What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! It is people! It is people!
You might think it strange I start this blog post with a Maori proverb, given we are in Cambodia! And maybe you are right. However, as we approach the time for leaving and think about our plans for coming home, I have been reflecting on the tangata in our lives - including you, our friends and family.
- We have been blessed by visitors here who we have encouraged us and filled up our tanks if we have felt empty and tired. Most recently, Mum, Dad and Carissa came over for three weeks. We so loved sharing our life here and Hagar's work with them. Dave and Mikola, Mai and Dan, and our friend Matt have also been here - there is nothing like hanging out with other Kiwis who know you! We have also appreciated Skype for being able to keep up with news from friends at home and overseas.
- We are grateful for both our wonderful families who have loved us and cared for us over the years. Hagar works with some children who were sold by their own families, or are unwanted, leading to their vulnerability and exploitation. Our heritage and the lessons we have learned from our families enable us to follow Christ's example as we work alongside others to do justice for those who cannot attain it for themselves.
- I am thankful for the team I worked in during my time in private practice and what I learned from them. My first task in the legal and protection unit was to respond to a request for documents in one of the overseas cases involving some of our clients. It was probably the only time I have been grateful for the experience of months of discovery - it came in handy!
- We were blown away when our church, Petone Baptist, put on a variety concert recently to raise money for Hagar. We also received a donation for Hagar from my grandparents' prayer group and we were really moved by that. We are encouraged by people coming together to support Hagar's work and what we are doing.
We think of our supporters, friends and family often and thank you for your friendship/prayers/reading our blog posts!
We have heaps to do in the next 2 months! We are heading into two weeks of meetings with Hagar country leaders and the Hagar International board. It's a strategic time for Hagar so I'm looking forward to learning from them and sharing with you in our next blog update. I'm organising a lot for the meetings and we are both presenting some of the content so we'd be grateful for your prayers.
Hanging with some other Hagar Kiwis
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