One of my most cherished memories from the trip to Mindanao was our visit with Father Bert to Barangay Nalapan. We spent a few hours and visited a Tri-People community, which is a village that Muslims, Christians, and Indigenous People share. We were told that “universal values” such as mercy, compassion, and love were the glue that binds the community, in a place which, at times saw violent conflict. We heard that biases about the “other” had to be transcended for the sake of peace.
Drawing pictures with the kids in Nalapan
We were welcomed warmly by the people in this village, as people were coming out of their homes to see us and answer our questions. They provided us a snack of boiled plantains, which were surprisingly refreshing! We also were also given a tour of the village, where we were followed by dozens of giggling children.
During this visit, some of us had the opportunity to sit down with some children and casually talk about their life in the village. The kids spoke English fairly well and were eager to practice. They write their names and a couple other phrases in my notebook (see picture below), which is something that makes me smile every time I open to that page. We laughed and used hand signals when our common language failed us, both of enjoying the short time we had together.
