My Friend Greg

Am feeling sad today….A good friend was killed in a car accident last Friday 22/02/08. Greg was rushing to a job interview when he ran off the road and hit a tree. Greg had only just celebrated his 20^th birthday in Dec.There was a lot of crying and grief on Friday when I got the news. I felt physically sick. The pain for what his family must be feeling was so intense I could not verbalise my emotions.Albert, Lily and I went to Greg’s home on Friday night and it was probably the best thing we could have done.I have not known a lot of death in my life and so often feel unable to verbalise my sympathy to those who have lost someone close to them. I did not want to go in to the house as I thought I would throw up. I kept saying to Albert ‘What do I say?”Albert said “You don’t have to say anything”. This was really hard for me to grasp because my personality is all about fixing things. There was nothing that I could say that would fix this. To see so many people there that loved and knew Greg made the grief easier to bear.To hug his family and be there for them was important too. His family are amazing. And to see the response to a death of a Christian is so different to the death of unbeliever.Even through their deep sadness his family have hope. They know Greg is in heaven. Greg is now better off than all of us. The sadness that we were all experiencing was for ourselves. How we will miss him and have to change our lives to function without him. Even though we were sad there was laughter and joy remembering funny things about Greg.

Greg was a brilliant musician and organiser. We laughed to think that Greg was now in heaven lining up the angels and telling them what he wanted them to sing…I smiled to think that Greg is now listening to music that our human understanding can’t even imagine…. 

Greg only last Sunday you promised to help me organise the Christmas Panto at Church. I will now have to get this done without your great talent. This makes me so sad. But wow I am happy for you.How awesome Greg. You can now find out who shot JFK! Although I am sure that is not on the top of your priority list for ‘Questions to ask when you get to heaven’You can ask Corrie Ten Boom how she survived the Nazi Concentration camp. You can give Gladys Aylward a hug. Talk to Johannes Sebastian Bach and ask about his music.But best of all you can step forward and lay your head on the shoulder of Jesus while giving Him that famous Gregles hug. He will wipe the tears from your eyes.Your home brother!    

Xin Nian Kuaile! Happy New Year!

Sunday we walked in the Chinese New Year Parade Sydney. What an amazing feeling to be a part of such an event. As an Australian who has an adopted a Chinese child it was encouraging and special to see so many Chinese people yelling words of praise an encouragement to the Australian Families marching with their Chinese Children. It was a really outpouring of acceptance from the Chinese Community as a whole.

We also had the priviledge of being interviewed By Yalda Hakim of SBS in regards to intercountry adoption.

You can view the SBS clip on their website, if you like. Though you
can’t save it to your hard drive.

Intercountry Adoption Interview

Click “Watch Online”

When the video player screen pops up scroll down the list to “Adopted
Chinese Children Enjoy New Year”

Aunty Katie and Ruby

Entombed Warriors

Families with Children from China

Three tired munchkins

Daddy, Lily and Yalda.

Chinese Orphanages Need Help Now

Hi All

Half The Sky  (an aid agency for Chinese Orphans) reports on how the Chinese
orphanages are faring with the worst winter seen in decades.
If you are able to pray for and assist in anyway it would be greatly appreciated.

Many orphanages have little or no heating as boilers had broken down,
they are running out of nappies (cannot dry cloth nappies) and some
have no power, reduced water supplies and food prices are
skyrocketing. Imagine being the carers, desperately trying to keep
the children warm and fed.

Below is one of the more serious in the reports but there are so many
in a bad way …and these are only the ones HTS has been able to get
reports on.

Report from HTS 3-02-08
Xinyang, Henan – UPDATE: It seems first information on Xinyang did not
come from director of institution. Today’s news is not so favourable.
It has been snowing since January 10 and temperatures are the lowest
in history. Some heaters are broken. The institution has gathered all
of the children together in the largest HTS activity room to keep them
warm. Due to the weight of ice, the roof has cracked and there are
leaks into some of the HTS activity rooms as well as the nurseries.
They are installing a “temporary” toilet on the same floor as the big
activity room so children and caregivers don’t slip on the icy
corridors and stairs. They ask for disposable diapers, winter
clothes, cream for chilblains for the children’s hands and feet. HTS
staff continues to walk to work through the snow and ice; there is no
public transportation.

please DONATE now.
Much more information on specific needs are detailed here.

Ciao For Now
Rachel