Partnership in Patrocenio

These days Mang Mario and Bebs Bellosa understand more fully a word used often where they live on the Philippine island of Mindanao. Bayanihan (bye-ah-`nee-hahn) describes their connection to other farmers in their cooperative in Patrocenio, the rural community they call home. Bayanihan describes the link the Bellosas have with the nongovernmental organization that assists them with their cooperative. And Mang Mario and his wife, Bebs, experience bayanihan with you and me.

Bayanihan means partnership. It's what happens when we in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America give gifts to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal or directly to Lutheran World Relief. When LWR funds organizations that work with people such as Mang Mario and Bebs, we are connected with our sisters and brothers across the world. Their stories are part of our story.