A25 - RE Outreach Photos

RE Outreach Photography Portfolio

Documented by RE 4 Class - A25

Photos taken by Ashlei Joie Rafols

Captions by Nicole Villavecer

     They are just a picture of a simple family – their calloused hands tell that they have gone to countless battles in life, their smiles speak of serenity, and their rugged clothes suggest contentment. Yet, their seemingly tired eyes bear something unforgettable, something heart-provoking and something deep. A family of five, the Pines family own the eyes that tell a simple story that, unbeknownst to them, could provoke an extraordinary feeling to people of all kinds, and that is Love.

       Living in a roofless shanty near the river, it is hard for both Romeo Pines, 38, and his wife Dolly, 33, to live a quiet life whenever the rain pours, for only a thin, white plastic about six meters squared in size gives them refuge. But the children – Mary Rose (5), Romeo, Jr. (3), and Mary Joy (1) – seem not to mind at all as long as they have their parents.  Yet, the helpless little children and the roofless shanty where they live in make us aware that there is a longing for a gift of happiness in their hearts, and that is what we gave them.

     True, they are deprived of the world’s riches, but Romeo and Dolly are contented in their lives. What makes them hold on to life is the strength that they receive from God and their three children, and the idea that no matter how less privileged they are, they still have love for each other. Being a trisikad driver and a part-time construction worker, Romeo earns only enough to sustain his family’s needs. Dolly, on the other hand, helps him out by doing the laundry of some of their neighbors, getting P150-200 per service in return.

      It is ironic that God gave mankind the vast lands and oceans freely, yet the Pines family still pays for the land where they live in for P50 per month. They have been living there for ten years; the couple are married for seven years, but never did the poverty that they are experiencing brought them to separation. Because it is what love that binds them all.

     “Nalipay guid ko nga sa kadamo pa sang parehos sa amon sitwasyon, kami nga pamilya ang napili-an niyo (referring to us), kag mabunyagan na guid man ang akon mga anak,” Dolly says; her almost toothless smile cannot hide the blissful dimension of the moment.

     Romeo and the little children speak less, yet deep inside, we know we have made them happy. The early Christmas gift that we have shared to them do not come only in material things, but in the gift of love, happiness, and friendship. Their seemingly tired eyes and smiles that bear something deep when we first saw them now bear something ecstatic, however silent. 

      “Salamat guid sa inyo ha,” Dolly says while she holds little Mary Joy as they prepare to go back to their home. As they waved goodbye, we knew we have touched their lives and gave them a part of us, and that is charity. In that moment, we knew that God is smiling in the heavens.

             

A Daughter's Touch

 

His fate might be a distant cry from that of a king, but Romeo Pines, 38, 

has one thing that keeps him from fighting in life's everyday battle: love. 

His family is his kingdom, and a simple touch from any of them 

reminds him that he has always been loved and cared. 

Here, what makes him a king is the touch of his little Mary Joy - 

his daughter, his princess.

A Roofless Shanty

The hard rain and the scorching sun are 

but enemies to a roofless, small shanty by the river. 

But for Manong Romeo, it is better to live in a house without roof 

than to live in a home without love. 

To The Christian World

Her children have no idea of the transformation that is about to happen to them, 

but Dolly Pines' face bear much enthusiasm as they arrived 

in the University gymnasium, because her children will at last 

be part of the Christian world.

The Soul's Windows

 

The eyes, they say, are the windows to the soul, and these children - 

Mary Rose (5), Romeo, Jr. (3), and Mary Joy (1) - bear the eyes

that speak of innocence, hope, and love. 

Little did they know that in less than an hour, 

a change will happen - more like of a transformation - 

from being mere mortals to being children of God.  

Enlightenment

In times when the world makes us bone-tired of our lives and shuts us 

in the darkest corner, Someone in the heavens enlightens us 

with His selfless and unfathomable love. 

That love is our light. That man is Jesus Christ.

A Father's Embrace

What lights the world is a child's smile. But in little Romeo's case, 

he needs not smile, for his gentle and sound slumber in the warmth 

of his father's embrace is enough to convey a strong message to the world:

a father's love to his child, as what God has also shown to each of us.

Shared Happiness

Not only are the three little children loved by their parents, 

but also by people they may consider strangers. For these children, 

the memory of those "strangers" may deteriorate, but never 

the story of love and happiness that was shared to them.

Meal of Love

 

An ordinary meal nourishes the stomach, 

but a meal prepared out of charity nourishes both the heart and the soul. 

Mary Rose, now a Christian, not only enjoys the blessing of happiness, 

but also the blessing of food that is shared to her family.

A Brotherly Love

There's no greater gift in life than sharing one's love and being loved in return. 

Young Romeo and his younger sister Mary Joy depict a gift of love 

among siblings, a strong bond that ties them no matter how young 

and less privileged they are in their lives.

Almost Toothless Smile

She barely has teeth when she smiles, but Dolly Pines, 33, 

cannot hide the feeling that she's in cloud nine after her three children 

were given the gift of Christianity, love, and friendship.