Yesterday was the first day of our new month’s ministry for my team and I. We woke up early, journaled, grabbed breakfast, and hit the road by eight. We drove for an hour zooming out of the city and into the countryside in my new favorite vehicle: the Songthaew. When we arrived, we immediately met the sweetest old man named Bud. We arrived to a beautiful grove with rows of trees, sloping lawns, and cute cottages; this was the orphanage. Bud told us that when he first arrived to head the orphanage six years ago, it was all jungle. He had built it from the ground up, literally.
I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to listen to Bud speak. It is such a joy and privilege to help Bud out. The orphanage now houses about one hundred and fifty kids, therefore there is an ever piling list of repair jobs and work that needs to be done. The work is far too much for one person alone, and the other staff are loaded with their own responsibilities of caring for the kids and equipping them for success. So that’s where my team and the teams before us come in. We get to help out with the much needed projects. Our project as of right now is digging a trench. We are going to lay drainage pipe to drain the festering water that builds up around one of the recently built cottages. Rain water and leakage from the washing machines builds up around the foundation and sits, breeding mosquitoes and who knows what else. It is a huge health risk for the kids. When the house was built they were supposed to connect a drainage pipe to the main drainage system that empties the rainwater into the river, but they never did. So now we get to help out and create the much needed drainage system.
Digging a trench in the glaring sun and overbearing humidity, has not been easy. We constantly are hacking away at rocks, sweating, and sweating some more. We only work for two and a half hours, but I’m so extremely tired. Yet, I’m surprised by the beauty. There are butterflies everywhere. Kids running around with notebooks and playing ukulele. And Bud’s stories are crazy and incredibly beautiful because you can see his love and his surrender to what God has in everything he says.
I tell you all this to say please keep us and the orphanage in your prayers. Laws for orphans are changing in Thailand, so pray that the orphanage can adjust well to the new laws and continue doing good in these children’s lifes.
Blessings!
~Anna
