A Thank you from Montete Mallari, Chairperson of the International Festival (May 12, 2007)

Praise and Glory to God!  We had another awesome International Festival Celebration.  This is our 4th Annual Festival and every year it gets better.  I could not help but recognize the outstanding works you all accomplished.  Your deeds are greatly appreciated.

Please kindly pass this information to other members who are not in my distribution list.

Publicity of our event was great.  It is good thing we don’t advertise outside of our parish.  The church and the chapel were full of people during the liturgy.  Betty, Lynn, Julia and Vanessa were able to recruit more people to sign up and participate. 

Tim Clark: Excellent job in changing the date and in hanging the banner up on the fence by Walker

Road.  The additional banner you ordered looked really good hanging by Parkway.  Thank you for your artistic talents in creating the huge poster in the narthex.

Steve Karakas, Dave Wills, Ray Lions and Vanessa Bradley: Fantastic job with your pulpit talks and thank you for recruiting parishioners to dress up for the 8am, 9:30am and 11:15 am Sunday masses.

Kellie Le & Michelle Huyhn: marvelous job in informing the parishioners of St. Andrew LUC Community and recruiting volunteers to decorate and cleanup.

Julia Lions: superb job in coordinating the decoration department.  Thank you for recruiting the ladies who helped decorates the tent, gym, and school entrance. Thank you for bringing and setting up clear lights all afternoon Friday and putting up Chinese lanterns, dragons, palm trees and many more for the entrance of the school Saturday morning.  It was very festive.  The gourmet coffee and pastries you brought gave lots of energy to the volunteers.  And thank you also for bringing French Foods, ie “Pommes Frites” and for your many hours spent in cooking crepes.

Ray Lions: great job in putting up the construction tape for the tent space and for contributing, blowing and hanging up the balloons especially the delightful balloon arches at the ceiling of the reception area and of the gym. The Mexican Bar Table you brought made a lot of people happy.  It was complete with a canopy, very saucy.  The bartenders liked it a lot. Thank you also for setting up the overflow parking signage to guide our guests to park next door, and thank you also for carrying the French Banner in the liturgy.

The Liturgy Ministry did an excellent job in providing a remarkable and inspiring liturgy celebration.  The tribute to our Virgin Mary touched several people who have a devotion to our Blessed Mother; the banners, the rituals, and traditions in the mass were outstanding.  We really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Several people told me it was very moving.

The highlights of the Rosary include the procession of the Image of Mama Mary on a “Karo” carried by the Hindi, the Knights of Columbus escorting, and the children lighting their paths.  The women led by Meeghan Bergman prayed each decade of the rosary in their native languages, and the Vietnamese youth danced gracefully with their candles and flowers; Kristen Wong played the harp beautifully while the community's venerable elders offered flowers to the Virgin Mary.  The parade of the nation’s banner was spectacular.

Betty Drilling:  wonderful job singing in the choir and recruiting volunteers to greet our guests and distribute nametags and “All are Welcome” buttons to our parishioners and guests.  Thank you for donating 10 pizzas and chili, and for encouraging Dick to serve in the reception.

Donna Wills: marvelous job organizing the children for the procession, giving instructions to the altar servers, and bringing the poles for the Eucharistic Ministers, nametags, paper plates and enchiladas.  Thanks for ironing the tablecloths for the altar and thanks to your husband David for helping with putting the extra chairs for the concelebrants and deacons.

Carol Judy:  Terrific job in getting the incense bowl ready, lighting the incense, and setting up bread and wine, towels, cups, and bowls.  Thank you for organizing the EMs to carry the Poles during the Gathering Rites procession and for the Recessional.

Franz Mallari: terrific job organizing the people who carried the national banners for the Gathering Rite procession and for the recessional. Thank you for providing the poles for the nations’ banners and for making sure that the banners were hanged properly in the entertainment area. 

Al & Cathie Schmitt: nice job informing the greeters that we already had a gift family.  You and the other greeters did an excellent job in greeting people, in passing out the liturgy programs, and the 200 rosaries donated by “Legion of Mary”, and handing out the Sunday Bulletins.  Thank you for handing out the flowers for the grandparents flower offerings.  You and the greeters have done wonderful job in cleaning and getting ready the church for our next mass.  Thank you for donating one case of white wine.

Don Hammond: fantastic job of organizing the Lectors, Psalm and Petition Readers.  They all did a great job reading in their native languages.  Thank you for filling in whenever you were needed. Your donation of one case of Red Wine is much appreciated.

