Goodness Grace-ness! amazonaws com
Report Back January 2013 MANURE MAGIC! The poo from this cow you supplied in Burundi provides precious fertiliser to grow vegetables so children have healthy food to eat!
Goodness Grace-ness! More than 16,000 Gifts of Grace – a record! - are providing chicken farms, clean water, and stacks of precious cow poo thanks to you. THANK YOU!
“When I gave up playing my favourite sport this year, I had a deep desire the funds I would normally spend on my gratification be put to a good use.That’s why I have used Gifts of Grace to purchase a borehole repair kit. Water is critical for life, and having lived 10 years in the desert, water was at the forefront of most things we did … As I sit here in my airconditioned office, sipping on my chilled and filtered water preparing sermons for the Christmas celebrations, I have tears of joy knowing that somewhere on the other side of the world families will be able to continue to draw water from their bore…” Pastor T Something special happened with Gifts of Grace this year. It wasn’t just that we had more than 16,000 gifts given – a record. Or that these gifts are providing life-changing aid worth more than $500,526.
Or that we quickly ran out of Chicken Farm Grace Cards (our most popular gift).
Or that we needed a dozen volunteers working flat-out – even on the Saturday the week before Christmas – to get you your Gifts of Grace cards on time. Or that one of those volunteers was a new neighbour and former refugee who wanted … the cow’s first calf is given to another community to ‘give back’. association. The goodness of the gift keeps growing! Another was a Chinese graduate, others were Lutheran care and salt. Plus, the cow’s first calf is Aged Care residents, others members of given to another community association. local Lutheran congregations. The goodness of the gift keeps growing! What was special were the notes and calls and emails like Pastor T’s telling us how people were feeling blessed by giving Gifts of Grace. Giving not getting. That’s something very different from the $14.8 billion Australians spent from 26 December to 15 January (Australian Retailers Association), which was all about getting not giving. Gifts of Grace is a simple way of showing others that people matter more than things. The Gifts of Grace you gave are very wanted.
You can see how valued a cow can be to a community in Burundi!
Even more important for family health is the manure the cow produces! Each of the 13 group members receives a portion of the cow’s manure. The manure provides fertiliser for their bean and corn crops they could not otherwise afford. Everything grows better. Plus, spare manure is sold to raise funds for soap, school supplies, health
You only need to talk to someone like Simon Gasase, president of a 13 member community group in Rukoyoyo in Burundi. The group received a cow from our Lutheran team. The milk the cow provides helps improve family nutrition.
Girls no longer have to work hours each day collecting water, leaving them to risk failing at school. Health improves. Aluel Ater, who now has access to a Lutheran-supplied borehole that supplies clean water to 160 families, says: “Before I had to go so far to collect water. This is four hours walk. At that time children died of disease from the water… The new borehole means we have less disease. I am happy because it means the people may no longer die easily.” People’s lives are changed because of your Gifts of Grace. Whether you gave or received one Gift of Grace, or many, the goodness and ‘grace-ness’ of this giving is a blessing to many thousands of people. Thank you!
See the Primary School you built, and the Peace Cards you sent to South Sudan!
Enough…to make a heart warm! Marnie Maas sent us this note about her son Caleb… “ I am writing to let you know what an impact over the last few years Gifts of Grace has had on our son Caleb. Caleb has been obsessive about the new Wii game Skylanders Giants. This would cost him about $400 of his own pocket money, at least! We have talked with Caleb about “enough”. He has enough. We have enough – enough toys, enough food, enough clothes, enough money etc. We are standing our ground on Skylanders Giants and have told Caleb under no circumstances will he get it because he has ENOUGH! Caleb gets $5 pocket money a week. $2 for spending, $2 for his bank account and $1 for church...so over a year there isn’t that much for him to make his purchases. One afternoon driving home from school with his dad, Caleb started talking about Gifts of Grace. He decided then & there that money he had been saving for Skylanders was going to purchase Gifts of Grace instead. He had $48 in his piggy bank...and gave it all to buy an Agricultural Kit, Fishing Gear, a Rooster and a Seed Voucher. It’s pretty tough for a kid to give their money “away”. In talking to Caleb about the concept of “enough” we told him how much we are blessed when we help others. His comment about Gifts of Grace was “My heart feels warm mum because I am helping people in Africa or Cambodia or wherever the place is.” Caleb is a pretty amazing 8 year old. Just wanted to let you know what an impact Gifts of Grace has had on our little family!”
