REGIONAL CHAPTER: DECEMBER 26-28, 2011
Liane Rainville, dw

Even if Christmas is much celebrated in the Philippines, this time the Daughters of Wisdom had another reason to come together and celebrate in a different way. As Wisdom called us to our Regional Chapter of December 26-28, 2011 the fourteen of us coming from five countries were faithful to the rendez-vous and arrived full of enthusiasm to live with our whole heart and as one heart this special event.

Three days was indeed a short time to go through the planned activities but all had expected and accepted to have extended hours and so we did succeed in accomplishing all assignments. As always, the secretaries worked additional hours in order to produce the required documents on time. Our facilitator, Sr. Merle Salazar, dolsh led us smoothly and diligently to the end with competence, energy and with the felt desire to share our Wisdom journey. Rule of Life, concerns for the General Chapter, Policies, Statutes, last six years, specific questions passed under watchful eyes and were discussed and expanded to the future, one full of hope.

From the entrance ritual and prayer to the final hymn closing our triduum, we felt Wisdom walking with us. We knew the sisters from other entities were praying for us and we never let our Founders out of our sight and heart. Such communion cannot but widen the space of our tent already stretched with each sister’s commitment to her consecration, to her mission and to the international formation. May Wisdom continue to bless our path!

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Liane Rainville

They are 95,000 people crowded in a small, low relocation area prone to flooding when rain comes. During the Ondoy Typhoon of September 26, 2009 more than 200 persons lost their lives in this place situated by the Marikina River.

Since two years, thanks to funds received from charitable organizations, we have been helping these people. We built the day care center dilapidated by the floods, we distributed food and clothing many times to these poor people striving just to survive. We listened to their stories, shared their pain and honored their desire to help themselves.

Last December,2011, after Bagong Silangan had been hit by typhoons taking lives, causing destruction to infrastructure and sowing fear and panic we received money from the Generalate to assist the best way possible these innocent victims. As we studied their situation and assessed their needs, we agreed to help a group of farmers in want of seeds. How happy they were to receive the precious little bag of seeds that would help bring food on the table.

Their other urgent request was a small boat. As they live close to the river they are always the last ones to be rescued and till now have lost so many friends and relatives. We had enough funds to buy this means of transportation in case of floods and, after countless efforts, we succeeded in buying and bringing the small boat in the area. After blessing the boat and praying for all the people in this environment, we shared their joy and watched the farmers bring the boat on the river to test it. Shouts of bliss!

We cannot forget the reaction of these poor people having lived the Beatitudes, thankfully going back to their work. There is hope in their heart, there are sparkles in their eyes…and the vegetables are growing!

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