Wanida led the children's ministry at her church deep in the mountains in Thailand. Over 212 children from the nearby villages would come sing worship songs and listen to her teach about Jesus. Jesus the Living Hope and Savior, was reflected in the way she loved and taught the children who were eager to listen. One day after church, a seventeen-year-old pregnant teen came up to her to ask her a question. A question that would challenge and change Wanida's life forever.
"Can my younger brother live with you and your family?"
"He is being abused by my father who has a drinking problem and it's not safe for him in my home. Please?"
With barely enough income to provide food for her own four-year-old son Samuel, two-year-old daughter Yen and husband of six years, Aaron, how could she take in another a child of 12 years of age and care for him as her own? She prayed and prayed for answers.
"God, what should I do? How can I help this child in his situation. Why me?"
The following week at church the older sister came up to her again. "Are you able to let my brother live with you for awhile?" All it took was seeing the bruises on the brothers face as he stood next to his sister for something deep within Wanida's spirit to ignite with compassion.
"Lets go talk to your father," she told them.
What began five months ago was a story of a family who acted out of obedience to the calling God placed in their hearts and on their lives to take action in this child's life- a calling that would challenge them to lean on God for full guidance and providence.
Today, Wanida and Aaron care for 6 orphans, plus, 2 of their own children and Wanida's mother. The orphans were being neglected, abused or their parents were in jail. All from her children's ministry, she realized that with the help and love from God that nothing was impossible, especially taking in 6 more kids ages 7-12 as her own.
With tears Wanida and three other of my team mates from C-Squad, Team: Victorious Secret (Unsung Hero Team Thailand) sat on a bamboo mat with her and ate some exotic fruit Aaron picked from the market as we talked.
"Wanida, what do you need prayer for at this time?" I asked to keep the conversation flowing.
She was silent as she stared at the ground. Then she looked up and smiled as tears began to slowly drip from her eyes. She tried to wipe them quickly, but we told her it was okay to cry. She had our full attention in that moment. It felt like the energy in the room had shifted and we were ready to hear her struggles and prepare to understand the words of her heart.
"Please, pray that God will continue to help me provide food, and shelter for my family. The rent is too high to live here and our other home was destroyed in a recent storm. Aaron and I barely make enough money to feed the children each day and don't have enough to give them lunch money for school and day care."
In previous months on the race I had heard similar stories of a families being in in this state of desperation. Yet, sitting on a bamboo mat in a home we were sleeping at for the night, it weighed heavily on my heart. Here we were eating BBQ chicken, sticky rice, pumpkin soup and veggies with the family and we knew they were serving us with all they had. Enjoying the delicious Thai food, we wondered what more we could do to help her or, even better, what God's plan was for this family.
"We would love to take in more children from the church, including a pregnant 12 year old girl but we know we need to wait a little longer to get settled in and come up with some sort of plan.
"My vision is to create an environment in which these children are cared for and brought up with Christ. Our goal is to help educate and love them with all we have so that when they grow older they will become leaders in our tribal community and teach the love of Jesus while being self-sustainable in their lives."
I took pictures of her home and imagined a World Race team living there for a month. I imagined them filling the home with the Lord's compassion while building relationships with the children, Wanida, her husband and mother. I imagined them working along side Wanida in the rice fields and also teaching English in the schools where Aaron is a teacher and the child attend. I imagined them repainting the home and working at the church with different ministry and construction projects.
"God could this be your plan? Wanida and Aaron, Unsung Heroes about to be discovered in Thailand?" God was about to do big things, not only with a possible World Race ministry to come along side them to aide, but also in the restoration of their hearts that Jesus was doing now.
How could we help her now? Turn her worries into joy, help remind her of your hope and the ways you develop our perseverance through hard times. Humm…give her money? Pray with and for her? Speak truth and love her like a sister?
We left the next morning and I realized that she was more than a just a possible future contact for the World Race. But Wanida was also my friend and my sister in Christ. We handed her some of our lodging and food budget and hugged her goodbye. And later I secretly hid a note on her printer scanner with some "emergency cash". God often reminds me that my money is his and to provide for others in need the same way he would. So in obedience I imagined the day she finds it in the printer scanner and see the hope and joy a gift like that from him would bring.
We make a greater impact on people than we realize. Sometimes, it all starts with acknowledging a stranger's existence with a simple "hello" or smile. Other times, it's when we give our full attention to people and listen to what they have to say. It looks like stepping into a more selfless and Jesus-like version of ourselves and being intentional with our time. It's leaving all distractions at the door and walking through with words that uplift the spirits of others. I wondered if there is any greater gift than to love one another and then I remembered, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7
-GOD IS GOOD! AN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SET UP FOR WANIDA'S CHILDREN'S HOME ALREADY! I GOT TO NAME IT TOO! IT IS CALLED FOUNTAIN FOR HOPE. GO TO (www.onegen.us) AND THE CLICK DONATE IF YOU ARE ABLE!
-LOVE YOU ALL-
-WENDY
