"Let Your Heart Be Broken"

How precious are all children in God’s sight. He loves them so much that He says it would be better if a mill stone be put around a person’s neck than to let that person hurt or abuse a child. When I think of all His love for the children around the world I think how God’s heart must ache to see and hear the sad things that happen to these little innocent ones. There are some sad stories here as well.

                                                                                            

Precious girls selling Limes at the roadside stand at the school

Leading out in song service at worship

First of all, you must remember that we are volunteering in a country known for child traffiking. So very sad, but so very true. One morning after worship (we have worship every morning and evening at 6:00 except Sabbath evenings because there is an afternoon meeting instead called AY - Adventist Youth at 4:00pm), one of the teachers, Thara Da Boo, got up to make an announcement. All such communications to the children is always in Karen, so we checked with one of the teachers that speaks English to find out what was being said. This English speaking teacher, Thara Sub Let, said that they were telling the children that only the ugly little girls should be out by the road to sell the extra limes (with the proceeds going to the school cook Mu Dah for such extras as salt, seasonings, etc). They are worried for the children’s safety, girls and boys, of being taken right here in front of the school and sold into slavery or postitution.      

Eating their meal above the creek

I wondered how it would make those who weren’t so cute feel, if they could sit up by the road side to sell limes because they weren’t cute. There is even a risk if the children walk into Mae Salit, the little village about 5 km away of being picked up. I would think it would be a good place to be a little homely, if that is what you want to call it.

Between where the school is and Meta, the village with the closest hospital, is a dangerous section of road, especially if you are on a motorcycle. Apparently there is a motorcycle pirating group, out to steal motorcycles from people. If you happen to be along that stretch of the road, on a motorcycle, just pray for protection, that you will not be shot at or scared off your bike. Being white is definitley not any safer, if anything we have been told, it could be used to bring in more money if they kidnapped one of us to use for a ransom to get money. I am not sure what people group this would be that would do that, but I think it is those against Christians.

The little boy on the far left found his mother in the jungle

Back to the children. There is a little boy here who went into the jungle to look for his mother who had not returned home after being gone for sometime. He found her, but he did not find her alive. It has affected him, mentally ever since, as I can sure understand why. Many of these children have seen loved ones die or be killed right around them. They know what it is like to flee for their lives. They know what it is like to not be wanted. 

Sometimes it is very hard to know who to trust too. There was an article in the Bangkok newspaper recently about a nice, I believe American man who had a very good, kind reputation who ran some children’s homes. Well, he got caught. He had been “selling” young, 4-5-6 year olds, girls and boys. He had a place where he kept them seperate from the other children. What a sad, sick world we live in and the worst of it is the innocent ones are the ones that suffer. 

Jaw Day Paw is in the front on the far right

There is a little girl here that I have mentioned before in a previous blog, named Jaw Day Paw, (but I actually found out I spelled her name wrong, but so to keep things consistant for reference I will continue to mispell her name for you). While I was registering her, it is obvious that she is very poor. Ripped, torn skirt, stained shirt, and she stated she only has the one set of clothing, but when asked what she needs (we ask every child what things they are needing ie. toothbrush/tooth paste, soap, Karen clothing, uniform, Sabbath clothes, warm jacket, more blankets or mats etc.), she said she was content, she needed nothing more. Wow, how many of us would be content with what we have when we have so much? And here she is with so little! Well, in the process of the registration it came up that her father had died in the last several months and we didn’t even know! Life is so hard for them, they must just, go forward and not look back as looking back would be to painful. Looking back would not change anything so the only direction is to look forward and keep moving on. 

Mu Dah

The cook for the school, Mu Dah, has had a rough life. In brief and because I do not know all the details I will share what I understand. She was stolen from her family when quite small and taken to Bangkok, not to go into the prostution scene, but to be used as a domestic slave. As she grew older she was forced to work in a restrurant giving all her pay to her owners. Eventually she married, but she wanted to go home, back to her roots and escape her life of slavery and the city. Her husband did not want to go with her, so she took her small child and walked from Bangkok to the area where Sunshine Orchard Children’s Home and Learning Center is located, to home. That is a long walk. She did not have Thai papers, she was not her own person, being able to freely go whereever she wanted to go. So she did the only thing she knew to do. Escape and walk home. Although she is Baptist, she attends worships as she can morning and evening. She also presented one of the Truth 4 Youth presentations and did a good job.

Eda Say with her baby-what is her story?

There are so many stories of so many children, staff and teachers. I do not know but a fraction of them, but I long to know more to share about this people group so others can know.The more people that know the more people can pray. The more prayers there are the more awareness, support and involvment on many different levels will be happening. Oh, friend, please keep these dear people in your prayers, like my favorite hymn says - #575, “Let Your Heart Be Broken” - Give and give again.