Where I've been...

Sorry to be gone for so long. I don't like to do leave it too long between posts but I've been away which was unplanned and since I've been home I've been struck by the stomach bug.

I went to Perth last week for a training course to become a child advocate for Compassion, a child sponsorship program. I have been wanting to undergo training for 12 months and finally decided that despite the hassle of going to Perth at such late notice, I should go anyway and get it done. I am so glad I went although I am ruined...not the same person because of what I now know about poverty and how it affects children all over the world. I have done so much soul searching and thinking since doing the course that it's taken me some time to process all I learnt. The good news is that I am now qualified and equipped to sign people up for child sponsorship as well as having the knowledge to pass on to anyone who may be interested and show that there are many ways you can support children in poverty even without sponsoring a child. It made me think most of all about how children are defenseless and cant speak out about the injustice that they bare, and be heard. Therefore I consider it my responsibility to speak for them and be their voice. I admit that there are plenty of corrupt ADULTS out there in the world who cause poverty and even some parents who don't deserve to be helped because they are corrupt to. But its not those adults who I am advocating, its the children who are affected by the corruption or even environmental problems like famine and drought. I also am aware that we have poverty here in Australia and homeless people who have nothing. Compassion supports the poorest of the poor though and those people are spread over 25 countries across the world and in this day and age of global awareness and the global communications like the Internet that we have, I feel that we cannot ignore the problem because it wont go away. And the problem is huge and overwhelming but every little bit of support can make a difference. There I go...up on my soapbox...I am rather passionate about this at the moment. And changed. I wont be preaching to anyone who does not wish to listen and I wont be twisting any ones arms when I see them face to face, so don't avoid me when you see me next. I promise to be gentle! If you are interested in finding out more about Compassion and what I've learnt you can contact me at my new email address; scrappinoutback@bigpond.com

I think I'm coming good from the stomach bug so I got out and unpacked another dozen boxes of new stock and managed to clean and reorganise the scrapbook room. I even managed to finish a couple of layouts I'd started a week or 2 ago.

The first I mentioned in a previous post. It's about Jett and his latest favourite activity - scrapbooking. I used Love Elsie papers.

The second is a double page layout of Phoebe's class from school. I recently received her school photos back and being the first time, I ordered the whole pack available, not realising that the whole pack included all the same photo apart from her class photos. Duh! I know this may seem like an overkill but I have decided to start a school album for her as I have 3 layouts already and can see myself doing more. For this layout I kept it simple and used Little Yellow Bicycle "Zach's Life" papers and chipboard arrow, adhesive sticker strip by Making Memories and letters by Scrapworks.

For some reason this photo will not upload so I'll post it later.

Hopefully I'll be able to create over the next few days at home to prepare for classes in Newdegate on the 27th of August. Be back soon.