Do you sometimes wish you could do more to "Make a Difference?" Are you at a loss as to where to begin, what to do? Join me here for some inspiration and living examples of what you can do to make a difference in the lives of those around you.
I am a firm believer that when you give people sincere encouragement it can help them blossom into a confident person.
I live in an apartment building. There is a family with several young children who live in the same building. I can’t remember when I last heard such loud children! Whether they are on their way to school or coming home from school, running up or down the stairs, they are constantly shouting to each other. Everything seems like a crisis or a miracle. Whatever happens, they get very excited and shout about it. They do the same when they are out in the garden playing, which is below my windows. I don’t exactly get irritated by the sound but I marvel at how loud and excitable they can constantly be!
Occasionally I enjoy watching them play for a few moments. I had to chuckle when I saw them knock down the sign that was in the middle of the grass. It read: "NO BALL PLAYING". They conscientiously stood the sign up and put it back it it's place. Then they continued with their ball game.
One sunny afternoon I was startled by very loud banging on my front door. It sounded like an emergency and I was wondering why they weren’t using the bell. Upon opening the door I saw the boy from upstairs. “You left your mailbox open!” He shouted. Inside the front entrance to the building we have mailboxes on the wall for each apartment which is kept locked with a key. Apparently I didn’t close mine correctly after I checked it so the mailbox door was left open. I thought that was a very considerate thing to tell me and I felt like rewarding him in some way. I didn’t think a monetary reward was appropriate so instead I emphatically said to him: “Thank you VERY much! You are a VERY GOOD boy!”
He beamed at me and ran downstairs. I suppose he was still trying to help as he repeatedly started slamming the door to my box closed before I could get down there to lock it. I had to shout down to him to leave it alone before he breaks it.
MY reward came the next day when he was out in the garden playing with his friend. I wasn’t listening to what they were shouting to each other, but one thing I heard loud and clear. The boy who had come to my door the previous day told his friend: ” I am a VERY GOOD boy!”
I really don’t think he hears that phrase too often but he actually is a sweet kid–just a little wild and loud.
When we are sure to praise people for the good they do, no matter how small, instead of only pointing out the mistakes, it helps them to try harder to keep doing good. This works just as well with adults as it does children!
Recently I had the pleasure to meet up with two old friends of mine: Jenny and Gonzalo. They have a volunteer work in Ecuador, where Gonzalo is from and were here in the UK for a while to help care for Jenny's elderly mum. Now they are returning to Ecuador and we will be helping to support their work there.
In Ecuador, there are no such systems as the NHS, nor government benefit programs. So the people depend on NGOs and Charities for some of their most basic needs, especially the poor. Gonzalo and Jenny will be shipping down supplies of inspirational and educational books in Spanish, that they had been able to aquire while they were here.
Gonzalo's brother, who is a doctor, also gives of his time and expertise to the needy in his country. Here he is giving a free medical check to a handicapped patient.
Activities include a training course for other volunteers called 12 Founation Stones. Here are photos of the graduation of those finishing the course.
"Chocolatito" is the name of a program for deprived children, which often involves the apprearance of a clown!
Drawing by Nico, thanks to Children's Hospital Boston
Don't think that you have to be in an exotic country half way around the world, where the "natives" walk around barefoot in order to help and make a difference. There are so many ways to reach out to others where ever you are.
Although I have lived in third world countries with primitive conditions where I did my best to make a difference, now I live in England, where I still do my bit to make a difference in the lives that cross my path. It's not impossible!
The other day I volunteered my services as a face painter for the Fun Day party for a charity that I help with. When I arrived I was surprised at how many children were there. The organizers told me that they also were surprised at how many showed up! As soon as I was set up and ready to go, I had a queue of children wanting their faces painted so I got to work.
The event was taking place on a estate in a rough and deprived part of town and I quickly realized that probably most of these kids don't often get the chance to have their faces painted due to economical reasons and it was a real high point for them to get it done. Some of them were a bit "rough" and didn't have the best of manners. But, hey, having raised 5 boys myself, and having a lot of experience taking charge over rowdy boys in the classroom, I was enjoying their spirit and enthusiasm, even if they were shaking the table :"Hey, stop shaking the table--it feels like an earthquake!"
