Dear Friends December 2017 The most significant news at the end of 2017 is that we are still able to function in a world that has been threatened so severely in the past 12 months. Those working in the field are the same as last year, with the exception of Sr. Mary Hayden, Good Shepherd Sister in Nong Khai who has moved on to the Great Beyond, aged almost 98 years. She was the pioneer both of the programs in Vietnam in the past & present, & the programs in Nong Khai, Thailand which include a marvellously effective Educational sponsorship project, Vocational Training projects, & a Village Outreach program, that has radically changed the life of so many social rejects, especially those who are suffering from AIDS or who are HIV positive, & who are shunned by the villagers.There is a Residential Community for whole families (affected by AIDS) who are homeless, & another Centre for those who are terminally ill or in need of specialised medical care, with a variety of illnesses & complications. Those who can work are employed at Hands of Hope, making exquisite paper cards, posters, bags, gifts & novelties of all sorts. Most of all the social rejects feel loved, accepted & appreciated for what each person brings to the community effort. Indeed these programs are gifts of life, & they inculcate in all involved the preciousness of the life of each person. Sr. Mary together with Sr. Joan & then with other Sisters, was the first to initiate this work & it has blossomed & expanded ever since. Most of the people with whom they work are Buddhist, which is the national religion of the Thai people. More about Sr. Mary at the end of the letter.

Sr. Cecile is now based in Phnom Penh but returns to Battambang for special events, because she is so well known to all the authorities of the Province & so respected. For the inauguration of Neang Pun’s new Kindergarten (built by ANAI) she travelled in November to BB town with Irene & then the on to Neang Pun on a motor bike, despite the fragility of her health & the horror of these roads. Sr. Sopheak based at Providence Centre in Battambang, running all the projects & sending me detailed monthly accounts, & photos, while at the same time studying Management at the University in the Khmer language, learnt since coming to Cambodia from Vietnam. With such a work-load & in such conditions, her conducting of affairs has been more than remarkable. She is joined by Sr. Chantha who reside part-time in the Prey Ompow Centre & is

responsible for the village kindergartens. Sr Chantha, of Vietnamese origin, has lived all her life in Cambodia. In Thailand, Wor (Nuttasorn) works full time with FFAC Thailand, but also finds time to distribute our funds & communicate with programs we assist in Thailand, & Cambodia. (see last years newsletter). She made a very short visit to Australia in February 2017 when our few days were mostly spent struggling over accounts & sponsorship. But there was a beach walk & some touristic hours visiting other friends & co-workers. In Burma (Myanmar) we gave a small contribution to the G.S Sisters in 2017 for their Medical & Social Work Mission . Irene, residing in Vietnam, commutes to Cambodia regularly. A very precious contribution this year was some time spent with me in Adelaide in Sept & Oct where she slaved on my “garden”, did all

the creative cooking as well as making contact with the teachers & students who travelled to Cambodia & Vietnam in 2017. We were also able to organize finances & work out program commitments. On her departure I was left with full responsibility for a profusion of pumpkin planta, spinach, herbs & salad greens planted in accessible places, as well as tomatoes, beetroot leaves, & guinea golds. Sothorn in Phnom Penh continues with his Educational Sponsorship program for disadvantaged children. Because we are paying tertiary tuition fees for some students the “sponsors’ payments” are inadequate & the program needs grants from other sources to cover costs. We think this is the best way to assure the future welfare of at least a few. Sothorn also distributes to FVW (Neang) the funds needed each month to operate her residential program for vulnerable young women. Amid the horrors of the Cambodian political situation with the Prime Minister blatantly killing off all opposition, Cambodia is deep in the mire of third world countries. Our own Australian goverment offered millions of dollars if Hun Sen would agree to accept some refugees refused entry to Australia. In the manner of Asians, HS said he was happy to accept the money & any who wanted to come. Maybe two or three accepted the offer & promptly moved elsewhere. They were in a country where the local people were living in the direst poverty, where children could not afford to go to school & where “justice” means the capricious decisions of a murderous dictator. HS of course pocketed the huge amount of money from Australia taxpayers, to further his dynastic designs. He must have laughed himself silly at the gullibility of Australians & their ignorance of Asian cultural responses. He must still be llaughing as must several other noteable Asian leaders.. I feel sorry, even ashamed, that our Australian authorities are so ignorant of the Asian mentality & way of interpreting life./- !

� -1

C Friends For All Children Rosemary J. Taylor e-mail: romataylor@bigpond.com !9 Macarthur Avenue Tel. (61 8)- 8296 6655 !Warradale, SA 5046, Australia! !

FFA

Irene in garden with Peter, from St. Mary’s college, who thought the “grass” needed cutting./-

Lai Thieu 22June 2017 (end of the school year) extracts..! Dear sponsors, benefactors & friends. School is closed & vacation has begun. It is the time to rest after a demanding year & the children look forward to spend time with their families .. Most of them have already gone home. Others are still at the residence because they prepare for the baccalaureat or for university entrance or to enter their final year, & who must take some supplementary classes during vacation. The university students will sit

for their exam & will go home on 1st July. For the school year 2016-17, we received 120 children aged 7 to 22 yrs coming from 10 different ethic groups. 30 left before the beginning of the 2nd semester: 20 of them did not continue in their class because the level of Lai Thieu is higher than in their village . Ten of the adolescents preferred to play the wag and go to the river to fish . Hence they did not pass their exams for 1st & 2nd trimestre. The parents then decided to take them back home to work in the fields. During the year, 3 children had chicken-pox, about 20 had colds, one broke a foot & one an arm. This year a team of dentists came to check the teeth of the children & treat the cavities , very important for thealth & hygiene. Apart from these few anxieties, the children were in good heath, mainly due to the better food we can offer them thanks to your generous help. The school results for the year: 6 graded Excellent; 16 Good; 42 children passed exams & move to a higher class; 5 children re-sit the exams in some subjects; 3 will repeat the class; 5 passed their intermediate exam & must sit for another exam to enter into high school; 4 high school graduates wil sit for the baccalaureate & for university entrance; 8 others continue in their branch of studies: KIndergarten Teaching, Geography, English, Design; 1 is a cooking apprentice. Our worries are always the same: to have the necessary budget for school fees & food. WIth your help our burden is a little lighter. On behalf of the children & our young students, we thank you profoundly for your generosity & support. …With all my gratitude Sr. Marie Nguyen thi Huu./- ________________________________________________________________________________________

� -2

/ VIETNAM - LAI THIEU Residential Centre for ETHNIC MINORITY children seeking an education. 2017

Children on a Zoo visit

Funding from OAK $6,000

/ Aid to TB patients & the elderly destitute in Soctrang, Ba Xuyen Province, Vietnam (Funds from OAK)!

Funds from OAK $4,000

We give an OAK grant of US$4,000 a year to the Prvidence Sisters in Soctrang, to use for aid to the indigent who have no means of support, & to the long term TB patients in the T.B. hospital. At the hospital money is distributed regularly to help buy food & other necessities for the patients, since the hospital supplies only medication; room & bed & food have to be paid for by the patient, & if necessary, a relative or a paid carer has to feed the patient./-

39 families receive rice each month & 15 persons receive money./-

About 45-50 sick persons receive 4-5 million VN dong each 2 months to help with food & basic needs at TB hospital./-

� -3

/ Good Shepherd Vietnam: Sewing We give a small contribution to 5 different Good Shepherd Educational, Vocational & Life Skills Training Projects for the poorest children & young adults. The girls from ethnic minorities are particularly disadvantaged, coming from hopelessly poor families & regarded as “Low Caste” & often despised by the Vietnamese. Here I give some glimpses from the mid-year reports of the different projects: Funds for 4 of the projects come from OAK & the Residential school program at Tan Son Nhi comes from FOC in 2017./-

❒ TanSonNhi Sewing Class: June 20017 extracts:"The funding for this project is to help with the costs of the sewing classes, materials & teachers) In this class 14 of the students are from the ethnic Stieng tribe in Binh Phuoc province For a half day they learn to sew & for half a day they attend school." In dressmaking they learn every step in the production of T-shirts, trousers, uniforms & then they practice in factories cooperating with our programs. They are eager to work to help their families but most are too young for full employment. We learn from them to be patient with their attitude of living for the present moment & not looking towards the future. They come with little expectation that that they can improve their lot in life… Sr.Theresa Chi./-!

