Miata's Choice

Sometimes, you have an experience that changes the way you see everything, and you replay it in your mind to remember what it felt like.

A few weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to join the Miata Club of the Philippines on a run to a province in Cavite. As the oldest single-model car club in the Philippines, and one of the largest chapters of the Miata Club in Asia, it was certainly an honor to be invited and be able to document one of their runs.

Typically, car clubs organize runs on Sunday to drive and enjoy their babies on quiet roads, and have breakfast or coffee in a location with a nice view. So I was ready to take photos of cars parked up against some trees in the background, or perhaps a view of Taal Lake. Imagine my surprise when, instead, Miata club president Marc de Joya tells me that we’re heading to a Non-Government Organization called Chosen Children Village, that takes in children with Cerebral Palsy.

The idea of a run that is aimed at providing support for a charity piqued my interest, so my “yes” was more immediate than normal, and by the crack of dawn I was out of bed and getting ready to meet the rest of the club at a certain fuel station in the Magallanes area. Upon arrival, my friend Mark and I wondered why there were no Miatas to be found, but soon after we arrived the first few cars started arriving, and by 8am, all ten vehicles – mine included – had assembled and were ready to go. After a short briefing from Marc, we mounted up and headed out.

As we arrived, the plethora of sports cars was met at the gate by some of the children and their guardians, who were amazed to see the sleek, curvaceous bodies of the sports cars pouring into their parking lot. There would be time for gawking, it seemed, as the first order of business was Sunday Mass. Part of me wondered why it was part of the itinerary – if perhaps it was a special request by Marc and his wife Joy de Joya, or if this was a regular Mass the organization holds every Sunday. As we toured the facilities of the Chosen Children Village, we were blessed to see all the skills the children learn to be more independent.

Some members of the group went to join the children feed some of the farm animals the organization had on the property, and others helped the children design and paint canvas grocery bags that the children can sell. While this was happening, Marc and some other members of the club had started unloading a sizeable donation in the form of some essentials and a small financial donation.

It soon became clear that what might seem innocuous to an outsider like me was of huge importance to not only the residents, but also to Marc, Joy, and their children who joined us later. Their desire to help, in any way they could, spoke volumes of their values – values which they shared with the rest of the Miata Club: an appreciation for the gift of good health, as well as the gift of fortune from a Higher being, and at the same time a personal challenge to spread a message of love, appreciation, grace, and zeal for life.

I went home that day feeling like I had helped put out some good into the world, but I think the children at the Chosen Children Village changed my life more. The Chosen Children Village taught the children to not only appreciate life in all its forms, but to enjoy it as well. Where perfectly healthy individuals find great difficulty to enjoy life these children get up every morning and greet the sun with radiant, almost infectious smiles. That, I think is testament to the work that the Chosen Children Village does – it’s God’s work. Plain and Simple. I think what I’m most grateful for with Marc’s invitation is that it gave me a paradigm shift. I once thought that fun runs start with cars and end with coffee, but the Miata club showed me that instead, it can end with more happiness being brought into the world.

Seeing such a prestigious car club doing a charity run made me realize that we as enthusiasts can use our hobby as well as our platforms to achieve something bigger and higher than ourselves, and I think doing something good for others gives us a sense of fulfillment that some spent gasoline and coffee can’t give.