Time’s Running Out: The One Day Preparation

By: Dolrich Sarreal

On March 27, 2014, a day before our month long community exposure in Barangay Lower Sto Niño, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur. That day, we had our last day of our 3 day orientation seminar to equip ourselves before our exposure with doctors Elgie Gregorio, John Paul Cuevas, and Afdal Kunting. The orientation has finished almost evening, little time to prepare for the big day. With such few hours given before the closing of malls, we’ve crammed of purchasing goods from one mall to the other. Everyone was really excited, some has finished packing their luggage, some were almost done and most has just started packing their things up. It seems that much has to be done and we’re running out of time, from preparing and packing things from toiletries, personal things, and other necessities. As if the comforts of home were crammed in a small luggage.

Aside from that, we’ve need to prepare ourselves for the uncertain future that lies ahead of us, preparing ourselves physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Life can never be easy there; we will be leaving the comforts of our home, our family and friends. Many challenges will rise, from simple to complex ones, from cooking and laundry problems to interpersonal quarrels. Little we knew about we were going to, we knew nothing about the place we are going to be assigned and the people within it. We will be strangers for the first time, setting foot on the lands of Barangay Lower Sto. Niño. But one thing for sure, we tried to adapt to any circumstances that will come to us. Despite all of this, we accepted this challenge, continued moving forward, and made it a meaningful one.

The big day awaited us, indulged ourselves with a night long sleep and the warmth of our beds. On the dawn of March 28, 2014 at 5.A.M, all things were set and the bus has set its wheels to the land that awaited us. The month long journey begun.

#one