TELL US, PLEASE TELL US

Hnasmdro
septiembre 6, 2021
MDR Experiences
0
406

The overstaying pandemic is still with us for more than a year, it has affected rapidly our day-to-day life… Waking up each day in this ambiance of quarantine and lockdown days come along uncertainties and several questions keep coming into our minds and hearts:

Where have all those dormers gone, that they left all rooms empty?
Where are all those smiles from their innocent faces?
Where are all their greetings and good gestures as we meet along the hallways?
Where are all their rushing up and down the stairways?
Where are all those opening and closing of the main door as they come and go to each of their universities?
Where are those stressful nights which requires waiting for some of them as the curfew time has passed?
Where are all those nights staying with them as they are studying up to the wee hour of the night?
Where are all those extra cares given to them when they are sick and sometimes, we even have to rush them to the hospital in the middle of the night?
Where are all those days when they come to us with their petty problems which for them were big as the ocean?
Where are all those trying and hard times when we have to give them some corrections?
Where are all those times when they come knocking at the office for their monthly payment or inability to pay for their stay?
Where are all those lively talks, laughters and conversations heard along the hallways?
Where are all their friends coming along with them for group study and working together for their projects?
Where are all those nights of anxiety as the phone rings and one of them stranded on a flooded area with no available ride?
Where are all those Eucharistic Celebrations and devotional prayer time for the rosary with them?
Where are all those festive celebrations of Feast days and Christmas?
Where has been those inter-dormitory activities coupled with those lively encounters and meetings with heads of different Dormitory?
Where are all those days when their parents come over and tell us how grateful they truly are for taking care of their daughter?
Where have been those days where our hopes and clamors are expressed in prayers to sustain us with this ministry for our young?
Where have gone all those moments where each encounter with girls promotes our patience and enhances our skill of listening?
Where then, those days that the Good News is personified in our being with them, when they tell us, we made them feel loved and cared even far from home?

Seemingly, all these are gone… but our hope remains. What comes sure and is left with us now are rather alarming:

a huge building with no dormers and no income at all.
a dormitory with no life at all.
series of monthly bill to be paid in time.
building maintenance: cleaning and checking areas in need of repair.
a staff left behind to help us around.
several doubts and sorrows in our hearts thinking when will dormers be here again…

Our only hope lies if everything will be re-instated, a presential audience on a face-to-face learning for our old and new dormers to be with us again.

Everything in our world today has changed. In varied expressions for prevention of contamination, we are being cut-off from moving out of the house, remain in isolation from one another, confinements, distancing, and other protocols. Nevertheless, we thank God we have been vaccinated yet; it seems things are a bit in control.

Human as we are, our doubts tell us that this alarming spread of Covid virus has not ended, on top of this, people are already tired.

But our strong and solid FAITH tells us that God is present everywhere and is in total control of everything. He strengthens and gives us HOPE and COURAGE. With this we bring our worries and difficult times to God who strengthens us and assures us of His Presence among us and we continue living a joyful and grateful life. We are constantly reminded by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 40:10 “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will give you strength, I will bring you help, I will uphold you”…

Sisters Concepcion Santiago and Josefina Lasola

Santa Rosa de Lima Ladies Residence – Manila – The Philippines