The RICHEST of the POOR

I have been thinking about the term "the poorest of the poor". Many organizations use it to describe the people group they work with. I have used it a lot. But I think that sometimes the term "the RICHEST of the poor" is a better term.

When we first got here we knew God was "calling us" to the poor. We feel he asked us to go to the poor, specifically Tondo. This is where we believe He sent us. We began going there everyday and "the poor" who before were a mass people group on a leaflet, a story on the news and pictures on the internet became real to us. We began working with them. What I really mean by that is we began knowing them. We saw there lives. We listened to their stories. Over time we got to really know them and as we knew them- we loved them.
They are no longer just the poorest of the poor. They are our friends. Our Filipino family. We love them.
Among them we found that although poor- they were rich! Really rich!
Rich because when they should be hopeless- they had hope. I have watched our friends who live on the dump site go through desperate situations upon desperate situations. They should have given up, but  I have watched them overcome. I have watched them as they sang thanks to Jesus as tears rolled down their faces.
Rich because when everything is against them and they need to literally fight daily for survival- they smile. Often heavyhearted- sometime clinging to life, but also clinging to their joy.
Poor on earth. Rich in Christ.
Rich in love.

When I think of when we came I was so naive. I thought we were coming to help them. I thought we were coming to teach them something. I thought we were coming to minister Gods love to them. In actual fact what has happened on many occasions is they have loved us, helped us, ministered to us. We have learned and continue to learn so much from "the poor". I could sit down and write stories upon stories of how many individuals have taught us something. Something about loving God, loving others. Something about what it means to really worship. Something about what is really important. Something about sacrifice. Something about compassion. So many many somethings.....

I just feel so very privileged- not only to work with the richest of the poor, but to know them. I hope I could write in a way that would honour them. I hope maybe through the ramblings of my heart that you could learn something from the RICHEST OF THE POOR too.

Kikoys smile always makes me smile!