CAMBODIA CHALLENGE!
Teachers taught
A team of 16 students and four teachers from five Lutheran Colleges visited ALWS projects in Cambodia in December. They experienced a wonderful time of learning about development, and putting their Christian faith into service action. Students came from St Peters, Grace and Redeemer Colleges in Brisbane, Peace College in Cairns, and Cornerstone College in South Australia.
Name: Brigitte Atterton Subject: Gift Giving Question: For the past month I have been contemplating on what I should get my son’s teachers. As he is now in high school, there is not just one teacher, and so the dilemma of what to get and how many was becoming a problem. Then I received, in a timely manner, your email with the Christmas Catalogue! THANK YOU! Problem solved! I have purchased a variety of gifts and will now happily present the bundle to the staff classroom, and let them all know that instead of ‘meaningless’ gifts that they can all enjoy the benefits of helping others! Thanks ALWS! I think I will also be doing this for the rest of my family, after all, Christmas is about giving, and what a great way to give!
On your bike!
Tiffany and Greg and friends held a Khmer Christmas Party to raise money for the village they support in Cambodia through ALWS – Pring Kong in 2012, and Psar Kantourt in 2013.
The children of St Marks at Mt Gravatt in Queensland held a Bike-a-thon in September to raise money for ALWS. 35 children each rode around the track for one hour, then swapped. The little ones had a 250 metres track, the older students 800 metres. The aim was to buy one of every gift in the Gifts of Grace catalogue – but the students did so well they raised $3696.30, enough for two of every gift! They now plan to run this event every year! [Reported by Ellen McDermott]
Share your stories: 1300 763 407 * [email protected]
You helped build this school…
…now it’s helping build PEACE! Do you ever wonder whether your donation can actually make a real difference? Especially when you’re helping in a country as poor as South Sudan? A country that suffered 20 years of civil war, and cost two million lives before independence was finally won on 11 July 2011. Take a look at the photo above. These girls attend the Aluel Primary School in Jonglei State in South Sudan. This is one of 13 Primary Schools in this region built and supported through donations of the Australian and Kiwi Lutheran family through ALWS!
On the back of his drawing Joseph wrote these words of Jesus: “Peace is what I leave with you. It is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset. Do not be afraid.” John 14:27 Then Joseph added his own words: “What a precious peace to lay hold upon in these days of uncertainty and insecurity.” As part of our peace-building efforts, in March last year ALWS invited you to send a Peace Card to celebrate the first anniversary of South Sudanese independence. Thousands of Peace Cards were returned, meaning our Lutheran team could distribute 250 in each of our 13 schools – a total of 3,250 Peace Cards. You can see the girls at Aluel holding the Peace Cards they received. They asked us to pass on this message to you:
You might wonder how schools have an impact on peace.
First, after so many years of conflict, education is vital to teach communities about Student Joseph drew this picture of the school you built. peace, and how to achieve it. “Thanks a lot for standing with us Second, education gives young during our difficult times. people something to do, so they don’t become idle or bored, which can May the Almighty Lord bless you abundantly.” lead to conflict. Third, once children and young people are educated, they know their rights and can hold their government to account. You can see proof of the impact in students like Joseph Abuol David. Joseph did the drawing you see here of the school you built.
Lutheran-supported Primary Schools in South Sudan Marial Wulit Aluel Pongborong Payom
Pageer Kiir Ageer Mareng Pagaak
Pajut Padiet Amiel
… nd PSnSsT n oo se
a g to You c ar Hu dy Be a d e u T a Kak m en at ya. r n d e l i K h c p in m a C e e your Refug ut for fore Look o e b just y d d Te ! Easter
What would you do? Last year ALWS applied for a secular Grant to support our work raising public awareness of development issues. This awareness-raising is a key part of us as a society giving our Government ‘permission’ to do more to help others. However, during the approval process it became clear the Grant Guidelines meant ALWS wouldn’t be able to talk about our Christian motivation for caring for the poor. We were not prepared to compromise our Christian principles for the sake of the Grant, so told the LLL about the situation. The good news is they generously provided a three year grant to support our awareness-raising work in Lutheran schools! This means thousands of students won’t miss out on the chance to learn about development, and discover the impact they personally can make. Just as important they’ll see that caring for others is at the heart of how we live as Christians. Thank you LLL!
Proof your help ‘gets there’ The Social Welfare Council of Nepal has placed Lutheran World Federation (our ALWS partner in Nepal) in the Top Two out of 270 international non-government organisations working in Nepal for transparency and accountability in terms of financial and social audit.
