Bound for Unbound, Denver to Manila

The Beginning: This is Zenaida. I first met Zenaida nearly 10 years ago when the Unbound organization (then CFCA) came to my family’s church asking for people to consider sponsoring children and/or aging persons in poorer areas of the world while bringing the missionary work of the Catholic Church to their local communities.  The organization had dozens of pictures of adorable happy children waiting to be adopted, which they were immediately! But it was at the far end of the table where one photo was left untouched that I first caught a glimpse of the gentlest face & most hopeful smile that I had ever seen in a woman. It wasn’t a picture of an adorable little girl, it was that of a faithful senior woman living outside of Manila, Philippines, needing God’s grace later in life. I was looking at a photo of Zenaida; and I knew God had called our family to be her sponsor.
 
The Relationship:  Over the past decade my parents & I have sponsored Zenaida financially and supported her emotionally & spiritually through cards, gifts, thoughts, and prayers. We have grown to know & love Zenaida as she has invited us into her family, and in return we have invited her into ours. We’ve been witness to wonderful events in her life, like the birth & growth of grandchildren! She’s shared with us aspects of her faith, her community involvement, her Church activities, and of course details about her family, home, and culture. We too have been able to include her in the news of our own lives, such as family events like my two nephews’ births & their growth. We’ve shared our own stories of Easter & Christmas celebrations, family vacations, Denver happenings, and even simple things like the local weather. These past ten years getting to know, love, & care deeply for Zenaida have been the most rewarding long-term service engagement that God has ever called me to take on. I have never looked back & wondered if I should have chosen any other photo on that table. For me, it is as if Zenaida’s picture was always the only one there!
 
The Journey: Just a few weeks ago, as I was sorting through my daily barrage of incoming emails, there was one that came through from Unbound which at first glance looked a little different than the normal newsletter. Indeed, it wasn’t the newsletter. Rather, it was an invitation to an Awareness Trip that Unbound was organizing to the Philippines, for Sponsors & others, to visit the Unbound community, experience first-hand the great work being down within the Philippine Church, & above all else get the opportunity to meet with one’s sponsored friend. I don’t think I even breathed the entire time I was reading the email. In fact, I didn’t even give it a second glance; I was already texting my parents, telling them that I WAS going. I could tell that they knew it too, this was an opportunity that God had presented, both to me & to Zenaida. And at this point, the rest was up to me!

The Ask: I can’t wait to meet Zenaida! I truly can’t wait to learn all I can from her faith, her hope, her spirit, her own life journey. The wisdom I can gleam from her is unimaginable. But I need to get to Zenaida first; and I need help to get to her. The beautiful thing about hope is that it provides us the strength to fill in the gaps, in between where God instills the grace & the Holy Spirit the gifts. I am so hopeful that I can make this journey to Zenaida & I am even more hopeful that I won’t need to do it alone. God gives us family, friends, & our community specifically so that we can do wonderful spiritual things together! I really want to meet Zenaida in person & bridge the gap in between our worlds; so I am humbly asking my family, friends & community to help me make this journey. The money that I raise over the next 2 months will cover the cost of the trip organized by Unbound (housing, meals, & transportation), as well as the plane ticket there & back. That’s it. And every dollar that I raise will make such a big difference in reaching my goal, even the smallest of gifts! I know that I will be amazed & touched by the generosity out there & I know Zenaida will be too. Most of all, I can use your prayers! Please pray for me, for a safe journey, and for Zenaida’s well-being always. The power of prayer is the force behind all hope!

There are so many beautiful, uplifting, & heartwarming stories of young children who sponsors come to visit them; I want to be the one who lets Zenaida know that in God’s eyes & in my family’s, she is a priority as well!

With all my heart, gratitude, & sincerity, I thank you! Abby

Unbound Organization