This month my team and I have had the incredible privilege to be partnering with Agape Home in Chiang Mai for our ministry. Agape Home is an orphanage for about 92 kids with HIV or AIDS from just 2 months old to 18 years old.
This has easily been one of my favorite ministries on the race, and it has also broke my heart more than any other ministry. Going into this month I was really unsure about what to expect. There is a huge stigma around HIV in America, and honestly I was very uneducated about it. But these kids are just like any other kids. They love being chased by the famous tickle monster, they scream when their friends steal their toys, and they have the most adorable laughs.
We spend most of the day doing manual labor around the orphanage, but we always get to spend about 3 hours every afternoon loving on the kids. On our very first day, the founder- Avis Rideout, told us that all the kids need is to be loved on. And boy is that true. Those little cuties will just cling on to us and never let go. Every day when they see us they all race and jump straight into our arms.
Agape Home isn’t called Agape Orphanage for a reason. Avis provides a true home for all of these kids. They are so loved by over 45 nannies (most of which have HIV also) and there is just an incredible joy and peace that overcomes you the second you step into Agape. However, the cruel reality is that most of the kids at Agape will never get adopted due to international adoption restrictions for HIV positive kids.
When I found that out, my heart broke for the kids that we spend everyday playing with and loving on. To most of the world, those kids are unwanted. To us, they are seen. They are so deeply loved. They are Daughters and Sons of the King.
Hearing that also made it so much harder to leave the kids. We have about 3 days left at Agape, then we leave on Tuesday to head to Swaziland. I struggled a lot with coming into the kids’ lives for 3 weeks, then leaving. But last week Avis told us a way that we could continue to be in the kids’ lives and love on them even from Africa (or the USA!!) We can choose to sponsor a child at Agape.
Sponsoring a child is only $35 a month. That’s right, it only costs 7 Starbucks coffees or 3 Chipotle burritos to change one of the kids’ lives. Please consider giving up some of the comforts of your daily life to love on these kids. Even if you can’t pay the whole $35, please let me know how much you can afford and I will cover the rest. This is so close to my heart, and will truly be changing a life.
I would love to talk with any of you about how to sponsor a child, and I would love it even more to send you really cute photos of the kids that you could sponsor. Please do not hesitate to text or email me, or even comment on this blog if you are feeling called to love on these kids.
My number: 503.858.7911
My email: [email protected]
I am so thankful for my community at home who has constantly supported me on my Race, and I would absolutely love it if we could build the same community of support for the little bundles of joy at Agape Home.
Much love,
Michelle
