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September 2002 Update for
Regina Pacis     (changing lives since 1952)
Change A Life Program     (changing lives since 1998)
http://www.theworldnow.com/cal/
Don't just sit there, Change A Life!
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This update is sent to Sponsors and friends of the Change A Life Program. This update may be freely distributed if copied in its entirety. It cannot be printed for public distribution nor emailed commercially without permission.

(1) Welcome Back Introduction
(2) Year Focus of Improvement: COMMUNICATION - Your Input is Welcome and Needed
(3) Reminder: Donation Letters
(4) Thank You!
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Welcome to the 2002/2003 Regina Pacis school year!
Actually, the school year is well under way and letters from your Butterflies should be arriving in the next few weeks if they haven't already.
Monsoon season is over and the girls are preparing for exams and various holiday celebrations. Sr. Margaret Fernandes, on behalf of Regina Pacis School and all the children, sends love and sincere, heart-felt thanks to everyone supporting their efforts both monetarily and in Spirit. A separate email of news direct from Sr. Margaret Fernandes is coming soon.

We strive to improve the CAL Program each year using input from Sponsors and Butterflies. It is important to evaluate from year to year, especially in such a small and personal program.
Input from some Sponsors last year indicated the Year Focus of Improvement this year should be COMMUNICATION. This would be accomplished in the forms of DIALOG and WEBSITE.

Some Sponsors did not always get the feeling their letters and photos were being received by their Butterfly. Some Sponsors were receiving letters from their Butterfly that did not answer questions Sponsors had asked or that did not mention photos or events brought up in the Sponsor's letter. This left the Sponsor feeling detached from the Butterfly. This is just the opposite of what the letters are supposed to accomplish.
Therefore, the focus of communication between Sponsors and Butterflies this year is DIALOG: not increasing the quantity of letters, but ensuring letters bring the Sponsor and Butterfly closer together by striving for Dialog. Letters are intended to be a way to get to know each other personally and have a dialog. In addition to writing about what is presently going on in our own lives, a dialog requires asking about what is going on in the other's life, making comments about content of letters received, asking questions, and answering questions that were asked in letters received.
Granted, with snail-mail being slow and unpredictable, it is easy for letters from Sponsors and Butterfly to be like two ships passing in the night: letters are often sent from Butterflys before they receive a letter from the Sponsor. It may be some time before more letters are written by the Butterfly, and they may then forget to mention the Sponsor's letter received a month or two prior. It does give the impression that letters were not received at all.
Please remember that Dialog requires learning about what it is and about ways to improve it. The Butterflys are working this year to improve Dialog. Also please remember that letters from the Butterflys are not going through a mediator: you are getting direct communication from your Butterfly.
Have heart, however! Letters from you are a personal joy and exciting part of a Butterfly's life. Of that I can personally ensure because I have been there and have seen it with my own eyes, many times over.
Please have patience while we are attempting to learn about and improve Dialog.
Meanwhile, please keep me posted as to your experiences with the letters from your Butterfly. Your feedback is the only resource we have to make sure the CAL Program is striving to be its best!

Please remember that each yearly donation requires a new donation letter from you. Regina Pacis is a registered charity in India and every money must be accounted for.
The donation letter can be faxed or mailed.
If you would like any of the paperwork to be emailed or mailed to you, please don't hesitate to email Deanna at cal@theworldnow.com.
A refresher of the donation letter is as follows:

A heart-felt thanks to all Sponsors, Supporters and Interested Persons of the Change A Life Program and Regina Pacis. This small and personal program is successful only because of the input and support of each and every one of you.
The beauty of such a small and personal program is that you know and are in contact with all of the people involved: there are no middle-folk clouding the issues or skimming advertising or management funds from your donations.
It is also the nature of such a small and personal program, however, that you are not insulated or detached from the ups and downs of conversing and doing business with different cultures. On the contrary, you are experiencing and learning about them first-hand. This is significant because cultural differences in communicating and viewing the world can be exciting yet confusing and sometimes frustrating. Sometimes it can be hard to reconcile why things happen or don't happen. It is well known that participants of the CAL Program are a special people indeed, accepting the differences of culture, keeping a positive attitude and contributing to make innocent lives better, one at a time.
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September, 2002
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CHANGE A LIFE PROGRAM