Allure Spa Newsletter

As many of you already know, I am involved in helping the young men and women in Bangladesh develop employable skills and enrich their spirituality to live a more fulfilled life. The First Presbyterian Church in Quincy has made this a "Mission Possible". Faith Willard is the founder of the organization which makes these benevolent endeavors possible.

In Febraury we traveled to Bangladesh and visited the Home of Joy Orphanage (H.O.J.) We met with the children and were captivated by their great potential. After sharing our vision, we decided that in May, we would travel to Trinidad, as well as send some of the young adults from the H.O.J. to meet us. The decision to meet and work in Trinidad was a feasible one. Aside from it being a more accessible destination in which to travel ,the children quickly adapted to the Trinidad culture because it is very similar to their own back home.

Bob McCarthy (Financial Advisor at Kanon Bloch Carré and Church Elder for First Presbyterian Church), Faith Willard and myself began our experience in Trinidad on May 19th. I have to thank my three siblings for being such an indispensable part of this project and for offering us their help and their assistance.

My brother David opened his home and heart to us. He played an integral role in vocational training for the young boys from the H.O.J. David is enthusiastic about training some of the young men and assisting in the development of a construction business in Bangladesh. My brother Steven has also played a significant role by building a school in Trinidad that is set to open on the First of July. The goal of the school is to help young adults with skill development, mental growth and spiritual growth.

Once the school is completed, the young adults will travel from Bangladesh to Trinidad to embark on their educational journey. My sister Glenda is greatly looking forward to serving as an inspiration and teacher to the young adults once the school is open.

My personal experience with all the mission work has brought overwhelming joy to my life as well; I describe my recent trip to Trinidad as being very "fruitful". We are so grateful to announce that when we traveled to Trinidad we were able to sell $19,000 worth of silks, jewelry, and other donations! Our Tee Shirt drive back in the U.S. was helpful as well and thank you again to anyone who purchased a Bangladesh Tee Shirt; you should consider yourselves part of the ongoing success!

Lastly, I would like to mention that during our trip, our group was able to witness history in the making. On May 24th, the Trinidad/ Tobago national election, elected the first woman prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. We were delighted to share in the precedent!

In conclusion, thank you for all of your tremendous amount of ongoing support and prayers. There is no doubt that God is listening! :-)

Sandra Ishmael