In a remote Thai village where roads fade into rice fields, Filipino student leaders discovered that the loudest call to serve comes in silence.
Far from the hustle and bustle of city life, they discovered a profound experience that transcended their initial expectations of leadership exposure.
Through quiet acts of faith, love, and service, these students encountered God’s love in its simplest form—turning their journey into a pilgrimage that blossomed into a sacred experience of presence, transformation, and grace.
“This is not just a school or a village—it’s a living testimony of what God’s love can build,” shared Haley Roxas, president of the Student Council of Assumption Antipolo (SCAA) in Metro Manila.
“This mission doesn’t shout. It whispers. And yet it moves you deeply. In a place where there’s little, there’s so much love,” Roxas added.
From June 10 to 12, Roxas and six other student council officers, together with three teacher chaperones, traveled across seas and borders to visit St. John’s School in Thabom—a mission school managed and sustained by the Religious of the Assumption Sisters with lay collaborators.
Tucked away from major highways, rarely appearing on any map, and nestled near the border with Laos, the school serves as a beacon of hope for underprivileged youth from more than 50 surrounding villages.
Roxas and her fellow student leaders spent three full days immersed in the daily life and rhythm of Thabom. They were welcomed not with fanfare, but with profound warmth and quiet joy, witnessing a way of life that, while materially simple, was rich in human dignity, resilience, and unwavering faith.
“Heaven isn’t a place,” Roxas added, her voice resonating with newfound understanding. “It’s where God’s work is done—and here, it’s being done in every lesson, every meal shared, every child’s dream slowly taking shape.”
For 23 years, the Assumption Sisters, hailing from both the Philippines and Vietnam, have lived among the villagers of Thabom. Guided by the charism of their foundress, St. Marie Eugénie, they offer more than just education and formation; they provide a nurturing, maternal presence.
They haven’t just built classrooms—they’ve cultivated character, fostered community, and ignited transformative education: a quiet revolution powered by love.
Upon arrival, many of the Filipino students admitted to feeling a whisper of uncertainty. “Is this all there is?” But by the end of the immersive experience, the answer was resoundingly clear: there was so much more.
Guided by the words, “Walk slowly,” the student leaders began to understand that walking slowly allows them to observe more and see deeper. They learned to be present—joining prayers, playing games, sharing meals, and simply observing life at its own rhythm.
Describing the experience as “a journey home to something real and enduring,” Kayla Rolle, SCAA vice president, who was initially surprised by the sheer simplicity of the place, soon found herself disarmed by the genuine warmth of the people. “They had so little, yet gave so much—their time, their laughter, their attention. They treated us like VIPs, but they were the ones who gave us the priceless gift of their hearts.”
Leila Uy, Grade 8 representative, was also deeply touched by how happy and content the people were despite living simple lives. “I called my parents and told them that I would never look at city life the same way again because of this experience,” she said.
For Yani Leung, SCAA secretary, the most profound lesson was in leadership through love. “Even the younger students took ownership of their spaces. You could feel that the school was built with care—from the soil up,” she observed. “Richness isn’t in possessions, it’s in presence. Even in its quietness—or maybe because of it—Thabom changed something in me.”
Echoing the same sentiment with deep conviction, Iya del Rosario, assistant PRO, remarked, “What changed me most wasn’t the place, but the people. Their quiet commitment was like seeing the Gospel walk on earth. Thabom is a beautiful blessing. Every corner holds God’s whisper.”
From sweeping the grounds to sharing meals with students, the immersion became a powerful classroom for servant-leadership. Gab Ecijan, Grade 11 representative, found new insight in the slow, intentional rhythm of life. “Leadership is built in steady love, not speed. They turned what seemed like nothing into everything—just by working toward a shared dream.”
For Julia Quitain, Grade 9 representative, the mission mirrored God’s love in the ordinary. “Faith here is passed on not just through words, but through presence—through the way people greet you, serve you, walk with you. They didn’t need lessons on leadership—they were already living it.”
One simple moment resonated deeply with many: a young student offering her last pack of snacks to a visitor. It wasn’t a dramatic gesture, but it was profoundly generous—revealing a community that gives not from excess, but from the very core of their hearts.
Accompanying the students were dedicated teacher chaperones who witnessed this remarkable transformation firsthand.
Odette Abarquez, Director for Academic Affairs, reflected: “This experience has shaped our students into more grounded and compassionate leaders who now walk more slowly—with eyes that see and hearts that feel more deeply.”
“It’s amazing to see how much bigger their hearts have grown,” said Tricia Rivera, student council moderator. She noted, “We’ve learned so much from how our students embraced, literally and figuratively, the village of Thabom.”
James Alonzo, fellow student council moderator, added: “Our students have been living out the value of simplicity from the moment they stepped onto the green grass of Thabom. Even walking slowly became a sacred act. Simplicity here has many layers.”
Throughout their visit, the Filipino students met the Assumption Sisters—spiritual mothers, mentors, and missionaries. They listened to the stories of students, most of whom are Buddhist, who rise before dawn to reach the school. They prayed in spaces without a dedicated chapel, finding sacredness not in grand architecture, but in hearts open to God.
The Thabom mission unveiled a different, perhaps deeper, face of the Church—one that listens before speaking, serves before leading, and finds Christ not in ornate temples but in rice fields, narrow roads, and within humble homes.
As Haley Roxas shared on their final day: “Thabom showed us that mission is not always about doing. Sometimes, it’s just about being. Being present. Being willing. Being love.”
Thabom may remain a small village unmarked on maps, but it has become a living memory in the hearts of these young leaders from the Philippines.
It is a mission that whispers—not in noise, but in presence. It reminds them that God is not always found in the spectacular, but often in the hidden and the humble.
It is a place where the words of a simple welcome still echo: “If you let your heart be touched, Thabom will leave a mark on you that will never fade.”
And perhaps, in its purest form, that is what mission truly is: a mark of grace left on the soul.
