A BLESSED JULY 2011

July is a blessed month as it is the period of which our children are having their summer school break for months . It is indeed the time where we can get together at the orphanage and doing what we can to improve things and a brain storming period by by wife , Peggy , our 3 children and my self. Long before they were coming from their schools ( Vancouver , Canada and Singapore ) they have already some plans of what they will be doing during their visit to the orphanage. I picked up my son Christian from Vancouver during my last flight schedule to Los Angeles. He was so happy to be heading home and best of all I was able to pick him up right from Vancouver.

This time we were having so many friends and they are from different countries. Christine's primary( elementary) school's friend Anni Sofia from Finland of which she brought along her friend Yasmin were with us . Both of them are studying to be a teacher. A wondeful Heidi Gay from Australia was also with us for a week, she is an air crew from Virgin Australia airlines. A newly married couple Vanny and Matt from Australia are still with us. They are both taking one year sabatical leave from their office and spending it at Roslin Orphanage. Earlier we were having so many friends from overseas too and this is a huge advantage for our orphanage children. They can have some knowledge about people from different countries and they can have the chance to learn more English with native speakers and indeed a booster to enhance their attitude to learn more without going anywhere  and its free of charge ha ha ha . Praise The Lord for all of the good things.

Arriving at Changi airport at 04 40 am with Christian

and my fellow crew,Captain Willy( on the right)  all the way from LA

Quality time of Christian with all his orphanage's brothers and sisters

Tassya  , Christian and Christine during their summer break at Roslin orphanage.

It has been their routine place to be at for the last 10 years

Chris and Vonny giving us free entertainment . It is us to be together and it is fun for all

Ms Heidi , Ms Anni Sofia and ms Yasmin spending their precious time with the children

on the left is Heidi holding Tomei and on the right Matthew holding Meijen.

This is Meijen , a week after she was joining the orphanage

Tomei was recently joining us , she is from the East Timor refugee camp of which the living condition was so bad and life was so much of sadness.  18 others were joining us recently of which we have no guts to say to no for them to come and living with us after seeing their living condition. Some of them were said to be on primary school 3rd year and few from primary 4 of which they are still unable to read and write.

A different story with Meijen, she was coming to us when her condition was really very bad physically. Most people will not touch her at all as her whole body was full of wounds and the odor was not pleasant at all. .She was tried frquently to be abandoned during the pregnancy but yet she was born.  After some months of careful treatments  by Peggy, her skin has been cleaned up 100% and free from any wounds. The only thing that is sad that she is still unable to sitdown on her own because of her weak spine. Recently after we are using an instrument donated by a friend from Singapore , Meijen has been making a good progresses of which she is able to sort of jumps while using the tools which was donated to us from one of our friend in Singapore. Daily Matt and Vanny are playing with her frequently and trying to make the body to move enough so that her condition will improved.

Below is the happy evening for all during the birthday celebration for Ms Vanny Yanry . She is celebrating her birthday with us by cooking meals for the children and spending her time with us . She is together with her husband Matt taking one year of sabatical leave and to be with us at Roslin.  On this happy dancing there was a panel of judges from so many countries , but at the end we declared that all are winners and all getting the same gifts . At the end the judges were also dancing with all of the children. It was a great family gathering.

Matthew was making an Italian dish for the children  while Peggy and the rest preparing "nasi tumpeng " and others as how we cook for a  birthday celebration.

Matthew and his cooking for the children

nasi tumpeng by Peggy

So many others things were done during this blessed July . All are really doing their parts and all are doing it with joy. Indeed all activities are by us and for us . By having this attitude many things are done at no time because their sense of belonging to the place is being practiced daily. One good example was on July 22nd where we were doing things based on our routines untill about 5 pm then Peggy and I were discussing about what to be improved at the orphanage ground or some changes for the buiding. It came across to us that we need to move the small pond for the ducks and the geese some where else. We took a piece of paper and started to draw about where it will be relocated and the shape of the new pond. At about 10 minutes later we have decided both of the new location and the shape of the pond. Later we walk to the new location and ask the orphanage children to get us all of the digging equipments for it. I started to do the digging and at no time so many of the orphanage children big and small were coming and we were doing it together. The shape was perfected as we were progressing and all others were doing the fencing according to our directions. At about 1 am we were done with the digging of a pond with some 60 CM deep , having a heart shape and a complete wooden fence of 60 CM high . The next day we were finished with planting trees around the pond area and we were started with laying the bricks according the heart shape. All of the digging and cement mixing were done manually but because we were doing it full with fun and happy attitude , the hard physical activities was not felt as bad and in fact we were kept making the adjustments together till its done. The third day all of the pond has been completed with tiles and all the sides of which the ducks and geese walking were thought of and it was really looking good. At the end of the 3rd day we filled up the pond with water , so that any leaks can be detected ( if any) . We let the water till 2 days and only after proved to be good we let the ducks to come in and it was really good.

Our togetherness once again was excercised and it was really good indeed.

starting to dig up the soil for the new pond

big and small , boys and girls were doing it together

making the fence and planting trees

the new pond was completed in 4 days time including the fence and trees surrounding it