November News

In this month’s letter: 1.November in Hong Kong, 2. Global Sources, 3 Madagascar Dream, 4. “Even If We Shout……..” 5. Christmas Mail, 6. Some things that need Uplifting, 7. How you can Help

NOVEMBER IN HONG KONG
I love November in Hong Kong. I woke up this morning and was cold! Yey. The days are quite pleasant right now, mid 20s, just nice. If we could just get rid of the terrible smog……well at least you can see what your’re breathing.

As you read this letter our family in Australia is preparing to celebrate Mem’s (Phil’s Mum) 80^th Birthday. I guess it is poignant reminder of the fact that we have been called away from our loved ones and times like this we long to be home, but never the less we know where we are supposed to be . The good news is that we get to celebrate it with her in one months time when she comes to visit for a few weeks with nephew Ricky.

It almost goes without saying that the last month has been very busy and tiring. We are both looking forward to a weekend away in Macao to relax and revive. Check our blog next week for a report.

Some lovely shipments went out last month, including two containers to Croatia and Kazakhstan and this month we will be sending to Lesotho, Madagascar, Israel and North Asia

A number of key staff have been away and that has brought extra pressure especially for Sue.

2. GLOBAL SOURCES THANK YOU
We have also had some wonderful opportunities with the Global Sources Fairs run here at the enormous, Asia Expo Centre. Not only did we exhibit there but we were also involved in a ‘Care & Share’ programme with the organisers which saw around 6 truck loads of product that had been used as samples donated to Crossroads. This included about 15 usable keyboards, which are a high demand item, wonderful lights, cooking implements, silverware, kitchen utensils, the list goes on.

3. MADAGASCAR DREAM
What comes to mind when you think of Madagascar....Lots of wild animals, luscious tropical forests, the jungle, Tarzan swinging from tree to tree, and if you’re like me, maybe even the cartoon comes to mind.…

The truth is, though, Madagascar is among the poorest countries in the world and its original beauty has been, for the most part, destroyed by slash and burn farming. 70% of the population live beneath the poverty line and 93 out of 1,000 Malagasy children die before reaching their first birthday, and much higher in rural areas.

Though the reality of life in Madagascar may be far from what we imagined, there is still a light shining through the likes of our consignee. They currently run an orphanage in the capital and are in the process of opening another one. In conjunction with the orphanage they run a school, with another hundred or so children coming in from the surrounding areas for schooling each day.

Along with the orphanages and schools, they are also involved with prison work, specifically with women prisoners who have children. In Madagascar if a female prisoner has a child under 3 years old, the child lives in the prison with her. They also provide aid to the extremely poor, as well as run a very small medical clinic.

We are packing this container next week and are very excited about sowing good seed into this part of the world. Though the land is parched and the people are thirsty, we know their hearts are fertile and ready to receive. We will keep you posted with news of this shipment once it has arrived.

4. “EVEN IF WE SHOUT, THERE IS NO ONE TO HEAR”
Death seemed such an obvious alternative. The complications of taking her life seemed nothing compared to those she would face if Julia kept living. There weren’t too many weeks left before her pregnancy would “show” and people would start asking questions. In fact, they would do a lot more than that. She had seen it happen to other girls before. As soon as they fell pregnant, outside of marriage, they were branded as outcasts. It was more than her 13 year old mind could bear.

For a 13 year old girl to go through such trauma may seem extraordinary to a Western reader. In Nagaland, India, however, it is not unusual for girls to be sexually active from the age of 10. Although active, they are not aware. There is no contraception. There is very limited medical care for pregnant women of any age or status.

The gateway city to Nagaland is Dimapur and has a population of 200,000. A study was carried out there and after monitoring only 6 of the 114 nursing homes, or hospital-like facilities, in Dimapur, there were 556 abortions in one month, and the doctors said that this was the quietest time of year for abortions.

Abortion is illegal but it is rampant. Doctors will perform a quick, unhygienic operation – behind a curtain - for a small ‘gift’. If even that is too expensive, the common alternative is a self administered solution with a stick. The loss of life is often not just that of the unborn child.

The dire state of antenatal care led one health care worker to lament, “Even if we shout, there is no one to hear”. Yet someone has heard the cry, and now there is a centre providing hope for these young women in crisis. It gives young unwed mothers like Julia a chance to have their child in a sheltered environment. The girls can stay in the centre for the duration of their pregnancy if they wish to avoid the ostracism of the street. Faced with this decision, Julia chose life for both herself and her little child.

Most of the young mothers have no way to look after their child and choose to put them up for adoption. These babies are usually adopted very fast, mainly because so many women have abortions, and when they want kids, they cannot have them, so they adopt.

In the centres short existence, 160 children have been placed into families, mostly in the surrounding area. That means 160 little lives have been rescued from the death which threatened to steal them, to say nothing of the lives of the mothers who, like Julia, might otherwise have taken their own lives.

Upon the arrival of the container there, our consignee said, “The staff, and people from all over the village were so amazed that these goods were a gift. Everyone could tell it was packed with such care. The content was amazing, we couldn't have asked for anything better. The children looked so smart in their new clothes, and the staff really loved dressing them up. One of our boys, Zared, got a new hat and wouldn’t take it off for 3 days, he even slept with it on. Our older babies are enjoying sleeping in the new cradles and the wheel chairs have been a huge blessing to many. Thank you very much for everything!"

5. GETTING OUR CHRISTMAS MAIL LIST TOGETHER
Our Christmas Cards are beautiful this year. Hand made in Rwanda (check out last month’s story. But our Christmas mail list has many out of date addresses. So if you have moved in the last year, please make sure you let us know of your new address.

6. SOME THINGS THAT WE WOULD LOVE UPLIFTING;
* Sue is still making regular visits to the dentist, which is hard on her and very hard on our finances. Please up hold her

* We are finalising shipments for the first part of the new year. Wisdom as we finalise all this

* Upholding for Sal one of Directors who has been travelling almost constantly meeting with stakeholders as Global Hand is in important development stages. It is hard and sometimes lonely work.

* Planning for end of year trip, to look at organisations doing similar work and to try to strengthen some ongoing partnership opportunities.

* For Nev & Viv Harrison and family from our Australian Club as they prepare to come for a year at Crossroads/Global Hand

7. HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US

For information about how to support us please see the side bar

We do think of you and chat to our Father about you often.

Every blessing

PHIL & SUE