VeAhavta November 2009 Enewsletter

Grace Profiles:

Meet: Thushantini Selvarajah
Date of Birth: Oct. 26, 1995
Born in Trincomalee, Thushantini had three sisters and a brother. The conflict intruded on the family early: Her father was killed during conflict-inspired riots when Thushantini was still an infant. He was burned to death by mobs that looted and razed Trincomalee in response to the ongoing violence in the north. Learn More

Meet: Viran Annapooranam,
Date of birth: Aug. 7, 1934
Born in the village of Matale in Sri Lanka’s central hill country, Mrs. Annapooranam was one of three children. One of her two brothers was killed during the conflict, as was her husband in 1993 and, over the 26 years of the war, all three of her sons. Learn More

Changing of the Guard:

Grace, VeAhavta prepare for peaceful futureThe island nation Sri Lanka now faces a future where peace is a condition, not a wish. In the impoverished, war-torn northeast, opportunities to help a struggling population have never been greater. Learn More

Passing the Torch:

‘Your love has built a home’
By Eric J. Parkinson Founder, President Emeritus VeAhavta
(As the VeAhavta torch passes from California to Michigan, a reflection from the man who saw Grace, and made it possible.)

It’s been over eight years since I found myself on a plane, alone, heading for Colombo to somehow help a Sri Lankan minister establish and develop a new orphanage in Trincomalee for what was originally intended to be just 20 children. Although I didn’t know it at the time, my first trip was the beginning of a sacred mission for me – one that would demand ever-increasing amounts of my energy and time. It was also the start of an adventure of unimaginable twists and turns, joys and sorrows. It was the beginning of Grace in so many different ways. Learn More