A Gift That Enables

Today, Miriam had a job of choosing who she would want to help through KIVA.  The three kids got a gift certificate each from their Grandpa George and Grandma Barbara.  KIVA is an organization that connects people who have extra with intrepreneurs who need money to start or expand their small business.  Well, my in-laws just provided my kids with the ability to participate in this flourishing program. 

I had no influence on their choice at all.  It turned out that they all have chosen to support a business which they themselves understand.  Brahms decided to lend to a man from Dominican Republic who is in the food business.  I must say that his choice has been influenced by his own love of food.  Anything that has something to do with preparing food should be encouraged and supported. :)  He has seen people in the rural areas of the Philippine where women are seen selling homemade food such as banana-que (fried bananas on sticks) and puto (muffin-like rice cakes).   He ate a lot of those while he was there last year.  These food vendors are often limited in their production by the lack of money to buy their supplies. 

Miriam gave a loan to a farmer from Ecuador.  This farmer grows cacao, bananas, rice and corn.  I'm guessing that Miriam decision was affected by the memory of her experience sucking on cacao seeds from my sister's backyard.  She has also been in the rice fields, which she enjoyed so much, with her cousins collecting snails (escargot).  Miriam might not understand what goes on behind the fun of playing in the rice paddies but small farmers often have the problem of coming up with cash during planting season.  They need money to buy the seeds, fertilizers and for labor cost.  Farmers get their income at the end of the cropping season.  Smart farmers save the needed cash to plant the next crop.  Sometimes, however, natural events (drought, floods, and pests) can reduce their harvest or destroy a crop completely.


Having spent a considerable time in a similar economic situation, the kids have a clear image of the conditions of these people they are helping.  They have seen how small stores look like (such as the one owned by their aunt Rowena).  Shannon loaned money to a seamstress from Rwanda and another one in Mongolia.  Shannon got the chance to see and interact with a seamstress in Tuguegarao when my cousin and his wife (Eddie and Nenie) tried to find someone who would customize a gown for her.  She did not end up getting a gown made because the seamstress did not have wide variety of fabric to choose from.  Personal experience influences our choices.

George (my father-in-law) is a retired City Manager of Hollister.  He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Pakistan and Bangladesh in his younger days.   Barbara (my step-mother-in-law) is a retired lawyer.  She has been involved in a number of philanthropic activities in her community.  They have shown us, their kids, how to get involved in the lives of others.  In the previous years they have sent animals through Heifer International in our names - to help some families somewhere to start raising animals for food and money. They have been consciously opening the eyes of their grandchildren to a wider scope of their surroundings.  Even my children learned so much by going through the list of potential entreprises in which they can get involved.  Through this process, they realize that there are people out there whose dreams can be realized when others help.

KIVA enables people (somewhere) to move away from poverty.  It also enables people (here), like my children, to experience the mental exercise that drives them to dream with and pray for the people they have chosen to help.

A Close Look At My Children

Change and growth describe the events that are constantly happening with my three children.   Every time I take a close look at their faces when we kiss each other goodnight or when I watch them walk away to the bus stop every morning I see something new and different.   When we sit at the table for dinner or when I sit across from anyone of them in the living room as we discuss about what they read from their devotional book, it seems as though something had happened since the last time.  One child is now wittier, or slightly taller.   Another child now bends down to look at the top of my head; although not-quite-a-mustache yet but now with a prominent-fuzzy line.  Still another one is turning into a little grown-up girl, taking responsibility in a slightly more mature way. 

Indeed they are changing and following the path to maturity and isn't that what every parent wishes to see happen?  Yet it is interesting to see that there remains about each kid that distinguishes them from each other.  The growing and changing cannot hide the inherent nature of their personalities.

Only God knows what goes on in her mind but she keeps quiet and observes.  Shannon is cautious and always abiding to set rules.  We call her the Rule Police.  We have a picture of her and Brahms watching the TV-show "Little Bear" with a finger on her lips shushing her brother.  When her brother would be doing something different, her response would be "Did you ask Mommy and Daddy?"  She understands the price of following rules yet finds it freedom and pride in having resisted something for the sake of obedience to rules. 

She's always curious and yet very disciplined.  As she grows up, may she always choose God as the subject of her curiosity and obedience.

