Chong Begins her Volunteer Service

Blessing Hands asks our college scholarship students to voluntarily perform some service project of three hours each semester and report it to encourage projects by other students. We want them to have the joy of giving and receiving blessings as a Blessing Hands representative.

Chong, who is studying to be a teacher, has volunteered to tutor a migrant worker's child more than three hours this semester. You can see from her letter below that she really enjoyed her service. I have taken out complete names for privacy and edited her letter, but the thoughts are completely hers.

Last Saturday, on October 20, I attended our school's holiday activities. The purpose of the activities is to help migrant workers and their children's learning. Migrant workers are farmers working in cities. As a result of hardships, they rarely have time to guide their children to learn; however, due to poor economic conditions, families cannot afford any tutors that teachers request. We need to help them as volunteer tutors.

We leave Guangxi University at 8:30 a.m. to start to a primary school. We will help their students. It is a small school without as much as a football field. It has a teaching building of three floors. Each floor has six classrooms, a dormitory, and two playgrounds. In this small area, they formed a school.

I was trying to help a third-year small boy. He is a scrawny little dark child who looks a bit mischievous, but he is very clever. He is called Pei. In talking to him, I understood that he is one-year-older than his smaller brother, but his learning is in the same classes. His parents are doing small businesses and are often not at home.

He keeps three rabbits and two small turtles. Every weekend for fun, he often takes the small rabbits and small turtles for sunbathing. He and I spoke of rearing the small rabbits and small turtles, discussing what they eat and what not to feed them. In particular with rabbits, we cannot give them too much water or overfed them vegetables. Otherwise they will die. His small turtles only eats lean meat and nothing else. The first time I heard of a turtle eating meat, I found it very strange.

He was very expressive and talkative. He reminded me of my primary years, when I had a naïve, romantic look. We had a very happy morning. I adopted him as my little brother for the morning. His academic performance is not very good. Every Saturday this semester I will go to his primary school and learn together with him, answering the questions he encounters some learning difficulties with. This semester I will become his volunteer tutor.

Chong

October Newsletter

College Scholarships: We now have twenty-three Blessing Hands college students studying everything from nuclear engineering to tourism. We have scholarships for thirteen female students and seven male scholarships. I am pasting in a thank you letter from one. The three scholarship students from last year have returned to their colleges also.

I'm very happy that I have got the college acceptance letter. I wait for it so long. With your help and love, my dream will come true. I promise that I will learn harder than before. I think you believe me.

I am too happy to express my mind. You are very kind for giving me a chance to go to college, how can I thank for your kindness? When I become a teacher, I will give my big love to all the students. Is that a good way?

Our supported college students have to maintain good grades and reapply in the spring for the next year. We encourage them to do a three hour service project each semester that they self-report to their Blessing Hands forum group or by e-mail to us. One of our college students, Cen Wanman (Doris), has recently won an English speaking contest and advanced to compete in the provincial contest. You can see her picture here.

Friendship Art Show: The open house for the Friendship Art show sponsored by Sister Cities of Morehead and Blessing Hands went very well. You can see that show online at http://blessing-hands.org/1-100%20paintings/index.html , and the pictures of the reception are located at http://picasaweb.google.com/blessinghands/FriendshipArtShowReception .

The paintings are for sale with the proceeds going to poor students in Yangshuo. Three college students from China served Chinese tea to our guests. We showed the Chinese news reel that was made of the Friendship Art Event in Yangshuo last summer. About 55 paintings are on display, and the winner, determined by a people’s choice award, will represent Yangshuo at the International Sister Cities Young Artist’s Showcase in 2008. A Chinese delegation from Yangshuo visited Morehead recently and really enjoyed our Friendship Art show.

Sister School Matches: Seven Sister Schools have now been matched with the help of the W. Paul and Lucille Caudill Little Friendship Grant. Sister Cities of Morehead, and Blessing Hands. The first batch of pen pal letters has gone out to their pen pals in China. Sister School boxes containing fine art items are being prepared for exchange between the Sister Schools. Marvin Moore, Rowan County Superintendent of Schools, greeted the Yangshuo Delegation at a luncheon at McBrayer Elementary School. Mr. Zhou, the Director of Education in Yangshuo County, toured three area Sister Schools along with Mr. Zhou from Yangshuo City Government and Mr. Wu, the former chairman of the People’s Political Consultative Conference in Yangshuo’s area. They got many new ideas from viewing our schools from elementary to college level.

Qinzhou Ingathering: Qinzhou has just finished their fall gathering of students to receive their tuition. I’ve been getting thank you notes all week. I am including one here for your pleasure.

Hello!
I am a blessinghand-student. My name is Suhui. I am from Guangxi Qinzhou Zhaixu Middle School of China. This is the first time that I write e-mail. So I am very excited.
I am very happy, because I got the money from Blessinghand. Blessinghand gives me a big help! Thank you very much, Betty! And could you make friend with me? I am expect to received your write!

Pen Pals: You can tell from this letter that the students are eager to write pen pals. If any of you would like to write one of our students by e-mail, please let us know. We have been matching them with youth groups, schools, sororities, and clubs. Nancy Sartor from Morehead would like to write to a Chinese adult. Her e-mail is pecantal@hotmail.com. She is especially enjoys quilting and needlework.

Morehead State University Student Helpers: Our Blessing Hands intern, Megan Mraz, is speaking in area schools about her experiences in Yangshuo last summer. She is available to speak to your group, if you are near Morehead. We also have two volunteers from the Students for Free Enterprise Club working on our IRS 990 form and making suggestions about our bookkeeping. Three Morehead State University computer students have taken their senior projects with Blessing Hands. They are working on creating a data base program that will help us keep up with information, improving our website, and creating a Google Earth overlay that will show all the locations of our students and schools. Our local university has a policy of encouraging practical experiences for their students with area nonprofits.

Pizza Hut Promotion: On Tuesday November 6 and 13th, Pizza Hut in Morehead will be giving a donation to Blessing Hands for every meal bought with a coupon bearing our name. Come eat with a purpose. Coupons will be given out on campus, or you can get them from Betty Cutts.

Taiwan Program: Blessing Hands has funded a trial program in Taichung, Taiwan for one year. Emily Hsu, a graduate of Asbury Seminary, is the director there. We are starting with nine children that need support for school supplies and one child that cannot afford tuition for school. Emily works with a local Taiwanese church network called the Family Church.