By Jes Stovold

Prior to becoming involved with Manly-Manado, my action in response to the little I knew about poverty was limited to sponsoring a child and making irregular donations towards particular causes I felt worthy of my financial support. Both of these actions are valid responses; however neither of them had an effect on my life, apart from a slight change to my bank balance. The community partnership between Manly and Manado on the other hand has had a profound effect on my life.

Through Manly-Manado I have been able to engage with my own community in ways I never dreamed were possible. I have been involved with educating people about poverty through experiential activities. I have seen people become inspired to take action by using their skills and passions to raise awareness and funds. I have witnessed people from different walks of life come together and unite through participation in events and activities supporting causes beyond themselves.

I have ended up experiencing my own journey of transformation from my respective areas of poverty through the relational connections made through Manly-Manado. The richness I have gained in relational, spiritual and emotional connections are, as a famous credit card ad would say, ‘priceless’ and are far greater than any financial donation I could ever make.

One of the examples of change that has occurred in my life as a result of Manly-Manado is my experience and view of ‘church’. I have been going to church for most of my life and sometimes struggle with religious traditions, such as the existence of denominations. The early church, as described in the New Testament, was made up of groups of people who lived as followers of Christ (Christians) from a particular region, not from a particular denomination. Even though I still follow the accepted tradition of regularly attending one particular church on Sundays, Manly-Manado has enabled me to connect with other Christians in my community beyond the boundaries of a building or a denomination.

The opportunity to unite with people in my community, Manly, to work purposefully towards a goal of supporting and partnering with another community, Manado, cannot be compared with simply writing a cheque or making a donation to a charity – the result has been so much richer and beneficial for both myself and the poor.

A mosaic consists of thousands of little stones. When we bring our faces close to the mosaic, we can admire the beauty of each stone. But as we step back from it, we can see that all these little stones reveal to us a beautiful picture, telling a story none of these stones can tell by itself. That is what our life in community is about. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world. Community is where humility and glory touch.
Henri J. Nouwen ʻThe Mosaic that shows us the Face of Godʼ