Brahms is a guy who would not miss any opportunity to experience something that's presented to him.  I remember a time we were in England and visiting Warwick Castle, he was nine years old then.  The resident jester was entertaining the visitors when he asked for a volunteer from the crowd.   He raised his hands voluntarily and helped the Jester do his tricks.    

Always doing something, he accepts challenges presented to him.   He has memorized the periodic table in order and he can name all the US presidents in the right order.  Sometimes he struggles during the process but to him the joy of having experienced it is a reward in itself.  God help him to choose wisely.

To Miriam, finding something in nature and being able to use it is more fun than buying something from a gift shop.  It does not matter where we are she would always manage to find a flower to give me.  In her album is a pressed and preserved flower which she picked for me in Istanbul when our family visited Turkey. 

She also has a desiccated pipe fish she picked on the coast of Dunbar in Scotland, which she brings out from time to time to her sister's disgust.  She is resourceful and likes to leave a mark where she's been.   When she grows up God help her to use her resourcefulness to help others.

To me they still are children...my children...God's gifts to me. 

Spring Festival

Others say it's Chinese New Year but in my house it is called Spring Festival.  We are neither Chinese citizens nor scholars of Chinese culture...but we have a reliable connection to China.  

Last year, Meng Wang became a part of our family when she was here as an exchange student.  We maintain communication with her even now.  In fact, today we received a package from her.  It was like a care package with a theme: Spring Festival.  One of the things she sent is the Chinese knot which now hangs brightly on our door.  There was a bag of Beijing specialties (a variety of goodies) which we have been enjoying.  She tells us that Spring Festival is very important to Chinese, just like our Christmas.  And just like the way pay extra postage to make sure that our presents arrive to their destination before Christmas Eve, Meng also made sure we had the ornaments, food and games during this week.  

Assorted Goodies: Beijing Style

Somehow I'm feeling homesick for Meng.  We had a good Spring Festival celebration with her last year.  We ate a lot of dumplings and played games of 'Higher and Higher.'   If God wills, we will see each other again. 

Happy Spring Festival Everyone! 

Nineteen Years

Valentines Flowers from Tim

Nineteen Years

by Helen Lewis

He uses flowers to express his delight for me...and that's romantic. 

But nineteen years of buying me flowers is a very long time I think. 

He says, You deserve it...and I love to make you smile.

But nineteen years of giving me flowers is still a very long time.

It doesn't matter nineteen years or forever more

As long as I still can drive to the store I will buy you more.

I still say nineteen years is a very very long time.

When I'm old and can't drive anymore,

As long as I can "click" - flowers will still come to your door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gift

The original picture is sharp black and white

A gift is freely given.  The nature of the gift is completely decided by the one who gives it.  It is chosen based on a desired perk to the one whom it is intended for and delivered with kindness and love.  No matter what it is, once given, the present will be tagged with a new value determined by the recipient's gratitude.  My mother-in-law gave my husband a very precious gift for his birthday.  With it came this inscription on a piece of paper:

Dear Tim,

Your dad and I took you with us to the "Kinetic Scupture" race in Ferndale on May 9, 1971, when you were approximately 21/2 years old.  A young woman, who said she was a student at Humboldt State, asked our permission to take your picture.  We said that was OK and she promised to send us a copy, which she did.  You will find that she wrote the date and her name "M. Sullivan" on the back.

I've always loved this photo.  It speaks to me of the fine man you are and how, even that young, one could see your potential.  You were so intent on those moving sculptures, we could sense your wheels-turning!!!

Anyway, I pass the photo on to you.

With love and pride!

 Mom

My husband was clearly astonished to find such special present.   With

thoughts of tenderness towards his own mother, he looked at the picture as if he wanted to cry but was embarrased to let it go.   We all looked at it with appreciation, a lot of imagination and questions.  "Are you sure that is you?"  "What happened to your nose? (It used to be smaller.)"  "You used to be so cute!"  My children and I welcome anything that tells us a little bit about him during the "blind period" when we have not met.   Secretly, I wished I saw him when he was a little boy.  In as much as I didn't, I will just content myself to sharing life with him now as we age together, till death do as part.

We will treasure this picture and the memories that came with it.