Two brothers who left a mark on my heart came a bit late and wouldn't leave my side, afraid to miss their turn, talking every minute. Have you ever tried to paint someone while a 7 year old is tugging at your sleeve to get your attention? Finally it was his turn and he then said, "I'll let my brother go before me, since he's younger than me". When his younger brother sat down, the older sibling said to me: "I'll help you by holding his head" and he then proceeded to clamp the head of his brother in a vice like grip. It looked so funny and it actually was a bit difficult to paint the poor little guy that way, who meekly complied. Finally it was his turn and before I knew it, I was packing up and all the kids were gone.
The other organizers were asking me if I was tired as it was none stop, but I could truly say that I wasn't. Truth was, it was an inspiration to me to be able to help in this way. It wasn't only the kids that were happy, but the parents too, many of whom would never normally be able to make their kids happy in this way. My reward was not only the resultant happiness of the children after they were transformed into a butterfly or tiger, but the interaction with them and the reminder of the innocence of children and the simplicity of spirit they possess and the easy way they express love and appreciation. This expression of innocence from them was especially touching for me knowing that many of them faced difficult challenges at home and their life ahead would not be a bed of roses!
No one handed me a pay envelope at the end of the day, but a little boy with special needs (there were several of them there) handed me an envelope with his scribbles on it, as a token of his appreciation. It was enough.
Face painting at Barnet council event for children. The mayor of Barnet, Councillor Anthony Finn looks on.
I have started the 9 week training programme for Home Start, Barnet, a local Charity. Home Start is a charity that offers support, friendship and practical help to parents with young children.
It is a unique service. Trained volunteers who are usually parents themselves visit families with at least one child under 5 at home to offer informal, friendly and confidential support.They help any family that lives in the borough of Barnet, who has at least one child under 5 and is going through a difficult time. This can be anything from feeling isolated, being new to the area, suffering from post natal depression or finding it hard to cope with twins or triplets.
Volunteers visit the family once a week and support them in a variety of practical or emotional ways. They may accompany the parent on outings, shopping trips or to keep appointments, play with the children while the parent gets on with something else at home or has a much-needed rest, or simply sit and chat if that is what is needed. It’s simple, but it works!
They also offer:
Group support
Teenage parents programme
Parenting programmes
Family events & activities
My training will finish in November and then I will be eligible to start visiting a family as a volunteer. The prep course itself has been very eye-opening, informative and rewarding. It's very hands-on and discussion oriented with lots of group activities. The group of about 20 other trainee volunteers have as a diverse a background and ethnicity as the borough of Barnet itself! In our group we have volunteer-trainees that originally have come from Afghanastan, Germany, Isreal, Nepal, Kenya, India, America, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq and oh yes, England! Ages range from early 20's to late 50's. During this training time, irregardless of the differences in background and culture, we have bonded together as a group and have formed new friendships. The subject matter has been very interesting. Quite a few "guest speakers" have attended and we are learning about all kinds of resources available for children in Barnet as well as a review of parenting skills and certain problems that families might encounter such as children with special needs, depression bereavemnet, mulitple births, etc.
I am looking forward to when I will begin visiting my first family and am happy to be involved with such a worthwhile charity.
I had the opportunity to collect clothes and organize the distribution to needy families, individuals and organizations. Some of the clothes travelled all the way to Africa, where they were distributed to poor children at a school where several TFI members have an ongoing project. Here are some photos of them being given to the children at the school.
A boy tries this shirt on for size.
These two children have new clothes to wear home.
Susan (back row, centre) took the clothes to Africa from England where she distributed them to the children in this needy school in Ghana.
Sometimes I think I'm somewhat old fashioned. Not so much in the way I think, but I don't always know the latest "in" jargon. Part of that might be due to the fact that I spent over 20 years of my life living in a country where I did not fully understand the language (Thailand), although I spent a lot of time studying it and doing my best to communicate in Thai. Although I had a lot of friends from Western Europe and the States, I wasn't watching TV from those countries, so I guess I missed out on some of the trends, etc. Not that it bothers me. But sometimes I won't quite understand the slang or some joke from those places. Once again, I don't count it as loss, as I have had (so far..I should say I am having) so many amazing experieces rich in culture from exotic foreign countries and the people from those places, that far outweigh any loss of being in the centre of the latest trends. OK, that's off my chest. Now to share a little inspiration that happened to me the other day.
Its All Good
I think that is the current term for something that I would say: "All things work together for good" (That is a verse from the Bible: Romans 8:28), or the old saying: "Look for the silver lining" (Which refers to the silver lining of a cloud when the sun is behind it, waiting to shine) or, "Keep your eye on the doughnut and not upon the hole!" ..etc. Anyway, the other day I had an experience to remind me to keep my eyes on the good, as its out there if we look for it!