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Kellie Le: Wonderful job singing in the choir and sending representatives from the St. Andrew Dung Lac Community for the Vietnamese Children’s flower dance, the Vietnamese altar servers, the Gong Master, and the Vietnamese choir members.  Thank you for providing the candles … during the children’s procession.

Mark Nieves, Ken Canedo, Raquel Naval and Dean Trandihn: You folks did an excellent job organizing the International Choir which composed of H-T Youth, H-T Adult, Filipino, and Vietnamese choirs.  Thank you for providing wonderful music during the liturgy.  Dean has done a wonderful job teaching the Vietnamese songs. It is incredible how the choir learned to sing the songs in a short period of time.  Raquel has done a marvelous job organizing the Holy Trinity Grade Schoolers who did the gestures for the meditation.  Mark has done a magnificent job directing the choir, making the layout and getting the liturgy program printed by PrintandPraise.com. Ken has done a fantastic job accompanying the choir.

Erin Nieves:  Terrific job on your opening remarks and for guiding the incense bearer. Thanks to your talented kids, Matt, Emily and Molly who participated in the choir Thank you for accommodating Kristen Wong who played “Canon D” beautifully with her harp and for setting the flower vases during the grandparents’ flower offerings, and for finding a place for the Gong Master from the Vietnamese Community. 

Father John:     great job reserving the additional parking lot next door, for inviting Msgr. Henry Van Son and Fr. James Pham, and accommodating our guest deacons (Jovi Rata and Giovannie Gamas) for our celebrations. Thank you for blessing the rosaries, presiding in the mass and blessing the food.  Thank you for working with the Peace & Justice Ministry to get the “All Are Welcome” buttons made, and for your support along the way.

The incensing by Joyce Bradley inviting the Holy Spirit was very inspiring.  During the preparation of the gifts, the Indian ladies dressed the altar table very nicely and the Nigerian families brought the offertory gifts reverently.  The liturgy celebration was spirit filled.

The Food Committee did an excellent job ensuring that people were fed with delicious and sumptuous food.  We are blessed to have several generous parishioners who donated food, drinks, paper wares, plastic wares, tables, tablecloths, warmers, and fuels. Everyone’s comment was that we had a gastronomic feast.  There was food galore, and coming in a wide variety: Nigerian, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Lebanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Colombian, Costa Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Panamanian, Peruvian, Puerto Rican, French, Irish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russia, Spain, Scottish, Swedish, Croatian, Hawaiian, and All American.    

LynnFulton: terrific job organizing the Polynesian, African, North, Central and Southern American’s representatives who brought food.  Thank you for organizing the youth volunteers who served the food, for bringing Kahlua Pig to represent Hawaii and for serving. Thank you for helping in the cultural entertainment.

Franz Mallari: great job coordinating the food.  Thank you for bringing warmer fuels and Filipino Dishes “Embutido” and “Roasted Pork” for the reception.  Thank you for generating food labels, setting up tables and chairs in the reception area.  The hanging signs and globes in the reception area made the people aware from what continents the food was being served. Thank you to Joe, Justine and GJ for helping with the setup and decoration in the tent, serving food and cleanup.

Dave Tarries & Joe Mallari: great job for getting the youth involved with the serving and clean up.  You were so efficient that we were able to finished cleaning before 10pm.

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Greg Steiert: wonderful job hauling the additional tables from “Our Lady of Peace Retreat House” for the reception usage.  Thank you for organizing the Knights of Columbus” (Honor Guards) who processed with the Blessed Mother and during the procession of the nations’ banners.  Thank you for making sure the Korean banner was represented by your daughter, Kaitlyn, and for bringing the Korean Dish Bulgoki.

Bryan White:  great job acquiring 2 kegs of beer, cups, ice, and tub from Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. Thank you for organizing the bartenders.  I heard that some people donated money for their second drinks and made $300 to benefit the H-T Youth Ministry.   This will be a big help and I am sure the Youth Ministry will appreciate it very much.  Also, thank you for helping with the clean up and for representing Denmark along with your two daughters, Kaylee and Karina.

Michelle Huyhn: Thank you for recruiting five helpers from the Vietnamese Community to help with the decoration and clean up, and your food servers were very generous.  We appreciate the Vietnamese food your community prepared and brought for the reception.

