New children to Promise Home

Good morning~

It is bright and early here in Chiang Rai; a time where it is very peaceful and quite beautiful. Each day of our visit has brought new and exciting things to our lives and yesterday was no exception.

We spent most of the day with the parents of Promise Home as the children were all in school. We talked with them about how they thought things were going, to see what they needed and if they were happy. We also talked in length about the future of Promise Home and the direction it was headed. These plans include the addition of more children to the home and finding a place that is closer to our friends and family at Bethany and Faith Homes and which costs a little less than our current location. The Thai people are so precious. Both the parents think the house they currently live in is "too" fancy and they don't need anything quite like that. I would not call the current location "too" fancy but it is what you are exposed to and have been used to living with during your life that determines that. So Big will begin looking for a different location so they have a new place by the time the lease is up at the end of April.

We also talked about adding two new children to the home and Big told us he knew a family who were in need of some help. The parents are a younger couple and the father recently had a bad accident at work that left him paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheel chair. This left the mother as the only one who could work to support their three children and the grandparents. Grandma is 99 years old. The wife, Achew has only been able to find day labor work on an inconsistent basis so life has been very difficult for them over the past six months. They talked with Big and Fon and made the difficult decision to let their two oldest children, Teeraday (pronounced Te-la-day) and Wandi come to Promise Home to live and go to school.

Wandi and her father in front, Achew with their youngest and Teeraday standing next to mom

We went to the village yesterday and shared some heartbreaking moments with them, particularly the mother. While she had decided that giving her children a chance for a better life and education by having them go to Promise Home, it was heartbreaking for her to acknowledge she was letting them go. Many tears were shed by the group that had gathered to meet us and spend time with us. I think most of us know the heart wrenching feeling of letting your children go even though you know it is the for the best. When I was hugging Achew before I left, her body shook with tears and she would not let go. We simply stood there in an embrace while she and I both cried. I did not leave until she was ready to let me go. My heart breaks for her and so I know we will do all that we can to help her family and take good care of her children. I am sure they will soon feel like my own just as the others do.

Wandi with momma and her younger brother

I know that the other children will be good to their new siblings. Both Palita and Nittaya are ready to be big sisters again and will help ease the children into the home. This is an exciting, yet scary time as our little project grows. We are now helping more children which is a goal but we also must ensure we have the funds to continue to project over the years. But, I will not worry too much about the future. I will live in the present and take it day by day. I have faith and trust that the Lord will provide.

Till next time.....

God Bless,
Heather