Hi Everyone …. Another year has passed and so has another trip to Calcutta, India in Nov. 2001. As all of you know, I visit the poor children every year around Thanksgiving. I visit to try and help some of the poor children and also to give thanks for my 3 beautiful children who were adopted from there. This last trip was much different than my other trips to India because of 9/11/01. Many of my friends and family did not want me to visit this year, or to at least postpone my trip, for fear that something would happen to me.
I want all of you to understand this….. I met Mother Teresa in 1996. She held my hand and we had a nice talk. It changed my life forever. I now work as hard as I can all year to help poor children. Poor children, like all children, come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Many people step forward to help me on both sides of the world–I do not do it alone. I will not stop helping the children as best I can no matter what the danger is as long as people continue to help me. I am trying to help poor children and make the world a better place. I can tell you that it is not easy. The smiles of the poor Indian children are so warm and beautiful. I look forward to seeing them every year. There is no crime for being born, and I am going to help these children and other poor children of the world until the day I die.
Please continue reading this short newsletter to see how my Nov. 2001 trip of fear turned out to be a trip of joy. Everyone in Calcutta treated me with kindness and respect. I had not one problem. It was another very beautiful trip. My next trip will be later this year 2002. Thanks again for your help and support. Ray O’Brien, (Uncle)
I will say one thing for the Indian Government, the drums were in storage for approximately 8 months, and when I received the 6 drums, nothing was missing and everything was in perfect order except for a few things that had mildew. I learned a good lesson from all of this! Never ship anything unless the paperwork is 100% correct. If it were not for my Indian Mum, Mrs. Xavier, Sister Teresa Anthony of St Vincents, and Captain Hembrom and Captain Nayak of the Salvation Army, along with Uncle C., everything would have been auctioned off by the Indian government as I never would have been able to complete the paperwork. I give these beautiful people credit; they helped me and never asked for anything to do it. They stepped forward to help me just like many people do in America. So as I have always said people on both sides of the world help me. All of the effort and energy put into all of this went to help poor children. It was great to arrive in Nov. 2001 and see the drums roll off the truck for distribution. I am now in the process of finding a way to ship things to the poor children duty free. I will not stop trying to help the kids but I need help doing it. If anyone can help me make a connection anyplace in the world to help poor children. PLEASE CALL ME … 781-483-1002
This year I would like to dedicate this newsletter to “ANGELS” who have been called back to Heaven.
Tom MaGee
Frank & Mary
Teresa Pothier
“Tootie” Kiela
While in Calcutta…
Some of the places I visited:
International Mission of hope (IMH)
Missionaries of Charity
Lorreto day School
St Vincents Home
St Pauls School
Salvation army Girls School
Don Bosco Ashalayam
Adarsha Hindi Vidyalaya School
St Teresa’s school
Barasat
Simultala boys home