Make Believe Tea Party Ends This Week

Throughout the month of August we have been having a different sort of fundraiser.

You don't have to get up and go anywhere. You don't have to gather anything. You don't have to sell anything.

You just have to brew yourself a nice cup of tea, and send in a donation to New Family Foundation towards our general operations budget.

Of course many of you, being on our mailing list, would have received a bag of tea in the mail, along with a return envelope and a response card indicating how you'd like to make your donation.

The response has been amazing so far, and I can't wait to post the final results next week! Thank you to everyone who has sent in something. I hope you enjoyed your cup of tea, or are saving it for one of those chilly mornings coming up in the fall.

Today I thought I'd just post a reminder to those of you, like me, who sometimes put something on a mental list but then lose the list. We have until August 31st to participate in the Make Believe Tea Party.

If you would like to participate, even without having a tea bag delivered to you, you can still do so via e-transfer to donations@hcckw.ca (use password Thai Tea). And thank you so much.

Now, all of this has been in honour of Yupa, the Mom of right now 24 children who would otherwise be at-risk or orphaned, with no real opportunities in front of them.

It's fitting that we do this in August for two reasons.

One is that August 12 is Mother's Day in Thailand.

The other is that August 31st bears a particular weight for Yupa. It marks the day her son Bee died in a tragic motorcycle accident at the age of 20. Then, seven years later she would lose her father to leukemia on the very same day.

Tea or no tea, we would all appreciate your prayers of comfort during this week.

Blessings, and thanks again to everyone who has made this first ever effort a success!

Back in Business

Pardon the Absence

After almost three months of online silence following an 'automatic' upgrade somewhere in the cyber universe, I am finally only now able to access our Highview to Thailand blog!!!  (I'll leave my Boomer rant about technology for another day.  Sigh.)

A LOT has happened while we've been away!

This Summer's Visit

From July 23 to August 6,  Abby and I visited Hot Springs for what was a short but definitely sweet time together with the kids.  Traveling with my own granddaughter and introducing her to our Thai family and them to her has been a long time desire of my heart.  So to see how easily and beautifully she adapted and blended into life there was more that spectacular.  I have rarely traveled with someone who did not seem to have any culture shock whatsoever for a first time experience, myself included.  I'll let her tell her own stories in her own way in her own time, but don't be surprised if some of her reflections get published here very soon.

Make Believe Tea Party

In August we've been running our first ever Make Believe Tea Party fundraiser, in honour of Yupa, our leader-mom at Hot Springs, and Mother's Day in Thailand, August 12.  I will have some exciting updates and new about that for you next week, so stay tuned!  Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far!!

November Visit

From October 30 to November 20, plans are in place for another Team to visit.  This will include three of our Sponsors, Norma, Cheryl and Evangeline who will have the opportunity to spend time with the child they have been paired with.  It's all part of our very personal and connected approach to our sponsorship program, and while we understand not every Sponsor can do so, we are delighted when  Sponsors make the trip.  Our focus for the November Team will be on our English learning initiatives, prompted by Cheryl's presence and her life time of experience teaching children to read.

January Visit Possible

And not to start rumours or anything, but there is a whiff of a plan to have another Team spend some of January in a carpentry-focused visit, helping to bring some badly needed upgrades to our children's bedrooms by building replacement wardrobes.  More on all of that later.

On a Personal Note

Personally, the summer has been one of upheaval, both planned and unplanned.  In the midst of a downsizing move between the home we've lived at for the past 36 years in Waterloo and a new, yet to be completed Granny Flat in Kitchener, I had a medical emergency when my appendix ruptured June 27.  The good news is that everything was taken care of beautifully, and I can't say enough about the care I received every step of the way at Grand River Hospital.  Amazing.  The difficult part was that it all happened right when we were clearing out the house, and packing up boxes I was not allowed to lift.  Ken took the brunt, but we are also truly grateful for the help received on so many levels!  At this point I am almost fully recovered, but still finding I need to be careful not to push myself physically.  I honestly didn't know before this how much I need my abdominal muscles for so many ordinary functions of life!!  Not getting out in the kayak has been my most distressing concern...so all things considered, I'm doing very well.

Staying Connected

All of this many of you already know because you're on the mailing list for my regular email updates and/or you follow things with me on Facebook and my own personal blog Bread and Honey  I'll provide the blog link here.  But also, if you would like to be put on the email update mailing list, or even if you want to connect with me through Facebook, please let me know by emailing me at rabreithaupt@hcckw.ca.  

It's great to be back.

I'm looking forward to connecting more regularly again!!!!!!!!

The mission of New Family Foundation is to provide a loving home

 for at-risk and orphaned children in Northern Thailand

 to help them achieve their best potential in education, vocation and service to society.

 

Rev. Ruth Anne Breithaupt, MDiv

Canadian Representative