I recently moved. I went from a house with a large private back garden, to a first floor flat with no garden. Well, I guess you can call it "communal gardens" as they say, and there are some really beautiful flowers next to my building and nice green grass and trees with pretty pink buds. But its not the kind of place that I can be alone in. The weather was really nice--warmish and sunshine and I just had to get outside. I was feeling sorry for myself, thinking that if I was back in my old house I could pop out the kitchen door for a 10 minute walk or run around my garden, or sit down for a few minutes and bask in the glorious out doors, or exercise, etc. It was so easy then. Now I would have to put on shoes, brush my hair, lock up my flat and walk down the stairs. Then I would have to decide where to go. Since I might run into people, I would have to be relatively presentable.
I decided to go for it. The call of the outdoors won and I did the 10 minutes of prep required and set off.
A few minutes into my walk I met three young girls enjoying their school break. They were very friendly and greeted me with big smiles and hellos. One girl asked me if I wanted to buy some flowers. I didn't see any so I asked her where they were. She pointed to a patch of buttercups growing nearby. I told her I didn't have any money with me so she told me it was for free. Not wanting to dissapoint them I told them yes, I would like some flowers and she ran off and picked two buttercups which she gave to me.They were so excited that I accepted them. "You are our first customer!", they told me."We are going to sell flowers to everyone that walks this way!" After chatting a few more moments I walked on, truly inspired by the loving innocence and enthusiasm of those young girls. That never would have happened in my private back garden. Now I am realizing that the encounters with the people that I meet on my walks more than make up for the relative inconvenience of not having a private garden. I am so glad that I am "forced" to get out of my own private world to mingle with others. Its all good.
Members of The Family are in Haiti, sharing the Lord's Love and comfort with those who need it so desperately. Please keep them, and the people of Haiti in your prayers.
I have been rather delinquent posting about our activities.
It started with Christmas.
We were very busy participating in numerous events of all kinds during this holiday season. We collaborated with several charities such as Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Help a London Child, and more. We had quite a few touching moments, especially involving children, when we were able to help spread the Joy of this Season. Some of these children are life limited, meaning they are not expected to live very long, due to some form of sickness. Others had severe handicaps and others were just normal people, but nevertheless, needing love and inspiration, just like you and me! We were able to share the special Christmas songs that tell about the joy of the birth of Jesus, distribute hundreds of various forms of Christmas literature and audio material and in general share together the special joy of the season.
I hope to be able to share a couple of the moments that stuck out to me and helped make this a very special time indeed, as soon as I have a little more time!
Our personal Christmas was shared with our son Tim, who came over for a visit from Italy. It was his first time to England so we had fun showing him some of the sights during the time he was here. We also had a family of 5 stay with us during this time. They included 3 young children, so our house was full of children's laughter and merriment during this holiday time!
For New Year 's Eve, we once again had our Candle Light Ceremony. This year our house was open to guests from about 3 PM until after midnight. Neighbours, friends, General Members, Active Members and full time Members visited through out the evening and into the New Year. Besides abundant food and drink, we had several bonding and inspirational activities together, ending with the Candle Light Ceremony. This Ceremony is a Family tradition for many years now. We all sit around a large white candle which represents Jesus. One by one we each lit our own candle, placed it in the middle next to the large candle and shared three things: 1.What we were most thankful for this past year. 2.What goal or vision we would like to accomplish this coming year 3.A verse or meaningful quotation that applies to us regarding the new year ahead. This simple ceremony was inspiring and meaningful as we shared our own thoughts and listened to those around us. It was a happy, but also meaningful way to see in the New Year!
We thought we would have some down time after the New Year, but we just seem to be staying very busy! Another thing that is helping us to step outside of our comfort zone (which is good for growth!) is that we are moving to another house. There is probably no need to explain how much this involves, especially since we are closing a rather large house and have a lot of furniture and household items to find new homes for, not to mention all else that is involved with moving.
Hopefully, after the move is complete (and we have our internet connected!) I will be able to share a bit more details of some of the special moments that God placed in our paths.
There’s nothing so beautiful as a child’s dream of Santa Claus. I know, because I often had that dream. But I was Jewish and we didn’t celebrate Christmas. It was everyone else’s holiday and I felt left out … like a big party I wasn’t invited to. It wasn’t the toys I missed; it was Santa Claus and a Christmas tree.
So when I got married and had kids, I decided to make up for it. I started with a seven-foot tree, all decked out with lights and tinsel, and a Star of David on top to soothe those whose Jewish feelings were frayed by the display, and for them it was a Hanukkah bush. It warmed my heart to see the glitter, because now the party was at my house and everyone was invited.
