OG NEWS 2

Official Publication of Open Gathering 2015

Issue 2

ALL IS SET FOR NEW MIGRANTS The gifts have been wrapped. Kind Santas have committed to bring food. Music artists have rehearsed their songs. TawagAwit volunteers from Otahuhu are practicing the OG Community Hug. All that Open Gathering needs are the new migrants who will be hosted on December 20, 2015 from 1pm in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, 7 Glendale Road, Glen Eden, Auckland.

Everything has simply fallen into places to make Christmas merry for new migrants. The Life Centre Trust donated 30 Christmas Boxes. Volunteers from Migrant Action Trust (MAT), Tahanang Pilipino Aotearoa Trust and TawagAwit picked these up in Mangere and stored these temporarily in MAT’s office in Mt Roskill. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Glen Eden is hosting the event in the parish crypt.

was completed. On December 17, the organisers received an email from an individual who carried the moniker “MacBook”: “Just wanna ask is it ok po ba to join the gathering even if we're not nominated? We're ok not to receive gifts, but we would love to meet and spend time with kababayans this christmas season. we are new here, just 2 months and pangtanggal homesick, we'd like to be around friendly faces :) If we're welcome to join, we would also bring some nibbles to share with others. just let us know what we can contribute.”

Of course, the response was “Yes,” for the objective of OG is “to make Christmas merry for new migrants.”

The OG Gift List started to grow as kind-hearted individuals submitted names of new migrants. By December 15, the list Page 1 of 8

Upcoming acoustic artist Kayth Alex and T-Kids led

by Maike, Christie and Jeydi will serenade the new migrants with songs, while Fr Mario Dorado, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes-Glen Eden will deliver a message. Honey Rasalan, manager of MAT, will formally welcome the new migrants. Ching Mandawe will put some fun to the event with games. Debbie Libre and Victor Hebia will lead in the giftgiving ceremony.

According to Dongskie Bardelas of TawagAwit, “We have added a new feature this year. We call it “OG Community Hug”.

It is our way of welcoming the new migrants to New Zealand.

We shall encircle the new migrants as we hug them, like they are inside

a circle of love. My wife and I were so thankful to OG last year, as we were ourselves new migrants. We felt Christmas in our hearts, and this is our way of paying it forward.”

The program will culminate with sharing of food donated by Santas who have prepared their best desserts for all to partake.

Mel Libre, chairman of Tahanang Pilipino Aotearoa Trust, said: “There is an overflowing gesture of kindness and generosity and we are grateful to all our supporters and benefactors for doing concrete acts in the true spirit of Christmas. It has been like this through the years: giving, caring and sharing to the new migrants.”

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EDITORIAL

Good Deeds on Christmas Migrants who are new in a foreign land have mixed feelings especially during the Christmas season. Old traditions stick and the absence of time-honored customs can make one homesick and lonely. In New Zealand, for instance, carolers are rare, while fireworks banned. Christmas parties in offices are limited to finger food and drinks without a program or presentations, just people talking among each other – and no mention about the birth of Christ.

OG: Open Gathering is about sharing, caring and giving to new migrants. We intend not only to sing songs, but also share food and give away gifts to as many as possible. The new migrants are our special guests and we will ascertain that they will feel "at home" with the activities we prepared.

When Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to rest, no one gave them decent space in Bethlehem. They settled in a manger where the King of Kings was born. "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7) We must approach Christmas with open doors, with giving hearts. As much as Christmas is about caring for those close to us, it is also about sharing what we have to the least of our brethren not just the poor, but also the unwanted, the forgotten, the unloved.

Add to that the homesick and the lonely. ‘As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."’ (2 Corinthians 9:9)

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HISTORY OF OG: Open Gathering December 22, 2007

- TawagAwit organised the first OG in St Mary’s Parish, Northcote

December 20, 2008

- OG returned to St Mary’s Parish, Northcote

December 20, 2009

- OG was held in David Nolan Auditorium, Takapuna

December 18, 2010

- OG took place in the Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral

December 18, 2011

- TawagAwit-Albany hosted OG in the JPII Mass Centre in Albany

December 23, 2012

- With the support of KBNZ, TawagAwit organised OG in Blockhouse Bay Community Centre

December 2013

- Due to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, OG gave way to GigAlive to raise money for help victims in the Philippines

December 13, 2014

- TawagAwit supported by KBNZ, Migrant Action Trust and The Life Centre Trust hosted OG in Panmure Community Hall

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PROGRAMME

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Here are guidelines to OG: Open Gathering:

VENUE: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, 7 Glendale Road, Glen Eden, Auckland REGISTRATION 1:00PM TRANSPORT: Free parking is available in the parish ground.

DONORS: Donations of food and drinks are welcome. Should you want to donate a gift, you may do so and we will give these to new migrants who may attend, but failed to make it to the OG Gift List.

NEW MIGRANTS: Pre-registration is required. As of December 15, the OG List was completed.

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THE ORGANISATIONS BEHIND OPEN GATHERING IN 2015 Migrant Action Trust helps migrants and refugees to settle in New Zealand. It offers support from the moment migrants arrive, and continues to help them become fully integrated into New Zealand society. The facilities and services are run by migrants for migrants.

Tahanang Pilipino Aotearoa Trust is a registered trust in New Zealand dedicated to serve Filipinos living in New Zealand through community-oriented programs that will strengthen relationships among Filipinos and with the bigger Kiwi society; and preserve and promote Philippine culture, values and heritage for the betterment of New Zealand

TawagAwit is a Catholic Ministry spreading God's Word through music and other acts of love.

It is based in Auckland, New Zealand. Each chapter is parish-based. It aims to establish chapters in as many parishes as there are in the world. It has chapters in Auckland and Taupo.

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Making Christmas merry for new migrants OG is supported by:

OG would like to thank all the generous individuals who have given support to this event of caring, sharing and giving to new migrants. Without your help, OG would not have happened. May you have a blessed celebration of Christmas and the New Year.

Sounds by:

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