Interview with Dave O’Connor, director of Tahanan ng Panginoon
We conducted this interview in February, and Dave had somewhat recently recovered from tuberculosis.
The full name is “Tahanan ng Panginoon” which means “Home of the Lord
N: Hi Dave, how are you doing? How is your health?
D: Thanks, I caught tuberculosis and only recovered last September: I did not have severe symptoms but lost quite a bit of weight. But somebody told me that now I am an authentic Filipino.
N: We wanted to hear from you about your work with Tahanan. But let me first start by asking you: “What does an American Servant of the Word do in Manila?”
D: There are multiple reasons for my moving here. First my job as a teacher in Detroit had come to an end, so I was looking for a new service. Secondly something was stirring in me about going back overseas to serve among the poor again, like I did when I lived in the Philippines from 1996 to 2000. Finally, we thought my presence would bolster our house here.
Some of the groups are quite small, say 25-30 people, but we also have several with 200-300 members, and one with around 750 members. All in all, the membership of Tahanan is around 2500 strong.
N: So, explain to us what Tahanan is.
D: Tahanan is two things: a network of communities among the poor and a registered charitable foundation. First about the network: we have currently 16 Tahanan communities in some of the most economically depressed areas of the city. Some of the groups are quite small, say 25-30 people, but we also have several with 200-300 members, and one with around 750 members. All in all, the membership of Tahanan is around 2500 strong.
N: What does the name mean?
D: The full name is “Tahanan ng Panginoon” which means “Home of the Lord”. Our groups meet regularly for prayer meetings, teaching, small groups- in many ways a lot like our other Sword of the Spirit communities. And our members are very good at evangelizing, so Tahanan is growing.
We also put a lot of emphasis on working with the youth, including through a yearly youth festival attended by more than 600.
N: How should we envision your members? Are they homeless?
D: No, most of them live in rented homes, but these are typically very small, in very densely packed neighborhoods, and in run-down and depressed areas of the city. Some Tahanan members have regular jobs, but many are under-employed or working jobs that are uncertain from month to month. Fortunately, almost all their children attend school.
But as I said, Tahanan is also a charitable foundation running different programs. The most significant one is our Tahanan Educational Assistance Program or TEAP. We currently have 705 scholars enrolled who receive a monthly allowance that helps cover incidental school-related expenses. Three years ago, we also added a mentorship component to the program, so that today approximately half of our Scholars are matched with Mentors who meet with them on a regular basis.
N: Where do those volunteers come from?
D: They are almost exclusively from Ligaya, the local Sword of the Spirit community. Ligaya is a large community with close to 3,000 members divided into about 20 districts. Most districts have team members whose main service is with Tahanan.
But the community does not just provide volunteers; it also provides considerable financial resources for our work. And 90% of the volunteers working with us would say that their experience has been very positive: eye-opening, challenging and inspiring. Which is why our Ligaya community leaders would be keen on seeing more members volunteer in that fashion. In my view, Tahanan needs Ligaya, but Ligaya also needs Tahanan.
N: What has been your own experience working with the poor?
D: You have no idea how blessed I am because of serving alongside h them: I have encountered Christ in profound ways that I know I never would have otherwise. So many of our Tahanan members are inspiring in terms of their trust in God, determination and perseverance through all kinds of trials. They are generous and joyful in spite of their circumstances.
N: What does your staffing look like?
D: I am the director. We have a full-time administrator who solely handles the educational assistance program. And then another administrator for other matters.
N: That does not seem much!
Tell us a bit more about the activities of Tahanan
D: As I mentioned already, our members meet in small groups and hold prayer meetings on a regular basis. We also have all-day leadership training seminars twice a year to raise up new leaders. We also put a lot of emphasis on working with the youth, including through a yearly youth festival attended by more than 600. Finally, we work with singles: in fact, just next week we will have an overnight retreat for young professionals and recent graduates.
I forgot to mention we also employ a full-time youth worker who only comes into the office for business meetings.
…we should challenge them with the same call to discipleship as we ourselves have heard
N: How come there are not more Sword of Spirit communities who run a program such as Tahanan.
D: There are in fact a couple of other communities in the Philippines thinking of starting such a program. But I think for the following reasons this has not spread more. People, especially leaders, are intimidated by how much money and personnel it takes to establish something like Tahanan; and with all the other activities of a typical Sword of the Spirit community they are not sure they can shoulder this additional task. However, I am convinced that it would make those communities a world of good. As Mother Theresa used to say: “Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them”. And that is exactly my experience. Not only should we be ready to receive from the poor, but we should challenge them with the same call to discipleship as we ourselves have heard, so that they too have an opportunity to give, to love, and to grow.
N: In closing, tell us three things we can pray for.
D: Well first there is the work with the Young Professionals, which is still in its infancy. We think it is essential that we “complete the youth bridge” i.e. we offer something for every age group. Secondly there is the work with men: 70% of the people we attract are women. So, we have established a Men’s Leadership Council in the hope of redressing the balance through men’s activities and evangelism; and thirdly I would appreciate prayers for continued good health, since I am now in my mid-sixties; and in connection with that, please pray for us to identify my eventual successor. I will be 70 in 6 years’ time, so it is time to think beyond that.
N: Be assured of our prayers, and all the best. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
