Give A Little Love on Christmas Day ( and do not stop there ) Posted on 3 Jan 2012
There was a recent weepie of a movie called "Letters to God" and how the postman played a pivotal role in making a difference. I felt like that postman after returning from our trip to Davao City, Philippines, to deliver love gifts donated by people who care enough, to the children, some already on the threshold of adulthood , at Love The Children Foundation.
( LTCF )
I believe that things happen by design, and nothing through chance. In Feb 2011, I went to Davao City to visit some churches and orphanages, based on referrals by a bible school classmate. LTCF left a deep impact on me. I had to cast aside pre-conceived notions of how orphanages are run, the type of people who run them, and the children themselves. By faith, and a love beyond measure, Cindy and Tony endeavoured to create a home for abandoned children from scratch, giving up everyhing they once owned. As an adoptive parent of two, I can testify that there are ties stronger than biological. It is purely semantics, whether the child has once passed through your birth canal, or via a test-tube, or a half-and half, or even through surrogate means. It is about a relationship, which has to be carefully nurtured and cultivated over time. But to compare 40 against 2, I falterin the abyss of awe at this couple, humbled by their sacrifice and compassion.
The firm resolve of the cynic in me gradually crumbled. In April and August of 2011, Cindy and Tony came to Singapore in a tie-up with a social enterprise, which I was briefly involved. Things did not work out as planned, but on those two occasions, they stayed at our house. It is not easy to feign something you are not when you are with someone 24/7. This couple is unapologetically genuine, transparent and selfless with their motivations. There are some things which defy logic, and transcends into the realm of the supernatural. We get a glimpse of that sometimes, but can never truly comprehend how our Creator can love humankind and sacrifice his own beloved Son because He loves us just as much.
I became a sort of a grand-mother. Grandparents have the luxury of spoiling their grandkids, while leaving the gritty job of parenting aside. Every child has a right to a future, of hope, of receiving a proper education, and to be loved. It started with an idea of a group of people who are willing to pledge a fixed sum ( say, a dollar a day, by giving up soft drinks or end a caffeine fix ) a month to sponsor a child. My skin grew into a thick hide. I sent out mass emails to literally everyone I knew; I trawled FB to seek out long lost friends....yes, I do have an ulterior motive.
G agreed to spend one week of our vacation visiting LTCF in Davao, with a stop-over in Manila to visit D, who is like a son to me. G had been steadfastly and staunchly supportive of LTCF in a big way. It seemed only fair that he should see for himself, first-hand, what LTCF is all about.
As December drew closer, I asked Cindy to send me a wish-list from the children, so that we could bring over something for them when we go there. It was a humble wish-list, from hair-gels, to jeans, to sports shoes, to maybe, a couple of bicycles...I got to work as soon as I received the list. As before, the emails went viral. Somewhere along the way, it struck me that people could also donate things which are in reasonably good condition, like clothes, toys, lap-tops, guitars, etc. This was sparked off by flash floods in June which devastated a province, and it affected a pastor and his church, which I had visited in Feb 2011. The surplus of stuff collected could be distributed to bless other communities in Davao....
The donation of stuff took on a whole new magnitude. My house turned into a junk-yard, but it is a small price to pay for 6 jumbo boxes of goodies and 3 more on the way...Friends passed the word around to their friends, and I got an avalanche of things donated from people I don't even know, and made new friends along the way.
In one year, LTCF has developed a new classroom ( where an empty plot once stood ) to be fully operational in 2012. They are accredited as an educational institution, and wil provide a Christian-based curriculum for the children. The older children are being schooled in life-skills like jewelry making, motor mechanics, food catering, and as budding musicians. One boy is undergoing training to run a music academy which will double up as a drop-in centre for street kids to have jamming sessions. Most of the youths seem to have an inate sense of rhythm and handling of musical instruments. Another boy is preaching once a month in church, and he is all of 16 years old ( he had wanted to be a missionary since he was 6 )
These are no ordinary children...They have a dream to be all that they can be, and more...G and I want to play a small role in helping them fulfil it, and they can, with a little support, here and there. They do not ask to be pitied, but to be treated like any other children, with hope to face their future with dignity, and with a sense of identity and purpose. I am reminded of this song which used to be sung at campfires " It only takes a spark, to get a fire going..."
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| It's great to be part of the LTCF Family |
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