She really touched my life. I started tearing up quite a few times as she talked with us, sharing her life and heart, as she shared the collages that help her understand herself and God, and showed us resources to make our own. When she said that we could take a hammer to a pot and then piece it back together to see how it’s in the cracks that the light shines through, for whatever reason and many reasons, it was a struggle, yet again, to hold back those tears. I did just that, then cut out words from a magazine to put on it. Words like perfect trust, unlimited, dive in, humble, journey (which ironically had to be used to hold two obstinant pieces together), beauty, beginnings, etc. I will try to post a picture here at some point. I learned how patient God is when we just can’t get things to stick as quickly as we’d like. I learned that I have to ask for help. I learned that the pieces have a purpose to them and that yes, the light shines so clearly through our cracks. In any case, Margaret shines God and He lights up her life not in spite of, but because of the difficulties she’s experienced and has continued to bring before Him to piece together.
She doesn’t wait for everything to be perfect. Margaret’s quote, said with a smile…”Just show up with what you’ve got and God will give you more!”
She shared her story. You may think that is a simple sentence and you’d be correct. However, when Margaret from Hand to Hand ministries is the “she”, the rest of it is worth looking into. You should consider sharing yours. You’re worth it. Your story is worth it. And go break a pot while you’re at it.
From Australia, Margaret, a certified preschool teacher, never thought she’d land in Thailand…to stay. She came on a simple trip and the rest is history. This is where she found Jesus. This is where He called her to stay.
That simple trip where she found her faith in God has led to countless lives being changed through His working through her dynamic and humble heart. She receives beds. She sleeps on the floor. She receives a house. She lives in one room. She receives children. She loves them.
Margaret’s ministry is called Hand to Hand. It’s personal. It’s real. And it is literally saving lives. She gives kids who wouldn’t have a chance at anything a chance at everything. These are kids who come from the poorest of the poor. No education. Little to no clothing. Possibly a tarp for a house. And she helps their families get on their feet, as well. “It takes a whole community to protect a child,” says Margaret.
Walk into Hand to Hand and you walk into a pristine, colorful, organized, beautiful place where children are loved, cared for, and given a glimpse at what life can be…and will be.
Monday through Friday there is a preschool from 7-5.
Saturday is Kids’ Club for kids from the slums. Some have been raped, for others, this is simply their chance to get food and/or a hug.
There are 52 students on “scholarship” who have been recommended by the government. A real story…Dad dies. Mom dies from leukemia. A little boy goes to live with his uncle. His uncle is an alcoholic. A straight A student no longer gets to go to school, except for Hand to Hand and its sponsors.
Police invite Margaret and the Hand to Hand staff to their meetings.
32 families from the slums are fed each week.
It’s about getting people on their own two feet, though. The provide help while a mom gets her life together after her husband, the breadwinner, dies. They help her find a trade or a way to earn the money she needs to keep her kids.
Another story…Mom and dad died of AIDS. The little girl went to live with an alcoholic uncle. She has no ID card. She is sick with AIDS. Hand to Hand allowed her the resources to be put in as a private patient to get the care and comfort she needed. She passed away, but died as a loved little girl.
Then there’s the Baby Care program. As Margaret puts it, they didn’t go looking for these branches of ministry. There’s a need and it fits in their vision…they help. This program provides help to single moms so the mom can work and not send their beloved child to an orphanage while they walk away with tears streaming down their face.
Margaret also happens to be the Chair of the Children’s Protection Network in all of Thailand and wrote the Child Protection Policy. Changes are being made and in the meantime, people are being given a chance a the life they never thought possible.
It’s a beautiful, faith-building experience visiting Margaret and the Hand to Hand ministry.
Be sure to click here to take a look at their website http://www.handtohandpattaya.com and possibly even sponsor a child.
