From Elisa & Gitte
Elisa Schepens and Gitte le Bruyn
December, 2006
From August 10, 'till November 5, we stayed in Bali, with Ketut, his family and the children. We have worked with, and gave lessons to 54 children. Not only the orphans, but also the children in the village who attend the free classes at the Yayasan. It was difficult to run classes with 54 children, so for the animation film lessons we split them into groups of 5 children. The children helped to make animation films with Plasticine models, paper figures, and with oil paint on glass pane. It was big fun.
We also gave some English lessons, together with Ibu Ayu (resident English teacher).
In May 2007 we will have an exposition in the Art Academy of Antwerp, Belgium, where we will show the animation films, and also give an impression of our journey through the beautiful island of Bali.
We are grateful to Ketut, who showed us the most beautiful spots of Bali. We went to see the silver craftsmen, Balinese tailors, Wayangdoll-makers, mask makers, woodcarvers and painters. We have been to the volcanoes and the beautiful rice paddies. We learned to make offerings, and we learned a lot about the Balinese religion and culture, which became so special for us.
It was an unforgettable project. We enjoyed it very much. And we were so impressed by the grace of the children when they dance.
For the Dutch readers, we wrote our experiences on www.neverendingbooks.org/bali.
A Letter From Cherie
Cherie Leijer-Rijnenberg
Sassenheim — Holland, November, 2006
Introduction
Cherie & Gusti My name is Cherie Leijer-Rijnenberg, I'm a Dutch citizen, born 54 years ago in Bandung — West Java Indonesia. I am married and live in Sassenheim near The Hague, in The Netherlands.
The Link with WINS
Being a younger sister of Gill Rijnenberg who is the WINS founder, it is obvious that I have a great interest in the day to day development of Gill's project. This is also the main reason that I visit Bali on an annual basis.
The Driving Factor
When Gill came back from a family mission carried out in Bali in 2004, he gave us a summary of all the happenings. He emphasized that he was fascinated by the spiritual life of the island natives and the coincidental acquaintance with a priest who Gill admires, later known as Ketut. Gill strongly suggested us to witness what he has experienced. After listening to his findings, we agree to plan a joint vacation. A while later, Gill and I, accompanied by our respective spouses, spent our holidays in Bali. A meeting session with Ketut was high on the agenda.
The Triggering
During the planned "get-together" with Ketut Sadia dating back to October 2004, Ketut introduced us to a girl with the name Gusti Ayu. She happened to be a bright child who has the will, the capacity and the intelligence to study, but unfortunately not able to pursuit her dreams, due to the lack of the necessary finance. Ketut regretted that he was not in the position to help her out. Touched by this sad event, we (Gill, Margo, Ton and myself) felt that, somehow, something needed to be done. This was the very moment that triggered the "launch" of the WINS project. As a start, Ton (my husband) confirmed that he will co-sponsor the classroom extension. This was my first involvement with WINS. The rest of the story is known.
WINS Today
A glimpse at the website http://www.stichtingwins.nl and http://www.thewinsproject.org give a good overview of what actually has been achieved in the past two years. Thanks to everyone who contributes to make it all happen and a special THANK YOU to Gill, Ketut Sadia and Donald Pinegar. May all your efforts keep WINS alive. It is incredible and I am proud being part of it.
Lorraine's Bali Visit in Summer 2006
Loraine van Leeuwen-Rijnenberg
Haarlem — Holland, September 6, 2006
Introductory Note
Prior to my visit to Bali, Gill has informed me about the WINS project on a regular basis. He told me also about Ketut and your involvement & support, to get the 
Gill, Lorraine, Donald, Ketut
& Daduk orphanage off the ground. We do appreciate both of you, Gill and Ketut for your joint achievement in such a short period of time.
With the input I had from Gill and the information acquired from the WINS Newsletters, it was for me quite difficult to visualize what the effects of the joint efforts mean to the orphans, their living conditions, their education and their well-being. When my Dad (Frits) and sister (Cherié) visited Bali early this year, they also shared their experience with me. While showing the dozens of photographs they made, I noticed that they were quite emotionally involved. Although the photographs gave me a better impression of the situation, it still does not give me the overall picture.
Later that year my brother (Jeff) visited Bali as well. Jeff kept us up to date through his daily emails. He described in detail how he met Ketut and gave us a report on the subsequent visit to the orphanage. Jeff also told us about his experiences in Bali, his admiration for Ketut, the children, the Balinese people in general, their believe and happiness, despite their very modest way of life. After reading Jeff's emotional messages and sharing his experience, it became apparent to me that I have to go to Bali myself, in order to see and feel the 'magic' personally.
My Stay in Bali
Lorraine & Gusti in her Balinese dance outfit It took me only 24 hours to convince myself that everything I learned from Frits, Gill, Cherie and Jeff was true. The cheerful meeting with Ketut, his family and the children at the orphanage was an eye-opener and gave me a warm feeling inside. Erik and I were glad that we brought some small presents and gifts for the children, with us. It is unbelievable that a small gift and a reaching hand meant so much to them. We were also very pleased that we were able to meet both of you in person and know more about your involvements and activities related to the project.
A special experience for me was witnessing the temple ceremony. After Ketut helped me with the Balinese ceremonial dress, we proceeded to the temple compound accompanied by the children, with Wayan as our guide. It happened during this serene moment of worship at the sacred grounds, when I was overwhelmed by a complete tranquility, at which moment I spontaneously burst into tears. I can hardly describe the happy, grateful and humble feelings inside me.
Children were thrilled with gifts from Lorraine Before we left Bali, Erik and I visited the orphanage again to give the children some farewell presents i.e. baseball caps for the boys, coloured hairpins for the girls and candies for all. It was incredible to see how joyful, grateful and proud they were to possess "such a luxury."
Finally, Erik and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who donated to the Foundation in any form, manner or quantity, since this will enable Ketut and his local staff to pursue our common goal.
Reflection
I left Bali with mixed feelings. I felt sorry that I could not have done more for the children. On the other hand, I was pleased that at least, I had done something. I'm looking forward to my next visit to Bali, hopefully in 2007. Compared to what we have seen and experienced in Bali, now being back home again in the west, we may consider ourselves "very lucky."