"GraceWorks Myanmar is a Christian based organisation and functions according to Christian principles and ethics " .

GraciousLivesWinter /Spring 2007

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What an amazing, exciting and challenging experience!!

The GraceWorks team members who visited Myanmar in March/ April werepart of an extraordinary coming together of two diverse cultures -Aboriginal children in Central Australia and Orphan children in Myanmar.

Alan Jones a GW supporter has been teaching in the Aboriginal Communityat Wanarn in Western Australia. Alan and GW team leader Margaret Sullivanhave developed a cultural exchange program between the two communitiesusing boomerangs to link the cultures.

Imitation card boomerangs were supplied by Penfold Buscombe Pty Ltd aMelbourne printing company and sent to the children at Wanarn. Theydecorated them in tribal patterns with their indigenous designs, letters andclass photos. The children of Myanmar decorated their boomerangs withBurmese art using the aboriginal style of dot painting.

Worlds Apart But Close Together Through GraceWorks

Photos from March 2007 Trip:

Ken Doutch from Yarrawonga, Victoria, conducting acarpentry class at Garden Home Orphanage

Young boy at Garden Home Orphanage enjoying the newmonkey bars, after having his face painted by the GW team

Students at the GW Education Centre, Insein Village, Yangon

Boys at Care To The Least Orphanage having fun with a billy-cart they built with the GW team

Children at Full Moon Orphanage displaying their coloured boomerangs

Story continued on Page 2

From theChairman’s DeskRecently I was invited to play in asoccer match. It was no ordinarygame. The players were totallyfocused on their set plays andtheir team discipline was

unforgiving and rigid.

The game was played at a frenetic pace and I soondiscovered that I was totally out of my depth. My skilllevel was an embarrassment. I could not get near theball as much as my teammates tried to involve me inthe game.

Perhaps it was the condition of the playing surface. Itwas a dustbowl, no manicured playing surface here.The one time I kicked the ball with my bare foot it wasreally painful. The players don’t have shoes. Theydon’t have team shorts or jumpers either. The ballwas made from straw and woven sticks.

This soccer match in Myanmar tells us much aboutlife in this nation. I wondered how much money andresource it took to field these teams.I recalled my days as a junior football coach inMelbourne, and marvelled at the differences. Theintense training regime, the level of apparel that wemust have and the coaching team needed to producea game of high standard. Then a visit to McDonaldsafter the game to maintain team spirit andcamaraderie.

What a world of difference. It’s not a question of what’s right or wrong but rather“how can we learn from each other?” Our differencesshould be the bridge for our learning, our giving andour sharing. GW seeks to provide these bridgesthrough relationship.

Connecting with and understanding the culture of theBurmese people is our greatest contribution tomeeting their needs and improving their well being.Whether it is sitting with a group of orphans, telling astory, teaching in a GraceWorks Education centre orbuilding a playground, every activity will challengeyour world.

GW invites friends and supporters to experience theunique opportunity to visit our work in Myanmar.You can make a difference.

Peter Simmons(Chairman GraceWorks Myanmar)

For information on team trips please refer to our web page:http:/ /www.graceworksmyanmar.org.au/pdf/trip.pdf

Our mission is to providehumanitarian aid through healthand education programs, toimprove the quality of life and well-being of the people of Myanmar

The letters written by the children fromWanarn formed part of the educationprogram of GW teacher, Jenny Webbfrom Seymour, Victoria. During the visitJenny taught a number of classes in theorphanages and the GW EducationCentre in Yangon about the history andculture of Australia’s indigenous people.

The team was involved in many differentactivities during this trip such as classesin carpentry, including billy cart making,and a number of other practical subjectsincluding craft making, music lessons andmost importantly Aussie Rules football!!

GW is continuing to develop the culturalrelationship between the children ofWanarn and the children of Myanmar. Ifyou would like to know more about thisprogram or are able to assist in any wayplease contact Margaret Sullivan on0414 969 048.

Worlds Apart But Close Together Through GraceWorks

Ken Doutch from Yarrawonga

Matthew Leeworthy from Wodonga

Aussie Rules in Myanmar with coach Nathan Terlich from Shepparton

Face painting at Full Moon Orphanage at Pugyi Village:Story continued from cover page

Jenny Webb from Seymour teaching English

“We Really Thank God…. We Could Stay Together In One Place”

Bo Bo Tun centre and his four sisters (anti-clockwise) twins Zin Nwee, Zin Htwe, Ni Yu Yu & April Phu

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to grow up without parents.But for thousands of children in Burma and nearby refugecamps, not having a mum or dad around is unfortunatelynormal. GraceWorks endeavours to support staff as theystruggle to provide education, health resources, food andclothing to help the lost and victimised children. In a normalworld these children would be spending their days learning atschool. Sadly for many this is not the case. They are forced towork while others waste their days idle in refuge camps, or aregiven the incredible responsibility of caring for their siblingsand running the household after their parents have been killedor have died from diseases such as AIDS and malaria. It’s noway to grow up.

The following story is from a young boy called Bo Bo whowhen faced with overwhelming odds never gave up.

