"SHARE-A-JOY" in my hometown!

A heart that takes delight in helping our deprived kababayans resonates a life that is filled with God’s incessant blessings. “Share-a-joy” or SAJ was conceived out of sheer delight to share and give back to our community. Our dear friend and kumare Christine and her friends pioneered SAJ. We were invited to join in December 2008 and Sim’s barangay in Sison was the chosen beneficiary. It was such a heart-warming experience back then. But due to some of life’s circumstances, we lost touch of SAJ. There was a flashback when we had a chance encounter with our kumare Christine and kumpare Ward in July. Sim and I were tasked to select a barangay to be our beneficiary this year. Without hesitation, I nominated my hometown and had chosen Capataan to be the venue of SAJ 2012. It’s a place with a greater margin of indigents. Good thing that the barangay captain was my batchmate in high school so it was easier for us to coordinate the mechanics and details of SAJ. December 15, 2012 was a day to reminisce and thank God for. The group from Manila and Baguio arrived at Ate Shel’s bahay-kubo early in the morning to partake breakfast before setting off to our mission. There were already a number of beneficiaries when we arrived at the venue. Sim and I were assigned at the registration booth. There were games for the kids, gift giving, and the distribution of Christmas baskets to the chosen 130 families. We really saw their faces beam with pleasure and excitement as they take hold of the goodies and hand-me-down clothes. After the strenuous activity, we were received warmly by Kap’s family and we had our lunch there. The foods were neatly prepared and not only pleasing to the eyes but also flattering to even the most discriminating taste bud. After lunch, we headed to a neighborhood located near the railways. We have also shared with them the goodies and hand-me-down clothes. The people were extremely delighted and were surprised that they too received something from SAJ. After the challenging task for the day came the parting time. Groups from Manila and Baguio were really happy for being instruments of God’s love and channels of His blessings. Out of our grateful hearts, Sim and I gave them boxes of Mayfair’s delectable cassava. Indeed, SAJ has leveled up through the years. God has given me an even greater perspective of SAJ. I’m very blessed to realize that the spirit of sharing is not just by mere abundance of material things but it’s more of a heart that is willing to give and to share. Sharing and giving is the essence of Christmas! God gave His Son Jesus for us to live life to the fullest – now and forever.