“Feet on the Ground, Back to Simplicity”

“I love you and I am with you always. Go in love and peace.” I carried these words with me and it was an invitation from God for me to start my mission in Mindoro as a son of God. I was with the indigenous people for 10 days. It was a new experience, living on the mountain. Every day and everything was not comfortable. No water, no electricity and the people are living in poverty. These realities challenged me to be an agent of change and to want to help them.

The 10 days on the mountain were difficult, tiring and challenging. Once, we went to another mountain to witness a Mangyan wedding with their unique culture. The mountain was very steep and slippery. I carried my bag and slippers while climbing and it was very difficult for me to walk and I felt so tired. I decided to stop and rest. While resting, I saw a man carrying a big speaker passing me. Seeing him, I remembered Jesus who carried his cross for us and God said to me, “Carry your cross and follow me.” The strength of the man motivated me to continue climbing. I fell down once and it made me suffer. However, God’s love made me continue climbing and these experiences led me to success, to overcome my own limitations.

Our dream is to have enough food

Seeing the realities in the life of these indigenous people, I feel sad. However, I can feel the people’s love, hope and happiness in the darkness they’re experiencing. Most importantly, I can see God in them. I learned many things from them. When I asked about their dream, most of their answers were: to have enough food to eat! I was so touched hearing their answer. It made me love them more and pray for them. It was a simple dream, yet full of meaning. I really put my feet on ground to strive to live in a simpler way. I discovered more about myself and I came to realise the meaning and the value of life. I also understand more about God’s mission in my life. From all these experiences, I became more patient, more faithful, more confident and more daring.

By Akalard Vikay (Hiew), Laos

IFFAsia Student, Batch 2010-2011