But something was missing, something big and round and jolly, with jingle bells and a “Ho, ho, ho!” So I bought a bolt of bright red cloth and strips of white fur and my wife made me a costume. Inflatable pillows rounded out my skinny frame, but no amount of makeup could turn my face into merry old Santa.
I went around looking at department store impersonations sitting on their thrones with children on their laps
and flash bulbs going off, and I wasn’t satisfied with the way they looked either. After much effort, I located a mask maker and he had just the thing for me: a rubberized Santa mask, complete with whiskers and flowing white hair. It was not the real thing, but it looked genuine enough to live up to a child’s dream of St. Nick.
When I tried it on, something happened. I looked in the mirror, and there he was, big as life, the Santa of my childhood. There he was … and it was me. I felt like Santa, like I became Santa. My posture changed. I leaned back and pushed out my false stomach. My head tilted to the side and my voice got deeper and richer with a “MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!”
For two years I played Santa for my children to their mixed feelings of fright and delight and to my total
enjoyment. And when the third year rolled around, the Santa in me had grown into a personality of his own and he needed more room than I had given him. So I sought to accommodate him by letting him do his thing for other children. I called up orphanages and children’s hospitals and offered his services for free. But, “We don’t need Santa; we have all sorts of donations from foundations and… thank you for calling.” And the Santa in me felt lonely and useless.
Then, one late November afternoon, I went to the mailbox on the corner of the street to mail a letter, and saw this pretty little girl trying to reach for the slot. She was maybe six years old. “Mommy, are you sure Santa will get my letter?” she asked. “Well, you addressed it to Santa Claus, North Pole, so he should get it,” the mother said, and lifted her little girl so she could stuff the letter into the box. My mind began to whirl. All those thousands of children who wrote to Santa Claus at Christmastime, whatever became of their letters?
One phone call to the main post office answered my question. They told me that as of the last week of
November, an entire floor of the post office was needed to store those letters in huge sacks that came from
different sections of the city.
The Santa in me went “Ho, ho, ho!” and we headed down to the post office. And there they were, thousands upon thousands of letters, with or without stamps, addressed to Santa Claus, or St. Nick, or Kris Kringle, scribbled on wrapping paper or neatly written on pretty stationery. I rummaged through them and laughed. Most of them were “gimme, gimme, gimme” letters, like “I want a pair of roller skates, and a Nintendo, and a GI Joe, and a personal computer, and a small portable TV, and whatever else you can think of.” Many of them had the price alongside each item … with or without sales tax.
Then there were the funny ones like: “Dear Santa, I’ve been a good boy all of last year, but if I don’t get what I want, I’ll be a bad boy all of next!”
I became a little flustered at the demands and the greed of so many spoiled children. But the Santa in me
heard a voice from inside the mail sack, and I continued going through the letters, one after the other, until I
came upon one which jarred and unsettled me.
It was neatly written on plain white paper and it said: “Dear Santa, I hope you get my letter. I am eleven years old and I have two little brothers and a baby sister. My father died last year and my mother is sick. I know there are many who are poorer than we are and I want nothing for myself, but could you send us a blanket, ’cause mommy’s cold at night.” It was signed “Suzy.” A chill went up my spine and the Santa in me cried, “I hear you, Suzy, I hear you.”
I dug deeper into those sacks and came up with another eight such letters, all of them calling out from the
depths of poverty. I took them with me and went straight to the nearest Western Union office and sent each
child a telegram: “GOT YOUR LETTER. WILL BE AT YOUR HOUSE ON CHRISTMAS DAY. WAIT FOR ME. SANTA.” I knew I could not possibly fill the need of all those children, and it wasn’t my purpose to do so. But maybe I could bring them hope and make them feel that their cries did not go unheard, and that someone out there was listening.
So I budgeted a sum of money and went out and bought toys. I wasn’t content with the five-and-ten-cent variety. I wanted something substantial, something these children could only dream of, like an electric train, or a microscope, or a huge doll of the kind they saw advertised on TV.And on Christmas Day I took out my “sleigh” and let Santa do his thing. Well, it wasn’t exactly a sleigh; it was a car, and my wife drove me around, because with all those pillows and toys, I barely managed to get in the back seat!
