The Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group (ASEZ WAO) members carried out a beach cleanup at Cancabato Bay in Tacloban, Philippines. The wet sand was soggy like a mudflat, and we had no tools—no gloves, no tongs. I was taken aback at the thought of cleaning with bare hands.
“Will my shoes be okay? I might even ruin my pants,” I thought.
Resigned to the situation, I stepped onto the beach. The moment I picked up some trash, I felt the damp, slimy texture and was hit by a foul smell, making me grimace. But when I looked around, the expressions on the other members’ faces were bright and cheerful. With smiles on their faces, they waded fearlessly into the water to retrieve trash. Compared with their spirit, I felt ashamed. Seeing them devote themselves so wholeheartedly to the cleanup helped me pull myself together and start picking up trash with sincerity.
A fishing net buried deep in the sand proved difficult to remove. Soon, several members gathered and worked together to pull it out. Even without tools, we were able to extract the net through teamwork.
Later, I learned that various institutions had recognized the volunteer work of the members in Tacloban to such an extent that one entire wall of the church was filled with certificates of appreciation. Realizing how devoted they had been to serving the community deeply moved me. The passionate members in Tacloban showed me what it means to embody a truly noble spirit of volunteerism.
