It was part of the Sunday night market. Like a point of amusement for the tourists, mainly foreigners, so they could have an experience worth blogging about. As we walked through Walking Street at the center of Chiang Mai, Thailand we passed street performers meaning young girls playing violins, the disabled begging as they dragged their legs down the street, and then…we reached him. By this time my heart was already heavy from going back and forth between the locals begging/performing in the center of the street to the vendors selling trinkets on the sides. I was disgusted with how I had bought into the materialistic ploy.
Then a crowd that had begun to circle and cut off the path ways along the sides stopped us. I looked over to see a little boy with a hula-hoop in hand. Within a few seconds of watching him interact with the crowd it became clear that he had Downs syndrome. The crowd began pulling out their cameras and joking at him. I wanted to hide the camera that was tightly clinched within my hand. I saw myself in these people.
The boy’s frustration grew, as he simply wanted to spin his hoop, but the crowd had grown so large that they began to encroach upon him as to produce more space for on-lookers. As the music grew louder and the laughs grew strong different arms throughout the circle began to reach towards the boy. He waved his hand out suggesting for the crowd to move away, but this just enticed the laughter.
I was overwhelmed by all the sorrow and pain that surrounded us. Whether the children and the elderly performing on the streets, the young girls at the bars, or the tourist who come from all around the world to fill themselves with a pseudo love.
So easily forgotten by passers by
But then I hear that cry
An intense reality; a portion that has broken me
I look around but I cannot find the stolen innocence of her eyes
LORD, lead me to her
My hand to hers in the darkness of this world
The next day we began seeking out Unsung Heroes in the area. A simple search on Google left me in awe. For all the pain we saw the night before we found dozens of ministries seeking to bring the joy of Christ to this country and nation! The opportunity we have this month through Unsung Heroes is incredible. We get to be the connection between the people we meet on the streets, the ministries seeking out those people, and future racers who seek to bring glory to God while partnering with the prophetic voices of this nation!
