In April 2016, three Daughters of St. Paul conducted a mission in Concepcion-Sibale, one of the smallest islands of Romblon, situated in the middle of the Philippine archipelago. With them were an SSP vocation promoter, a nurse-volunteer and a Pauline collaborator.
In coordination with the pastor of Immaculate Concepcion parish, the team organized an initiative entitled Art and Reading Activity for God’s Little Artists–a reach-out and distribution activity intended for children of very poor and calamity-stricken places.
The purpose of the initiative was to help the children express themselves and at the same time learn in an enjoyable and creative way about God, our faith, and different stories and characters in the Bible. The FSPs brought with them sets of God’s Little Artists bags containing art materials and Paulines coloring and storybooks, which were distributed to the children gratis through the help of generous sponsors and donors.
The program of activities included storytelling, followed by an art class in which the children drew the things they want to thank God for. Most of them drew houses, fish and/or people fishing, crops, trees, a church and their parents, showing their gratitude for the houses that had replaced the destroyed ones; for the crops and trees that are starting to grow, and for the Church that gives them refuge during typhoons. It was priceless to see the happy expressions and excitement on the faces of the children over their “masterpieces.”
During their time in the parish, the members of the apostolic team was able to organize four activity sessions with total of 252 children, all of whom participated in the initiative with great enthusiasm.