Meeting Mary Joy

There’s something special (and slightly surreal) about meeting the girl who has only been a photo on your fridge, and with whom you’ve exchanged words and prayers only through letters. 

Louise meets Mary Joy’s family and their house. Photo: Louise Haines / Tearfund 

I recently had the privilege of meeting Mary Joy, who lives in a remote part of the Philippines. Driving along the windy, rural Filipino roads, I was filled with excitement and nerves at the day ahead—how would she react to seeing me? How would I react to seeing her? How would we go with the language and cultural barriers? 

After a couple of hours, I arrived at the local church and was warmly welcomed by the Project Director, Pastor and many curious children. The Director let me know I was only the second sponsor who’d come out to meet their sponsored child at this project.  

I was ushered inside the busy church office (as it was medical checkup day at the project for the children) and then introduced to Mary Joy and her mum. They were both incredibly shy—I think I was one of the first non-Filipinos they ever met!  

They tentatively shook my hand and started telling me about their life and what Mary Joy likes to do at the Compassion project. Her dad also met us at the church, and they gave me a tour of their home and community.  

They live rurally so many, including Mary Joy’s dad, are farmers doing their best to live off the land in a climate which is often affected by storms and cyclones. Their resilience was evident.  

It was pure joy to meet Mary Joy, her family, her Pastor and her local Compassion teachers and caseworkers. Their hearts for God and their community really inspired me to think deeply about the impact I could make in my own everyday life as well. 

Mary Joy and her mum pose for a photo with Louise at the local mall. Photo: Louise Haines / Tearfund

Mary Joy was incredibly shy for most of our time together, but the day impacted us both deeply. We did a lot of what I would consider “normal New Zealand things”—had takeaways for lunch, drove an hour to the nearest town, went to the mall and did some grocery shopping.  

Yet this wasn’t normal for Mary Joy and her mum. They’d never been able to travel that far from home or been to a mall (the escalator gave them quite a fright!) and had never put things in a trolley without worrying about what it’d cost. 

One of the gifts I gave Mary Joy was a soft toy kiwi; she didn’t let it go the whole day we were together! The Compassion staff kept telling me this was a once-in-a-lifetime day she’d remember forever. I know I will too.  

I was deeply moved as I thought about this day. Yes, sponsorship and visiting Mary Joy was a sacrifice, however, in the big scheme of my life, it’s a relatively small thing. The teaching of Jesus when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) came alive to me in a new way that day. 

After my visit, I am even more convinced that sponsorship is about the one— getting to know and encourage one child who is made in the image of God and loved so deeply by him. In turn, I’ve been encouraged in my faith and feel so blessed that our stories are connected in this way. 

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