We are Archie and Joji Selim, a couple married for 12 years, with 3 boys aged 9, 6 and 3 years old.  We are both lawyers, residing in the Philippines .  We live in a highly populated area in Manila , with Joji’s parents and her brother’s family.  Our house is surrounded on one side by a large university, and on the other side by a family-owned hospital where Joji works.

On April 2, a fire broke out in the 5-storey university building just a few feet way from our home.  That building had been under renovation for many months and was due for blessing and opening in just 6 more days.  However a welding machine used in the renovation of the building malfunctioned and soon we noticed a small fire coming out of a window facing our house. In less than 5 minutes, the fire had rapidly spread to the upper and lower floors of that window.  We barely had time to change into street clothes and gather important documents before the fire spread to the roof of our house.

Before evacuating, we sent a message to a group of focolarini, asking for their urgent prayers.  Then we evacuated our home and brought our children and our 2 year old nephew to the adoration chapel in our parish.

We remembered then that we had several paintings and art works that were stored right beneath the burning roof.  We knew that even if the paintings were not burned or smoked, they would definitely be wet, or at least irreversibly damaged.  We had put our savings to invest into those paintings, and we thought that apart from losing our home, we were also going to lose our savings.  At that moment we thought of that phrase, “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away..”

On the way to the church, the children were crying inconsolably.  We told them that we must believe in the love of God, even if we lose everything.  We were grateful, at least, that we had each other.  And we told the children that no matter what happens, it will be for our own good, not to fear, but to pray to God and ask.  In the adoration chapel, we prayed for the safety of the patients, the firemen, the staff and that our house would be saved.  We thought that praying for our paintings might seem a bit worldly, in that moment, but then we remembered Jesus’ words “… whatever two or three of you agree to ask the Father in my name, it shall be granted”.  And so together, as a family, we prayed together asking for the safely of the patients, the firemen, the staff, our house, and if it were possible, to save our paintings.

We have a son who does not like to pray very much.  He usually pretends to be asleep when it is time to pray.  We felt, especially with this son, that it is important that he sees our faith lived out, that he sees God in our lives.  He was crying the hardest.  He wanted to leave the church.  When Joji asked him why, he said it was because he was so worried.  She told him that was all the more reason that he had to stay and pray.  And so he stayed and continued to pray with us.

After about 30 minutes, we received news that the fire had been controlled, that our bedrooms were spared, but that the portion where the paintings were stored was still full of smoke.  We were so grateful to God to have a home to come home to!  While the streets were still blocked by firetrucks, we spent the afternoon in the focolare, where the focolarini welcomed and fed us, and gave us a large cool room to rest in.  They told us that they spread the news to the other focolare centres, and they all prayed intensely for our safety, for our home and the hospital.

In the late afternoon, we returned to our home certain that half the house was damaged, but grateful to have rooms to stay in.  What a surprise we had when we reached home!

The university building was all burned through and through, and only the steel and concrete supports were left.

Our house, despite being mostly made of wood, and over 50 years old, was completely spared.  Our windows were cracked due to the intense heat, but that was most of the damage. The entire house, including the portion that was on fire when we evacuated, seemed totally untouched by fire.  Even the ceilings remained white.  A couple of tiles broke in the bathroom beside the room where the paintings were stored, but the paintings still wrapped in plastic and paper, remained intact with no visible damage.  We were told, by many witnesses, that the wind changed suddenly during the fire and started blowing away from our home and towards the university building.

When our son saw our house and the roof all preserved beside the burnt university building, his jaw dropped.  We told him, look at how God listened to your prayers!  He nodded silently.  Now he is the first to sit up when it is time to pray.  How God works on each one of us!

On our part, we noticed that we saw material things differently after the fire.  Everything in that newly-renovated multi-million peso building was burned in just 30 minutes.  Everything was ‘vanity of vanities’.  We understood that the fire was only God’s way to teach us, and we are so grateful for His immense love!