President's Letter: THANKS for the GIVING

Monday, November 04, 2013


“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

                                                                                                            Psalm 69:30

 During November we pause to express gratitude for the bounteous blessings we have been given.  We at Rising Star Outreach also wish to sincerely THANK you for generously GIVING to support our mission in helping those affected by leprosy. We acknowledge God’s hand in this work and offer our gratitude for His constant guidance and love.  



Dr Susan Hilton visiting Lourde Nagar Colony
Several members of our team, including our new Executive Director, Tyler Vigue, just returned from India, where there were numerous opportunities to witness the incredible success of our key initiatives: medical care, micro-grants, and education. Dr. Susan, our remarkable Managing Director, continues to lead our hard working staff, which includes many new members. We are excited for them to share their expertise in their respective positions. We want to thank everyone on our campus in India for giving their all to Rising Star Outreach—with their dedication our work continues going forward at an incredible pace! 

 
 
The Rising Star Outreach staff and students welcomed Mr.Vigue during morning assembly and in an after school meeting where they shared a beautiful Indian tradition of flowers and welcoming speeches. Tyler asked everyone to 'lift up’ each other in small ways every day. I am reminded that the following thought applies directly to our Rising Star Outreach mission: “To strengthen the muscles of your heart, the best exercise is lifting someone else’s spirit whenever you can.”  We are thankful for the constant ‘lifting’ we receive from those who offer support by sharing awareness and resources to Rising Star Outreach. 
 
Dr Susan, Ms. Padma Venkatraman and Pres. Sally Read

While in India we held important board meetings with  Ms. Padma Venkatraman, Chairman of the Board of Directors in India and other Indian Board Members, including Mr. Sakthivel Venkatraman, Mr. K.V. Nair, Dr. V. Mirasu David, and Dr. Rachel Jebaraj. We also met with the Chairman of our School Board, Mr. Ankush Sharma, and other School Board members and felt their commitment in helping Rising Star meet the needs of those we serve.  

Mr. Rajeev Menon
We also had the pleasure of being with Board Member, Mr. Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President—South Asia at Marriott International and Mr. Priyadharshan Nair, an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and Rising Star board member. Both Mr. Menon and Mr. Nair are sharing their talents in helping Rising Star with a major event on World Leprosy Day in January 2015! We thank each of our board members for giving their time and talents to Rising Star Outreach.


(left to right) Sankar, Indu, Jagadeesh and Tushar
 Another exciting event in October was the visit of four members of the INTEL team from Oregon who came to our campus with new computers and training sessions, which will help enrich teaching and learning for our teachers and students. We express thanks to INTEL for giving Rising Star Outreach this incredible program! Each member of the INTEL team grew up near Chennai and felt blessed to return and give back to students at Rising Star. We know we will see them once again on our campus! Students also received new uniforms in October. Check out the photos on our blog of them sporting the new beautiful blue.  
 
(left to right) Manodaya, Megala, Logeshwari, Sally Read, Karpagavalli and Soniya
We had the opportunity of visiting our 12th standard students from the Blessings School and the 11th standard students at the St. John’s International School. Reports indicate that they are all doing well. It was exciting to hear how much they enjoy their studies and the challenges of rigorous work. The principal of St. John’s, Dr. Mirasu David, relates that the Rising Star students are an example to all students on the campus.  He wishes more students in the school would have the work ethic and character of these Rising Star students. We thank these fine students for their perseverance and commitment to learning and for giving Rising Star a reason to be so proud! 

At this time of thanksgiving, I also want to express sincere appreciation to the many foundations that support our work in such profound and meaningful ways. These generous grants make it possible for us to sustain the programs we have committed to provide to those who live with the affects of leprosy. 

As written in Psalms, “(We) will praise the name of God…and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” Becky Douglas, Founder of Rising Star Outreach, has often said that God has a way of bringing people to Rising Star that expand our efforts. We recognize this blessing and express sincere gratitude to all of you during this month of Thanksgiving.

 
Sincerely, 

Sally

President
Rising Star Outreach

PS  While in India we traveled to colonies that are quite a distance from Rising Star and  that are in desperate need of assistance. Many of us were shocked by the living conditions and are hopeful we can acquire new funding to help these colonies as we try to expand into these areas. If you want to be involved in these efforts, please contact our team at Rising Star Outreach at (801) 820-0466.





 

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