lost the minute the kids walked out the door and onto the street.
Continued prayers yielded The Children’s Village: a rehabilitation center in Bustos, Bulacan. They named it Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres.
On a rice field were built a cottage and a converted bus donated by Baliwag Transit. There they relocated 25 kids from Manila to begin their rehabilitation program.
What makes this rehab operation different is it’s not in a gated setting.
A Reentry Education Agenda for the Poor was introduced by Angelicum College where modules and a curriculum were supplemented for the kids to complete their education inside The Children’s Village.
Having given shelter to 123 kids, it is now an established operation.
Asked why she continues to take on these enormous tasks, Eunice admits: “It’s my proof that God is alive: The little miracles that would materialize despite the hardships.
“From Day 1, it’s always the spirit and God’s providence that keep me going. The inspiration would just come, then guide me where to go.”
Answering the call
With God, there are definitely no accidents—as the story of Grace and Nick Aguilar proves.
Missionaries with the Family International, they have made mission work their life. One day, they got a call in their home/foundation headquarters.
It was a wrong number but the voice on the other end was urgently reminding her about an appointment at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that day.
Intrigued by the urgency of the call, they decided to go to PGH and meet the caller. This simple “accident” led the Channel of Hope to their advocacy—the Pedia-Onco patients at PGH which they’ve maintained for 13 years now.
Providing grief counseling, feeding programs and the gift of presence, Channel of Hope has touched the lives of cancer patients at PGH.
Before all this though, Grace says that her spiritual journey was not smooth. Born and raised a Catholic, she had an encounter with a missionary one day which changed her life and led to a life of service.
Her choice to lead such a life was met with protest especially by her mother, a devout Catholic. But a German priest in their parish told her mother that she should not get in the way of God’s work.
So when people ask how she “classifies” herself, she says: “I’m born again, the Bible says so, but I am a missionary.”
So what exactly does being a missionary entail? “It’s making yourself available to any need that may arise,” Grace explains.
Their work is a challenge of faith every day. There are days they must hear and empathize with patients who have not received funding for their treatments. “It is days like that when I can’t help but wonder ‘what if?’ But you must accept that God has a plan.”
Then there are days blessings are abundant and the kids are given opportunities to watch shows like “Disney on Ice” or musicals.
Having just arrived from a mission trip in Mindanao where she encountered children who had to walk 4 km each way just to attend school, her new prayer intention is for a generous heart to help provide transportation for them.
The foremost principle of all religions is based on compassion, followed by doctrines and beliefs.
To find out how to get involved, contact:
Mr. and Mrs. Macalintal of the MGM Foundation website: www.mgmfoundation.ph
Mike and Evelyn Thung of Precious Community, e-mail evethung@yahoo.com, call 0917-8804848 or visit the Precious Community Facebook page
Eunice Chua of The Children’s Village and Lingap Kapatid: 0917-8441938
Nick and Grace Aguilar of Channel of Hope, e-mail tendergrace55@gmail.com or call 2080146 or 0922-8125326