❒ TEN LUA

Sr.Theresa Chi./-

❒ TAN SON NHI Residential school program: In our house, now there are 16 children with the desire to study higher & also participating in the Sewing Class project. Half a day, some of them go to school for education, & others join in a special class because they are older than the normal class age. At present, there are nine children in Primary school, five in Secondary school & two in High school. After the first semester, almost all of them achieved good marks.They felt happy. We also hope that through our encouragement, support & compassion, they will get more enthusiasm for learning & can change their life for the better. As in all our programs, we teach them basic life skills & human ethics..Sr. M.Josephine ./-Chuc./-

3������������� ����������.".,-������$($,# ���-���(��$(#��&)��-$)(�()0���(��)(��#$��������# ���&),.+ �)!�-# �, 0$("��&�,,�0�,�$''$( (-��.-�0# (�0 �0 + �-)&��-)�/���- �-# �+))'��2��.".,-���$-�0�,����&)0���# �+ �,)(�$,�-#�-�-# ��#.+�#�*&�(,�-)��.$&����( 0�*�,-)+�&�� (- +����,)' �*+$)+�+ *�$+,��+ �( � �����-�#�,�� (���2 �+,�,$(� �0 �0 + �0 &�)' ��-)�)* (�-# �, 0$("��&�,,��-���(��$(#���-#)&$���#.+�#����# �*�,-)+��#$,��,,)�$�- ,���-# �*�+$,#$)( +,�#�/ �� (�/ +2�%$(���(��,.**)+-$/ ����)+�-#$,�0 ��+ �� *&2�"+�- !.&��������(�-# �,-�, ' ,- +����(��$(#�� 0$("��&�,,�0 &�)' �����,-.� (-,��!+)'���� �2 �+,�)!��" ���# �,-.� (-,�0 + ��$&$" (-��(��+ '�$( ��&)(" +�$(�-# ��&�,,�-)�#�/ �')+ � 1* +$ (� ���-)�& �+(���-)�,#�+ �-# $+� (-#.,$�,'���(��.".,-�������0 �*�-$ (-&2�')/ ���&&�).+�, 0$("�'��#$( ,��-��& ,���#�$+,���'�(2��)1 ,��(����",�!+)'���(��$(#�-)���(��)(��#$��& ' (-�+2��#�+$-2���#))&�0# + �-# �, 0$("��&�,,�#�,�-�% (���( 0��$+ �-$)(�-)�+ ,*)(��-)�-# �( �,�)!�-# �*))+� -#($��2).("�"$+&,�0 �, +/ �$(���(��)(��#$��-.� (-�� ,$� (� ����# 2�, 0��&+ ��2��.-�*�-- +(,�!)+����)'*�(2����# �,$,- +,��+ �& �+($("�-)��)�-# ��.--$("�-# ', &/ ,���# �"$+&,��+ �)!! + ��)**)+-.($-$ ,�-)�& �+(�#)0�-)�+ ����(��0+$- �)+��-�& �,-�!$($,#� & ' (-�+2�,�#))&�� �+(�,)' �')( 2��-���(��)(��#$�, 0$("��&�,,����&$! �

,%$&&,��(��#.'�(�� / &)*' (-��-�-# �� ,$� (� ���Sr. Joanna Le����

❒ VINH LONG Training Program: We spoke of this program more extensively in last years newsletter, where young sisters are trained professionally & learn to appreciate their commitment to the poor & then to assume responsibility for the various projects of education, rehabilitation & vocational training in neighbouring regions./-

� -4

It is a few years since I gave news of the BAO LOC farm for handicapped youngsters. In the past two years only 2 have been successfully transferred from Phu My in Saigon, as Phu My under the government directorship is no longer making any effort to prepare the children for independent living so they will be able to care for their own basic needs & cooperate in team work. This is heartbreaking for all who were involved in the development of this unique program./-

Some of the agricultural activities at the Farm./-

Sr Elisabeth celebrating her 60th Jubilee with the Sisters in the Bao Loc community./-

Because Sr Elisabeth can travel only rarely to Bao Loc these days, it is a great festive occasion when she visits & here the youngsters she knew for all their lives, participate in a festive meal to celebrate with her. She is so much loved by all these young people for whom she has fought relentlessly./-

In the past, the Bao Loc farm residents grew vegetables that were “sold” to Phu MY in Saigon, thereby helping the farm to survive & they also sewed clothes & bed linen for the children, but the Director stopped this so that he could give the food orders to certain cronies & also employ outside people to sew. All these operations involved kick-backs for Phu My personnel. Since they could not get their hands on any money from Bao Loc, the profitableness of the venture for them was zero & they could not tolerate this so did everything possible to thwart the Sisters." 9 of the more able residents were able to move into private family houses, marry (all but one married outside the community) & have 17 children now. The outside support loan given to them for building their own home, has been paid back by all but one. These families are doing well, though always there is local bullying of the children & other antagonisms to overcome. Outside support & supervision is still very much needed for the individual families, the small community houses & for the young people in the main house & will always be needed if the project is to flourish." The community of Sisters all work with the handicapped youngsters though only 2 are officially “employed” by the government." Having a larger community there provides moral support in the constant battle they are fighting for the rights of the youngsters.The government permits no visitors to stay in the main house, so they live in the Welcome centre & in one small community house. A sister stays at the main house every night as the residents need the presence of a Sister or they feel insecure./-

/ VIETNAM - BAO LOC Farm project for handicapped youngsters 2017

� -5

BG#87 Ms. N.T. Kim Huong is 52. Her husband died 2 months ago from lung cancer. She now has to care for her 3 children living with her, they are 17, 15 and 13. She works on a daily basis in a dragon fruit packaging company. She can earn 6.6$ a day, but it’s

not regular and it’s not enough to continue to pay school fees. She asked for funds to raise hens in her garden, so she can make some extra income for her family. 4 Mill vnd =US$176./-

/ =: V I E T N A M := Small Business Grants 10 of the 18 families who received a small grant to help set up an income generating project of their choice. These are some of the families funded by OAK.

(BG in the reference number mean “Business Grant” & EG = “Emergency grant”)./-

BG#79 . Mr. P. Chien is 51 years old. He rents a motorbike to work as a moto taxi during the day from 5h30 am to 5om. He earns 3 to 7$ a day after he pays the rent for the moto. He cares for his 8 year old grandson whose mother left him & whose father is in prison for

drug dealing. They live in a room of 4m2 & the rent is 2$ a day. He asked for help to buy a motorbike so that he can have a better income &

.continue to send his grandson to school5 million dvn = $219./- "

BG#80: Ms. P.T. Nhien, 30, is an agriculture day laborer but earns only 1.5$ a day. Her husband works as a day laborer in a farm raising ducks & earns 2.5$ a day. They have 2 children, 12 & 10 yrs. She asks for funds to start raising their

own ducks; as her husband has the experience, he can help. 4 mill dvn-$175./-

BG #81 .Ms. N.T. Thuy, 27,works as tailor when she finds a job, & can earn 4.5 $ a day. Her husband as a moto-taxi & earns 4 to 6 $ a day. They have a child of 2, & live in a 12m2 room in a suburb of Saigon. They have to pay 88$ rent every month. She asked for funds to buy a sewing machine, so that she can work at home & care for her daughter. 5 million dvn = $219 ./- "

BG#84: Mrs. T.T.Thanh Nga is 33. She works as an agriculture day laborer and can earn 2.5$ when she has work. Her husband works in a shop repairing small electric appliances. He too earns about 2.5$ a day. They have 2 children, 15 & 14 years old. They asked for funds to buy tools to setup their own electric appliance repair shop at home, to have a higher income to be able to continue to pay their children’s school fees. 5 million dvn

= $219./-

BG#88 Ms.N.T. Nhi, is a widow, 77 & lives with her son, his wife & 2 gdchn. The family is very poor, & her son barely has enough income to care for his children. Ms. Nhi asked for funds to buy what’s necessary to make rice cakes to sell around the local market. & thus contribute to the family income.3 Mill vnd =US$ 132./-

EG #93Ms. P.T.Tuyet is 31 years old. She’s a day laborer on construction sites with 2 children, 8 and 4 years old. Her husband died in April, electrocuted by fishing with an electric net. She had to borrow money to pay for

a decent burial. Because of her very low and irregular income, she can’t even pay

the interest. She asked for help, she needs to pay the funds she borrowed, so that she can live & care for her 2 children with her income./-

BG#96 Ms.T.T. Kim Thien, 41, is a mason day laborer. Her husband was a hired fisherman. He was arrested in November

