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! 

April, 2004

            	
Dear friends and partners, Happy Khmer New Years to each and every one of you. Its been an extra-ordinary month but it seems that each new month, each new day is extra-ordinary. This month we closed all our shops and all our work down in order to celebrate the holiday - it is the first time that we have been able to do so since we opened Tabitha in 1994. It was a gift given to us by all of you - our support base is becoming strong enough to bear the closure for a few days - giving all of us a much needed break.
                
My little family celebrated in true Khmer fashion - with our friends we went to the country side to throw water and baby powder - we got as good as we gave - my Miriam forgot to open her window several times and so I received more than I should have. She was delighted and so was I. Its also been a month of trauma. This past Sunday night at 2:30 in the morning, I was woken to find a man standing by my bed shining a flashlight in my eyes. God has promised to take care of us in such times and He did so this time. Without a murmur, I closed my eyes while I registered the fact that this was not good. I did not cry out, nor did I move. In the 30 seconds it took to think about the situation I received the wisdom to turn on my bed light near my hand and to stand quickly - easier to fight while standing, I say. The bed light is dim but gave enough light for me to see that my bathroom door was slightly open. I walked quickly to push it just a little, enough to know that it was not my imagination as the window glass was gone. I was not frightened - my thoughts were clear - make sure Miriam and Tuit were safe and so I left my room with the door open and went to theirs. I told Tuit there was someone in the house and to call the security man next door. Tuit, in a confused state, said don't worry, I will kill the cockroach - I grabbed her and said again, a man not a roach - call the security next door. I stood in the living room with a flashlight ready to take on the intruder should he come out of my room while Tuit opened the backdoor - she did not call out - she slammed it and came back breathless and badly shaken , a second man was standing near by. We went into Miriam's room - she did not cry out, she did not say a word - she just held her arms out to be held. I had bought Tuit a hand phone for Christmas and she grabbed it - call Nari, I said. Another miracle, Nari answered after the first ring: she said, don't leave the room, don't make a sound - I will call the police. Meng Wan, our second nanny was sleeping in the outside guest room - we phoned her and she, too stayed quiet. 15 minutes later the police and Nari arrived - MengWan walked across the yard in slow motion, deeply traumatized by what was happening. As the police entered the yard, I held my door shut while Tuit opened the main doors to the house. At first, the police thought I was just a crazy foreigner until I took them to the side to show them the empty window. It was only then that things happened quickly - guns and more guns and a thorough, professional search of every inch and every nook and cranny of the house, the garden and the roof. One of the intruders had left his shorts behind, a fact that left Miriam wondering why. There were so many police and so professional - it was so very comforting. I started to shake and then they asked me what happened - we told them everything - the police were astonished - why do you think he did not hurt you - they asked me. They always hurt people if they know you are awake. I was still a bit numbed and my mouth opened before I thought - I think they were after one of the pretty girls and when they saw I was an old lady, they decided it was too much. The laughter eased the tension but all of us were beginning to tremble from the fright. In the morning light the police returned to take the fingerprints, the chief of our commune came to make sure all was well, the landlord sent workers to fix the windows - iron bars - and to install razor wire and spotlights. Nari and I decided that this was a message to make sure we were safe and so we hired a night guard - something I had resisted for so long. At the end of the day, all of the staff and workers came - about 90 people - to touch me and make sure all was fine. We shared, we hugged and we laughed - so much comedy in the midst of it all. We thanked our God for keeping us safe. Tuit's prayer touched my soul - she prayed that God had kept me safe because He had sent me to be a tree - covering all of them with cooling shade in their times of sorrow - I was a cooling steam of water in their hard lives - and she prayed that He would keep me safe in the years to come. My tears flowed freely. I returned to work on Tuesday morning - my body feeling so very heavy - it was hard to lift my feet - I was so desperately tired. And then I opened the emails and there were 140 orders from our second Silk show that was held in Singapore a short week before. Nari, the staff and I looked at each other and we can began to laugh -my weariness disappeared - today, there is colour everywhere - silks are on the floor, on the desks and people chatting and laughing making beautiful house wares. Sharon, one of the mainstays of the Singapore show, phoned to discuss the orders and I shared what happened. And now I share this with you all because life is not always easy. But mainly I wanted to share about all the miracles - no one was hurt; we could fix all the problems without worrying about funds; we have the relationships to ensure that when we need help from the local authorities they do respond and with expertise. God's grace surrounds us even in moments of distress - we are surrounded by each other and by all of you. As I said earlier, it is an extra-ordinary month but then each day is that way - and each of you are a part of it. Thank you for that gift. Janne