Hello,

I think that many of you have already my story about the stolen video camera. I wanted to tell you about what actually happened, because it’s been a good learning experience for me.

I’ve been crazy busy working during the day and working of the charity every night. On Thursday night, I stayed up until 3:00am, putting together a presentation to give a Grade One class in the city about Street Kids. The classroom raised funds to help a young boy, Virak, get out of the dump. I had videos of Virak as he first arrived at the centre and say hello to the children. I also had a video of children at the school for children of poverty, where the kids in Cambodia sang to the kids here in Canada. The song was “We can change the world”.

Friday morning, I rushed out of my house, because I had a two hour meeting at 8:30am in the morning. I threw all my presentation material in my car (i.e. digital camera, video camera and connectors). When I got to the office, I parked in my regular parkade that has security guards. I was in a rush and just left my bag on the floor of my vehicle for my two hour meeting. When I returned to my car, my window was broken and everything was gone.

The security guards told me that he say two young boys, about 16 years old, run away with my stuff. It was very hard for me. They didn’t just steal physical goods, they stole something that was very important to me. It’s like they stole some hope I had for those wonderful children.

I mean, the children’s very lives and struggles were on those video tapes. And now, little Virak and Srey Mom and my Yellow Class are with a group of kids that chose to steal from others. I was with the poorest of the poor, living eating and sleeping in a garbage dump and never once did someone try to take my video camera. Frankly, I never met more generous people in my life than those I met in Cambodia that had nothing.

The loss was a big lesson for me. It was a lesson about not leaving things in my vehicle. But, it was really a bigger life lesson.

Bad luck? Good luck? It’s Too Soon to Tell!

Love Gerry