2016, with all the crew in Indonesia waters. He’s in prison until November 2021. The income of Ms. Thien is not sufficient to care for their 4 children, 13,10,8, & 5.. She asked for funds to buy a motorbike so that she can go to work farther away than the village to increase her income & pay school fees for the children. 5 Mill vnd =US$ 220./-

BG 101 Ms. H.T. Nhoi is 33 years old. She ran away, with her 3 year

old son from Buon Me Thuot. Her husband is analcoholic & was really violent towards her & their child. She works now as a shepherd in Lam Son, Ba Ria Province. She asked for funds to buy a calf, to take with the herd & sell after 6 to 9 months & buy another calf, & use the benefit to improve their life & pay school fees. 7 Mill vnd = $307./-

BG#85 M. D.M. Quy, 49. His wife died 16 years ago after birth of their second child. He is a day laborer as assistant mason & earns around 8$ a day when he has work. He needs at least $18 / mo to pay school fees for his sons. Then, food, transportation etc… He

asked funds to buy a small concrete mixer, so that he may work by himself &

have a higher & more regular income. 7 mill vnd = $308./-

� -6

BG-77:Ms.H.N.Ngoc Ha is 37 & a single mother. She is a day laborer, a cleaner & earns 4$ to 6$ a day when she finds a job. She has 2 children, 12 & 6 They rent a small house in Bien Hoa, 44 $ /month. She asked for funds to buy equipment and capital to sell eggs, dried fish and dried shrimp, in the street in the evening, to increase the family income. 4 million vnd = $175./-

/ =: V I E T N A M := Small Business Grants: 9 families in 2017 who have received funds to set up a small business & increase their income (MOMS 6 families & FFAC 3 families (private gift)./-

BG-78 Ms. V.T. Hoa, 60. is a street vendor & earns 4 to 6 $ a day. Her husband abandoned the family recently. She still cares for 2 chn, 16 & 13 living with her. They rent a house in Bien Hoa, $ 65/month. She asked funds to buy equipment & a parasol for

selling shrimp crabs noodles, on sidewalk to increase the family income. 5 mill dvn= $219 ./-

BG-.86. Ms. B.K.Anh is 27 . Her husband abandoned the family 2 years ago. She has 2 children 13,& 11, works as waitress in a restaurant, & earns 3$ a day. It’s not enough to pay school fees. She asked for funds to buy equipment for selling breakfast in her area to increase the family income. 4 Mill vnd = $175./-

BG-97 Ms. L.T. Thuy Lieu is 31 years old. Her husband is 33, & has some mental health issues. Both are day laborers in dragon fruit plantations. They have a son 8, who also has some health problems. The income of the family is not sufficient to pay the medication for the father and son. She asked for funds to raise hens in her garden, then she can make some extra income for her family.5 Mill. vnd = 219 US $./-

BG-76 Ms. H.T. Muoi, is 56 years old. She is a day laboror, cleaning and washing dishes around her place. She earns around 4 $ a day when she finds a job. Her husband passed away a few years ago . One of her children still lives with her and attends school 11th grade. They asked for funds to buy equipment and capital for making and selling jelly desserts to increase the family income. 5 million dvn = $219./-

BG 83 Ms. Luong Thi Ha 30, works as a day laborer, any job she can find. Her husband left her after the birth of their son, now 6. She earns 1.5 to 2$ a day. She asked for funds to buy a machine to extract sugar cane juice, & utensils to set up a small stall to sell it & other soft drinks on the street: 7 mill dvn = $307 ./-

BG-102 .Ms. P. T. Hai is 37 years old. Her husband died in a road accident in 2015. She works as an agricultural day laborer. Her income is not sufficient to care for her 2 children, 9 and 5 yrs. She asked for funds to raise pigs to improve

their life and pay for education fees. 6 Mill. vnd =US$264./-

BG-91. Mr.P.H. Anh, is 43. His wife left 5 years ago. He works irregulary as mason. His children are 11 & 8. He requested funds to buy a motorbike, so that he can find more work further away from the village to increase income.5 Million vnd = 219 US $./-

BG-82: Ms. N.T.Tin ,39 yrs is a day laborer & works as mason assistant. She earns 2 to 4 $ a day. Her husband had an accident in a construction site while working as a day laborer & he is now paralyzed. Their only son is 16 years old. They live in a house of 26m2in a suburb of Saigon, rent 44$ /month.She asked for funds for a sewing machine, so she can work at home & care for her husband & hopefully have enough income to keep their son in school. 4 mill dvn = $175 ./-

" "

� -7

Providence students winning prizes at Bora school./-

/ Providence Centre �� Battambang Town, Cambodia 2017: (Supported by FOC, OAK, FFAC, ANAI & individual donations. Jesuit Service pays the Staff salaries)/-

Students Soccer team at Bora School/ An English exercise with Adelaide teachers./Students from Centre perform at Bora School./-

Evaluation meeting at the end of the month for students./-

All students at Providence Centre, Battambang as school begins on Aug 14th./-

6 Aug2017 "..”In July, st-dents in Ba3ambang Center have a shor< time to visited their family & aster exam for gAade 9 diploma, they will star< new st-dy year on 14 aug-st. Kindergar<en will finish in the end month of aug-st , the same time as the goverIment school. In the Center I prepared a Teacher Training course in Life Skills & the st-dents all joined in. I hope this has contAibuted to their development …” ………… ex<Aacts Qom Sr. Sopheak

Providence students welcome Adelaide students./-

The students at the Centre have for years been trained in cultural dancing. Here they perform to welcome students from St. Marys College Adelaide on their July visit. The visiting students shared experiences with those at the Centre, & helped them with English language skills. This was a learning experience for the Australians & a precious contribution to their education/-

Last year’s newsletter showed activities of Providence Students in the Centre, their gardening, handicraft activities, phys ed exercises. This year we have some photos of the students who attend Bora Private school, & some photos of the visit of the Australian students in July./-

On Sunday afternoon there are different activities for students at the Centre, which help to prepare them for life & & where they learn how to evaluate situations & articulate & deal with problems: Week 1: They may go out to market & to the library etcWeek 2: they study ethics & the human body..Week 3: Discussion groups on the topic of the month..Week 4: End of month evaluation meeting: they discuss school study, activities for the month at the Centre, & problems of that month./-

"� -8

/ Providence Projects in Battambang Province Cambodia 2017: Lunches & snacks for Kindergarten & some lower primary children. (Main contributors to this program OAK, FFAC & ANAI) ./-

Badak Kindy lunch

Reasmey Songha kindy snack

Kok Chor Kindy

Pich Changva Kindy lunch

Phum Kandal Kindy lunch

Kandal Stoeung Kindy handwashing & Lunch for older chn 5-6 yrs

Kandal Stoeung Kindy Lunches for younger chn. 4-5 yrs.

Lunch For Children in Villages November 2016 - August 2017

Villages No of childn

Price of meal

Price of snack

Total /month!(20 days)

1 Kok Chor 47 $0.475 $446.50

2 Reasmey Songha 88 $0.125 $220.00

3 Pich Chongvar 30 $0.475 $285.00

4 Badak 40 $0.475 $380.00

5 Oh Khmum 29 $0.475 $275.50

6 Prey Ompow 25 $0.475 $237.50

7 Kandal Stoeung 48 $0.475 $456.00

8 Phum Kandal 20 $0.475 $190.00

9 PhumKandal-Primary 15 $0.475 $142.50

10 Thvas 25 $0.125 $62.50

Total / month 367 $237.50 $2,695.50

The same schedule will apply in the academic year 2017-1018

" "

� -9

/ Providence Projects in Battambang Province Cambodia 2017: Village Schools & Kindergartens./-

Sr. Cecile addressing the families at Tro Dok Poung school. Sr. Sopheak & Village mayor at front table/-

Neang Pun KIndy (“Ecole Catherine” built by ANAI), was opened in November 2017. Sr. Cecile , Irene, Anai representatives attended the opening, with Sr. Sopheak & Chantha. The teachers & pupils of the nearby primary school, the teachers from all the other Kindies, parents, villagers, the deputy Mayor & representatives of the Education Ministry also attended. The Kindy was named after Catherine P… who was a French military doctor in Cambodia & who left a legacy for ANAI./-

