The Back Story

Why Art? Growing up in an artistic home, art was an outlet of expression. Although I wouldn’t become a great illustrator or painter, my soul is refreshed by color and shape. When I visited an orphanage in India (2000), my eyes were opened to the richness of my childhood. How great it would be to share this creative outlet with children who have even greater talent! Why Indonesia? Awed by the devastation of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, the children could not return to school, not because the schools had been demolished, but because there was no one to teach them. Teachers, parents, and siblings had died or been displaced. Children were alone. I knew I wanted to be a part of helping to rebuild the schools, if even years down the line. I encountered an article by an art therapist who went to help with the recovery. She simply used finger puppets to connect with the children, helping them to process their traumatic experience. While I knew that I wanted to connect with children through art, I didn’t have the expertise to help trauma victims. Many people were getting in the way of help due to their inexperience with such circumstances. At that time, the most helpful thing I could do was to simply not go. Still, my heart stirred for children such as these. One Sunday, in the Spring of 2005, a family from Indonesia came to visit KidsMosaic. After a few connections, we were on our way to visit this family in Indonesia. Paul, the founder and principal of Charis International School found out that I was a graphic designer. He introduced me to Spring Creative Center. At once, I was impressed by the children’s art projects, animated videos and illustrations for children’s literature. What an opportunity to use art to connect with children! Soon enough, my heart would long to return. Why this timeframe? I considered returning to help out at Spring for a month or two, but I would soon be stretched. From a couple months to 4, 6, and then 9 months, I could gently sense that I should return for one full year. Through each step, I was definitely resistant. Still, I couldn’t deny the gentle tugging at the core of my being, knowing that this is an opportunity of purpose.