Heroes of Hope - Roland, Driver

"Driver lang ako," this 35-year-old missionary would say. Indeed, he is the only one who drives the Fazenda da Esperanca's truck as it goes around Tacloban to bear the sheets of galvanized iron, coco lumber and human labor intended to bring relief to a few residents from the month-long rain they have been experiencing due to a low pressure area.

Roland is a driver alright--like the driving force behind Fazenda da Esperanca's mission in Tacloban. Christ is really the ultimate driving force behind everything; Roland is his alter ego.

The missionary has been based in Masbate for the past ten years and is fluent in Tagalog, Portuguese, as well as his native German. In meals where there are Brazilian and Filipino brothers and sisters of Fazenda, Roland is at the hub who can understand the entire conversation and be the bridge for translation where needed.

For him, the most difficult thing about the mission in Tacloban is deciding who to help. Everything else is a minor disturbance--the incessant rain, people who could be demanding or annoying, and maybe even the need to eat--he will forget about lunch when focusing on the growing list of things to do. 

No task is too small. And he can be thoughtful beyond expectation. When injured, he will shrug off tetanus shots for himself as an inconvenience to do away with, but he will give this volunteer a lavish supply of chocolates because he remembers her half-joking comment from years before about "no longer volunteering for the farm because there is no chocolate at Fazenda." 

Sadly, he will be reassigned soon but his time here was well spent in loving as Christ loved. Thank you, Roland, for giving of yourself, your time and your talents. God bless you wherever you go!