The provincial department of Education assumes more responsibility for the village schools & some of the teachers now receive better salaries, if they have gov. qualifications. The Providence Sisters have therefore reduced their aid to village teachers, and continue to give some support only to the primary teachers in the small “wooden” schools in far flung villages

which are less attractive for teachers & less accessible.This support will

be continued for the school year November 2017 until August 2018. The Providence Sisters’ program which we support, will also continue to pay the whole salary of the kindergarten teachers in the private kindergartens, as the Dept. of Education has no provision or interest in this early education. The Sisters organise the training of these teachers./-

TroDokPoung primary school (to 5th grade) was rebuilt in concrete in 2013, (ANAI) & a Water Purification Plant was built in 2014 (OAK). It is too far from the nearest secondary school for these children to travel the distance on foot. On 29 Sept. Sr. Cecile (on a special trip from Phnom Penh) together with Sr. Sopheak & the Village Mayor met with the parents in front of the school to discuss the problem. It was decided that the school would include grade 6, this coming year. Then by next year 2018-2019 it is hoped that some communal transport can be organised to get the children to secondary school./-

Kandal Stoeung: Kindy built in 2015 (ANAI),

Was this year in need of major repairs due to the subsidence of the earth that threatened the collapse of the building. The foundations had to be underpinned before the children could be admitted for the new School year 2017-18. A grant from Il Canale paid for the repairs./-

Teacher Allowance & Salaries 2016-2017

Subject No. of persons Amount Total

AllowancePrimaryteachers(fromNov2016un@lAug2017)

46person $15/mo $690

NewteachersKindergarten 8person $100/mo $800

OldteachersKindergarten

5person $110/mo $550

Totalpermonth 66person $2,040

Subject Amount TotalKhmerNewYearon

APRIL2017 72person $25 $1,800

The same schedule will apply in the academic year 2017-1018

Neang Pun Kindy, built in 2017

� -10

Resident Girls at the Prey Ompow student centre, on first day of the new school year 2017/2018."They learn their cultural dancing at Providence Centre in Battambang, & it is customary that they dance on the first day of the school year. The Residents of the Student Centre attend middle school (grades 6-8) in Prey Ompow government school, very close to the Centre. The girls in higher classes all live in Providence Centre Battambang, & attend Bora private school./-

/ Providence Centre PREY OMPOW Village, Cambodia: 2017 All normal living & educational costs provided by OAK Philanthropy"

Prey Ompow Students on an outing to Ek Phnom./-

Boeung Tum Pun Centre, 23 May 2017 Dear Benefactors, The BTP Centre was started in 1999 to give basic literacy skills to adults & children. For the latter we gave catch-up classes so the children could eventually go to school. The project finished its contract. We, the Sisters of Providence, see that the country is reestablishing itself gradually, but the poor, particularly the young, need continued support…..The Project of today is not just a continuation of the old project. The formation of adolescents & children remains a priority for the development of Cambodia & the poverty is as widespread as before….. Today we want to continue to help disadvantaged girls & street children at the BTP Centre, so they may go to normal schools & also pursue secondary studies. At the moment we have 20 girls from grade 1-12…. The private school fees will be $7,240 per year; school supplies about $600, & Transport: Tuk-Tuks & bikes, $200. Total $8,040/year………Sr. Cecile Letibe./-

Living Expenses.: In the above letter, Sr. Cecile did not include the cost of boarding the girls with all their daily needs & household expenses. She asked us to pay only the expenses related to Education. Asked about living expenses Cecile supplied details of the daily needs: Food, Water, Hygiene, Fuel, Repairs, Medical support & Personnel, estimated at another $10,000, some of which will come from sponsorship, (France) & miscellaneous gifts.. (FFAC Australia provided a grants of $US 20,000 for 2 years Education Expenses, which will surely be a little more than estimated./-

BTP students enjoying the garden working in the garden

Note: Private school is finally cheaper & more reliable than government school where bribes are needed for every teacher & teachers are less committed. In private school there is a set school fee, teachers better motivated & supervised & no extra money has to be paid to the teacher for a passing grade./-

/ Providence Centre BOEUNG TUM PUN, Phnom Penh, 2017 Sr. Cecile Letibe is responsible for this project (funding from different sources)"

Older girls ride bikes to school with a smaller girl riding behind. But not enough bikes so a moto-taxi is hired for 3 of the little ones./-

� -11

_OAK funds ($6,000) were given to the project especially for aid to the villagers from the Huai Sai Centre, & for their lunch, transport & training./-

/ AID for the DETENTION CENTRE, Bangkok - 2017. $US8,000 given to help detainees through a volunteer support group(funds from MOMS & OAK ./.

-:T H A I L A N D:-

Mother S.T., a tribal montagnard from Vietnam, with a son of about 3 yrs & facial disfigurement, spent 18 months in detention & was bailed out; a Pastor for the Vietnamese is caring for her temporarily. She speaks little Vietnamese so communication is difficult./-"

Mother Suthar… from Sri Lanka. She has a husband in detention for a year. She has many problems to survive & raise her son of 1 1/2yrs) alone./-"

Mother’s name M.G from Congo (40 yrs). Has 2 girls 12 & 5yrs, & a son 3 yrs. They are living in Bangkok as asylum seekers & come to the French church each week to seek help./-"

Mother Saima from Pakistan is separated with 2 children under 2 years. She was bailed out of detention in April 2016 because baby was very sick. She is alone caring for her children & has no source of income. UNHCR has rejected her case, which is now

on appeal./-"

Father SNK from Congo had a heart attack in detention & was left half paralysed. Now he is bailed out & can walk a little & can speak, but is unable to earn. WIth his wife (from Tanzania) & children 14, 10, they have the status of refugees, but no country will accept them because of his health. The wife tries to get work. as a domestic to earn some money but the children can’t get any regular schooling./-

N.. from Congo, is alone with 4 children (8,6,4,2 yrs).She cannot earn enough to keep her children & must beg in the streets. She cannot afford medical care for her children & cannot send them to school. They live in misery./-

Some of the stories in brief.. I have photos of the families & exact addresses but do not want to breach their privacy. Here are a few families to be helped in different ways with funds from MOMS (designated for lone mothers trying to support their children)./-"

Khun P.S trained all members of Regina & Huai Sai Centres in the use of herbsfor health care./-

The Huai Sai Center organized a Walk Rally camp for all the staff and workers in order to foster unity, greater ability,creativity and team-work./-

Extracts from their newsletter.

������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������� (see last pages)./-

/ Good Shepherd Training Program in Nong Kai (Regina & Huai Sai Centres).

Good Shepherd staff from different projects & from Pattaya, Loei, Nong Bua, Lumphu joined for a seminar on our “life force” to strengthen our morale & mission. A special address was given to all members of Regina & Huai Sai

Centers../-

SS is alone mother from Sri Lanka with 3 children. They are living outside the detention centre in one room, & survive only on charitable gifts./-

_OAK funds ($3,000) were given to the project to help Detainees in other circumstances./-

Sar… is a mother of 51 yrs.Her husband came to Thailand 11 years ago to seek work. He was kept in detention for 6 years, & is now on bail. He cannot work due to asthma & breathing problems. The wife & 4 children 18,16,13,11 came about 2 years ago. They live in one room & can only survive by charitable donations from different organisations./-"

__22 August 2017" Rosemary..IhavejustreceivedamessagefromWorwithacopyofthechequefor

99,000Bahtthatshebanked.Greatthanksforsupportingourworkwiththe

Detainees.Thisgiftwillgivemethechancetorespondtosomeoftherequestsatthe

Centre,especiallywithtelephonecardssothattheycancommunicatewiththeir

familiesintheirhomecountry,&thenIcanhelpthemwithexpensesformedical&dentaltreatment...Thankyouagain…Bernardomi

� -12

/ OAK has also given Education Aid to 6 young mothers, with small children, who are trying to work & study at the same time. They are mostly from upcountry & live in small rented rooms near Fatima Centre.. Two have children going to government school & the mothers study at Fatima Centre. 2 others work at Fatima Centre & go to evening classes 3xweek. Their children are then cared for by a friend. The other two are slow learners. They work in Fatima Centre every day & their children are cared for in the Mother and Baby home. They registered for adult education with our Residential Care girls. They have finished only Primary 4 but cannot read or write./-

/ Good Shepherd Nong Khai THailand

Distribution of MOMS’ FUNDS in NONG KHAI Thailand in 2017 From the NK report: “WearemostgratefulforthefundsreceivedfromMOMSeachyear,assistingwomenasthecorecaregiversinthefamily,toraisetheirchildren.Thefollowingwomen&theirdependents,havebeenassistedin2017.SixofthefamilieshavebeenhelpedpreviouslybyMOMS./-…..”

