For the love of the Needy

The PIHDM  team from OLL were hard at work this morning. There were the jumble sale , the 2nd hand book sale headed by Charlie & Jessie, Thomas & wife team,and others. Young people were also doing their bit! . Good support by the looks of it. Lot of  people were crowding the respective counters. What's this in aid of Charlie, I asked. Is this for the Migrants?? Yes, for the Poor , he responded. 

I took another look at the Migrant Bus. Josie, the Co-ordinator for Migrants and Refugees (AOHD) took me on a brief tour up the Migrants Bus but really, it was a trip into the lives, the existence of  the Migrants and Refugee communities in our country=where-ever they might be, in search of a better life for themselves and their families. It was an eye opener, the feel and the realisation of what life is really like for migrants behind the scenes.There were no fanciful props nor were there colours to dress up the interior of the bus. It was down to earth..depicting the raw facts of the real situation. Even the steps leading into the bus, were wobbly and weak. Like their lives Josie emphasised.  Many migrants and the  refugee communities ( we are talking about those who  live in poverty ) , survive on bare minimum,There is no excesses and they were just grateful for a chance to survive. We are encouraged to  reach out - do something to gladden their lives. I thought what a novel way of bringing out the raw  facts to open people's eyes and perhaps change people's  mind set  about migrants and refugees and I told her so.  

Some of the team members
from Good Shepherd.

This initiative , a joint effort by AOHA and Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd is something extraordinary and very Christ like. The message is for everyone to reach out to migrant workers and refugees and extend a hand of friendship...a hello, a smile, a kind word, words of encouragement..perhaps during this festive season, an invitation to a meal or a gathering. Doesn't  cost much but like the penny, the poor widow gave, it could mean the whole world to them. 

Team members from Good Shepherd - six of them, also came armed with food items to raise funds for this particular ministry. Hurray the hearts behind the action and to you our Home PIHDM team as well !!.

All for charity and people, both parishioners and the faithful from other parishes were only too willing to do their bit  for the happiness of others and happiness in Christian context is giving happiness to others and in so doing, the blessings from their happiness flow back to us!!. Our happiness come from the happiness of others.