To our friend Claire... Thank you!

I just want to share with all of you a testimonial from one of our good friends.  Her name is Claire.  I was in tears ( tears of joy and heartfelt gratitude) for what she said.  Please read on.

"I met Jon and Monica about 7 – 8 years ago.   I was taking salsa classes and Jon was an instructor.  They were the typical Canadian middle-class couple.  They lived in the suburbs.  Drove nice cars.  They both worked in Fortune 500 companies.  They have two kids – boys – teenagers that is.  Jon and Monica had been saving a school fund for them in hopes that they would go to University.
Then one year, in  2009, Jon and Monica went on vacation to the Philippines.  They had not been back for decades…… and that visit – changed their lives.
I remember having a quick lunch with Jon on a work day to catch up and see how his “vacation” went and I was eating my sushi when he said, “….and Monica and I are cashing in our life savings and convinced the boys (his sons) to donate their school fund to open a girls school in the most desolate and poor neighbourhoods in the Philippines”.  I looked at him and thought he was joking.  Then I thought – nah – he’s just saying that because he was shocked at the poverty and dirt and desperation that you see in some developing countries….he’s not gonna cash out his life savings……….but I was wrong.
When some of us donate time, volunteer, make cash donations to charities in the spirit of giving back, Jon and Monica put their financial futures at stake – and invested in a group of underprivileged girls who never went to school, only had food to eat every two days if they were lucky and some who have lost their moms and dads and wander the streets in dismal surroundings.  Jon and Monica are feeding, educating and giving these girls hope. They are allowing them to dream.  That is why I am one of the many volunteers for FLAG. I believe.
Not all of us are going to be like Jon and Monica; but we can do something too.  Something small: surrender some time to volunteer, make a small donation or perhaps communicate their story to your friends.  Small steps…."

Quote:  A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.- Mohandas Gandhi

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again,

Hugs,

The F.L.A.G team