One of the group Bible studies I’ve been able to be a part of has been with a group of college students. Most of the students here are so involved and focused on studies that they don’t really have the free time to do the things that most American students can. They are the city scholars and future leaders. Since jobs are so difficult to find here, it’s a long shot for a student to get a part time job, so many of them live on a minimal budget. Despite this, the students still find a way to make it enjoyable, and I have just loved spending my time with them.
One of the relationships that I have been building over the last couple of weeks has been with a boy named Danilo. The first time I met him was at a lunch with a group of students. I recognized his face, but he stayed mostly in the background and kept pretty quiet. Most Filipinos remain pretty shy around foreigners, so I was beginning to get used to it. Towards the end of lunch, Danilo came to sit by me and just ask me about life. Since then, our conversations have been brief, but there was always something about him that just told me I needed to hear his story and invest in his life.
I got this opportunity this week when I pulled up a chair beside him at the Bible study and just started asking questions. It wasn’t long before he was outlining the course of his life for me. I found out that Danilo and his sister were abandoned at a young age by their mother. This tends to happen a lot to the children here, especially when girls get pregnant young and can’t afford the kids they have. It wasn’t long before his father moved on as well and started his own family. Before the age of 2, Danilo and his sister were shipped off to live and be raised by their grandparents.
It was a blessing to hear how God has worked in the life of this young man, but it was hard to hear his story. One time he just looked at me and said, “It’s hard because I have never known the love of a mother or father. But I’m blessed because I have been loved and cared for despite not having typical parents.” He went on to tell me that his life has helped him understand and appreciate the love of God so much more. While going through what he has gone through has produced a lot of emotional baggage and scars, it is ultimately what has led him to know and understand the love of a heavenly Father.
Now, Danilo has a heart to share his story and the love of God through music as well as helping those around him. He told me how there are dozens of malnourished kids in his area that he tries to encourage and help as best he can. While these kids aren’t able to get an education, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be encouraged by big brothers like Danilo. As I heard about Danilo’s life, it broke my heart to hear how both of his parents have moved on to other families and he and his sister are caught in the middle. But it was such a blessing that despite that, he chooses to praise the Lord and live his life for God. I love to encourage students like him, because he’s headed in the right direction. My prayer is that he will truly be a “man after God’s own heart”.