It had graciously snowed the night before and the streets were thick with fresh powder. My first call took me to the outskirts of the city. The letter had been from a Peter Barsky, and all it said was: “Dear Santa, I am ten years old and I am an only child. We’ve just moved to this house a few months ago and I have no friends yet. I’m not sad because I’m poor, but because I’m lonely. I know you have many things to do and people to see and you probably have no time for me. So I don’t ask you to come to my house or bring anything. But could you send me a letter so I know you exist?” My telegram read: “DEAR PETER, NOT ONLY DO I EXIST, BUT I’LL BE THERE ON CHRISTMAS DAY. WAIT FOR ME. SANTA.”
Wespotted the house and drove past it and parked around the corner. Then Santa got out with his big bag of toys slung over his shoulder and tramped through the snow.The house was wedged in between two tall buildings. The roof was of corrugated metal and it was more of a shack than a house. I walked through the gate, up the front steps and rang the bell. A man opened the door. He was in his undershirt and his stomach bulged out of his pants. “Boje moy!” he exclaimed in astonishment. That’s Polish, by the way, and his hand went to his face. “P-p-please…” he stuttered, “p-please…de boy…de boy…at mass…church. I go get him. Please, please wait.” He threw a coat over his bare shoulders, and, assured that I would wait, he ran down the street in the snow.
So I stood in front of the house feeling good, and on the opposite side of the street was this other shack, and
through the window I could see these shiny little black faces peering at me and waving. Then the door opened shyly and some voices called out to me, “Hiya, Santa!” “Hiya, Santa!”
I “ho-ho-ho’d” my way over there, and this woman asked if I would come in, and I did. There were these five young kids from one to seven years old, and I sat and spoke to them of Santa and the spirit of love, which is the spirit of Christmas.
Then, since they were not on my list—but assuming from the torn Christmas wrappings that they had gotten
their presents—I asked if they liked what Santa had brought them during the night. Each in turn thanked me for he woolen socks, the sweater, and the warm new underwear.I looked at them and asked, “Didn’t I bring you kids any toys?” And they shook their heads sadly. “Ho! ho! ho! I slipped up,” I said. “We’ll have to fix that.” I told them to wait and I’d be back in a few minutes, then trudged heavily through the snow to the corner.
When I was out of their sight, I ran as fast as I could to the car. We had extra toys in the trunk and my wife
quickly filled up the bag. I trudged back to the house and gave each child a brand-new toy. There was joy and laughter and the woman asked if she could take a picture of Santa with the kids. I said, “Sure, why not?”
When Santa got ready to leave, I noticed that this five-year-old little girl was crying. She was as cute as a
button. I bent down and asked her, “What’s the matter, child?” And she sobbed, “Oh, Santa! I’m so happy.” And the tears rolled from my eyes under the rubber mask.
As I stepped out on the street, “Pan, pan, proche … please come, come!” I heard this man Barsky across the way. So Santa crossed and walked into the house. The boy Peter just stood there and looked at me. “You came,” he said. “I wrote and … you came.” He turned to his parents, “I wrote … and he came.” He repeated it over and over again. “I wrote … and he came.”
When he recovered, I spoke with him about loneliness and friendship, and I gave him a chemistry set, which
seemed to be what he would go for, and a basketball. He thanked me profusely. His mother, a heavyset
Slavic-looking woman, asked something of her husband in Polish. My parents were Polish so I speak a little
and understand a lot. “From the North Pole,” I said in Polish. She looked at me in astonishment. “You speak
Polish?” she asked. “Of course,” I said. “Santa speaks all languages.” And I left them in joy and wonder.
I did this for 12 years, going through the letters to Santa at the post office, listening for the cries of children
muffled in unopened envelopes.
In time I learned all that Santa has to know to handle any situation. Like the big kid who would stop Santa on
the street and ask, “Hey, Santa, where’s your sleigh?” I’d say, “How old are you, son?” And he’d say, “13.” And I’d say, “Well, you’re a big fellow and you ought to know better. Santa used to come in a sleigh many years ago, but these are modern times. I come in a car now.” And I’d hop in the back seat and my wife would drive off.
Or the kid who would look at me closely and come out with, “That’s a mask,” pointing a finger. And you never lie to children, so I’d say, “Sure, son, of course. If everybody knew what Santa really looks like, they’d bother me all year long and I couldn’t get my things ready for Christmas.”
