Acts of Kindness

Well, I confirmed recently that acts of kindness do not always have to be random. They don't have to be just a freebie that you give away to posters in your blog. It's not just the smile you give to a stranger as you go malling. Yes, acts of kindness can be deliberate. And while random acts of kindness are all well and good and what we need in this crazy world of ours, deliberate acts of kindness are even more important. Why? Because they are conscious efforts to make this world a better place. And we do them with our hearts and souls.

I know it's late, but I would again like to thank everyone who participated in the fundraiser for the benefit of the Carmelite nuns of Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac. With your deliberate acts of kindness, we raised almost P45,000. This amount, and the beautiful cards that you made were turned over to Sr. Teresa last April 6. Candy, Jenn, and I went to visit them at their monastery in Tarlac. You can read about Jenn's account in her blog.

The money we raised was initially intended to help fund the nuns' unfinished chapel, but when we arrived there, we saw that there is still alot of work to be done. Here are some photos of the chapel which is being worked on sporadically, depending on the inflow of funds.







The money we raised is but a drop in the bucket compared to the amount they still need. Their estimate is around P2M. (Any more philanthropists out there?) Thus, they requested, and we agreed, that they use the money we turned over to finish up their reflectory. And what do you know, it's just the exact amount they need.

During our visit, we were also able to discuss some fundraising strategies with Sr. Teresa. They are going to use the cards you made to write to individuals who would be willing to donate to their community. But, since they are cloistered in their monastery, except from their relatives and friends, they do not know that many people. Thus, IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP, KINDLY EMAIL ME THEIR NAMES AND ADDRESSES SO WE CAN SEND THEM A CARD. Rest assured that their names will be kept confidential and their donations will be duly acknowledged by the nuns in writing and in prayer.

When they saw the beautiful and extremely creative cards you made, they were awed and impressed. It was gratifying to see them ogling, and caressing the cards. They were so child-like and sincere in their praises that I, who is not a cardmaker, almost rushed home to make them more cards. :-)

They also saw my scrapbook and immediately, they asked us if we could teach them how to make cards and scrapbook layouts. The cards, so they can sell them, and scrapbooking, so they can make their history book creatively. We said yes, of course, as deliberate acts of kindness don't just end with one act.

Thus, a request for more assistance:
1) If you would like to volunteer to teach cardmaking and scrapbooking, please coordinate with us at the PS group.
2) Donate scrapbooking stuff that you do not use or need anymore, anything to get them started. If you are spring-cleaning and you cannot sell all your items, they will surely serve a good purpose in the nuns' hands.
3) Cash donations are still welcome, you can e-mail me and I can give you their bank account number where you can deposit.

Thank you very much. God bless you!