The Monthly Digital Newsletter of VeAhavta - September 2006 - |
Grace Review - In late July, Grace Care Center Manager Diane McLaughlin welcomed her eagerly awaited VeAhavta visitors from Michigan and California. They hoped for a productive and enjoyable visit for both the travelers and residents, which they had.  But
they also held a ringside seat to what may be a renewed civil war
between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam. In early August, the Tamil Tigers took control of
a water distribution point near the village of Muttu -- just
six miles south and across the harbor from the Trincomalee home
of Grace Care Center... more
Meet Kovinthini, Grace Girls Home
Heaven on Earth; We Need it Now Bono is here writing about the "troubles in Northern Ireland," but this song could just as easily be referring to the troubles in Sri Lanka if you simply substitute the names in the fifth stanza to "Nihinsa and Mehala, Rosani, Vidu and Fatima" -- the names of some of the thousands of youth (Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim) who've died in the Sri Lankan conflict. As in the infamous story from the Torah that describes God's disgust with Cain's murder of his little brother Abel, the blood of these people "cries out from the ground." more Volunteer Profile: Tom McLaughlin Profile: Name: Tom McLaughlin (aka "Tommy Boy," "The Surfin' Scot"). (No known relation to Diane McLaughlin -- at least none that either will admit to.) Occupation: Physical therapist and professional Scotsman. Age: 50 (whoa dude!) Family: wife, Pam; son, Scott, 18; daughter, Michelle, 15. Favorite Activities: Surfing, guitar, dogs, home chores, church. Favorite Food: Costco polish dogs with extra mustard and a bottomless soft drink (gourmet for a Scotsman). Favorite Quote: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses" (Blues Brothers). Sign: Stop, er ah, Virgo rather. Biggest Bummer: people who change lanes without signaling. (Tom has volunteered twice at the Grace Care Center in Sri Lanka.) more Quote of the Month: |
Born
July 5, 1988, Kovinthini has been at the Grace Girls Home for
almost four years now. Before coming to us, she was living
with an uncle across the harbor in Muttur. Her mother passed
away in 1996 due to complications at childbirth and her father
left the family not long after that. 