Or the mother who would whisper so her young son couldn’t hear, “Where do you come from?” I’d turn to the child and say, “Your mom wants to know where I come from, Willy.” And he’d say, “From the North Pole, Mommy,” with absolute certainty. And she’d nudge me and whisper, “You don’t understand. Who sent you? I mean, how do you come to this house?” I’d turn to the boy and say, “Hey, Willy, your mom wants to know why I came to see you.” And he’d say, “‘Cause I wrote him a letter, Mommy.” And I’d pull out the letter and she knows she mailed it, and she’s confused and bewildered, and I’d leave her like that.
As time went on, the word got out about Santa Claus and me. I insisted on anonymity, but toy manufacturers
would send me huge cartons of toys as a contribution to the Christmas spirit. So I started with 18 or 20
children and wound up with 120, door to door, from one end of the city to the other, from Christmas Eve
through Christmas Day.
On my last call, a number of years ago, I knew there were four children in the family and I came prepared. The house was small and sparsely furnished. The kids had been waiting all day, staring at the telegram and
repeating to their skeptical mother, “He’ll come, Mommy, he’ll come.” As I rang the door bell, the house lit up with joy and laughter and, “He’s here! He’s here!” The door swings open and they all reach for my hands and hold on. “Hiya, Santa! Hiya, Santa! We just knew you’d come!”
These poor kids are all beaming with happiness. I take each one of them on my lap and speak to them of
rainbows and snowflakes, and tell them stories of hope and waiting, and give them each a toy.All the while, there’s this fifth child standing in the corner, a cute little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. When
I’m through with the others, I turn to her and say, “You’re not part of this family, are you?”
And she shakes her head sadly and whispers, “No.”
“Come closer, child,” I say, and she comes a little closer. “What’s your name?” I ask.
“Lisa.”
“How old are you?”
“Seven.”
“Come, sit on my lap,” and she hesitates but she comes over and I lift her up and sit her on my lap. “Did you
get any toys for Christmas?” I ask.
“No,” she says with puckered lips. So I take out this big beautiful doll and say, “Here, do you want this doll?”
“No,” she says. And she leans over to me and whispers in my ear, “I’m Jewish.”
And I nudge her and whisper in her ear, “I’m Jewish too. Do you want this doll?” She’s grinning from ear to ear and nods with wanting and desire, and takes the doll and hugs it and runs out.
It’s been a long time since I last put on my Santa suit. But I feel that Santa has lived with me and given me a
great deal of happiness all those years. And now, when Christmas rolls around, he comes out of hiding long
enough to say, “Ho! ho! ho! A Merry Christmas to you, my friend!”
And I say to you now, “MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIENDS!”
With Christmas fast approaching, we have been spending a good amount of our time distributing Christmas and New Years books, CDs, Calendars, etc. We concentrate on meaningful items--not the commercialised concept of Christmas that so many adapt nowadays. Here are a few samples:
An inspirational Agenda for 2010 with beautiful photos at the beginning of every month and a quote on every page.
A "Child Friendly" Calendar, just for kids.
Christmas songs on CD included with a card--perfect as a gift.
We also have been continuing teaching Motivational classes every week as well as distribute food to other volunteers.
Recently we spent 5 days helping Jesus House church with their annual car wash project. They wash cars for free and invite the owners inside where there are many activities. We manned the kid's corner. David taught the "STEPS Foundations of Faith", (Produced by Aurora Productions) which is a powerful personal development study curriculum to help children learn about God and His Word. This curriculum includes stories and many excellent teaching resource materials that stimulate discussion and help children discover answers to the many questions they have about God and spiritual principles. Dawn was face painting and I used the faces I painted to suggest a Bible story or concept which I told as I worked. A boy painted as a lion heard the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Star tattoos reminded the wearers of how they will shine as stars if they are wise. To be honest, Batman was one face that stumped me and I didn't know of any Bible story that talked about bats! So I finally looked up "bat" in my Bible and sure enough it was there, under a list of animals that are not good to eat! Gloria was balloon modeling and a balloon hat became a crown of life. Balloon swords were the swords of the spirit, etc! It was a lot of fun and the time flew by! We even got some of the parents and staff to put on a balloon hat or get a design painted on their cheek or arm.
Dawn, David and two children at the Steps activity table
Gloria turned balloons into Bible objects
Painted stars were very popular
David's table was always busy
These children hold up their activities that they worked on while their parents were talking
We volunteered our services at the Multicultural Community Day 2009 at the Barnet Multicultural Community Centre in West Hendon. We contributed a free magic show and balloon modeling for the day. This year’s theme “Health & Harmony in the Community” was aimed at children, young people, adults and elders of all cultures and backgrounds. About 1500 people attended, including the Mayor of Barnet. We were happy to be part of an event that had a aim to strengthen links between the various community groups and service providers as well as to enable and encourage the younger generations to meet with service providers in a comfortable environment.
