This sweet face is Chosen. Chosen is 4 years old and is a member of the Karen tribe. She captured our hearts when we met her the day after Christmas. We pulled up to a dirt-covered field that will someday be a Christian church, but for now, serves as a place for play. Most of the children were crazy little munchkins, jumping all over us and screaming for attention. Because most parents have to leave the village during the week for work, the children are largely unsupervised and under nurtured, looked after by teenage older siblings. This leads to a rowdy bunch, eager for hugs and games and any kind of adult attention. But not Chosen. She stood at our side with her quiet little grin. My teammate Makayla scooped her up and the rest is history. She stole our hearts with her sweet smile & soft spirit. She would wrap her little arms around your neck and always joyfully reciprocate kisses on the cheek.
Chosen wore a tattered white dress. We had a few piles of donated clothing so I dug through and found the smallest dress I could- the green & white polka dotted dress in most of the photos of her. I pulled her to the side and pulled off her soiled white dress. She stood and compliantly watched as I slipped the little green dress over her head. She looked down and her face lit up- a full-teeth smile broke across her face as she saw her new dress. She spun in circles, watching the way it twirled beneath her. She ran over to the donated clothes pile and grabbed two ribbons lying on top, tying one around her head & one around her waist. She twirled and twirled. The things I would do to relive that moment with her. That’s what she wore the rest of the week. That’s what she was wearing last weekend when another team went to visit her.
We got to asking staff where she came from. We never saw her with adults or other children. We quickly discovered her Thai father left years ago, and her Karen mother recently left as well. We also were informed Chosen has a serious heart condition, and because she was born in the village and her father left, there is no documentation that she is Thai, & therefore, receives no medical treatment. The Karen are stateless. They live in a small village sandwiched along the Thai/Myanmar border with no citizenship anywhere, which creates a multitude of issues and misfortunes, ultimately leading to an impoverished life without government assistance or education past age 12 for most children. Chosen now lives with her grandmother, who is too elderly to provide much more than food for her. The pastor in the village also helps when she can, but she has 12 children of her own to love & provide for. Our hearts broke for her.
The team & I were told the most incredible news a few nights ago- if we can raise 5,000 Baht (~$160 USD) to gather five witnesses at the district office that will testify her father was Thai, she will be legally recognized as a Thai citizen. This would allow her a lifetime of education, the opportunity to live as a legal citizen of Thailand, and most importantly, free healthcare, critical for adequate care for her heart condition. All we need is money to compensate the witnesses that would have to take a day off work to travel to the district office and testify that Chosen is Thai by birthright. This sweet girl is parentless, stateless, deprived of medical attention with a (literally) broken heart, and has limited educational opportunities. Chosen is $160 dollars away from paperwork that will change the trajectory of the rest of her life. I know God has so much more for her than what she has now. Will you help?
To give, click here. Fill the “ministry” line with “Ratchaburi” and where it says “note”, make a note reading “chosen” to make sure funds are allocated to her! If we receive funds within 48 hours, we can hopefully have her paperwork through within the next month, before we leave the country. AH! I can’t wait to gift her with this! God is so good.