Umpah 36, gardener & HIV+.Has 3 children 16, 10 (HIV+) & 3 yrs (all different fathers). Last husband died of heart attack. Aid given to help install pump

& irrigation so she can grow vegetables on land provided by landlord./-

Jamlong 55, widow, has a child 17 who has kidney disease & Lupus. She had hip operation this year & needs follow up . Support given to help with hospital, medical expenses, food & transportation./-

Yai Boon Mee, 64, widow. sometimes has casual work. Cares for grandchild whose mother died from AIDS. Father left when his wife died. Child is not strong & health needs checking. Help given for household items & personal items for child./-

Yai Opit, 46, widow. Collects plants & insects from rice field to sell. Cares for 4 gdchildren, aged 2-12.. Support given for food & education for the children./-

Thim 19. Her parents separated when she was 9 & an aunt brought her up, but never

sent her to school. She came to our Mother and Baby Home 19 months ago when she was 6 months pregnant with her 3rd child. All have different fathers who take no responsibility. The father of her last child is only 18 years old. Thim now works in Fatima Centre & her child is cared

for in the Mother & Baby Home. They live with the father in a small rented room near Fatima. Thim trains in dress-making & receives THB 6,500/mo but the father earns little doing odd jobs in a garage. They struggle to survive, but at all costs she wants to bring up this child herself./-

Pawn escaped from Laos 2 yrs ago & worked for 3 mos in a Thai restaurant in Pattaya where she got pregnant with a Vietnamese refugee.. She came to us after the birth of her son as the Vietnamese boy could not afford to help or support her. We rented a little room nearby where they live together. Pawn cannot machine sew, but she is training to do crafts in the Fatima Centre & her son is cared for in the Mother & Baby Home. A bright girl who has never attended school. She is now also learning how to read and write Thai & English./-

& at Good Shepherd in Bangkok (Fatima Centre) MOMS supported ;-

YaiPai54,widow, cares for grandson (6) whose mother died this year in Sept. from AIDS related illness. Boy is infected. Father died also in Sept from a road accident. Pai works as gardener 3 days a week & earns 150 Baht a day . Support given to help with school expenses, food, medicine & transportation to hospital. Also to connect water to their bathroom./-

Nang, 36 (separated from a violent husband) has a boy of 8. She is Laotian & has no documentation. House not her own, & was repaired last year, but a storm detroyed the roof. She cannot work far from home without papers. Support given to repair roof & for food as she has problems managing./-

Sak, widow, aged 21.Laotian. HIV. Casual work because of health earning only about 300 -500 BT/week.Aid given to buy used moto & sidecart to sell vegetables & collect rubbish for rerecycling./-

Ya (Granny)Gon, aged 63. Husband disabled & unable to work or walk. Their grandchild of 13 has HIV. HIs mother died when he was 4. Grandmother collects wood to make charcoal but is not strong & has poor mobility. Helpgiven to repair house & for food, school needs & transportation to hospital for grandson./-

Mass aged 20, Separated. Has young child. Father left when he was 2 mos . Birth was difficult & boy remains very weak & needs constant support. Aid given for special milk & hospital transport each week./-

Yupa 39, widow. works in rice field & raises her niece (5) since birth. Her sister left the child with her & never returned. GIrl is paralysed on one side & has to go regularly to hospital for physio & for specialist treatment. Funds given for medicine, nutrition & hospital transportation./-

We give thanks for the life of an extraordinary woman, Sr. Mary Hayden, missionary, visionary & pioneer whose whole life was a striving to live out the essential gospel values. There was no austere piety distancing her from from the real world, as anyone who knew her could testify. Pope Francis advised religious “to stay close to the marginalized & to be shepherds living with the smell of the sheep”. This Sr. Mary did for the 76 years of her religious life. Her practicality, her initiative, determination, courage, knowledge of world affairs, deep faith & her instant connection with people, topped by a brilliant Irish wit, kept her grounded & able to respond to any situation with such positive results.

Aged 9 she lost an older sister to scarlet fever & her mother the year after. Raised by her father, a farmer, & his sister she eventually decided she was not cut out to be a farmer’s wife & at 17 she joined the Good Shepherd Sisters who were looking for girls to join the mission. In August of 1938 she left Ireland for the GS motherhouse in Angers France, & took the habit in early 1939, the year war broke out, Starvation & cold was what she experienced & the tragic loss one by one of her young Irish companions to TB. She expected she would be next. The French novices coud return to their parents but the Irish could not go home, so she & the remaining foreign novices were sent to Orleans, where there was more food & warmer living conditions due to a furnace used in their laundry service for prisoners of war held in a nearby German camp.

When the war finally ended she returned to Angers & made her final vows on 12 Sept 1945. Sr Mary was granted a month to return to Ireland to see her father & sister, before setting forth on a cargo boat for her first mission in Sri Lanka. … Sr Mary had to complete her studies under the British system to receive a certificate qualifying her for a teaching position. She excelled in languages – apart from her native Gaelic – but some misinformed soul suggested she take the fine arts class. While Sr Mary excelled in many things, drawing was not one of them & she was soon reassigned new work.

There in Kohtahena, the sisters ran a social institution for women & children with 600 to 700 people altogether. Sr Mary enjoyed her new work – looking after the orphanage & provided with an old car – a Housten – was sent as driver, on multiple social welfare related missions – mostly women in labour who needed to make a quick dash to the hospital, invariably in the early hours of the morning.

Life was ‘normal’ in Sri Lanka & Sr Mary loved every bit of it. However, at the end of the twelfth year, she was summoned to the Superior’s Office. Life was about to change & Sr Mary’s pioneering life about to begin, though, at 38, she felt she was ‘too old’.In 1957 she again boarded an old cargo boat, this time bound for Singapore to meet Sr Dymphna (Margaret) Brady who was commissioned, with Sr Mary to bring Good Shepherd to Vietnam. Little did she know but another war awaited her.

Their presence had been requested by President Ngo Dinh Diem, who wanted to find a place for the many young women on the streets. He contacted the Good Shepherd Sisters Mother House & as he wanted neither French or American missionaries, the choice fell on Ireland. Two Irish Sisters couldn’t do much damage to anybody – or so it was thought! Sr Margaret tightly adhered to every rule, perhaps ‘chalk’ to Sr Mary’s ‘cheese’ but through many long & difficult years, Sr Mary found her to be the most solid & persevering companion.

After two months of being isolated in a Vietnamese convent belonging to another congregation, it was time to fulfill the mission they had been sent for. 130 kms south of the capital, in the town of Vinhlong where the President’s brother served as Bishop, the Sisters opened the first house on 24 April 24

1958. Sr Joan Gormley was to "

join them, along with Sisters Mercy, Anne Furlong, Ursula, Brigitte, Patricia Driscoll, & Sr Fidelma . Sr Mary often spoke of the richness of community life experienced in Vietnam, as selfless devotion to the girls & women in their care & a shared trust in God through adverse situations, brought the sisters close to one another. They were tireless in their efforts to provide for their ‘charges’, who were extremely hostile at the outset. They decided to begin by teaching them sewing & just as Sr Mary knew nothing about drawing, she knew even less about sewing! Still, not to be daunted & ever responsive to need, Sr Mary, made it happen.

From the first 20 girls, the numbers rose & by the end of the year, 75 were in their care. A year later, 135 & four years later, 434 girls had passed through the centre. Finding work was important & so skills training was given in sewing, a school opened for the younger children & a Mother & Baby home in 1967. The arrival of the American Forces in 1963 & the building of their base & airstrip, on the perimeter of the convent put the sisters & girls in grave danger. Yet a mutually beneficial relationship was built with the sisters who started a paying service laundering the officer’s uniforms & in return, the soldiers who dropped in for home cooking, conversation, a blessing & an Irish coffee, felt some normalcy a long way from home. Sr Mary remembers her first meeting with Cpt

Robin Miller who said laughing, “What did you do wrong to get sent to a place like this?” Robin & his crew, went on to save the lives of 8 sisters & 200 girls & women during the Tet offensive of 1968, as he made 16 trips in his helicopter to fly them to safety. Robin gave Sr Mary another 50 years of life, for which she was & we are, forever grateful.(They were to reconnect in 2008).

The convent & its outbuildings were badly damaged at the time but no lives had been lost, so the Sisters set about repairing the damage, salvaging what they could from the ruins & resumed their lives, though now in the shadow of war & with the fear of further attacks. They frequented their bunkers & took in whole families left homeless when their village homes were destroyed. Yet the mission continued despite all obstacles & people continued to find help.

