Yakap

A loving embrace is more powerful than the simple gift that precedes it

Wendell John C. Sanchez
University of the Philippines Diliman, BSME 5th yr.

In the wake of the pandemic surge, Ate Francine and I started reaching out to kids in our neighborhood in Malolos, Bulacan. We would help them with their modules and occasionally tell them Bible stories.

One day, Ate Francine gave them gifts.

Elena, one of the kids, asked: "What's inside, Ate?"

Ate Francine tried to avoid the question, but then Elena insisted, so Ate Francine told her: "It's a lamp."

As Elena opened the gift and read the enclosed letter, she burst into tears and the two of them embraced. The true gift of Ate Francine is her love, expressed through her heartfelt message and her warm embrace.