|
I hope your enjoying the holidays. I know for many it is a time of great joy and others some sadness to. Todays note is from Tam, GIBTK's S.E. Asia director. She is a key factor to making GIBTK what it is today. Her work and passion is endless. Truly she is leaving a legacy for generations to come.
|
|
| Tam with one of great leaders |
Greeting from Viet Nam! I am sorry that I haven't had any journal written down for long time. I hope that everyone still remember me J . I want to thank all of you for your continuous support to the mission of GIBTK. GIBTK would not be able to achieve what we have achieved without your contribution. You all have played an important part to our success.
|
|
| A big smile from one of the many hearts patients and her mother! |
After 11 + years serving at GIBTK, I have experienced different levels of emotions. I was upset because sometimes things did not turn out the way I expected. I was discouraged because of challenges I face at work as a leader. One of the biggest challenges is how to equip myself to be able to bring others up to my level. I cried tears of happiness when seeing someone's life being transformed through our programs. Whenever I feel like I was saddened, seeing smiles of kids energizes me and helps me get back up to continue doing what I love to do - transforming lives.
|
|
| Past recipient of Tuition program and now on the staff |
The amazing thing is that what Gibtk has been doing becomes so fruitful. The reward I get is not about money, it is about relationship, influence and love. To many people success is having a lot of money and other different things in life, but to me success is the legacy that I can leave for the next generation. I want the dash in my life to be a meaningful one.
In a late afternoon of one day in Aug this year, I got a surprised matryoshka doll (known as a Russian doll) from a heart patient who GIBTK helped 10 years ago (I met her when I was still a staff member who was in charge of the heart program). The distance and the connection loss could not prevent us from finding a way to keep in touch with each other. Just a short conversation each time we could talk has helped build up our strong relationship together. This little girl went to Russia to study at a university thanks to the scholarship funded by the Vietnamese government.
When she was able to come back to Viet Nam for the first time, she rode a motorbike for an hour to Da Nang just to meet me and say thank-you to me. 15 minutes with her meant a lot more than whatever happened on that day. This is something only relationship can do.
|
|
| View of inside of the home that Tam picked |
Among all the programs of GIBTK, I love the compassion house program the most. By grace, recently, I was asked to pick a poor family in the countryside to build a compassion house. I went to the village and met with several families. One family (the one I picked) reminded me of where I came from. I could not imagine how hard for the children of this family to live in a place like that.
|
|
| Outside view, soon the family will have a new safe home |
I grew up and lived in a similar house for 25 years. All my past memories came flooding back when I looked at the walls and every corner of the house. This place cannot keep the children safe and warm enough in the winter. I felt choked at my throat and stinging at the corner of my eyes. I saw my childhood and myself in that family. Thanks to a donor, the house of this family is being built. It will be done soon and I am sure the children of this family will have a better and safe place soon.
I am so happy and honor to be part of something bigger than myself- the mission of transforming lives. I think the biggest achievement I have is the fulfillment of watching kids we help achieving their dreams and coming back to help others. I love the riffle effect that relationship creates over the year.
Tam Tong
><((((º> BBlessed
|