In 1970 a second house & centre opened in Saigon to provide vocational training for war widows & refugee girls. A clinic was set up to help undernourished mothers & babies & when in 1973 at the peak of the war Sr Mary was chosen as Provincial Superior, responsible for the countries of Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore, she relocated to Saigon. By April 1975, Operation Babylift had had begun, transporting thousands of orphans to the States but on 4 April tragedy struck with the crash of a Galaxy transport plane & Sr Ursula, who was accompanying the babies was among the 138 children & carers killed. Sr Mary was to say at the time: “Sister’s tragic death deepened, in many ways, the sorrow felt by our Sisters, who spent seventeen years in South Vietnam & witnessed over the past years, the agony of the heroic Vietnamese people”.

It was obvious that the communist takeover of South Vietnam was imminent & foreigners were advised to leave the country yet Sr Mary dearly wished to remain to help in any way she could. She worked day & night to procure exit papers for the families of the Vietnamese Sisters & other close friends who would be in grave danger under North Vietnamese rule. Within days she had secured papers for 94 Vietnamese. Finally, advised that her presence would endanger rather than assist those dear to her, she reluctantly approached the American Embassy with Sr Mercy – her only Good Shepherd companion still left in the country. Embassy Gates were closed; they contemplated with dread a 15 foot wall & when spotted by

� -13

Sr Mary Hayden – A gift of self We give thanks for the life of an extraordinary woman, Sr Mary Hayden – missionary, visionary and pioneer – who at a young age ‘fell in love with Jesus’ and chose to follow Him, imitate Him and serve Him through a life dedicated to looking after His sheep. ‘Personal, conscious, contact with Christ’, was the fundamental practice that she cultivated her entire life and rooted by this, strived to live out the essential gospel values wherever God led her. Steeped in her love for God, there was no austere piety distancing her from the real world, as anyone who knew her could testify. Pope Francis advised religious,

‘ to stay close to the marginalized and to be shepherds living with the smell of the sheep’, - this Sr Mary did for 76 years of religious life. Her practicality, her initiative, determination, courage, knowledge of world affairs, deep faith and her instant connection with people, topped by a brilliant Irish wit, kept her grounded and able to respond to any situation with such positive results. Born on the 19.9.1919 in Ballygub, Inistioge, Ireland, she was christened ‘Anne’ by her parents, Charlie and Elizabeth Hayden and was the younger sister of Nora and Mary. Growing up on a farm, life was simple and the young Sr Mary enjoyed it. Neighbours would always visit and someone would invariably produce a fiddle- or the rosary beads – and the night would be spent in appreciated companionship – something Sr Mary held dear her whole life. When Sr Mary was 9 however, life as she had known it came to an abrupt end, when her 11 year old sister Mary, died from Scarlet Fever and her dear mother passed away the following year in the same month. Raised by her hard working father and his sister - her beloved Aunt Bess - she was sent to school to learn home economics but Sr Mary knew from an early age, she was not cut out to be a farmer’s wife! After living what she described herself as a ‘wild life’ as a youth, she was clearly searching for something more. She attended a retreat at 15 and felt the love of God so strongly that she decided to give her life to Him, for this she knew was where her future lay. When the Good Shepherd Sisters came to her town, looking for girls to join the missions - at 17, she put her name down. She felt that if she was going to give, then she would give all -give up her country, her loved ones, everything she was familiar with and become a missionary. She entered to go wherever she was needed. In August 1938 she left Ireland for the Good Shepherd Mother House in Angers, France where she was to enter the novitiate taking the habit on Feb 8th 1939. The same year, war was to engulf Europe, yet being schooled in the rules and regulations of convent life: How to maintain perfect silence; how to lift her skirts on the stairs; how to confess to the slightest misdemeanor, errant thought or whispered comment, she knew nothing about what was happening in the outside world. Starvation and cold was what Sr Mary knew and the tragic loss, one by one, of her young companions to TB. She really believed she would be next. It was during such times that she made her first vows on February 8th,1941 – the Feast of Our Lady. While the French novices could return to their families, this was not an option for the Irish with the seas mined and bombers in the skies. So she and the remaining foreign novices were sent to Orleans where there was more food available and warmer living conditions due to a furnace used in their laundry service for prisoners of war held in a German camp nearby. During this time, Sr Mary was to witness among the sisters, acts of generosity, of heroism, of kindness and together with them experienced the fear generated by the savagery of war. When the war finally ended she was able to return to Angers and made her final vows on September 12th 1945 but by this time, the Jesus she had known, loved and followed was moving further and further away from her daily life. Sr Mary explained that she had been brought up in Ireland – a country of simple faith where God was part of the family. The emphasis was more on God’s intense love for us than on our love for him - Salvation, a direct gift from God. He loved us and all he asked from us was love in return, to accept his love and to pass that love on to others. This was different to the religion she experienced in

/ Death of Sr. Mary Hayden, in Nong Khai 19-9-1919 … 30-7-2017 extracts from her funeral eulogy

their friend Ilse Ewald, found themselves being hoisted to the top by marines.

From that moment on, Sr Mary was to understand the plight of refugees, as she & Sr Mercy were airlifted to an aircraft carrier & eventually made their way to a merchant ship taking them & over 6,100 other evacuees to the U.S. Naval Base at Subic Bay. They were treated no differently from the other passengers, endured indignities & lost hope. From Subic Bay they were airlifted to Guam, where miraculously, they met up with Sr Fidelma & a young woman, Simone, who had left hurriedly from an airbase before it was bombed. Simone, was Sr Mary’s right hand in Vinhlong & loyal friend to this day…

From Guam, Sr Mary visited Rome briefly with Sr Mercy & then on to visit their houses in Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand & Indonesia. Her visit was to reassure them that she was still alive, though she had been replaced as provincial by that time. It was important that a place be found for the Vietnamese sisters who were in exile & many possibilities were explored. It was Macau that welcomed them finally & she spent a year surveying the needs & starting a house of Good Shepherd.

She was finally granted permission to take a much needed rest & to spend a year in a Jesuit Retreat Centre in Denver & was happy that Sr Louise Horgan was to join her… The Retreat over, instead of “retirement” to a more contemplative life, as desired, Sr Mary was made Superior in Bangkok where the sisters were working with the women coming from the poorest slums. Most of the women living in this squalor came originally from the north or northeast of the country, so in order to prevent migration to the cities of the young people who had no preparation for such a life, the sisters began thinking about ways to reach the women before they left their villages.

With continuous flooding in the Bangkok compound, Sr Mary once again put on her hard hat & started constructing more permanent buildings. She ended her term as Superior after four years.On Bishop George Phimpisan’s invitation, Sr Mary, Sr Margaret & Sr

Joan - all Vietnam veterans - & joined by Sr Pranee who was a junior sister at the time, started the community in Nong Khai. Sr Mary was a pioneer once again at 60 years of age. With 45,000 people in the border camps, the sisters worked with Catholic Relief Services, to respond to the needs. She was secretary at the time, to Khun Suvan Boonthae who took credit for teaching Sr Mary ‘how to write

a letter’ & she reconnected with her good friend Msgr Bob Charlebois who had assisted the sisters when in Vietnam. As the camp finally disbanded, they moved into the local villages & a new mission was begun. Day Care Centres were started, wells dug & women shown how to utilize their weaving skills to help their families. The projects grew & diversified in response to newly identified needs & the numbers assisted increased.

During this time, Sr Mary made three trips back to Vietnam, paving the way for Good Shepherd to return. Today, the mission is flourishing there once again thanks to the seeds she had sown & the ‘battles’ she had fought. Sr Mary was to remain in Nong Khai for 37 years writing projects, contacting benefactors, welcoming visitors, planning, constructing & ‘dreaming big’ in response to the ever changing needs. When illness & age finally restricted her active presence in the field, she continued to support, encourage & accompany the Sisters & dedicated mission partners, so that the needs of the poor were met.She was known affectionately as ‘Khun Mare’ (mother) & provided solace to all in the projects whom she continued to visit as long as possible until, over the past year & a half, they in turn would visit her. Her last ‘trip’ to a project was in June 2016, when she cut the ribbon to open our new Life Centre in the Garden of Friendship, a

building whose foundations she had blessed six months earlier. On the day before Sr Mary died, she told us that she felt – ‘someone had opened a door’ – a door that was ‘no longer locked’. She did not elaborate … On a chart on the wall, we had been crossing

off the days until her friend Fr Shea – was to return from the USA. …. The following morning, with Fr Shea due to arrive for 9:30 mass, we sat with her from early morning. As we prayed by her side, the Canticle of Creation – praising God for Sr Mary’s beloved beasts ‘wild & tame’ - at 8:20, she took her last breath.