The Police Force Were Also Represented
Maypole Dancing, Carnival Dancing, Chinese Lion dance and Bollywood Dancing were part of the Attractions
This Police Officer Cheerfully Helped Out During the Children's Magic Show
On May 25th, as part of National Family Week, a new occasion that aims to promote and celebrate family life in the UK, Regents Park, London, hosted a hugh picnic. The picnic was also an attempt to set the Gunniess World Record for largest picnic in multiple venues.
About 25 Family Members, from various Centres around London attended, with their picnics and an extra added item. We brought along thousands of "What Everybody Needs is Love" posters to distribute to the families enjoying the awesome sunshine. The weather prediction had been for thundershowers and it was very overcast, with some light rain in the morning. But a lot of people must have been praying for good weather as the sun came out brilliantly and it couldn't have been better weather for a picnic in the park.
We distributed our Poster to everyone there and it was received with gladness. Even a TV camera crew liked it enough to film a spot with the poster.
It was a wonderful day out and we are happy to have been able to get out God's message of Love to so many people.
Kylie organized and coordinated the Family's efforts that day.Dawn was filmed by ITV for "London Tonight" news programme. The interviewer also took home a poster, which he really liked.
Here is the text from the back of the Poster:
NO MATTER WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE FROM, what religion you believe in or what colour your skin is, your heart is the same as other people's hearts all around the World!—There is no difference! Our desire and need for love and peace and happiness is made by God, and the same in everyone the World over!
WHOEVER WE ARE AND WHEREVER WE ARE FROM, the simple answer to all of our problems is the same as it has always been for every age and every generation: LOVE!—True love, real love, God's Love!
WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS IS LOVE! This is God's answer to all the problems of today as well as to all the problems of the past!—An answer which has always been so simple and childlike that many people find it hard to believe! But this is still God's solution, even in such a confused and complicated World as we live in today!
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE: If we love God, if we have His Love in our hearts, we will love and care for each other. We will then follow His rules of life, liberty and happiness, and all will be well and happy as we follow Him!
FOR IT IS MAN'S REJECTION OF GOD'S LOVE AND HIS LOVING LAWS THAT CAUSES MOST OF THE EVILS AND TROUBLES IN THE WORLD TODAY! If people would love God and each other, they would not be mean and selfish! The rich wouldn't rob the poor, those with plenty wouldn't let their neighbours suffer hunger, disease or overwork without helping them, and they certainly wouldn't fight cruel wars in which they kill and wound each other!
THIS IS WHY JESUS SAID THAT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT IS TO LOVE!—To first of all love God, and then to love your neighbour as yourself! In fact, He said that these two simple laws fulfil all the laws of God! (Matthew 22:37-39) In other words, Love fulfils all the Law!—God's only Law is Love!
OF COURSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, "OH, I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD!" But if you were to ask them if they believe in love, they'd probably reply, "Of course I believe in love!" Well, if they can believe in love, then they can believe in God!—Because the Bible says, "God is Love!" (1John 4:8) So real love, God's Love, is all the religion you need, because God is Love, and Love is God!
GOD IS NOT ONLY LOVE, BUT JESUS ALSO SAID THAT "GOD IS A SPIRIT!" (John 4:24)—He is the Great Spirit of Love that created you and me and this beautiful World and the entire Universe! He is so big and so great that He is far beyond our human understanding! But God loved us so much that He wanted us to somehow know and love Him, so to show us His Love and to help us to understand Himself, He sent His Own Son to Earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ.
JESUS WAS LIKE A PICTURE OF GOD, to show us what God Himself is like.—And that picture is a picture of Love, because all Jesus did was talk about love and show love and live love. Then finally, in love, He gave His life for you and me, so that we could have God's Love, forgiveness and free Gift of Eternal Life if we would just receive Him into our hearts.
SO IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LOVE, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T YET FOUND GOD'S LOVE BY RECEIVING HIS SON JESUS!—There is a hollowness, an empty spot that He has placed in each of our hearts that only He can fill, and that nothing else will ever truly satisfy. So if you'd like Him to fill that spot in your life, all you have to do is open your heart to Him.
TO RECEIVE GOD'S LOVE IS SO SIMPLE that Jesus said you must become as a little child to enter His spiritual Kingdom of love and joy! He said, "Unless you humble yourself and become as a little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Matthew 18:3)
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CONFESS THAT YOU'RE NOT PERFECT, that you have made mistakes and that you need God's forgiveness. The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) In other words, we've all done wrong, so we all need to be forgiven, because without forgiveness of sin, we'd be separated from God's perfect Love.
