Hello out there!
I thought it would be a fitting time to update everyone on the outcome of the fundraiser. I'm sure most of you are wondering how much was raised.. and the total was... drumroll please... $4353.46 NZD!!! And thanks to our strong kiwi dollar it’s around $3360 USD. I must say this is more than I had anticipated. People donated even though they couldn’t make it to the event and so the figure slowly climbed as the weeks went by.
So thanks to everyone who made a contribution! It’s really fantastic. The latest news is that Elisabeth has found someone to help Monika find a van. So I’ll keep you updated on that.
I know most of your weren’t at the event, so let me share how the evening panned out.
7.0 Fundraiser Night
On the night of the event, there was uncertainty over the turn out. Like many other similar gatherings, you can’t take people’s word for certain. People say they’ll come, but they don’t. So with that in mind, and the fact that many of our friends had excused themselves for the event, my expectations were well... let’s just say I was happy if 30 people came.
For the whole day, I felt anxious and nervous. I had invested so much of my time into this night, and felt like somehow it would be all a waste of time if only a handful of people came. I reached a point where I just had to lift up my anxiousness to God and meditated on how He was in control, not I.
Come 7pm, my parents and I stood at the entrance of our church Long Bay Baptist greeting the guests. We were pleasantly surprised by the people who came. Over seventy walked through - neighbours, families, older members of our congregation, friends. The evening went superbly. Despite a few technical glitches, it was overall a great night.
We started the evening by playing two interviews, which were conducted specifically for the fundraiser. One was a skype interview with Elisabeth (lady who started the orphanage) and another interview with Monika (Swiss volunteer currently running the orphanage). If you’re interested in getting to know more about their story and about the orphanage, the children and the current situation from their perspective, you can watch them here. Elisabeth and Monika. The quality of Elisabeth's video isn't very good.. sorry!
We also screened a few trailers of documentaries on sex-trafficking (“Red Light” – a documentary commentated by the one-and-only Lucy Liu and the film “Holly”) to raise awareness of the issue in Cambodia. "New Year Baby" followed. The film touched people and I was told some tears were conjured up. People stuck around to enjoy the Cambodian desserts my mum and our family friend made. Actually I don’t know if they were really Cambodian desserts.. I did see them in Cambodia at the markets.. but some of them are more Malaysian desserts..!
People also got the opportunity to write a message to the kids at the orphanage. I thought it would be neat to give the children something tangible to show how there are people in NZ who know about them and are praying for them. These have been complied into a little scrapbook and are on their way to the children.
The overall response was positive. People were very encouraging towards the cause. It was definitely worth the effort J
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| Messages from people from kiwiland to the children at the orphanage. |
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| People are seated in the church hall ready for the screening. |
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| Desserts table with coconut pound cake, mung bean filled glutinuous rice balls, banana fritters, nine layer rice cake and sticky coconut rice with sesame seed topping... and more! |
7.1 Workin' Gal
So as soon as the Fundraiser event has passed, my focus shifted to getting me a job! I’d been working on my portfolio with the intention of applying for a design job.. and I did apply for some freelance graphic design positions..one of which I did get :) I've yet to host my website, but in the mean time it's temporary uploaded here.
At the same time, I heard on the radio that Tear Fund New Zealand had an opening. Now Tear Fund, (The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund) is a Christian organization that works in developing countries through community building and child sponsorship. If you’ve heard of World Vision, then you’ll know what Tear Fund is.
After two interviews, I was offered the position as the Supporter Relations Coordinator. Even though this position is not one that utilizes my design skills, my interest in working for them was enough for me to apply. What is attractive about Tear Fund to me is the fact that they work in third world countries, and having seen the impact other organizations have made in Cambodia, I like that I’m able to continue to serve in this “industry” even on this side of the world. This is the field I would like to be apart of in the future so if anything, it'll be a great learning experience.
So we’ll see how it goes. First day is on Monday.. and it’s my first full-time permanent job! haha About time huh?
7.2 Where's my boots?
Well that’s about it..I’m trying to enjoy my last weekend of unemployment, but my dad got me terribly upset earlier when I found out he had given away my favourite pair of winter boots when I was away in Cambodia…. grrrrr… I know I shouldn’t be so attached to material things but they were my favourite! They were soft to touch, a shade of gray and hugged my feet perfectly.… and I was going to wear them to work! They were my "feel good" boots...sigh....I’ll get over it...one of these days..!
On a more positive note, it was my mum’s 58th birthday yesterday! And she looks as young and vibrant as ever. She says she feels much younger.. like in her 40’s. Isn’t it interesting how the body ages faster than the mind… I feel like I’m still in my early 20’s..! haha :)
I leave you with some photos from home..
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| Freshly picked apples from our apple tree! We had a great harvest this year. So many apples from ONE tree! |
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| One of my favourite paintings by my dad to date.. maybe it's because I'm a tigress.. RARR! |
