Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Girls at risk, Rescued. A Day in the Village.



Today I went to the village with Joy and Julia, two of the workers with ADRA. I met a little girl named  Phone, she is from Mong, one of the hill tribes in Chiang Rai. Girls from the Hill tribe region are especially vulnerable to trafficking since many of the girls have no education and live in extreme cases of poverty. Also since they are hill tribe they tend to not have any Identification, so if they go missing, or if they are kidnapped no one will come looking for them.
Phone is the one to the far right. 

Phone is 12 years old and she currently is living with her grandmother and attending one of the rural schools. She was sponsored by ADRA 10 Baht a day so she could attend. Her grandmother shared with me that her mother and father used to live in the bamboo house next door but eventually separated cause the couple could not get a long. Phone used to witness her father beating her mother often. Eventually the father left the two of them behind, and then the mother abandoned the daughter to the  grandmother. She is now working prostitution in Chiang Mai. It wasn't hard hearing the facts of the story so much as it was hard looking at Phone. She never smiled, not once, and when I spoke with her teacher she said the same thing "Phone never smiles, she has a sad face all the time." While spending time with her, it was like her sadness was just emanating towards me. I just wanted to cry but in Thai culture that is seen to be a sign of weakness.

Nam, even though we are not supposed tot have favorites was probably one of my favorite girls in the children's shelter at KGS. She would always wake me and hug me and grab me around my waist. She was also the one who taught me most of the Thai words and sentences that I know. She helps me confuse people on the street who expect me not to know Thai. She is absolutely beautiful. She was brought to the home because he father and her father's friend, are heavy into heroine and other kinds of drug abuse. They used to watch porn with the kids and Nam was often left alone with her father's friends unprotected. She doesn't share much about what happened to her but we assume sexual abuse.

Nam is center with the purple attire.



Sunday, July 28, 2013

Chiang Mai

I was welcomed in Chiang Mai by Julia Symes who is hails from Australia, and currently works with ADRA Thailand as the program Director. ADRA is doing some great work out here, I've been learning a lot about the administrative aspect behind the projects which has been extremely helpful, in working to develop culturally sensitive and contextually relevant programs for The Stoplight Prpject. she has also been feeding me really well. Kin Kao ! "Eat rice!"

Anyways after much research we headed to an orphanage in Chiang Mai, specifically for the mentally disabled. The orphanage works primarily with children who are autistic and or have down syndrome.  Sadly because Thailand functions within a hierarchal system, it is looked down upon for the Thai people to work with such communities, leaving room for those with refugee status, or those from Hill tribes, or those who are seeking asylum, with opportunity to work. It was very hard for me to be there at the orphanage not just because of the language barrier but because I just didn't know what to do or how to be. Finally one little boy just came over and grabbed me by the arm and made me ride the swing with him, I was really nervous but when I finally let loose it was good times.

When we went to the night market, initially I hadn't realized that it was such a touristy area. However  as we went further into the market it became more and more clear that this is where the westerners hung out. It was close to midnight when we started for home and as we drove along the strip to head back I saw Karaoke bars, nightclubs and restaurants with young women and young girls, who were seated outside, lined up to entertain tourists. They had prices flashing everywhere for girls who were a younger age and girls who were older. It still hasn't fully registered, but my trip just more real everyday.

I also had the privilege to meet Abigail. A little girl who was rescued from her father who was seeking to traffick her for income because of poverty. Her mother died giving birth to her in the jungle, while fleeeing the Burmese army as a refugee. They have five other children ahead of Abigail making it difficult for her father to provide as a single parent. It became even harder when Abigail grew ill. She had contracted worms and poverty had overtaken her little body. She was only being fed sugar water. The only thing the father could think of was to sell her to a brothel so that she could provide income. But when a near by orphanage, hearing of the situation and condition of the child, asked if there would be anyone in the Adventist church who would be willing to help take care of her, a South African couple volunteered to do so temporarily. Growing attached to Abigail they decided they wanted to adopt. They helped restore her back to health and she is now a living breathing walking emobodiment of God's goodness. The adoption process is very long and very expensive in Thailand so please keep Abigail and her new parents in prayer.

I left Chiang Mai, and am currently in Chiang Rai whereThe Keep Girl's Safe home is located. These are girls that were at risk of being trafficked, either because their parents are very poor and needed some income or because they were left as orphans on the treat for anyone to exploit. Thus the shelter volunteers to take them in and provide them with education and a safe place to live. I like it better here because I get to stay with the girls. Sleep with them, eat with them, play with them and learn with them. They all call me Pee Santi which means "Big sister Peace." I love it ! Their stories are very sad, too sad to share, right away my feelings are still in progress. Below we have Nam, Beer and Teedah.





Tuesday, July 23, 2013

A Good Report

This post is inspired by my big sister Bernie, she stayed up with me the night before leaving when I was feeling afraid, thank you B, I love you.

When the children of Israel where in the wilderness of Paran waiting for the next plan of action The Lord said to Moses "Send out men to explore the land, GO, see what the land is like, are the people there weak or strong? are they few or many? is the land good or bad? do thier towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps (mercy!)." When they returned they brought back a heavy cluster of fruit, so heavy that it took two men to carry it. (AWESOME GOD). But as they began to share with the rest of the Israelite community about what they had seen, the peoples hearts grew faint for although they had spoken much about the greatness and fullness of the land they also spoke much negativity about the peoples ability to attain it. They spoke so much negativity that Caleb tried to quiet the people with words of encouragement and exhortation, but it was too late. The words had sown much fear in the hearts of the people. For they said "We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!" So they spread this bad report about the land and the whole community began weeping and crying aloud all through the night.

This story breaks my heart. God had given the people the land. There was much fruit to be gained, there was plenty of territory to conquer, but because of the dibah ( bad report, defmation, evil words), because of the giants in the land, because it didn't seem possible to them, or realistic to them, they lifted thier voices, wept all night and would not go forward with what God had instructed them to do.

I've seen the same discouragement, defiance and disbelief at work in my own life, because of the varying reports and evil sayings people have shared with me or that I have shared with myself. Feeling like I could never be good enough for anything or anyone, because of my own fears, inabilities and shortcomings. It seemed impossible and unrealistic at times to be who He wanted me to be,to grow up as a mature woman in Christ. But thats when I realized that there is a BIG difference between being given something.....and taking possession of it. It all boils down to faith. I must believe it not because I feel it but because it is. We must begin to say we are  healed, we are restored, we are forgiven, we are not alone, and we will conquer the land that has been given to us. Whether in our personal lives with sin, or in the ministry God has called us to (It is not a matter or more prayer but more faith).

No matter what I may experience over on the other side of the world I have determined to bring back a good report. That there are many girls to be rescued from sex slavery, much land to conquer and build on, great clusters of fruit to harvest (too great for any one person to manage) and that our God is ABLE. It is becausee God has said "GO!" that no matter how big and scary the giants may be He has already given the Stoplight Project and its supporters the land, it is now about taking posession.

Be very strong and very courageous, have I not commanded you.

Will touch base in a few days when I arrive in Thailand.
I love you all very much.

Shanti