GIVING FROM THE HEART

"If you do it, what's the benefit for you?"

well, that is one common phrase that is kept saying by people around me, before I do something or decide something. But during the camp, I faced the fact that nobody said or even thought about that!

I remember when we visited Baduro, one woman suddenly came to me and Yuni. She is an Ambonese who married a Timorese man and had two daughters. When the conflicts in Ambon occurred, she and her family ran away to East Timor, but before she got a chance to see her family again in her hometown, East Timor had already proclaimed the independence of their land, so she couldn't get back. From the conversation, I could see how much she missed her family in her motherland. Poor her…..

At the end of the conversation, I was surprised, because suddenly she invited me and Yuni to have lunch in her house. We both just couldn'r refused, because it would make her disappointed. So we came to her house, and saw her cooked instant noodle with canned fish. If I see the condition of her house, I think the meal she cooked for us was quite luxorious, but she gave it to us……. It made me think…. We all are strangers for her, but she would to invite us and even served us lunch… that's amazing!

Nobody would do that in my hometown, because well, back to the "If I do it, what's the benefit for me?" -phrase…. Right? Anyway, I saw the happy face when we ate her meal A LOT… I felt like she found happiness in giving to others….

Well, I also found the happiness of giving thru the kids in Los Palos, they gave simple things to us like candies, fruits, a little something they found on the street (like stone, shell..), and not only things, but also helpful hands….

Anyway, seeing the kids, giving with their heart, really showered my heart with joy. Well, may be if I give something to others, I should do it from the heart, so the people who receive will feel the joy too.

That's why I always love to teach the kids in the peace camp, because in there I can practice ' giving from the heart', I could give skills and abilities to them……. And you know what? At the same time, I also felt happy to see them receive what I give.

conclusion: Giving with heart, will give us happiness ^^