Looking forward in 2013 Country Burundi Cambodia Indonesia Kenya (Kakuma & Dadaab Refugee Camps) Mozambique Nepal PNG South Sudan Darfur Disability Inclusive Development Other TOTAL AID PLANNED
ALWS
(what we must raise) $100,000 $223,000 $308,471
AusAID
(Australian Govt to 30 June) $246,000 $617,000 $116,000
Farewell … and thank you! You may not know Jen (Pfitzner)’s face, but chances are you know her voice if you’ve ever called ALWS. For five years now Jen has been caring for supporters – organising presentations, handling last second Gifts of Grace orders, helping set up Village Partnerships, and much more. Over the last 12 months, Jen has also been our Cambodia Program Officer. Jen is leaving ALWS to explore life and opportunities in Melbourne (where she will have the chance to support a proper football team – Collingwood!) ALWS thanks Jen for all her work, and wishes her all the best.
Source 12/13 budget 12/13 budget 12/13 budget + 2013 budget 2013 budget
$312,000
-
$80,000 $133,000 $600,000 $50,000 $17,000
$358,000 $825,000 $42,500
12/13 budget
$287,300 $2,110,771
$2,204,500
2013 budget
2013 budget 12/13 budget 2013 budget 2013 budget 12/13 budget
$4,315,271
This is a simple summary of some complex and changing numbers, but you can see our challenge together! Please invite ALWS to visit your church, fellowship group, school so we can show you what you can do in the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest countries. It’s FREE, and you’ll be excited to see what it means to be a church where love comes to life. Simply call Amanda on 1300 763 407 or email [email protected]!
www.alws.org.au * 1300 763 407 LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA
Hello… and welcome! When Amanda arrived in Australia from Pretoria in South Africa, her husband Gys was training to be a professional golfer and she the mother of two toddlers. For the last year Amanda has been helping out at ALWS Head Office in Albury. This year, with Anika and Max both at St John’s Lutheran school in Jindera, Amanda will take over the role of caring for you when you contact ALWS with donations, questions, requests for presentations, whatever! A member of St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Albury, Amanda asks your patience as she takes on her new role! You’re welcome to say hi to Amanda (even in Afrikaans, which the family speak at home!) on 1300 763 407 or email [email protected]!
Goodness Grace-ness! More than 16,000 Gifts of Grace – a record! - are providing chicken farms, clean water, and stacks of precious cow poo thanks to you. THANK YOU!
“When I gave up playing my favourite sport this year, I had a deep desire the funds I would normally spend on my gratification be put to a good use.That’s why I have used Gifts of Grace to purchase a borehole repair kit. Water is critical for life, and having lived 10 years in the desert, water was at the forefront of most things we did … As I sit here in my airconditioned office, sipping on my chilled and filtered water preparing sermons for the Christmas celebrations, I have tears of joy knowing that somewhere on the other side of the world families will be able to continue to draw water from their bore…” Pastor T Something special happened with Gifts of Grace this year. It wasn’t just that we had more than 16,000 gifts given – a record. Or that these gifts are providing life-changing aid worth more than $500,526.
Or that we quickly ran out of Chicken Farm Grace Cards (our most popular gift).
Or that we needed a dozen volunteers working flat-out – even on the Saturday the week before Christmas – to get you your Gifts of Grace cards on time. Or that one of those volunteers was a new neighbour and former refugee who wanted … the cow’s first calf is given to another community to ‘give back’. association. The goodness of the gift keeps growing! Another was a Chinese graduate, others were Lutheran care and salt. Plus, the cow’s first calf is Aged Care residents, others members of given to another community association. local Lutheran congregations. The goodness of the gift keeps growing! What was special were the notes and calls and emails like Pastor T’s telling us how people were feeling blessed by giving Gifts of Grace. Giving not getting. That’s something very different from the $14.8 billion Australians spent from 26 December to 15 January (Australian Retailers Association), which was all about getting not giving. Gifts of Grace is a simple way of showing others that people matter more than things. The Gifts of Grace you gave are very wanted.
You can see how valued a cow can be to a community in Burundi!
Even more important for family health is the manure the cow produces! Each of the 13 group members receives a portion of the cow’s manure. The manure provides fertiliser for their bean and corn crops they could not otherwise afford. Everything grows better. Plus, spare manure is sold to raise funds for soap, school supplies, health
You only need to talk to someone like Simon Gasase, president of a 13 member community group in Rukoyoyo in Burundi. The group received a cow from our Lutheran team. The milk the cow provides helps improve family nutrition.
