Christmas Party #3 [Christmas with Myanmar Refugees]

Okays. After the Sunway trip, I was dead beat and tired.

Walking around in heels when you're not used to it can be really exhausting!!
Especially when all you've been doing is walking around the house with flat feet...
You get the picture :D

I've been memorizing Bible stories by pacing my room, the hall, the kitchen and reading as well as telling myself everything I needed to know.
I think I was extreme, though.
I had paced my room while sis was sleeping [at 8 to 9 a.m.], and...

I was memorizing the part Paul and Silas were dragged to the authorities in the public square by the owners of the young servant girl who had a fortune-telling spirit in her. [In Acts]

They told the Roman Officials that Paul and Silas were Jews, and they were causing trouble in the city. The owners were Roman citizens, and they were unable to accept the customs taught by Paul and Silas.
Then the crowd joined in the attack.
So the Roman Officials tore the clothes of Paul and Silas, and had them whipped.
After a severe beating, they threw Paul and Silas into jail and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight.

My sister got up after a dreamless sleep, heard this part and went back to bed, dreaming that she was

1. in Rome.
2. People were about to kill her.
3. and she entered this prayer room
4. and she begged God to protect her from them
5. and she was saved.

LOL!!
When I heard it from her  xD

Okay. Let's not get sidetracked here.

Coming back to this event.

We met up with the others in church and helped to pack the goodie bags for the kids.

And I tell you, I thought we were going to an orphanage or something or somewhere that needs charity work with kids because of the sweets we were asked to contribute.

MANA TAU, IT WAS WITH THE 

MYANMAR REFUGEES!!

WOW

Okay, you've probably going like, err.... so what? What's with the 'WOW'?

Not many actually knows this, but...

I have a silent dream, whereby, I wanna teach the Myanmar refugees English.

So as to ensure that they could get a better life in Malaysia.

Hey people!!

If you are a Malaysian, you'd better appreciate it!

Do you know why it is a BIG DEAL to own a citizenship in Malaysia?!

Because those who do not have the citizenship, are at the mercy of the authorities.

Yeah, sure. 

Malaysia takes in the Myanmar refugees chased away from Myanmar, but when the refugees arrive here, they are caught by the Rela Officers and who-knows-who-else and told to "pay up", or get detained, or something like that.

Have you experienced getting bullied in school, where the bullies punch you up, or extort money from you, or threaten you?

It's the same. A thousand times worse.

Okay, so the place we went weren't exactly facing all those problems.

But in other places, yes.

You don't believe me? 

Then join a Church Ministry, or just help out in the  

Myanmar Refugees Ministry.

The coordinator can tell you a lot of things about them. Which really does makes sense.

And those without the UN card... even worse.

So anyways, cruelty aside, let's come back here...

[I've been getting side tracked here often :S]

 On the road again.

Heaven knows where this is xD

After 1 hour [yeaps, not that far] we have arrived.

I'm not telling you where it is. 

Just in case it has been hidden from the authorities, I wouldn't like to blow their cover ;x

...And we have arrived!!

The kids were really welcoming.

They were the first to say hi :D

After a short briefing, we [the volunteers] were told to meet them and invite them to eat xD

 I guess this is their toilet.

 Following the trail...

Looks like a jungle, yes?

Something like that.

We were quite far from civilization, really.

 Really like a jungle path...

One of the houses that I passed by...

Can you believe it if I told you it was made out of papan?

and they even reused tyres for pots!!

 Yup, that's how big the houses look like.

Single storey papans...

 Their "basketball" hoop

 It's really in a jungle, k?

I wasn't joking D:

 A refugee mother and her child 

 The happy children.

Eventhough they are burdened with these circumstances, they still look very happy...

to receive us.

 The pup.

I tell you ah...

This puppy has been very naughty.

All it does is steal our attention from the refugees xD

 Improvision...

because they can't afford/can't get the real thing 

 The road back.

It was muddy and slippery.

Unlike the normal roads we have in towns/cities.

I don't think that the kampungs have these either =.=

 Maybe this is the pup's mother :O

After that, I helped to serve the drinks.

cause it was lunch time.

The refugees were told to eat first while we serve them.

Because we were there to bring some sort of Christmas cheer to them.

When we all had something, and were relieved of our duty, it was picture time!!

 Aw... one big happy family...

Clockwise from top left; Vanessa, Bernard, Monica, Bibiana, and Lily

Then it was time to carol.

Heh heh...

These people wanted to escape from singing!

So they decided to "give away" the goodie bags.

[Still, they had to sing, xD]

 Really nice oh o.o

Inside all sweets and balloons that Fiona requested xD

As we belted out "Jingle Bells", "Feliz Navidad", "What Child Is This?", and other songs, they listened to us xD

 Listening to us xD

 Carolling to them xD

Suddenly, they stood up and sang us a Christmas Carol in their language!

 Okay, I don't know the name of the song, so i just clapped my hands with them xD

After singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", we had 15 more minutes before we left.

So I decided to roam.

A bit... then I listened as a Myanmar girl told an aunty from our group that she was 15 years old, and teaching the other kids English.

I was like, WOW!

She's younger than me, yet she has already achieved what I wanted to do...

Awesome!

She was waiting for her documents to be processed so that she could go to the United States.

Hopefully, to greener pastures.

All of them looked older than they said they were.

I guess poverty has a way of making us age faster...

with the hardships and challenges that they bring.

 This is their only Christmas Tree.

If you're not happy with your Christmas Tree's size, think about their Christmas Tree...

and how happy they are to just have a Christmas Tree.

It's the only indication that Christmas season is here for them.

 Another group pic!

Clockwise from top left: Selina, me, Elaine, Bibiana, Bianca, Crystal, Mimi, Yvette, Precious, Lily, Vanessa, Monica.

After that, it was time to leave.

Really ulu place.

No, this is not their home xD

We hit the road, and I fell asleep in the car.

Exhausted. Tired. Sleepy.

Slightly hungry too.

I didn't want to eat so much, fearing they may not have enough to eat.

Who knows when their next meal will be? 

*sigh*

When we think that there's nothing worse that could happen to us, think about others.

You may be poor, but at least you have food to eat.

You have a roof under your head.

And you have every right to be on the soil that you stand on.

There are those who can't even stand on the soil that accepted them.

Because there are bullies, and the law could not protect them as it should.

This Christmas, remember them.

The poorest among the poor.