NEWS FROM SALESIAN SISTERS IN TOUL KORK. Phnom Penh
It is an Encounter with Christ and our poor
brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis
It all began in 2006 with one man and
one vision: to share Christ’s love with the poor during the Advent Season.
Little did Dr. John Lee and his family know that what began as a handful of
volunteers would eventually grow into a flourishing organization.
ACTS
stands for A Call to Share. It
began at Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Singapore and is now comprised of
over 300 volunteers . The volunteers come from various backgrounds. Some are doctors, some are teachers and
others work in finance. Some are teenagers; some are grandparents. They all
have something special to offer, whether it’s giving vaccinations, teaching
English, getting ready for job, power
points, Bookkeeping, painting murals or singing and dancing with the children. Not
only did the volunteers teach, but they also contribute towards the
construction of a secondary new school for the Salesian Sisters in Teuk Thla.
The teachers who accompany the Volunteers in their self-giving service, acknowledge that they, too, are on the receiving side since they learn much from their untiring and continuous attention to the young, their eagerness to transmit values and skills with an active, involving and attractive methodology, their kindness and respectful way of dealing even with the smallest child.
Many ACTS volunteers said they wished they
could only help more, that one week was not enough. But the effect they have on
these communities lasts much longer than that. Whether it’s the elderly woman
who received much- needed medication or the family who received a bag of rice, the
Singaporeans are changing lives.
This event has been for the volunteers, most of them strong believers, what Pope Francis said at the beginning of Advent: An experience that “Christmas is not only a celebration but an encounter , and encounter with Christ and our poor brothers and sisters.”
We are filled with admiration at their enterprise and with
joy for their presence. We are thankful for all the love and care their
response to “A call to share” left behind. We ask God to bless them and their families
and we await their arrival next Christmas.