This is his story unedited.

My name is Phyo Bo Bo Tun. I am 10 years old. We arefive of us. The sixth youngest brother died when he wasfive months. My father died on December 7, 2005 withAIDS. He got this disease from somewhere he served inthe army camp. On December 15,2005 my mom passedaway owing to heart disease. Therefore, since last yearwe became orphans. I felt it is a sad thing to be anorphan in the beginning and the worse thing was whenmy grand-mother told us to go to an orphanagebecause I don’t want to go there. It has been for two tothree years that we had faced difficult situation becausemy Dad and mom were laying in bed everyday, theywere weak to work. Sometime we had no food to eat.Finally our brother & sister were scattered to ourrelatives’ home. We did not see each other for somemonths. We had seen at one time at Dad & Moms’funeral, after the funeral we scattered again. We had noone to take care of us because our relatives worked inthe day time.

I still remember that I was praying to God that he wouldbring me to the best home when I heard my grandmother told me to go to the orphanage because she isgetting old, could not support for our surviving. Aftersometime I was sent to a wonderful home which is a

Garden Home. We really thank God, thank Daddy DalLian, uncle Steve from Orphans Hope family foraccepting not only me but also all of my sisters, so thatwe could stay together in one place.

I realized that God answered my prayer. It isunbelievable how I find happiness here in Garden home.Especially, because we do not live like orphans but inone family, helping each other in house work, eat goodmeals, play games, receive new clothes & others, enjoyfruits and milk every morning. We do everything in ourown time. Everything we need is provided sufficiently,Therefore I would like to extend my thanks on behalf ofmyself & my sisters not only to GH families but also toeveryone who prayed and supported this ministry.

I am very happy that I can meet with Ps Peter and Graceworks team in April, 2007. I would like to say “thankyou so much “for the swing, Monkey bar, Seesaw thatyou have made for me and brothers and sisters at GH.Now we are enjoy playing those equipments. When thesun is very hot we are going to sit on the Swing andplaying there because it is built under the shade tree.Once again I thank you to the Grace Works ministry andthe team whoever came here and make us your friends.May the LORD BLESS you all richly.

My name is Phyo Bo Bo Tun...

Please return to:

GraceWorks MyanmarPO Box 245

Blackburn VIC 3130Ph: (03) 9894 0433Fax: (03) 9878 3135

or

Donation SlipI would like to make a donation today: ! $25 ! $50 ! $100 ! $250 ! Other $

You can donate direct debit to GraceWorks Account: BSB 083 132 Account No: 57–084–3050Bank: National Australia Bank – Blackburn, Victoria

! I have enclosed a cheque / money order or please debit my: ! Mastercard ! Visa

Card no.: !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!!Cardholder’s signature: Expiry date: /

Title: First Name: Surname:

Address:

Postcode:

Email: Telephone:

Please send me more information about:! Becoming a volunteer ! Leaving a bequest in my w ill to GraceWorks

Don’t forget to visit the NEW GraceWorks website at www.graceworksmyanmar.org.au Also, let us know if you have heard the GraceWorks radio promotion on 89.9 Light FM

Don’t Keep It a Secret. Tell Others aboutGraceWorksYou might know about the life-changingwork of GW amongst the orphans ofMyanmar but do your friends, familymembers and work or social colleagues? A GW representative can change that byvisiting your Church, Lions or Rotary Club,school, Community Group or any otherorganisation to which you belong.

You can arrange an interesting andinformative GW presentation by calling theGW office on 9894 0433 or by emailingus at: info@ graceworksmyanmar.org.au

Are You SupportingGraceWorks? Support for the lifesaving GraceWorksprojects in Myanmar is gainingmomentum. People across Australia areindicating they want to do something toimprove the lives of the children ofMyanmar who have been forced intocircumstances that are so different anddifficult compared with ours.

At the recent GraceWorks boardmeeting it was decided to create twocategories of partners in this vital work -members and official supporters.

The annual fee for members willincrease to $50 and for supporters, whomay be interstate or in regional areasand not able to attend the annualmeeting or support the work in otherways, will be set at $100 per year.

Both members and supporters will begiven priority when booking GraceWorkstrips to Myanmar and receive a discounton the cost.

Travel NewsThe GraceWorks team is pleased toannounce the next trip to Myanmar will be in March/ April 2008.

The details are:

Departing Melbourne:Thursday March 20th at 0:15am (meeting at Melbourne Airport at 9:30pm on Wednesday March 19th)

Returning to Melbourne:Thursday April 3rd at 8:10am

Total of 14 days that come within theVictorian School holidays and Easter

Cost:$2,500 fully inclusive (subject to change)

Please note: a limited number of placesare available – please send the ‘I want totake a trip to Myanmar’ form to the GWoffice ASAP by fax on 9878 3135 or bypost to PO Box 245 Blackburn VIC 3130,to register your intention to travel.

To download an ‘I want to take a trip toMyanmar’ form go to: -http: / /www.graceworksmyanmar.org.au/pdf/ trip.pdf