Newsletters
With our regular newsletters, we aim to keep you posted on all the interesting and important news and updates of our programs and various activities. Enjoy reading!
Dec 12, 2006
Dear friends and partners, Holiday time is fast approaching and the season of hope and joy is near. Christmas is why Tabitha started – my faith in the birth of a child so long ago. It’s a story of faith and of hope. This season for us is marked with sadness and distrust. We had an attempted armed robbery by people we trusted a few weeks ago. Last week our advisor to the Prime Minster’s cabinet, a very good personal friend, died unexpectedly. Then news of some very good friends deciding to leave Cambodia left its mark.
The temptation is to wallow in self pity and to say, why me? Some have advised that I should leave – why live in a country so filled with danger and sorrow. Then I think of the Christmas story and my sadness turns to hope. Jesus’ mother Mary was a woman of great faith for she was a woman, pregnant out of wedlock – a situation that even today, raises eye brows. Her story of angels and Immaculate Conception raised a great many eyebrows and undoubtedly some unkind words and reactions. A woman scorned – giving birth in a stable. And as I thought about this, I got a phone call from Annie, Janne you won’t believe this, she said. The commune chief has given land to 50 of our families. Vonn greeted the news with joy, for more than 100 of our homeless families in Kompong Som received land – and why – because Annie, Vonn, Vath, Seyha and so many of our staff are people of faith – they believe in the goodness of others despite their fears and tortures of their early years. Then Sokha came up the stairs – she is woman living with AIDS – contracted by doing the wrong kinds of things – Sokha is an outcast because of her behavior – she too, is scorned and talked about – she had lost her child, her home, her right to be part of a family – the price is high – and yet, she came into my office with trembling body and tears in her eyes – this is my daughter whom I lost and have now found again – I thank you for you gave me work when no one else would and I now have respect again – I have re-claimed my child – I have hope. Thary came in this morning and showed me picture after picture of families who have worked their way out of poverty – these families are growing vegetables – something they never thought possible – and the price for the vegetables is good. These families had to begin planting before we would give them a well – it is hard to believe in unseen water and yet these families believed – in less than 3 months – all of them suddenly have enough to eat, enough to change that endless cycle of despair. Nary just phoned from the bank to tell me that some of you have sent funds to help our families – you believe in us and the people we work with – even though you cannot see and you don’t meet all these people – whose lives are marked with fear and distrust, marked with despair and little hope. Your message is the message of Christmas – even though our families are reviled and scorned – even though they live in meanness – much less than a stable – you give the gift of faith, the gift of hope. There is laughter everywhere in the office today – they are practicing skits for our Christmas party to be held this Saturday. The skits must be funny and its obvious that they are. It will be a night of rejoicing, 2 full meals, skits and dancing until midnight. The sound of laughter – the gift of joy – the faith in what is to come and not yet seen. From our families, my staff and myself, I wish each and every one of you – the blessings of Christmas – and the best in the New Year. Janne