This is our Fourth Annual Celebration and every year it is getting better! God is really good.  He poured out many blessings for us all.  What else could we ask for; we can only praise and thank Him for all His goodness

The Entertainment Committee did an awesome job in putting on an impressive show.  Among the numbers presented were Parade of the Nations, the Exit 7 band, “Welcome to the Family” by the H-T grade schoolers, Philippine folk dances “Gaway Gaway”, “T-boli Suite” and Spaghetti Dance, the Indian Classical, Cinematic, and Wedding Dances, the Square Dance, the songs of Canada and Eidelweis.  We can see the joy in everyone’s face especially when you encourage the audience to participate.

Vanessa White: excellent job coordinating the entertainment, organizing the entertainers, and participating in the choir and Philippine Folk Dances.  Your daughter Joyce did a superb job with the incense, and Filipino Folk Dance.  Thank you for working with Steve Karakas on the entertainment script to make the show flow smoothly. You really did come up with an impressive show.  Thank you for bringing Soda for the entertainers, and recruiting Kathy for our custom made nametags.

Tim Clark: superb job in setting up the Sound Systems in the gym and providing the construction lights for the food area, the clear lights and the speakers for the dining area.  Thank you for setting up the Video Camera and the VCS to capture the event in the gym and project it to the reception area.  The two TVs you placed in the dining area kept the guests entertained while they were eating.  The festive lantern you hung by the dining created nice ambiance.  We appreciate the wonderful sound during the Cultural Presentation / Entertainment show.  The white corral you made for the stage helped the children stay out of the entertainers’ way and the nations’ distance marker you made really look good hanging by the cultural displays.  The chicken divine that your wife Mary Ellen prepared for the reception was delicious.  Thank you for taking a day off to work on all of these projects, your dedication to accomplish all the tasks is admirable.

Francis Tharappel: thank you for monitoring the aisle way for the entertainers and for helping to clean up.  You did a great job in organizing the Hindu representatives who brought food, participated in the liturgy, and in the entertainment.  You daughter Ann did a wonderful job presenting a Classical Indian Dance and your wife, Linny who participated in the mass did a wonderful job.  Guests enjoyed the Hindu Food, “Chicken Curry” and “Fried Rice,” you brought for the reception.  I noticed that there were several Hindi families you recruited this year.  It is wonderful your community is getting bigger. 

Ed Aguon: great job helping with the setup and putting up decorations in the gym, and assisting the entertainers.  Thank you for coming up early Saturday to open the door for us, for bringing Kalua pig and for carrying the Guam banner.

Steve Karakas:  You did an awesome job EMCEEing during the Entertainment and playing the base guitar during the Liturgy.  Thank you for working with Vanessa to have a very fun and entertaining evening.

This was truly a family event, not only involving one person helping out in each task, but entire families helping out for the success of the event. We thank you all for your support and for encouraging your loved ones to help out this Int’l Festival. We hope to inspire others to participate more for the future events.  

The cooperation of the Pastoral, School, and Administrative Councils,  the School, and the Parish Staffs were much appreciated.  It really lifts us up with your loving and generous support.  Dr. Diane Cronin our School Principal, thank you for your welcome address during the entertainment and encouraging the school staff to inspire the children to be a part of the celebration. The parish staff did a wonderful job in assuring, we can all access the facilities we needed.  Kenya Palmer assured we had a tent to use for the event.  And last but not least, I would like to thank Fr. John for his 100% support and his guidance in sharing his wisdom during the process. You are truly an inspiration to all of us and we will certainly miss your loving and generous support.

I thank God for all the gifts (time, talents, and treasures) He has given to us.   I thank you for sharing these gifts and working together to build a loving community.  This is the reason why our lights shined so bright during the celebration last Saturday, everyone shared God’s gift without reservation.  We are truly leaving a legacy to our children and the next generations.  I congratulate each and everyone, for your “labor of love.”  It seems, “we left no stone unturned in ensuring a very successful endeavor.”  We, the Int’l Festival committee members feel very blessed with all the wonderful people around us working for the common good.  I thank God for making us an instrument of His Love. 

It is truly an honor and a privilege to be an organizer again of this awesome event. I enjoyed working with everyone. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to serve!    I will treasure it forever in my heart. And if I missed and/or offended anyone during the process, I ask for your forgiveness.  Again, many thanks for all your wonderful works!!!  God Bless you all and God loves you!   Monette Mallari