Do I share the good or not so good news first? Let me take the road our God takes. He always finishes on a positive.
The floodwaters in Cambodia have not completely receded. There are still some villages, which are isolated due to floodwaters and are asking for relief. Our team in Cambodia is evaluating the ongoing need.
The Typhoon, which hit Danang directly, was as bad as predicted, but what was amazing is there was not extensive damage as was expected! Nor was there the "extreme" rain many were predicting. YEAH GOD!!!
All of our kid's homes suffered some damage but again nothing like it could have been. Many families in surrounding areas lost roofs, including some of GIBTK staff members. All in all I must give credit to our living God for the miraculous lack of damage and loss of lives. Yeah GOD!
 Honored Gala guests from Vietnam Tam and Hong |
Gratefully between Cambodia and Vietnam, GIBTK was able to help several thousand through the first few days with emergency relief of clean water, rice and noodles. GIBTK is still working with families and accessing needs. Thank you to those who were able to help and those who continue to send donations for relief!
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| Silent auction bidders |
Our annual Gala was a smashing success! We raised funds for 42 ½ heart surgeries! That is 42 children who will have a chance of living a full life because of a heart surgery. I believe that the other half surgery will come in and bring our total to 43 kids able to have heart surgery! YEAH GOD!!!!! Not all commitments are in but it looks like our total was about $140,000! I think this is a record year! We really need the funds.
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| Hong wept through her story, of her family poor and looking for fund to save her life for 12 years!!! YIKES!!! |
Our guest of honor Hong a 13 year old young lady who had a heart surgery this past March. She shared with me several times prior to the Gala (practice) about her surgery and her story. It was dramatic but she never became emotional.
At the event she broke down. When she came to the part about her family being poor and having looked for funds to save her life for 12 years... well she began to weep, as did everyone in the audience.
Hong is in the top 3 of her class and her dream is to become a doctor to help poor children like her.... Just typing this out brings up a flood of emotions. Her health is excellent and made a trip to Disneyland yesterday with Sea world later this week!
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| Honey and Ali Pfleger (lower 2 beautiful ladies) with their volunteer team |
Ali Pfleger a number of years ago (I think 7) began something she calls "My Passion" She makes jewelry and donates 100% to GIBTK. In past years she has sold her wares at a boutique held at Mariners' Church but this year it was canceled. She agreed to bring her things to our event. In my opinion she did not charge enough but still sold and donated almost $400! This young lady besides being a full time dancer (has been working for Reebok as a dancer) has a passion to help the less fortunate children, especially in SE Asia! With young ladies like this there is hope for our Nation!!! So proud of her and so many other teens coming alongside GIBTK.
Tam our country director brought a poster with kids handprints to honor Doug and Julia Salisbury for there tireless efforts to help build GIBTK. This year Doug and Julia invited their entire email list of friend to the event and committed to give a bag of rice for every guest who responded!!! Yeah Mr. D and Julia.
Every year we pick someone who has given his or her time and talent to GIBTK. There is one who was with us from the beginning. A founding Board member and has continued to volunteer not only herself but her daughters too!!! She is a real estate agent extraordinaire and I have not seen her lack for words. That is until her name was announced as the recipient of this years Carmela's Heart award. The only thing she got out was a thank you with a tear filled voice.
We also honored 3 ladies who worked tirelessly into the many nights prior to the event Dorothea and Debbie Hoenecke. Also Tam was honored for her tireless efforts in leading GIBTK in Vietnam.
I hope if you have not come to our annual event please make plans to come next year. We hope to have date settled but looks like it will be the first weekend in Nov 2014! I hope you can put Giving it Back to Kids "Journey of Hope" on your 2014 calendar.
><((((º> BBlessed
www.gibtk.org
Robert Kalatschan
Giving It Back To Kids
