Gawad Kalinga has once again pushed the limits of the unthinkable as it embraces the radical undertaking of Service to God, Country, and the Poor. As if turning 1,700 slums into 1,700 GK Village Communities was not enough, GK has set an example of creating peace among enemies. By inspiring groups who were once rivals to work together to raise the Philippines into the first world Nation it is meant to be, GK has found a way to create peace where there was once war. We started with neighbors working together in villages to build each others' homes. It moved to college fraternities putting down their personal feuds and working together to raise villages. It seemingly topped off once wealthy filipinos, foreigners, and government officials began putting down their own agendas and began working to raise hundreds of GK Villages. But God was not done. Through the work of GK, God is working to create peace between Muslims and Christians in the Southern Islands of the Philippines.
In April 2009, GK will be hosting their Bayani Challenge on the Island of Sulu as it continues to break cultural norms. As GK will bring hundreds of teams to Sulu for 5 days of home building, community building, peace building, and bayani building, GK is showing that peace can made once people let go of their desire to change people and focus on their desire to serve people. In this service, people will change.
I invite you here to share your thoughts, questions, stories, excitement as we begin to form teams from the US to return to the Philippines for the GK Bayani Challenge 2009. Our Goal is for one team of 5 people from every state to show that we are united in our push for peace in this world. Join me now as begin this quest to serve the least of our brethren. God bless!
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Amen! We are truly priviledged to serve Jesus in the poorest of the poor! Last week I called my brother who is the PI and invited him to join us for next year as none from my family have seen a GK sites except from the videos. When he asked where it is and I told him whether in Sulu, Zamboanga, or Basilan, at first he wouldn't take it seriously and eventually said no way.haha..couldn't blame him but I'd continue to pray for him. We can surely invite people from the Phil. for the Bayani Challenge right?
I just actually moved here in States four years ago for employment but I was born and raised somewhere down the Highway Of Hope - in my beloved town Kiamba, Sarangani- a coastal area,it's way down south. (and an hour drive from General Santos City)But I've stayed in Manila from my college time onwards. So everytime I go home (Kiamba) I'm paining inside seeing my beloved town's woundedness:the compromised morality due to poverty and realized how family relationships were strickened as well.Ah, I've witnessed how the devil succeeded on that! But our Lord is kind and merciful!
I've heard and seen GK through Singles For Christ last 2003 in Lower Antipolo, we visit Prayer Mountain as our site and I looked at it as an answered prayer for my town. Although the living condition of the poorest of the poor in my town is not as bad compared to the slum areas in Manila so I thought my town has to wait.haha..
We are "The New Faithful" by Colleen Carroll gave me a great affirmation to what we are doing. She's addressing it mainly to the young american adults but i think she's hitting not just the Americans. Yes, let's continue to draw strength from the Source of Everything!Let's continue being Contemplative in Action by God's grace!
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