Almost two hundred tributes have poured in from around the world – from family, friends, sisters & project benefactors. Every one of them speaking of the unique gift Sr Mary gave them – her inspiration & example, her hospitality & unconditional acceptance, her wisdom & faith, her humour, her humanness & above all, her indomitable spirit. All of us were personally loved by Sr Mary & everyone would have a story to share. We hope & pray that those stories will continue to be told & that the mission she loved, will be carried on through every life she touched. Her dear friend Rosemary Taylor, in a skype call a few weeks ago, told her in no uncertain terms that she could forget about sitting on clouds playing the harp – for Sr Mary’s work is not over – she has all of us to look out for & a world to save! Her new mission is now beginning.

Sr. Mary had made one request for her funeral Mass, & that was the hymn “ Be not afraid.” for she thought it expressed her life most appropriately. She believed she had “crossed arid deserts” & “passed through raging seas” & had not been harmed as God had always been at her side. Antonia led the singing in English. ‘You have crossed the barren desert, but you did not die of thirst. You have wandered far in safety though you did not know the way. You have spoken words in foreign lands and all did understand. You shall see the face of God and live.

Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest. You have passed through raging waters in the sea, you did not drown. You have walked amid the burning flames, you were never harmed. When you stood before the pow’r of hell & death was at your side, know that I was with you through it all .

Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest. Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs. Blessed are you that weep and mourn, for one day you shall laugh. And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of me, blessed, blessed are you!’

Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest./-

� -14

With continuous flooding in the Bangkok compound, Sr Mary once again put on her hard hat and started constructing more permanent buildings. She ended her term as Superior after four years. On Bishop George Phimpisan’s invitation, Sr Mary, Sr Margaret and Sr Joan - all Vietnam veterans - and joined by Sr Pranee who was a junior sister at the time, started the community in Nong Khai. Sr Mary was a pioneer once again at 60 years of age. With 45,000 people in the border camps, the sisters worked with Catholic Relief Services, to respond to the needs. She was secretary at the time, to Khun Suvan Boonthae who took credit for teaching Sr Mary ‘how to write a letter’ and she reconnected with her good friend Msgr Bob Charlebois who had assisted the sisters when in Vietnam. As the camp finally disbanded, they moved into the local villages and a new mission was begun. Day Care Centres were started, wells dug and women shown how to utilize their weaving skills to help their families. The projects grew and diversified in response to newly identified needs and the numbers assisted increased. During this time, Sr Mary made three trips back to Vietnam, paving the way for Good Shepherd to return. Today, the mission is flourishing there once again thanks to the seeds she had sown and the ‘battles’ she had fought. Sr Mary was to remain in Nong Khai for 37 years writing projects, contacting benefactors, welcoming visitors, planning, constructing and ‘dreaming big’ in response to the ever changing needs. When illness and age finally restricted her active presence in the field, she continued to support, encourage and accompany the sisters and dedicated mission partners, so that the needs of the poor were met. She was known affectionately as ‘Khun Mare’ (mother) and provided solace to all in the projects who she continued to visit as long as possible until, over the past year and a half, they in turn would visit her. Her last ‘trip’ to a project was in June 2016, when she cut the ribbon to open our new Life Centre in the Garden of Friendship, a building whose foundations she had blessed six months earlier.

On the day before Sr Mary died, she told us that she felt – ‘someone had opened a door’ – a door that was ‘no longer locked’. She did not elaborate but we believed God was calling her home. That evening she sang audibly, the Magnificat and then requested time alone with God to ‘make her peace’. On a chart on the wall, we had been crossing off the days until Fr Shea – her confessor and friend - was to return from the United States. She was clearly holding on and speaking to Fr Shea on the phone that night, having crossed off the last day, gave her great consolation. The following morning, with Fr Shea due to arrive for 9:30 mass, we sat with her from early morning. As we prayed by her side, the Canticle of Creation – praising God for Sr Mary’s beloved beasts ‘wild and tame’ - at 8:20, she took her last breath.

. For days, people from the project

For days, people from the projects had been preparing the cemetery grounds and the array of flowers was once again a beautiful sight to behold.

After a final blessing, each one present came forward to place flowers on her grave.

Sr Mary was then carried to the awaiting vehicle which left the church for the cemetery some 8 kms away, with a long line of vehicles following. The cemetery borders the Good Shepherd Garden of Friendship - a place dear to Sr Mary.

Srs Mary, Mercy, Joan & Khun Suvan. At rear Msgr Charlebois

With continuous flooding in the Bangkok compound, Sr Mary once again put on her hard hat and started constructing more permanent buildings. She ended her term as Superior after four years. On Bishop George Phimpisan’s invitation, Sr Mary, Sr Margaret and Sr Joan - all Vietnam veterans - and joined by Sr Pranee who was a junior sister at the time, started the community in Nong Khai. Sr Mary was a pioneer once again at 60 years of age. With 45,000 people in the border camps, the sisters worked with Catholic Relief Services, to respond to the needs. She was secretary at the time, to Khun Suvan Boonthae who took credit for teaching Sr Mary ‘how to write a letter’ and she reconnected with her good friend Msgr Bob Charlebois who had assisted the sisters when in Vietnam. As the camp finally disbanded, they moved into the local villages and a new mission was begun. Day Care Centres were started, wells dug and women shown how to utilize their weaving skills to help their families. The projects grew and diversified in response to newly identified needs and the numbers assisted increased. During this time, Sr Mary made three trips back to Vietnam, paving the way for Good Shepherd to return. Today, the mission is flourishing there once again thanks to the seeds she had sown and the ‘battles’ she had fought. Sr Mary was to remain in Nong Khai for 37 years writing projects, contacting benefactors, welcoming visitors, planning, constructing and ‘dreaming big’ in response to the ever changing needs. When illness and age finally restricted her active presence in the field, she continued to support, encourage and accompany the sisters and dedicated mission partners, so that the needs of the poor were met. She was known affectionately as ‘Khun Mare’ (mother) and provided solace to all in the projects who she continued to visit as long as possible until, over the past year and a half, they in turn would visit her. Her last ‘trip’ to a project was in June 2016, when she cut the ribbon to open our new Life Centre in the Garden of Friendship, a building whose foundations she had blessed six months earlier.

On the day before Sr Mary died, she told us that she felt – ‘someone had opened a door’ – a door that was ‘no longer locked’. She did not elaborate but we believed God was calling her home. That evening she sang audibly, the Magnificat and then requested time alone with God to ‘make her peace’. On a chart on the wall, we had been crossing off the days until Fr Shea – her confessor and friend - was to return from the United States. She was clearly holding on and speaking to Fr Shea on the phone that night, having crossed off the last day, gave her great consolation. The following morning, with Fr Shea due to arrive for 9:30 mass, we sat with her from early morning. As we prayed by her side, the Canticle of Creation – praising God for Sr Mary’s beloved beasts ‘wild and tame’ - at 8:20, she took her last breath.

At the cemetery, Sr. Mary is buried between her dear friends & colleagues, Sr. Mercy & Khun Suvan

"—Some personal memories: "- I remember the “beloved beasts” mentioned in the Eulogy. Sr.

Mary had the habit of collecting stray, brutalised & half dead animals from all over the neighborhood, particularly dogs, but also monkeys, rabbits &

creatures that I cannot identify. They would be brought back to the convent, nursed back to health, with love & all the amenities of veterinary science, provided with housing, custom built for their needs & temperament & treated as treasured guests in their own domain. The rabbits somehow multiplied as rabbits do, & there was a growing colony of them, in

a specially fenced off compound, each rabbit with its own hutch & estate. But still they found ways to socialise & kept on multiplying. Regina Centre had a tribe of gardeners (men needing work) & part of their job was to keep the rabbits fed. There was no question of ever enjoying the rabbits for lunch in the village kindies, much less for the Sisters & trainees, but I always suspected the gardeners felt no sentimental attachment & would nick some of them to feed their families./-

!- I remember going for lunch to a river bank restaurant, in Nong Khai with Sr. Mary, & other local & visiting friends.

