�we are just trying to matter�

June 2006 Update

Here is how Pay It Forward Project is putting your donations to work.

"From: aoggalle <aoggalle@sltnet.lk>
Subject: Re: Greetings from Wendy!
To: Wendy Farrell <wendyannfarrell@yahoo.com>

Dear Wendy and Allison,

Thank you so much for the crosses and the money.It was a great help for us and their was a big smile on the faces of our church members.Thanks a lot.

We bought some books for the school children who have affected by the Tsunami.Also we were able to pay out standing bills of our church from the money that you have sent (Electricity and water).These are the things that we did with the money.Thank you  very much for your love for our people here in Sri Lanka.

I am sending some pictures of handing over the crosses to the congregation and the children with the books here with.

Thanks,

May God bless you,

Pastor Nandasena 

Here is another little project we are working on�.

If you read my Journal you probably know that my good friend Wendy Farrell gave me a set of 12 little cross pendants last year to distribute among people in Sri Lanka.  

I felt a bit challenged to do so since Sri Lanka is a country where 70% of the population practice Buddhism, 16 % Hinduism, 7 % Islam and only 7% Christianity�(and for the record I�m not Catholic myself).  But at the same time I wanted to help my dear girlfriend�s wishes come true! So as I said on my journal �if there is a will there is a way�; that is when I found out that one of the drivers / translator and friend named Sunil, working for Project Galle 2005, had converted to Catholicism about 5 years ago.

After chatting with him for a while, he invited me to go to his church to hand out the little cross pendants myself! Which by the way I was terrified to do! But I did it anyway�and it turned out to be one of the most unforgettable moments of my visit to Sri Lanka!

This is why I refer to this little �project� as � Beyond Religion�, because I�m not even Catholic!!! As you can see in the picture above, I wore a sari the day I went to visit their church, I did it out of respect to their culture.  The response I got from the locals and from the church members was overwhelming!

Since I was only able to distribute 12 pendants, when I got back from Sri Lanka, I asked Wendy if she would want to join me in sending additional pendants to Sunil�s church, needless is to say she was onboard @ �hello� ;-D

So we had 48 more crosses blessed by Wendy's priest, included a Bible passage and sent them off to Pastor Nandasena to share with his congregation.

Fundraising Events

Oct 29th - Ashburn VA

PIFP held its 2^nd Yard Sale at Bethany Rivera�s on October 28^th where we raised over $650!  We are truly indebted to Bethany as she continues to open her heart and home to us!  We have to also thank all our wonderful friends from Airbus that contributed their goods for our sale.  THANK YOU!  And special thanks to Kelly Lyons, Joanne Hampton, Jinna Lee and Ryan Greene for all of their help and time on our big day!  We could not have done it without all of you!