Girls no longer have to work hours each day collecting water, leaving them to risk failing at school. Health improves. Aluel Ater, who now has access to a Lutheran-supplied borehole that supplies clean water to 160 families, says: “Before I had to go so far to collect water. This is four hours walk. At that time children died of disease from the water… The new borehole means we have less disease. I am happy because it means the people may no longer die easily.” People’s lives are changed because of your Gifts of Grace. Whether you gave or received one Gift of Grace, or many, the goodness and ‘grace-ness’ of this giving is a blessing to many thousands of people. Thank you!
See the Primary School you built, and the Peace Cards you sent to South Sudan!
Enough…to make a heart warm! Marnie Maas sent us this note about her son Caleb… “ I am writing to let you know what an impact over the last few years Gifts of Grace has had on our son Caleb. Caleb has been obsessive about the new Wii game Skylanders Giants. This would cost him about $400 of his own pocket money, at least! We have talked with Caleb about “enough”. He has enough. We have enough – enough toys, enough food, enough clothes, enough money etc. We are standing our ground on Skylanders Giants and have told Caleb under no circumstances will he get it because he has ENOUGH! Caleb gets $5 pocket money a week. $2 for spending, $2 for his bank account and $1 for church...so over a year there isn’t that much for him to make his purchases. One afternoon driving home from school with his dad, Caleb started talking about Gifts of Grace. He decided then & there that money he had been saving for Skylanders was going to purchase Gifts of Grace instead. He had $48 in his piggy bank...and gave it all to buy an Agricultural Kit, Fishing Gear, a Rooster and a Seed Voucher. It’s pretty tough for a kid to give their money “away”. In talking to Caleb about the concept of “enough” we told him how much we are blessed when we help others. His comment about Gifts of Grace was “My heart feels warm mum because I am helping people in Africa or Cambodia or wherever the place is.” Caleb is a pretty amazing 8 year old. Just wanted to let you know what an impact Gifts of Grace has had on our little family!”
CAMBODIA CHALLENGE!
Teachers taught
A team of 16 students and four teachers from five Lutheran Colleges visited ALWS projects in Cambodia in December. They experienced a wonderful time of learning about development, and putting their Christian faith into service action. Students came from St Peters, Grace and Redeemer Colleges in Brisbane, Peace College in Cairns, and Cornerstone College in South Australia.
Name: Brigitte Atterton Subject: Gift Giving Question: For the past month I have been contemplating on what I should get my son’s teachers. As he is now in high school, there is not just one teacher, and so the dilemma of what to get and how many was becoming a problem. Then I received, in a timely manner, your email with the Christmas Catalogue! THANK YOU! Problem solved! I have purchased a variety of gifts and will now happily present the bundle to the staff classroom, and let them all know that instead of ‘meaningless’ gifts that they can all enjoy the benefits of helping others! Thanks ALWS! I think I will also be doing this for the rest of my family, after all, Christmas is about giving, and what a great way to give!
On your bike!
Tiffany and Greg and friends held a Khmer Christmas Party to raise money for the village they support in Cambodia through ALWS – Pring Kong in 2012, and Psar Kantourt in 2013.
The children of St Marks at Mt Gravatt in Queensland held a Bike-a-thon in September to raise money for ALWS. 35 children each rode around the track for one hour, then swapped. The little ones had a 250 metres track, the older students 800 metres. The aim was to buy one of every gift in the Gifts of Grace catalogue – but the students did so well they raised $3696.30, enough for two of every gift! They now plan to run this event every year! [Reported by Ellen McDermott]
Share your stories: 1300 763 407 * [email protected]
You helped build this school…
…now it’s helping build PEACE! Do you ever wonder whether your donation can actually make a real difference? Especially when you’re helping in a country as poor as South Sudan? A country that suffered 20 years of civil war, and cost two million lives before independence was finally won on 11 July 2011. Take a look at the photo above. These girls attend the Aluel Primary School in Jonglei State in South Sudan. This is one of 13 Primary Schools in this region built and supported through donations of the Australian and Kiwi Lutheran family through ALWS!
