Please help us Feed Orphans in Namibia!

[jeanne]

Children’s Sanctuary Namibia

Please help us feed orphans in Namibia! Our beloved friend Helge Mercker, a pharmacist, (and frequent visitor on this site), has given up her life in the West to return to her homeland of Namibia and dedicate her efforts to caring for orphans and children whose families are unable to provide for themselves. Helge’s friend there has been providing a bowl of rice soup every Saturday afternoon to 120 children for the past 6 months and needs our help to expand this grass roots effort.

Since her return to Namibia, Helge has been gathering the villagers to establish a non profit society called “The Children’s Sanctuary of Namibia”. She is gently and wisely mobilizing the community’s support to help her friend’s efforts in feeding the village children. The tribal leader of the San Bushman community in the Kalahari, Chief Ita, has now set aside some land where Helge plans to build an orphanage, playground and sustainable garden. This Christmas Al and I invite you to join with us in sending a donation to help launch this project which we feel privileged to be able to support ourselves. We are sending monthly donations to Helge who we know will provide wise stewardship of our funds; Al and I plan to go to Namibia next year to work with the villagers in making the orphanage a reality.

Thank you for considering; we would be very happy to forward your donation, along with our own! Merry Christmas!

Love Jeanne

[DennisT]

Hi Jeanne,

I remember you mentioning this effort previously, and I look forward to an opportunity to donate. Please provide the details.
Did you still need any graphics?

Love to all,
Dennis

[jeanne]

Hi Dennis,
Some folks are sending their donations directly to Helge and I can forward you her banking details if you like.

In the past 2 days I've received 5 responses to the quick little appeal I emailed out to selected family and friends! This is very encouraging! Our 8 year old grandaughter decorated a donations box and is taking it to all our Christmas gatherings! You are also welcome to send your donation to me if you want as I will gather the funds together and send a lump sum before the end of the year.

I will send you a private email with the details. Thanks so much! Helge is so very happy to know we are all supporting her with our prayers!

We plan to have a couple of fundraising appeals each year, in hopes that people will be willing to make consistent, monthly donations that will sustain the childrens' needs. However, it's going to take some time to get things set up. In the meantime, the priority need is to feed these precious children! Thank you so much for your response and yes...I will most likely pursue you again sometime in the coming year to assist with graphics! Love Jeanne

[Doles]

Hi all,
I'm a frequent visitor here (from Geoff's website), but have never posted anything...just reading. This one hits a little bit home. Don't have much but would like to give anything possible. Please let me know how I can participate. I live in the United States. I'd be honored if my however small donation would even touch one of those little/fellow tender souls. Thank you all!

Doles

[Geoff]

Dear Doles

{{{{hugs}}}}}

Good to see you here.

love,
Geoff

[AlFike]

Thank you Doles for responding as you have. I'm sure my wife Jeanne will be smothering you with options in order to respond to your heart felt need to give . Seeing children suffer from deprivation and, in some cases injustice, always gets me going. I have been quite emotional about what has happened in your country with the murdering of innocent children there. We've been praying for those poor souls whose lives were cut short so brutally and for the poor disturbed soul who perpetrated this horrendous act and of course for the families who are so anguished and lost without their dear loved one. A remider of how close evil is in our world.
I am happy to see you here Doles and hope you will be comfortable enough toshare with us whatever you would like to give at this time. No need for profound essays, just heart felt sharing. You are amongst friends here. I'm sure we would all love to hear from you . God bless for now.......Al

[Doles]

Yes Geoff,
I've done this quite often now (jumping from your site to here). I've grown to accept this as an extension of your MB (message board) if you will.

Al,
Thanks for your generous welcome! I have to be honest with you, I've been emotionally paralyzed the last couple of days. Although I think I have a little idea of what happened here (perhaps these children were part of a greater mission), I just haven't found the courage to explain it away especially due to the fact that I have a six year old girl. Every time I think about what happened, I just feel guilty knowing that I'm not sure how I would've received this. Yet, I know that it probably was meant to be. I just pray these parents found comfort...whatever that means! Don't have much to contribute...still learning much. Thanks all!

[Geoff]

(perhaps these children were part of a greater mission),

Dear Doles,

Yes I suspect that would be true, but its the more sad that its taken so many children, and its not over yet. In fact the battle is only beginning.

hugs
Geoff

[Doles]

Geoff wrote, "...In fact the battle is only beginning." Wow! Pretty scary stuff! Well, perhaps that's what we need. In the end we know all will be well. Part of our readjustment I guess? I tell you what, I've grown to love this life with its strife. Somewhat it makes me think I am indeed in control of my own destiny even though the basic foundation may have been set up. Just hoping I'm not going down on too many strikes! Lol.

[jeanne]

Hi Doles! I want to add my welcome too.....and to acknowledge that it was Geoff who led you here!

Even before we met Geoff, which was only 7 months ago, he proved himself to be an extraordinary catalyst in our lives! Through his incredible cyber connections around the world, Geoff inspired many visitors to attend the Divine Love Retreat Al and I hosted last July! (Al and I really wondered "who IS this guy"!). After the retreat Geoff offered to set up this message board....to which Al and I responded "What's a message board?" Geoff is sporting many new grey hairs since his association with us began. We have had very little interest in social media up until this past year as we've been rather cocooned from the rest of the world in our spiritual pursuits and relatively happy in our own little community. Well Geoff has opened up a whole new world to us and we are absolutely thrilled that we are meeting people like you, Doles, from so many distant places on this planet we all share. Any friend of Geoff's is a friend of ours! We invite you to join in the conversations, find inspiration, prayerful support and a trusted spiritual community here.

My heart goes out to you and your precious little 6 year old as we all try to fathom what's happened. We pray this terrible tragedy will motivate positive change in our society.

Thank you for offering to help Helge in Namibia.....what better way to cope with the paralysis you are feeling than to DO SOMETHING to care for little ones who have no one to care for them.....and to BUILD COMMUNITY. The idea of donating in memory of these innocent little ones seems like a precious idea to me.

If you decide to make a donation, Al and I are pleased to be a conduit....that would make you a "founding member" as this initiative is only just being launched. It does not matter how much you give, only that you give with a loving heart!

Helge has told us that every time she receives money at her bank that she will be charged for the cost of wiring the funds and for bank service charges. Today Al sent the first donation (in the amount of $500, (thanks to our family and friends). There was a bank charge of $35 so we will need to be strategic in our giving so as to make a consistent donation that Helge will be able to count on. Helge suggested that Al and I collect donations and send a lump sum on a regular basis so that she will not have to pay bank charges with each individual donation. $35 could feed several children several meals....something to consider.

Last August Al received the guidance to set up a separate bank account for our spiritual work. We envision the development of a charitable foundation so that one day we will be able to issue tax deductible receipts. If anyone wants to become a founding member, please let me know and I will correspond with you privately by email. I'm also happy to send you Helge's banking details or our own mailing address if you'd like to send a donation.

Geoff has wisely cautioned that we could be on a slippery slope, soliciting funds without there being a non profit society in place. Likewise, since I am employed by a Canadian charity, I do not want to jeopardize my contract of employment! We will, therefore, proceed cautiously - by private email.

Thank you again, Doles, for posting your heart warming introduction. I, too, am looking forward to your continued visits! With loving wishes to you and your sweet child on your spiritual journey, Jeanne