My time here in Buriram, Thailand
has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. Despite the darkness around
me here, God’s presence has been more real to me here than it has been in a long
time. I’ve spent the last couple of days
thinking of what I could write… Slowly by slowly God has been throwing ideas
my way. And with this being said, I hope the things God’s been placing on my heart will touch you also. I could take
many angles in this written work, I could try to make you laugh with all my
experiences thus far or I could tell you a story, but I’ve simply decided to
talk to you about how God’s been working through me and how He has been
humbling me through the lives of little kids. Some of them are right beside me
as I write, smiling brightly, full of joy, and melting my heart. I’m thankful He’s given me the opportunity to show His love these children and to stand up as
a FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS even if that’s just for one month. I know it could
impact them for a lifetime… I know this because they’ve changed me.
has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. Despite the darkness around
me here, God’s presence has been more real to me here than it has been in a long
time. I’ve spent the last couple of days
thinking of what I could write… Slowly by slowly God has been throwing ideas
my way. And with this being said, I hope the things God’s been placing on my heart will touch you also. I could take
many angles in this written work, I could try to make you laugh with all my
experiences thus far or I could tell you a story, but I’ve simply decided to
talk to you about how God’s been working through me and how He has been
humbling me through the lives of little kids. Some of them are right beside me
as I write, smiling brightly, full of joy, and melting my heart. I’m thankful He’s given me the opportunity to show His love these children and to stand up as
a FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS even if that’s just for one month. I know it could
impact them for a lifetime… I know this because they’ve changed me.
I’ve had the opportunity to teach
English at a school just down the street. It has been an absolutely fantastic
experience, challenging, but rewarding beyond imagination. Jason (who is from
Ireland) and I have had the chance to teach everyday this past week to two
classes of fourth graders at Tai Cam School. It was a time full of laughter and
learning, and I even got the opportunity to teach them how to do the moonwalk.
But, it’s been more than just teaching, it’s been an opportunity to love on
kids from broken homes. Amidst the smiles, there are those students whose faces
could write a novel of despair and their frowns seem to tell the story of their
life. There are many broken families in Thailand and it’s the kids that suffer
the most from this dilemma. I will never forget their faces and I know that we
brought the joy of the Lord with us there as we taught and played with them. I
know we modeled to them what real men of God are like in a society that seems
to produce just the opposite. Saying Goodbye was hard for both the both of us, the
kids presented us with food and they each wrote us an individual letter of thankfulness.
I’m eternally thankful to have been a part of their lives.
English at a school just down the street. It has been an absolutely fantastic
experience, challenging, but rewarding beyond imagination. Jason (who is from
Ireland) and I have had the chance to teach everyday this past week to two
classes of fourth graders at Tai Cam School. It was a time full of laughter and
learning, and I even got the opportunity to teach them how to do the moonwalk.
But, it’s been more than just teaching, it’s been an opportunity to love on
kids from broken homes. Amidst the smiles, there are those students whose faces
could write a novel of despair and their frowns seem to tell the story of their
life. There are many broken families in Thailand and it’s the kids that suffer
the most from this dilemma. I will never forget their faces and I know that we
brought the joy of the Lord with us there as we taught and played with them. I
know we modeled to them what real men of God are like in a society that seems
to produce just the opposite. Saying Goodbye was hard for both the both of us, the
kids presented us with food and they each wrote us an individual letter of thankfulness.
I’m eternally thankful to have been a part of their lives.
It was at this school that I met
a little boy named Pee. I met Pee in the school yard and the first thing he
said to me was “Pray for me please”. He
captured my attention from the moment I met him, and only a few minutes later
he pulled me to the side of the soccer field and told me to sit down. Within
all thehttp://bengagne.theworldrace.org/admin-edit-entry-cute.asp?xAction=add busyness and playing, God used a kid to get my attention. As I sat
there, God began to speak to me about the children. I started to see them in a
new light and I began to understand the pain and hurt that plagued some of their lives.
It was then that I saw how simple gestures like teaching and playing with the
kids at that school would give me the opportunity to love kids who really
needed to be loved. I wanted to have them experience God’s love first hand…
a little boy named Pee. I met Pee in the school yard and the first thing he
said to me was “Pray for me please”. He
captured my attention from the moment I met him, and only a few minutes later
he pulled me to the side of the soccer field and told me to sit down. Within
all thehttp://bengagne.theworldrace.org/admin-edit-entry-cute.asp?xAction=add busyness and playing, God used a kid to get my attention. As I sat
there, God began to speak to me about the children. I started to see them in a
new light and I began to understand the pain and hurt that plagued some of their lives.
It was then that I saw how simple gestures like teaching and playing with the
kids at that school would give me the opportunity to love kids who really
needed to be loved. I wanted to have them experience God’s love first hand…
Since that day Pee has been
visiting the orphanage every day. He brings joy to me every time I see him.
But, there’s more to Pee’s story than this. Pee has never had a father and has
mom who’s barely around the home. Pee’s
been warmly embraced by the orphanage here and is considered one of their own.
At Christmas time, he always gets a gift from them like the other children and it seems he’s here more often
than not. This seven year old boy has captured my heart and God has placed within
me a desire to show Pee fatherly love for the first time in his life. He loves
the attention and He is just crying out for a male role model, a closer friend,
a real Father… It is my hope that my time here will give him a glimpse of that. I
desire to love him like He was my own and to show Him the love of God our Father who has
never failed and never will fail him.
visiting the orphanage every day. He brings joy to me every time I see him.
But, there’s more to Pee’s story than this. Pee has never had a father and has
mom who’s barely around the home. Pee’s
been warmly embraced by the orphanage here and is considered one of their own.
At Christmas time, he always gets a gift from them like the other children and it seems he’s here more often
than not. This seven year old boy has captured my heart and God has placed within
me a desire to show Pee fatherly love for the first time in his life. He loves
the attention and He is just crying out for a male role model, a closer friend,
a real Father… It is my hope that my time here will give him a glimpse of that. I
desire to love him like He was my own and to show Him the love of God our Father who has
never failed and never will fail him.
And then there’s Lalita (Amanda),
a three year girl who has completely melted my heart. Her smile is contagious
and sound of her laugh always brightens my day. I never grow tired of hearing
her little voice saying my name over and over again or chasing her around the house.
But like Pee, Lalita has no father, no dad to tell her that he loves her and
cares for her, no father to tuck her in at night… She is so precious and I
have the hardest time fathoming why her father doesn’t want to be a part of her
life. My one wish and goal is to show
her true fatherly love, to show her the love that both my earthly and heavenly fathers
have so freely given to me. God has placed within me a desire to be a FATHER TO
THE FATHERLESS and I desire to do this every opportunity I can for the rest of
my life…
a three year girl who has completely melted my heart. Her smile is contagious
and sound of her laugh always brightens my day. I never grow tired of hearing
her little voice saying my name over and over again or chasing her around the house.
But like Pee, Lalita has no father, no dad to tell her that he loves her and
cares for her, no father to tuck her in at night… She is so precious and I
have the hardest time fathoming why her father doesn’t want to be a part of her
life. My one wish and goal is to show
her true fatherly love, to show her the love that both my earthly and heavenly fathers
have so freely given to me. God has placed within me a desire to be a FATHER TO
THE FATHERLESS and I desire to do this every opportunity I can for the rest of
my life…
As for me, I know a piece of my heart will always be here in
Thailand. It’s only God’s love that enables me to love when I feel I can’t
anymore. It’s the only thing that allows me to leave a piece of my heart
wherever I go for I know I’m only filled to be empty again.
In the hands of our Father,
Ben Gagne.
