Amadi Nathania, student in SS 3D at St. Francis Catholic Secondary School Idimu, Lagos in Nigeria shares a reflection after participating in the Service Programme.

As a student of St. Francis, one event that I have been looking forward to is the Service Program that SS2 students partake in at the end of each academic year. The whole purpose of the program is to find God in helping people in places such as orphanages, destitute homes, old people homes and so on.

Although the program this year was tweaked a little due to the global pandemic, the purpose was not lost. During my trip to the orphanage on the first week, I worried I will not  like the place, but as I got there, seeing the children’s smile made me happy, made me grateful to God for life, but also it made me more appreciative towards life. Seeing how the children were happy with their lives, even without their parents, made me grateful for my family, for my life, for everything, I felt a lot of gratitude to God at that moment.

The second week of the program had me posted to clean the Botanical Garden at the back of Cusimano and Olorunfunmi Block respectively. While doing this, I admired nature; the plants, trees, insects, even as little as the moss growing on some pipes, from the intricate details of the moss plant to the big fronds of the coconut tree. As I looked, I wondered, if God could create such things so little but beautiful and care for them everyday, how much more does he care for me? I realized how great God’s creation is and will ever be, and it assured me of God’s immense and total love for all of creation. This realization got me emotional.

The last week of the program came, and I found myself in the Clean- Up Campaign group. Our job was to clean the gutters around one half of the school surroundings. To be very honest, when I found out, I was angry, why would I be cleaning the gutters all in the name of “Service Program”, but I had no other choice than to partake in it.

As we cleaned the gutters, we sang, which helped ease the stressful nature of the task. Since it was beside the road, the residents of the street thanked us and blessed us. That made me feel proud of myself, the spirit of Magis in Love and Service burned immensely in my heart at that moment. I felt very charitable, willing to help anyone I see in need, and that flame has extended to my daily life.

In general, the Program made me a better person, the best version of myself; the charitable, caring, grateful, hardworking version of myself. All activities were done for the greater glory of God.