Half a World Away Kids are Still the Same

This is Tutu, a woman with a vision. She spent many years with her family evangelizing among the different hill tribes living in the mountains of northern Thailand. During those years she saw the plight of the children who had lost parents, whose extended families were too poor to keep them, who had no opportunity for school.

Her vision led to the establishment of the first Asia's Hope orphanage in Thailand, called Doi Saket 1. Tutu's heart is as wide as her smile. She is especially pleased that the children are no longer living in fear of the "evil spirit" regulary evoked by the tribal witch doctor.

When you come to an Asia Hope orphan home, there is always a "Meet and Greet" team, usually the first one or two kids who spot your arrival.

We arrived at the Doi Saket 4 home just as the children were finishing their evening meal at the outdoor kitchen, and, of course, beginning the clean up chores.

The kids are loved by their dorm parents. Here is the Dorm Dad at DS 4. Would you have a grin on your face after parenting 13 kids and supervising evening chores?

At the Doi Saket 2 home, we found the kids enjoying the jungle gym provided by their sponsoring church. Laughter is the same in any language.

Today we arrived at Doi Saket 1 orphanage during their Saturday afternoon "off". At the nursery building, this young fellow was getting his teeth brushed and his bath before his afternoon nap.

Across the compound, kids were buying "treats" from their earned money. Today's treat were bowls of homemade soup. The kids grinned and talked.

On the other side of the front porch, the "knitters" were choosing their skein of yarn for their next project- a hat or a bag depending on their choice. Debbie Flinchum has taught the girls to knit and sew, and supervised their weaving efforts.

The young girls then have opportunity to sell their bags and items to visitors. Debbie also taught them how to sew new sheets for their beds.

The Hot Springs Orphan Home is an Asia Hope project supporting a Pastor and his wife who have taken in 13 orphans. On one side of their building is a large vegetable garden, complete with requisite goats nibbling. On the other side beauty surrounds their church home. This orchid garden next to the outdoor kitchen.

Tutu's heart and rest of the staff is big enough to give love every day, all day to these children who have been placed under their care.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers for these children and the staff that takes care of them and for Asia's Hopes needs an guidance to be making wise decisions for their care.

They're Growing Up ....

                                          Doi Saket I Campus
 
Tonight we went to Doi Saket 1 -- our original and first Thai orphan home.  It was a mid-week devotions and worship meeting.  Worship with 70 singing, smiling, holy and transparent orphans is such a moving experience it is beyond description; it brings me to tears every time.  My, what we can learn from these children!

These Doi Saket kids have a special place in our hearts; we were learning how to "do" an orphan home while they were making a major life-changing movement into a strange place with people they have never seen. (A movement over which they had no say or control.)  In a sense, we learned from each other.

We have known most of them for five years, visited twice a year; we have become close, family.  Upon entering the campus we were overwhelmed by smiling, truly happy children hugging us vying for a hand to touch, a leg to cling to, a pat on the back.  And with full, glad hearts we obliged each and every one of them!  They knew us, they were happy to see us, we were part of their circle.
                                                    

These "kids" were growing up, changing; the youngest ones were not that young, they don't fit so easily on my lap as they once did.  We have teenagers now.  We have been watching them grow, mature; we have seen them bond into a true, loving family.  No longer are they orphans, they are family.

Then it hit me ... this is what it is all about.  Bringing orphans into family, God's family, our family.  It is working!  Asia's Hope is working; these kids ARE Asia's Hope!  To God goes the glory.

We are SO privileged to know these children, those God calls "the least of these".  I am here to tell you there is nothing "least" in any of these kids.

(Note: We have done two back-to-back posts.  Make sure you don't miss "Life is Not Fair".)

Life is Not Fair

Those of you on the praying mission with the Campbell's will be glad to know that you have finally arrived in Thailand, in the northern hill country near Chiang Mai. L

Last night we slept in a bedroom in an open air Thai dwelling under mosquito netting at Wiang Pa Pao, the newest Orphan Home for Asia's Hope.

This Orphan Home began only two weeks ago, with the arrival of 19 orphans from different hill tribe villages bordering the Mynamar and Laotian borders. The physical structure is a larger Thai residence with multiple indoor rooms, and a typical outdoor kitchen. It sits on an acre of land. Unique among other Asia Hope homes, this one is also adjacent to a working farm which is growing fruits and vegetables for the Doi Sachet orphan homes (four of them).

On this farm, there is also a home for six widows who are provided with room and board in a small house, as well as weaving and sewing supplies, looms, machines to start a micro-enterprise to raise money for their needs. These widows have already sent two shipments of their scarves and bags back to the states with visitors to be sold.

We'd love to tell you more of the physical and organizational structures that we have seen in the first 24 hours in Thailand for the Asia Hope ministries, but instead we are going to choose to tell you only one story.

Yesterday afternoon we drove to Wiang Pa Pao with a young boy in the truck with us. His name is T. He was riding with us because he was about to become the 20th (and final) orphan to complete.

T.’s mother died when he was two days old. His “father” had returned to Europe already at that point; when contacted about his son, he thanked the writer and asked that someone else take care of him.

An aunt took T. into her home and raised him as her own for the last six years. She works as a meat vendor at the night market. Child care for T. for all of her working hours was her husband, who regularly abused her, and then abused T. while the aunt was out of the home. Finally, in desperation, she choose for the boy a different life, seeking a place for him at the Asia Hope orphanage.

From T’s position, as a six year old, life had already not been fair having no mother, having no father, being beaten for living with an “uncle” who did not want him. This morning, life became unfair again for T. as his aunt left him at the orphan home.

What T. does not know yet, but will know within the next few weeks, is that life is going to be fairer for him now. He will be living with 19 brothers and sisters who love each other, who are loved and protected by the staff, who make sure that he has food to eat, clothes to wear, and that he gets to school on time.

T. sat on a bed last night watching his new brothers and sisters sing Christian songs and say their evening prayers. He watched the 19 children line up for water, brush their teeth, and nestle down under the new blankets just donated by women at the local counsel in Chiang Mai.

God is good. God is great. Let us thank God for offering T fairness.

(PS -- we will figure out how to do the pictures better.)