Sr. Mary’s attention was drawn to a pampered pooch , definitely not a stray & definitely not fading away from ill-treatment. Yes, I suppose the little creature was cute in a canine sort of way. (no photos, unfortunately) Sr. Mary promptly & adamantly insisted on taking the dog home. We all protested that there was no reason to claim this animal. Sr. Mary kept on insisting but we all protested. To this day I do not know if Sr. Mary was serious, with an abherrant & uncharacteristic longing for a happy little friend, undamaged by the cruelties

of mankind, or if she was just pulling our leg./- - I remember our 3rd trips back to Vietnam in 1989:": to Saigon in June with Ilse Ewald; to Saigon in August with Irene. We

visited the Cathedral in Vinh Long where we collected 2 of the incognito GS Sisters already in the country. Three elderly St. Paul Sisters were living in a fowl house, under the cathedral, with dirt floor, no windows & fowls all around outside & next door. It was a kakfkaesque nightmare. Too dark for photos!

Their convent in Vinh Long had been

confiscated & they were not able to go to their motherhouse in My Tho as they were registered to live in Vinh Long & could not change. Detailed reports were written on all these trips, documenting the horrors to which a civilisation can be reduced (exemplified by the world scene today). Sr. Mary had many stories to tell of the Priests Religious & Lay-people she had met during her 24 hours back in Vinh Long. I can only say how edified she was by the marvellous spirit amongst the Clergy, most of whom had been incarcerated for more than 10 years./- " - I remember our 3rd trip back to Vietnam in 1989: to Hanoi in October with Irene. In Hanoi, we had to deliver letters from the Vatican Nunciature (Embassy) in Bangkok to Bishop Thuan, who was under house arrest after his many years of imprisonment. Because the situation was very tense, we could not be received in the house. He was being watched by the ubiquitous spies & every encounter would be reported. We were told to stroll leisurely in the Cathedral grounds where we could accidentally bump into him, & deliver our packet. We read later about this exceptional man & all he had endured. He was allowed to go to Rome & then refused re-entry.The government was relieved to be rid of a person over whom they had no influence. His inner strength despite their torture & threats, was a total mystery to them; it just highlighted their powerlessness. He died in Rome & will one day certainly be canonised. He will loom large in our memory as probaby the only canonised saint we have ever met in person./-(no Photos)

"- I remember Christmas/New Year 91-92, the staff party at Regina Centre when we were persuaded to do a highland fling or an Irish jig, or whatever. I had not a rhythmic bone in my body & had never been accustomed to express “joy” in dance of any sort. Probably Sr. Mary was no better endowed, so our prancing must have lasted only a minute or two & some clever person took

photos./- "- I remember meeting regularly at Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok when Sr. Mary went for her annual checkup. This photo may be

2014 & we had an international meeting with Phyllis (USA) Wor(Thailand) Ilse (Germany) Rosemary (Australia) Antonia (from UK & Australia) & Sr. Mary from Ireland & multiple countries. Lunch was usually salmon & chips in the basement cafeteria./-. "- Sadly too few friends left in this life to appreciate so many other memories … we are just pilgrims on a journey drawing to its close…. goodnight. &

great courage… Rosemary oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

� -15

Sr Mary with Phyllis in the early days in Nong Khai. Phyllis took & still takes a huge amount of the craft to sell in USA./-

Sr Mary displaying a smocked dress, made in the project.

June 1989 Sr.Mary (L) visits the Sisters at Phu My. Sr.Elizabeth

Sr. Mary’s at Samitivej Hospital

Sr. Mary’s 96th Birthday in Nong Khai, in 1995 with Antonia & Fr Shea (Redemptorist)

Personal thoughts :- The brutal expulsion of the Rohingya from Myanmar in past

months has been heart breaking & highlights the depths of hatred & prejudice that corrodes the human heart, even when we think we are acting nobly, & the world applauds us. It is a hopeless task trying to overcome this hatred unless it can be replaced by a totally unselfish love, expressed as a commitment, to the welfare of our neighbour, even the most obnoxious, regardless of the necessary personal sacrifice. Who can embrace such an agenda? One man showed us how to live out this commitment, & he broke his heart, knowing that too few would have any notion of what he was talking about or the courage to follow in his footsteps. He was an embarrassment to the ruling party & so they got rid of him under some religious pretext. His follower often distorted his message beyond recogniton as they allied themselves to worldly power & lusted for glory, & sculpted tombs. All our multiplication of destructive weapons, & military force are dragging humanity into the slime, & the irony is that some of the countries & leaders involved may even profess to be “Christian” publically “praying” for the victims of tragedies all over the world, with their empty slogans, boasting that they are “Christians” & maybe so blinded by their own arrogance that they actually believe they are followers of the Man of

Peace, who never rode into battle or conquered territories by violence nor forced belief on those he had conquered., nor assassinated those who were “different.” There was no blood on his hands. He spoke only of love, endless forgiveness & relieving the distress of all those in need. It is sickening beyond words what has been done in his name & what has been done by other “religious leaders” who have battled their way through history, enforcing “godliness” with the sword, now suicide bombing, & orchestrating precision bowing & scraping that they imagine is delighting some monstrous idol they have created.

I wanted to write a message to celebrate the birth of the Man of Peace whose message has never been put into practice, except by a few enterprising rebels here & there down through history. Some of us sing songs about him but how few have the courage to heed his message?Just look at where the world is today & the calibre of the human aberrations in charge of so many countries! May you find some seeds of

Joy in your heart as we celebrate the birth of the Child of Peace, & may they bloom into a wild burst of colour in the coming Year./-

� -16

"]HNINis19yrs.Soonafterbirthabigmarkappearedbetweentheear&theneck.Themarkbecameagrowth,increasinginsize.ThefamilywastoopoortoconsidermedicalhelpsoHNINenduredthegrowthforallthoseyears.Acousincametous&showedusaphoto&HNINwasbroughttotheCentre.Wediscusseditwithaplasticsurgeon,whosaid3operationswouldbenecessary.TheFirstsurgerywasdoneon16thMay.Wepaidalltheexpenses./-

/ Good Shepherd Health Care & Social Ministry in Myanmar….

8 May 2017 “….We the Good Shepherd Sisters in Myanmar community gratefully received your kind donation of 100,200 Baht (from OAK) towards our healthcare ministry & for Women (single mothers & anti-trafficking returnees) in Yangon. ….. Gratefully yours ….Sr. Veronica Anthony , Sector Leader

Sr Florence writes of some of the persons (names changed) who were helped by our (OAK) contribution:! ] UKH:37&hiswife,HIV+&rejectedbytheirfamily,arestrugglingFinanciallytosurvive.Whenoneofhischildrengotsicktheytookhimtohospitalbutnoonewouldhelpthem.Aspartofourschedule,theSister&thestaffusetovisittothepatientsinthehospitals.Whenwewentaround&wefoundthemsodepressed&askedthemwhatwecandoforthem.Theytoldusthewholestory.Wealsovisitedtheirhouse&helpedthemfortheirmedication&nutrition.Sincetheygetregularmedication&nutrition,theyhavebecomehealthyagain&eventothepointthatUKHwasabletoworkasamotorbiketaxidriver.BothUKH&hiswifealwaysjoinourmonthlyHIVgathering&sharedhowtheycontinuetheirlivesagainwithourhelp.Unfortunately,UKHsufferedunbearablestomachpainwhilehewasworking,&hadtorushtothehospital.Assoonaswegotthenews,ourdedicatedstaffrantothehospital&helpedhimtodoallthenecessarytests.Thedoctorfoundoutthathehadstomachulcers&shouldgotoYangongeneralhospitalforaCTscan.Afterthescanthephysicianrecommendedsurgery.Sinceitisimpossibleforthempaythemedicalexpenses,wehavealreadydecidedtohelphimwithyourFinancialsupport./-"]MaSan..becameHIV+throughherhusband,whodiedoneyearlaterwithTB.Shealsolostherchild&triedtoreturntoherparents.WhentheyknewshewasHIV+theyrefusedtotakeherin.Shewenttostaywithafriendwhodidnotknowofhercondition.Coughingalot,shewasdiagnosedwithTB&neededmedicationfor6months.Herfrienddiscoveredhercondition&wouldnotletherstay.MaSan..cametoourHealthCareCentre.Asshewasverygoodatthecomputerwefoundajobforhertobuildherselfesteem.Wehelpedherrentasmallapartment&provideregularmedication&nutrition./-

Rosemary Taylor