On the back of his drawing Joseph wrote these words of Jesus: “Peace is what I leave with you. It is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset. Do not be afraid.” John 14:27 Then Joseph added his own words: “What a precious peace to lay hold upon in these days of uncertainty and insecurity.” As part of our peace-building efforts, in March last year ALWS invited you to send a Peace Card to celebrate the first anniversary of South Sudanese independence. Thousands of Peace Cards were returned, meaning our Lutheran team could distribute 250 in each of our 13 schools – a total of 3,250 Peace Cards. You can see the girls at Aluel holding the Peace Cards they received. They asked us to pass on this message to you:
You might wonder how schools have an impact on peace.
First, after so many years of conflict, education is vital to teach communities about Student Joseph drew this picture of the school you built. peace, and how to achieve it. “Thanks a lot for standing with us Second, education gives young during our difficult times. people something to do, so they don’t become idle or bored, which can May the Almighty Lord bless you abundantly.” lead to conflict. Third, once children and young people are educated, they know their rights and can hold their government to account. You can see proof of the impact in students like Joseph Abuol David. Joseph did the drawing you see here of the school you built.
Lutheran-supported Primary Schools in South Sudan Marial Wulit Aluel Pongborong Payom
Pageer Kiir Ageer Mareng Pagaak
Pajut Padiet Amiel
… nd PSnSsT n oo se
a g to You c ar Hu dy Be a d e u T a Kak m en at ya. r n d e l i K h c p in m a C e e your Refug ut for fore Look o e b just y d d Te ! Easter
What would you do? Last year ALWS applied for a secular Grant to support our work raising public awareness of development issues. This awareness-raising is a key part of us as a society giving our Government ‘permission’ to do more to help others. However, during the approval process it became clear the Grant Guidelines meant ALWS wouldn’t be able to talk about our Christian motivation for caring for the poor. We were not prepared to compromise our Christian principles for the sake of the Grant, so told the LLL about the situation. The good news is they generously provided a three year grant to support our awareness-raising work in Lutheran schools! This means thousands of students won’t miss out on the chance to learn about development, and discover the impact they personally can make. Just as important they’ll see that caring for others is at the heart of how we live as Christians. Thank you LLL!
Proof your help ‘gets there’ The Social Welfare Council of Nepal has placed Lutheran World Federation (our ALWS partner in Nepal) in the Top Two out of 270 international non-government organisations working in Nepal for transparency and accountability in terms of financial and social audit.
Looking forward in 2013 Country Burundi Cambodia Indonesia Kenya (Kakuma & Dadaab Refugee Camps) Mozambique Nepal PNG South Sudan Darfur Disability Inclusive Development Other TOTAL AID PLANNED
ALWS
(what we must raise) $100,000 $223,000 $308,471
AusAID
(Australian Govt to 30 June) $246,000 $617,000 $116,000
Farewell … and thank you! You may not know Jen (Pfitzner)’s face, but chances are you know her voice if you’ve ever called ALWS. For five years now Jen has been caring for supporters – organising presentations, handling last second Gifts of Grace orders, helping set up Village Partnerships, and much more. Over the last 12 months, Jen has also been our Cambodia Program Officer. Jen is leaving ALWS to explore life and opportunities in Melbourne (where she will have the chance to support a proper football team – Collingwood!) ALWS thanks Jen for all her work, and wishes her all the best.
Source 12/13 budget 12/13 budget 12/13 budget + 2013 budget 2013 budget
$312,000
-
$80,000 $133,000 $600,000 $50,000 $17,000
$358,000 $825,000 $42,500
12/13 budget
$287,300 $2,110,771
$2,204,500
2013 budget
2013 budget 12/13 budget 2013 budget 2013 budget 12/13 budget
$4,315,271
This is a simple summary of some complex and changing numbers, but you can see our challenge together! Please invite ALWS to visit your church, fellowship group, school so we can show you what you can do in the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest countries. It’s FREE, and you’ll be excited to see what it means to be a church where love comes to life. Simply call Amanda on 1300 763 407 or email [email protected]!
www.alws.org.au * 1300 763 407 LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA
Hello… and welcome! When Amanda arrived in Australia from Pretoria in South Africa, her husband Gys was training to be a professional golfer and she the mother of two toddlers. For the last year Amanda has been helping out at ALWS Head Office in Albury. This year, with Anika and Max both at St John’s Lutheran school in Jindera, Amanda will take over the role of caring for you when you contact ALWS with donations, questions, requests for presentations, whatever! A member of St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Albury, Amanda asks your patience as she takes on her new role! You’re welcome to say hi to Amanda (even in Afrikaans, which the family speak at home!) on 1300 763 407 or email [email protected]!
