This illustration is something I drew digitally for the Mennonite World Conference Renewal 2026, held on March 14, 2026, in Lumban, Laguna, Philippines. The theme of the event was “Solidarity in Christ: Sharing Burdens, Sharing Hope.” It was a meaningful gathering attended by the MWC Executive Committee and staff, together with representatives from all the districts of the Integrated Mennonite Church (IMC) in the Philippines.

At the center of the image is a Filipino tradition called bayanihan. For me, bayanihan is more than just a picture of people carrying a house. It is a picture of how people come together, help one another, and make sure that no one has to do things alone.

Bayanihan is a Filipino custom traditionally associated with neighbors helping someone move their house. The house is usually a bahay kubo, or nipa hut, and instead of taking the house apart, people would literally lift it and carry it together to its new location. The men usually do most of the heavy lifting, carrying the house on bamboo poles, while the women and other members of the community help by carrying belongings and doing whatever else needs to be done. Everyone has a part to play.

That idea became the inspiration for this illustration.

I chose to draw different people from different tribal and cultural groups that are represented in the Integrated Mennonite Church (IMC) in the Philippines. IMC is a diverse church community, with members coming from different backgrounds, including the Bugkalot, Ilocano, Ifugao, Kankanaey, Tagalog, etc. communities. Each group has its own culture, traditions, language, clothing, and history. They are not all the same—and that is exactly what I wanted the image to show.

The people in the illustration are carrying the house together, but they are not dressed the same. Their clothing represents different communities and cultures. They speak different languages and come from different places, but they have chosen to walk together as one church.

For me, this is what makes bayanihan such a powerful image for the church.

It also connects closely with the theme of the Renewal gathering: “Solidarity in Christ: Sharing Burdens, Sharing Hope.” Bayanihan is, in many ways, a picture of sharing burdens. No single person can carry the house alone. It takes many hands, many shoulders, and many people working together. When one person gets tired, someone else is there to help carry the weight.

I also wanted to show that bayanihan is not only about the people carrying the house. Look closely and you will see children, women, animals, and other people taking part in the scene. Everyone contributes something. Some carry the house, some carry belongings, some simply walk alongside the group, and others bring energy and joy to the journey.

That is how I see the church too. Not everyone has the same role, but everyone has something to contribute. The gathering in Lumban brought together people from different parts of the Philippines, along with the MWC Executive Committee and staff. It was a reminder that the church is much bigger than one congregation, one district, one culture, or one language.

Unity does not mean that everyone has to look the same, speak the same language, or come from the same background. Sometimes we can be very different from each other and still choose to work together. In fact, our differences can become part of what makes the community stronger.

The house in the illustration can also represent the church itself. A church is not just a building. It is the people who choose to journey together. Sometimes the church has to move, change, grow, and face new challenges. When that happens, we need one another. We need people who are willing to carry, people who are willing to support, and people who are willing to walk alongside us.

This is why I chose bayanihan for this image. It reminds me that we may come from different tribes, languages, cultures, and experiences, but we can still choose to carry the house together.

Different people. Different stories. Different cultures.

But one church, sharing burdens, sharing hope, and walking together in Christ.