Kayang-Kayang Missions: Botlog Island, Concepcion Iloilo

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

– Barack Obama

While the whole world was so busy with Halloween parties and costumes, I was having the most fulfilling experience in my 28 years of existence. Volunteering in a remote island in Iloilo gave me a wave of emotions that hit me like a truck. There are so many things that I have whined about..without me appreciating how lucky I am that I get to live a *maybe* not so perfect but comfortable and decent life . How dare I complain, after all I live in a world with instant access to everything, they don't. They have unlimited needs in a place of limited resources. They badly need help. They badly need our help. Yes, it is true that we can only do so much and we can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. We can, in our own little way. I went on a medical mission without having anything to give, I am not a nurse nor a doctor, I don't even know how to use a BP app but somehow I made myself useful that day. Not having enough to give will never truly be an excuse to help. It's never really about the money or anything, it's the will to help. That was the organization I was with (Kayang-Kaya Missions International Inc.) taught me. It was indeed a pleasure working with them and volunteering was really a humbling experience. Ms. Isabelle (the president of the org) told us that their Dad is battling cancer and they've been nursing him for a long time now--but that didn't stop them to help those in need. It is in fact their stress reliever. It hit me big time. I have never considered helping as a stress reliever, have you? And I never thought that helping others will give me so much more than I can ever give.

ps
They thanked me for helping them but it was actually them who helped me find my purpose--and I thank them for that.

xoxo--Mai

CTTO: *photos grabbed from Kayang-Kaya Missions International Inc.*