A Wet Day of Generous Hearts

~ John Kit (my brother!) standing by the Prayerboard which was made by the Young Adults of Grace Methodist church (GMC) the night before in memory of the Tsunami.

I love this title “A Wet Day of Generous Hearts” by Jochebed Jayasooria who’s article in JJ Resources really warmed my heart. Go to the link for the pictures plus article. I’ll just cut and paste the raw text below … enjoy the read.

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A Wet Day of Generous Hearts
Jochebed Jayasooria; 13 Jan, 2005

Despite the constant drizzles which became a bit heavier towards the afternoon, about 250 people including volunteers turned up for the Tsunami Aid Day on the 8th of January 2005.

It was a wonderful event that brought together Malaysians of all ages, races and religions, all there united to help not our own people but our neighbours who were suffering from this tragedy.

This event was held after a series of miracles, firstly the fact that we only had a week to organize it, secondly the fact that 2 Christian churches of different denominations decided to work in partnership together, and thirdly though it was organised by Christian groups nonetheless it was supported by City Hall and the Jalan Semarak Police Division who at the last minute approved our appeal for tents, chairs and tables.

There were all kinds of activities that catered for almost every age group at the event. The food sales generated quite a bit of income especially since it was all sponsored by the members of both churches as well as by parents of Tadika Senyum Manis (a kindergarten run by Grace Methodist Church) and some local restaurants like Syed Restaurant in Bangsar and the Sentul Curry House.

There was also a creatively set up Arts and Crafts section, led by the Sunday school teachers of Bangsar Lutheran Church and Tadika Senyum Manis. It was encouraging to see the dedication put in by the teachers in making bead-bands, in involving the children to participate in the sand art stall and co-ordinating the signing of ‘We’re praying for you’ cards. A team of balloon men were stationed near the Arts and Crafts section and proved to be one of the more popular draws of the event.

And not to lose focus of the main purpose of the event, which was to remember the victims of the tsunami and to raise awareness of the incident, there was a huge Prayer Board which was pasted with images of the countries and people affected by the tsunami.

Some of you may be wondering what the final amount collected was. Well we’re not too sure, as both churches are still collecting donations and selling the remainder dry food/drinks, but the last count was RM13,667.56; so there is a high probability that the total amount collected from this event and the post-event will be RM14,000; not bad at all for 2 small churches!

Isn’t it amazing how far a small idea, lots of prayers and plenty of good hearts can take us? I believe that amidst all our self-centeredness and hectic schedules, the tsunami has brought out the best in most of us and most of all has helped us put aside our differences and brought us together.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all the people that joined together to help make this event possible: Pastor Sivin Kit (BLC), Pastor Chew Mae and Pastor Yew (GMC), Mrs. Rose Jayasooria, Missions and Social Concerns Chairperson (GMC), Wong Chin Hor, James Tan, the bands (Fallen Leaves, Sam, Her Reverie, Qings & Kueens), DBKL, Jalan Keramat Police Dept., Sentul Curry House, Syed Restaurant and not to mention all the sponsors and volunteers from Bangsar Lutheran Church and Grace Methodist Church.

(Check How Can We Help?? for more)
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