Hi everyone, as you all know Rob and I along with our Little Miracles staff and families have been supporting the Bali Life Foundation for
six years. We have had the incredible opportunity and privilege to take teams of our staff over to Bali to work with the Foundation.  We have the opportunity to teach children English and to train the teachers in the school that is there.

It’s been an incredible journey, and through the Foundation we have been blessed to find, what we now know to be, extended family. Some of our staff have now been multiple times and each time we go the friendships, connection and love grow deeper. What started out to be English Classes has become a profound and lifelong adventure together.

I can’t describe the joy it brings to us all to see the children growing into happy, confident young people who have so much to give to their society and who are keen to help young ones behind them. When we started there six years ago, they were all so young, and now we have three in University, two in college preparing for work in the field of Tourism and all the of them have jobs, and they are working very hard while they study. Two of the girls work in the Foundation supporting the team with kitchen duties and general day to day tasks around the home while giving support with homework for the younger children.

Bali Life has grown from twenty children to nearly fifty and we are now able to take up to sixty children. The slow growth has been intentional as any change has an impact on the children. The dynamics within the home are paramount. As you walk into the home, you can’t help but be aware of the love, excitement, peace and happiness that is evident within each child and staff member. It is truly inspiring to see these children’s lives changed and empowered to become all they were designed to be. The atmosphere in the home is quite contagious. I always leave feeling so good after lots of laughter, hugs, singing, playing and having experienced the feeling of love everywhere.

Another thing I love is watching the children relate to the leaders. There is so much respect, value and significance given to all and each other – it truly is beautiful and so pure. It is a real joy to see. Piter who is the leader of the team is very musical, and many of the children share his gift and love for music. Watching them play as a band with some of the children singing and others dancing is magical. It almost compares to the family Von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music’. A big, happy family enjoying the blessing of music together. All the children are encouraged to develop their interests which include: surfing, soccer, dance, academics and art.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the home with a team of Little Miracles staff which included our eldest son, Ben, our daughter, Anna and her husband, Joel, and their four children as well as Bethany Rochford and Brianna Gough. It was a special trip with many highlights. My heart was so blessed as I watched my little grandchildren make lasting connections with the children from the very first minutes we arrived. I could see the years of relationship unfolding in front of my eyes. It was beautiful.

It’s always hard leaving. But, with the ease of Social Media, we are never far from one another. I’m sure you can tell that I could write about the work we are involved in and the faces of the children forever. To share the stories is exciting and being able to make a difference in these children’s lives is breathtaking. To be part of something that is equipping the local people in the district as we partner with Bali Life is exhilarating but what they add to our lives and what we take away from our time together is life-changing.

Bali Life doesn’t just help these children they reach out to the community and endeavour to help wherever there is a need. They work with street kids in Denpasar and their families, they have been able to educate and help some of these children enabling them to attend school. Some of the kids are as old as twelve when they start school, and this is done in an attempt to stop the poverty that they have experienced going through the generations. As Kofi Annan so eloquently said,

‘Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.‘

Some of the initiatives they are involved in are supporting local families to equip mothers by teaching them to sew and then teach their children English in the afternoons. We are very excited as they have just started a School next to the main rubbish dump to help families with education and medical needs. On our most recent trip, we had the opportunity to see the school full of beautiful children on. Such a blessing, indeed.

Bali Life is a Foundation that equips and transforms lives – especially the lives of children who need love and support so they can reach their full potential. Rob and I are so very proud of our staff and parents who have made such a difference in the lives of these incredible children by supporting Little Miracles in so many ways over the years. Together, we can and do make a difference in the lives of these precious children.

Which brings me to extend an invitation to you, we are hosting a special fundraiser for a new building project that the Bali Life Foundation is undertaking. This building will house a Bali Life Preschool and a community hall. Children will be able to attend Preschool and parents will have skills teaching available to equip them to provide an income for their families. We would love you to join us and to continue working together to make a difference for these children and their families. To help them become free of the poverty cycle that has held them. Come and join us, be the difference for these children and families you can empower them to live their lives free of poverty.

You are invited on Saturday 29th October at 7 pm at  Wamberal Surf Club. Tickets are $100 each, and the event is cocktail style with entertainment and fun. It’s going to be a great night to gather on the Coast – a simple NIGHT OUT in support of the Bali Life Foundation. Please, feel free to extend this invitation to your friends and family and make it a night to remember full of laughter and fun. And, make sure you get your ticket for the raffle, we have an excellent prize that we are giving away on the night. A Luxury 6 star Villa that sleeps 8 PLUS a DRIVER and a BUTLER (for breakfast) FULL FLIGHTS for a family of four (two adults & two children). This prize is VALUED at $12,000.00, and we can’t wait to see who goes home with it on the night. Tickets are $50 each and remember, you’ve got to be IN IT TO WIN IT 🙂 #littlemiraclescommunity!

We hope to see you on Saturday the 29th for a night that will make a difference. We value you and the opportunity to share this experience with you.

With gratitude,

Susanna