Why so serious?

Looking at the faces of our volunteers in this photo, you might wonderful what sort of serious meeting this was.  This was the final chance for the residents to thank the volunteers for their one-month stay at Bahay Pag-asa Bacolod and to wish them well and invite them to come back again.  It's always difficult, because the volunteers don't realize how much they have grown to love these kids and how much the kids have developed an affection for them.  The boys with their faces down on their desks are crying because this good and promising month has come to an end.  We remind them that more volunteers will come and that these volunteers hope to see them again someday.  But each of the boys at Bahay Pag-asa knows that healthy and supportive family life is nothing to take for granted.  They mourn the loss of even the temporary family they form with us.  The volunteers are affected more deeply than they expected and they find it very difficult to leave.  If sadness were simply the end product here, then our presence is more trouble than good - but each volunteer returns home to find new ways to help and support these boys, and each of the residents learns to find family when and where they can and to trust that God will send more good people into their lives.