LifeNets International

I want to tell you a wonderful story about the work of Dr. Yumi Yamamoto, an ophthalmologist in Kochi, Japan, and our LifeNets representative.  She has been such a tremendous facilitator for our projects in Japan http:/lifenets.org/japan as well as one who has initiated projects benefiting people in the Philippines, including the United Church of God in Manila and the Visayas.  I would like to showcase some of her contributions in this post. As our  LifeNets representative for Japan, Dr. Yumi Yamamoto has sponsored a project for children in the Philippines.  It is providing recorders to develop musical skills and bring a tremendous of joy to these children.

The score sheets which boys are looking are what I sent. It has etudes for recorder beginners which I composed. Jen said they start learning how to read music notes and practice to play what I made.

 

A few years ago Earl Roemer took the hymnal which you use at your church. I chose one of the easy looking songs (#149) and arranged it for a play by soprano & alto recorders and the organ. I made it after they finish my etudes, they can play this song.

 

Jen asked me for the next song, and I asked for advice to Richal. I think of 'Happy Birthday' song (because there are 2000 boys, every day is someone's birthday) and London Bridge. Richal suggested PPAP song, but I think it is too difficult to arrange to play by the recorders.   

Below are links to some of the music

• etudes 表紙
• Etudes for soprano recorders

 

THE RECORDERS AT THE BOYSTOWN
Ma. Jenevy D. Lopez

It was late in May this year, 2017 when a very dear friend of mine, Miss Richel P. Canales who’s currently teaching in one of the schools in Japan, asked me if I was interested in recorders for our boys here in the boarding institution for underprivileged young Filipinos. Of course, thinking of something new to offer to our students here, I immediately said yes. That made me ask the Local Superior then if it was all right for her, and to have her name used as the addressee of the shipment. She was very happy having learned about it since she had always wanted to convince the boys to stay until they finish their high school in this institution as it is the mission of the Sisters of Mary to provide high-quality secondary education to the poorest of the poor youth in the country free of charge.

Boredom and nostalgia are a perennial enemy of the students who want to attain a bright future through the Sisters of Mary School-Boystown, School, Inc. here in Minglanilla, Cebu, Philippines. And for that reason, the Local Superior, Sr. Emelan Lee, SM, a Korean, has never gone tired thinking of different strategies to encourage and to motivate the boys to stay until they finish their studies here free of charge through benevolent benefactors here and abroad. To stay here for more than five (5) years with only two-week vacation each year is not easy for these young men. So when Sr. Emelan learned about the recorders to come as a donation, she was so much elated as it would give the boys something new to learn.

In the middle of June this year, Doc Yumi Yamamoto, the very generous and passionate friend of my friend, Richel Canales sent the shipment of recorders from Japan for the boys here in SMS-Boystown in Minglanilla, Philippines. It was on August 23, 2017, when the box arrived at the Minglanilla, Cebu Post Office and we were notified to claim it the soonest. However, due to some complications that involved various activities in the school, it took really late for the Local Superior to open the box and take pictures of the G7 boys with the recorders.

This morning of September 27, 2017, I received the pictures and immediately forwarded them to Doc Yumi through Messenger. Here are the pictures of the boys:

The grade 7 students enjoying the recorders

The willingness to learn is real.

The happiness really shows!

On behalf of the Administration, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Yumi Yamamoto and her friends for the recorders. They will surely get our boys to studying how to play them well. We appreciate your gesture of generosity and passion to help others. May God bless you more and more and allow you to help more people in this world.