BUT YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF! The Bible tells us, "by grace (God's Love and mercy) we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves or our own good deeds. It is the free Gift of God!" (Ephesians 2:8,9) No matter what good things you do or how religious you try to be, it's impossible to save yourself!—It's a Gift of God! And the Gift God gave is JESUS!
"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD (you and me), that He gave His Own Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should never die (be separated from God's Love), but have Everlasting Life." (John 3:16) God loved you so much that He gave Jesus to die in your place, to take the punishment that you deserve for your sins.—And all you have to do is believe and receive Him!
JESUS PROMISED THAT IF YOU OPEN UP YOUR HEART, if you ask Him to come in, He will come in. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart), and knock: If any man hear My voice, & open the door, I will come in to him." (Rev.3:20)
YOU CAN RECEIVE JESUS RIGHT NOW by praying this simple prayer: "Dear Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins. I believe You are the Son of God and that You died for me, and I now invite You into my heart. Jesus, please come in and help me to love others and tell them about You so they may find You too. In Jesus' name I ask, Amen."
IF YOU PRAYED AND MEANT THIS PRAYER, Jesus is now in your heart! And you have Love that you will never lose, that will never let you go, for you are His child forever!—"For he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life!" (John 3:36)
WE HOPE THESE WORDS OF LOVE HAVE HELPED YOU TO FIND THE LOVE YOU NEED TO MAKE YOU HAPPY!—And that others will find happiness through your love too! God bless you & make you a blessing with His Love!
One of our friends comes from Palestine originally. He now lives in London and is director of a Sunday school that teaches about 150 children the Arabic language and culture. Recently four of his family members were killed in the conflict in Gaza, which is where he is from. They were all civilians. We wanted to do something to help encourage him during this difficult time and we thought that " Laughter Therapy" might be a help. Several of us enjoy working with children and we have developed a programme whereby we are able to entertain children (and the attending adults too) in a way that is fun and meaningful at the same time. Our programme includes tricks, jokes, lots of music, disco dancing, puppets, games, etc. We also do balloon sculpting and face painting. We adapt the programme according to the occasion and ages of the audience.
Here is a quote from a famous comedian about laughter:
"It dawned on me then that as long as I could laugh, I was safe from the world; and I have learned since that laughter keeps me safe from myself, too. " -Jimmy Durante
We asked our friend if he would like us to come to his school one Sunday and put on a little show for the children, free of cost, to which he readily agreed. It was a lot of fun. The children were wonderful and so were the teachers and even the parents that came towards the end to pick up their children from school. We were asked by our friend to impart some kind of a meaningful message. So, when we were distributing the balloon swords that we had sculpted for all the children, we explained that even though some people take up the sword and other weapons to fight and try to solve problems, that "Love, humility and prayer solves all problems" and we should pray for peace and for forgiveness to those who wrong us. We enjoyed heart warming conversations with some of the teachers and parents who were born in various countries--many from Palestine and surrounding areas. They all showed so much appreciation towards us as they told us about their individual situations and some of the problems that they face, as they asked us to pray for them and their families and loved ones. We even had a chance to get to know some of the teen boys who very willingly helped us carry our equipment out to the car after the programme. Our friend also shared with us a little of the mission of this Sunday school. It's not only to teach reading and writing the Arabic language, (the children already speak Arabic as they learn it at home, but they need help learning to read and write it). "This is also a Centre for them to learn our culture. You see, " he added in a sober voice, " we need to also supply a meeting place for them where they can meet and make friends and do something productive, or else the fanatic elements will lure them into their violent ways". As a mother of five sons, this really hit home for me--that these dear parents have to stand constant guard over their children to help them develop the right morals and character and not be enticed by those wanting to use them for evil. If our programme this day has helped encourage even one person to stick to the good and to strive for peace, then it was well worth all the time and work that went into it.
"Take a stand for God, a stand for peace, a stand against war. Take a stand for freedom, and against the hypocrisy, greed and selfishness of those who are eager to wage war. Pray for peace. Pray for the innocent. Remember, you are accountable to God and will stand before Him one day. Live accordingly. "(from God’s Position on War. Complete text available upon request)
Kylie organized and coordinated the Family's efforts that day.
Dawn was filmed by ITV for "London Tonight" news programme. The interviewer also took home a poster, which he really liked. 
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