“No! I’m not a pirate. It’s Captain. That’s different than a pirate. Not all captains are pirates.” I try to make my case, but my new little friend continues to put one hand over her eye and make a hook with her other hand as her giggles get the best of her.
I am now writing to you from Thailand. We are working with Sending Hope International, a girls’ home for 40 girls between the ages of 4 and 17. They are beautiful, smart, and so fun. We have been challenging ourselves to learn their names. (I know them all by now. I plan to write a blog introducing you to all of them.)
These girls are from tribal villages in the surrounding area. Only one of the girls is a true orphan. Part of this culture is believing in karma. If a couple gets divorced, it is believed that their children are cursed and bring bad karma. If the mom remarries, the new husband will want nothing to do with the kids. The girls will get sent to live with a distant family member. Pastors in these villages will call Sending Hope if the girls are either not being properly taking care of or if they are in danger of being trafficked. (There are recruiters who go to these villages with liquor and money. They get a little bit of liquor into the uncles who are in charge of these girls, and then they offer to give the girls a job that will include sending money back to him. Sex trafficking is a very serious problem in Thailand.)
However, if you met these girls, you would have no idea how bad their previous living situation was. They are so strong, and they are now well taken care of. Even though Sending Hope is currently maxed out at 40, they would still accept a girl in a dire situation. There is also plenty of room for expansion. The grounds are absolutely stunning. There is a huge pavilion with a basketball court, a volleyball net, a kitchen, storage rooms, two houses that the girls live in, and a guesthouse.
Our very first day was very memorable. We arrived and were ushered into the guesthouse. There is an American named Cheryl who has lived here for 9 months. One of the first things that happened was her offering us sweet tea and baking cakes. (Praise God from whom all blessings flow!)
After we spent a few hours getting settled, I walked with one of the oldest girls to pick up the rest of the girls from school. They are off during the month of October as a break between their two semesters. On our walk, it started pouring down rain. Welcome to Thailand. We crossed over a little creek that now looked like a fast-flowing river to the school. I was greeted with shy smiles and giggles from little girls in ponchos and carrying umbrellas. Within only a few minutes, the smallest ones grabbed my hands and helped lead me back to the house.
The girls spent time showering and doing chores until dinner. After we ate, they all crammed into our guest house living room. The girls performed several welcome songs for us. They also gave us all flowers. It was such a beautiful welcome!
Every day since then has gotten better. These girls love us and love each other so well. They call me Captain. Because I’m the team leader, some of my teammates have started calling me that. I thought it would be easier to go by that for the girls since there is another Kayla on my team. The girls caught on pretty fast. They’ve even started making jokes such as comparing me to Captain Hook and calling me “Captain America.”
My favorite part of the day is right before bed. As soon as worship ends, the girls swarm us with hugs. There is a chorus of “goodnight” and “see you tomorrow.” Some of the girls even come back for second and third hugs. Some of them kiss our cheeks, and some of the older girls jokingly say, “Have spicy dreams.” The love of Christ is so evident in them, and I am so excited to continue building relationships with them this month.
