Be inspired to see yourself in a new light by joining our 10 Days of New Sight Challenge!
Challenge yourself to see you and your life differently and do something new for 10 days.
To celebrate our anniversary year, we are launching a challenge called “10 Days of New Sight” #10daysofnewsight where we will learn and encourage each other to see ourselves differently and try new things.
I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it – Vincent Van Gogh
As we give new sight to the patients, we find that we ourselves are also developing new sight! Some of us have learnt to see difficulties differently; to see what matters differently; and even to see ourselves differently – for example doing things that we did not think we could do! To celebrate seeing ourselves and our world in new light, we’d love you to join us in the ’10 Days of New Sight Challenge’. The challenge is simple. Just pick something that you don’t normally do and do it for 10 days only. It can be easy and simple, or it can be super challenging. It can be something you have never thought about before, or something that you have always wanted to do but have never done.
Some ideas for your 10 days
- Reach out to a friend with a call or message / Call your mum! / Say no to plastic / Read a chapter in a book /
- Do 10 minutes of YouTube exercise / Stretch for 5 minutes / Take the stairs instead of the lift / Smoke 1 less cigarette /
- Learn 1 phrase or word in a new language, e.g. Ukrainian / Floss your teeth morning and night /
- Be still and do nothing for 5 minutes / Copy a bible verse a day
The list is endless!
Please do post and nominate your friends by tagging them on social media!
You can do it any time but it will really help us if we can do it together to create some traction and momentum on social media. We cannot wait to SEE what you are going to do! Thank you!
Suggested social media post
#10daysofnewsight Challenge accepted!
I am challenging myself to see myself differently and do something new for 10 days. For the next 10 days, I choose to [insert your challenge].
I don’t normally do this kind of challenges, but I want to challenge the way I see myself and the way I live. It will be fun and encouraging to do with friends, and help raise awareness to a great cause. You can join me on this challenge as well! Just add #10daysofnewsight !
Text an invitation to your friends
Hi [insert friend’s name]! Hope you’re well!
As you may know already, New Sight is celebrating its 10th year in Congo this year! Founders Joyce and Henri Samoutou said, as they give new sight to the patients, they find that they themselves are also developing new sight! They are even seeing themselves differently – for example doing things that they did not think they could do!
To celebrate seeing ourselves and our world in new light, I’d love you to join me in the ’10 Days of New Sight Challenge’. The challenge is simple. Just pick something that you don’t normally do and do it for 10 days only. It can be easy and simple, or it can be super challenging. It can be something you have never thought about before, or something that you have always wanted to do but have never done. This is what I will be posting:
“#10daysofnewsight Challenge accepted!
I am challenging myself to see myself and my life differently and do something new for 10 days. For the next 10 days, I choose to [insert your challenge].
I don’t normally do this kind of challenges, but I want to challenge the way I see myself and the way I live, it will be fun and encouraging to do with friends, and help raise awareness to a great cause. You can join me on this challenge as well! Just add #10daysofnewsight !”
I cannot wait to SEE what you are going to do! Thank you!
Joyce’s post on her personal social media:
Tales from Pointe Noire 3 – lies I believed in
After overcoming multiple set backs to get our dream car out of the port, the day finally came for us to drive the new and old cars from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville and then onto Ouesso. Henri was to drive the new car and I was to drive the old car. To some people, the idea of a road trip on unfamiliar roads is not a big deal and to some, it may even be fun and appealing! To me, it was nerve-wrecking! Even though the section of the road that I had to drive was ‘paved’, the longest that I have ever driven was for 4 hours when I left university 20 years ago and that was in the U.K. where the roads are maintained! The thought of driving for 12 hours along unknown territories in Congo unnerved me. For months, Henri had been encouraging me. I kept telling him that I was not like him and that what was easy for him would not be easy for me. And then God said – clearly – over and over – again and again – who told you? Who told you that?
God gave me new sight again as He has done several times since New Sight Congo started, and I began to see the lies that I have believed in about myself. Who told me that I could not drive long distance in Congo? Who told me that I was not brave, tough, strong and calm like Henri? Sometimes, I was the one who told myself those lies and sometimes, it was others who told me those lies – intentionally or unintentionally. Who told me the lies does not matter. The only thing that matters is seeing that lies are just that – lies, which means that they are simply not true!
So the day of the big drive came. Was I nervous about driving? You bet! Did I want to do it? Not really! But more than anything, I needed to do it, not just because the car could not stay in the port but I needed to do it to show myself that I am not the lies that I believe in. I can do things that I did not think I could because the truth is that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
So I did it, and guess what, it was actually far easier than I thought – probably because I have actually gotten used to Congolese roads over the years and not realised it. Now I tell myself this instead – I am stronger and braver than I think!
To congratulate me – Henri presented me with a prize at the finishing line …. hibiscus and coconut ice cream in the capital! Yum! – Joyce xx
#whotoldyou #sayyes #nomorelies #seeclearly #newsight
Everyone, we did it!
For the 10 Day challenge, Henri learned Cantonese phrases (Joyce’s native language) with the help of Joyce and the kids! Our original Ouesso Pioneers the Targett family, Annabel and Doug and the kids Hannah, Sammy and Sophie, learned Ukrainian phrases. Ezra learned Vungu, his dad’s native Gabonese dialect. Karis followed a 1-hour workout DVD everyday for 10 days and her family joined in!
In the spirit of #10daysofnewsight, Joyce challenged herself to sew labels on school uniforms and sleep earlier; team member Phoebe challenged herself to sleep progressively earlier as well to go to a primary school assembly on the 10th day! Team member Po and her boys Louis and Christian challenged themselves to hula hoop non-stop for 1 hour, for 10 days! And volunteer Hiu Yin challenged herself to learn to cook and bake with Congo ingredients.
We did it!
