So many wonderful funny things happened but I don't have time to write them on the blog anymore.....just to let you know. I LOVE YA ALL!

Finally finished the big showcase last night. It was a real full house. Apart from ticket sales Compassion told me that the donation was flooding in at the end of the show after my little encouraging speech. We had lots of technical drama at the beginning and it all turned out to be an awesome night at the end. The show started from 7:30 pm all the way to 11 pm. And little Madeleine (5 year old) who never stayed up this late. She was on act 1 finale for dance and act 2 finale for singing. She was shouting to us "This is the best night of my life!!" and left in a high. For a one person business, I can never do this without the helps of all the family, friends, older students, lots of parents and the whole compassion team to make this night possible. Hope our effort and money will make more children in Manando to have a better future. I think all of us coming to the world with a unique talent. Maybe mine is to have the ability to cultivate peoples' talents and bring people together for a good cause. My dying patients at Palliative care always tell me, if your living makes difference to the world then you are living a purposeful life. They are my great inspiration and I am trying my best to do so. Thank you everyone for your wonderful help. This is just the beginning.

SUPPORT A COMPASSION CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAM

As you are all aware, our end of year concert is taking place on Saturday, 6^th December at 7.30pm at Mosman Art Gallery and Community Centre (dress rehearsal Sunday 3-5 pm 30^th Nov).  I am so excited about the concert as not only do we get a chance to see your children in action but we also get the opportunity to help those less fortunate than ourselves via Compassion and the Manly-Manado community partnership (www.manly-manado.org.au).

I first became aware of the Manly-Manado community partnership last year through three of my students whose families are actively involved in this movement. Compassion is one of Manly-Manado's partners in Manado in Indonesia and is a holistic child development organisation.  I love the work of Compassion and last year started to sponsor a child of my own through Compassion. Now, for the first time, Manly-Manado has the opportunity to support a Child Survival Program (CSP) in Manado.  This program aims to reach the most vulnerable of children and prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive early child development.  The program assists pregnant women, at-risk babies and infants and their mothers and caregivers by providing critical interventions such as medical assistance, pre-natal and post-natal care and nutritious food.

The CSP in Manado is called the Pengharapan CSP and is located in the community of Ronamut, 5km east of Manado city.  The CSP started in May this year and aims to care for up to 50 mothers/caregivers and their young infants.  The population of this community is 8,100 and common health problems include malaria and dengue fever.  Health problems for children include influenza, skin problems, malnutrition and intestinal parasites.  Common social problems include poor access to water, inadequate sanitation and unemployment.

Attached is a brochure about Compassion's Child Survival Program. The Compassion Child Survival Program costs $24,000 to run annually.  On the night I am hoping we will be able to contribute significantly to the running of the CSP.  This is how you can help:

Tickets: Adults $20.00, Children $15.00 and performers $10.00 .  Can I encourage  you to invite your family, friends and neighbours along.  The venue can fit 200 people so we all need to bring lots of people.   I have venue expenses to cover that will come out of the ticket sales but the remainder will go to the CSP.

Support the CSP directly: please take some time to review the attached brochure.  There is a form in the brochure which enables you to make a one off gift or an ongoing monthly, quarterly or annual donation.  Please bring this along on the night.  I hope you are able to give generously.

Christmas Gift Cards – on the night you can also buy CSP Christmas Gift Cards which you can donate to people – what a wonderful gift !

I have another profession working as a Registered music therapist with people who are at the last stage of their lives. They are either very old or very sick. My patients kept dying but what they told me about life all staying the same—be very grateful, love all you can, live with no regret, give back to the community and live on purpose. The abundance will come. We really are all so lucky and blessed with so much.  It's very heartbreaking to read the statistic that every year 10 million children die before the age of five from preventable causes.  I know this is hard to imagine for all of us, especially our children in Mosman here who are extremely blessed in life. I would like to use a little of our influence to have an opportunity to make a difference to these young infants via the Compassion CSP in Manado.

Christmas is a time of giving and I believe that if we are able to give to those less fortunate then we should.  I hope you are all able to support a Great night of Music of Love and Abundance.