I just received the most beautiful and serendipitous email I think I have ever seen! I can not do justice in describing this, other than to simply share it with you. TO introduce the players – Teresa is a long-time friend of volunteer for HHI and she is living in Japan; Gracie is Adam and Amber’s new baby in the Netherlands.
Here is the story as written by Teresa…
This month an incredible thing happened, and I want to tell you the story. Gracie was born February 6, 2008 in the Netherlands. Her American parents, Adam and Amber invited a spiritually diverse circle to nurture Gracie as Godparents, including myself. The Briggles are involved in a community in Amsterdam called the Netherlands Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. http://www.nuuf.nl/ This past winter the NUUF decided as a church community to give Gracie a welcoming gift in the form of a donation to her favorite children’s charity. The Briggles chose Hands to Hearts International, a worthy cause for whom I volunteered in HHI’s founding years. As a massage therapist herself, Amber is particularly inspired by the powerful effect of therapeutic touch for these babies who do not have such a loving circle of providers. And I think Gracie enjoys the massage techniques highlighted on the recently-created HHI DVD!
On June 1, NUUF announced the recipient of this special donation on behalf of Gracie. It so happens that on the same day, the church fellowship had special visitors from Portland: Mark and Carol from the First Unitarian Church in Portland. The Slegers are dear friends of mine and knew about my involvement with HHI. But perhaps they didn’t know how HHI was being mentioned that day in the Netherlands: that it was my Godchild being honored with such a gift. What an incredible coincidence! We are so privileged and blessed to have such loving connections around the world: on that June day the Slegers were visiting Amsterdam, the Briggles were vacationing in Greece with Godmother Elizabeth; Godmother Teresa was living in Japan; other Godparents were sending love from America; and the Netherlands Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was honoring Mary Grace with the gift of love for children in India!
When I told Gracie’s mother about the amazing coincidence, Amber wrote “yes, please tell Laura that I (er, gracie) am donating to HHI because I know YOU, and you have told me about this organization for a few years now, and this is a great way to support the work that she is doing and which I believe is extremely important and loving and needed. Please tell her that a BABY donated to her organization.
I thought you all would take delight in this amazing story. Blessings to Gracie and to the many children who will be served by Hands to Hearts. May all children receive the love and dignity they deserve.
Teresa
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What a heart-warming idea in action, Babies for Babies! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my day today.
Laura Peterson
Hands to Hearts International
