Ministry Glimpse: Hope Cards

photo from www.ywamthai.org/hopecards

What do you do if you live in a slum, have small children, and your husband leaves you? He doesn’t give any financial support, and you can’t get a job because you never finished grade 7. Even if you could get a job, who would look after your children? If you send them upcountry to the grandparents, it means you will only see them maybe once or twice a year. You certainly can’t afford a babysitter.

 

photo from www.ywamthai.org/hopecards

That’s when Hope Cards steps in. It is no accident they’re called “Hope Cards”. They’re called that because that is what they are. A place of hope. A place of caring.

www.ywamthai.org/hopecards

Hope Cards is located just a few blocks from Lifepoint Bangkok church.  It's great to get to know ministries in our neighborhood.  And it is encouraging to know other people are reaching out in specific ways to the families around us. 

If you are still wondering where you will buy Christmas cards this year, take a look at www.hopecards.net.  

Not only are the cards beautifully handmade, they directly support Thai women who are working to raise their families while being discipled and growing in their walk with God.

 

Ministry Glimpse: Timothy House

Welcome to Timothy House, a children's home in Thailand.  "Most of the children we have come from an abusive background.  Their stories are as varied as their personalities. We show them the love of Christ. They slowly heal and return to a child like nature. Only love can heal the broken heart."

Currently 17 kids between the age of 4 and 17 call Timothy House home.  Located on the edge of a national park, Timothy House has plenty of space for these kids to play and grow.

Rodney and Phimpha love the kids as their own.  Acting as dad and mom to 17 children is a big job though.  Volunteers, donations, love, and a lot of hard work keep Timothy House running. 

Playtime after school!

Catching dinner in the fish pond out front.

Making dinner in the kitchen.

The dish washing crew!

There's always work to be done, but doing it together makes it more fun!

Every night after dinner everyone comes together for worship (led by some of the kids) and a Bible study (led by Mom).  Every Sunday church is held at the home and members of the community join for worship. 

Praise God for the heart he has given this family, for the love that overflows to these children, and for the example they set for the community!

For more information or to make a donation, please visit:

www.lovecareproject.org/wp

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Ministry Glimpse: Child Sponsorship Program

Mem* dreamed of going to university. She dreamed of becoming a nurse. She dreamed of earning enough to help her little brother go to school so her parents didn’t have to work so hard, and so her little brother could finish school.

They were just dreams until Project L.I.F.E.’s Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) team came to her village.  As her family was so poor they often didn’t even have enough food to eat, Mem was quickly accepted for their sponsorship program. 

Wanting to prove herself worthy of their trust, Mem studied hard and then studied some more. CSP’s caring staff stood with her, encouraged her to ‘go for her dream’, and sought extra funding so she could go to university.  Next year, she graduates as a nurse! Her parents are proud. Her village is proud. And the CSP team smiles and smiles and smiles. They love helping dreams come true. That’s Mem. That’s what L.I.F.E. is all about.  
(*not real name)

Education – to the poor, it is the way out of poverty. But how can a family that has barely enough to eat, send their children to school? Project L.I.F.E.'s Child Sponsorship Program is there to help, providing funds, counseling and general support to needy children in Bangkok slums and poor rural villages. Working hand-in-hand with 3 churches, 41 schools, 4 centers, 25 villages,   Child Sponsorship now helps 612 families in 5 provinces throughout Thailand. Child Sponsorship has opened “Baan Chu Jai”, a Social Development Center for teens in crisis. These teens are in very difficult family situations, but with Baan Chu Jai’s help, they will be able to finish their schooling.

www.ywamthai.org/childsponsorship

Ministry Glimpse: Ruth Center

Lately I've been impressed by how many amazing ways God is working in Thailand.  I'd like to highlight some of these ministries occasionally on my blog.  My hope is to give us more opportunities to celebrate God's goodness and the passion he has given different people for different areas of ministry.

The Ruth Center is in its fifth year of working in slum communities on the outskirts of Bangkok.  Their heart's burden is "to improve the quality of life for the elderly and seek long term solutions to their care."  Just in this district, there are 14,000 elderly people.  Many of those live alone with little to no income. 

Take Yai Noi for example.

Her broad, missing-tooth smile fills her face as we knock on the wood post that is the corner of her house and poke our head in the open door.  She lives alone and doesn't have the mobility to get out much, making visits from familiar faces extra special. 
 
Yai Noi calls a small shack built over a swamp "home."  She regularly prays for God to keep the snakes and poisonous bugs out, and she has many stories of God answering those prayers.

The students and I gingerly walk under the cover of her tin roof holding a bag of food to share for breakfast.  Yai Noi slowly lowers herself to the floor to sit with us.  She turns down the radio, her only companion some days. 

As we sit and munch on fruit, fried bread, and sip from bags of warm soy milk, we laugh at Yai Noi's stories.  We see her as a grandmother, and she sees us as her grandchildren. 

After breakfast, one of the students pulls out some bright red fingernail polish.  She spends the next hour clipping, filing, and painting Grandma's toenails.  This act of love and sacrifice of time means more than Yai Noi can express. 

Our visit was just a peek into the time and care that overflows from the Ruth Center everyday. 

Sometimes it's helping grandpa get to the doctor or pharmacy.  Sometimes it's an outing to a park.  Sometimes it's rebuilding a bathroom or replacing a pole that has begun rotting away.  Sometimes it's sharing a meal together or simply sharing some quality time. 

No matter what the activity, the genuine heart behind the Ruth Center's staff and volunteers is evident, ultimately showing and sharing Jesus' love with each person they visit.

For more information on the Ruth Center, see www.ywamthai.org/ruthcenter.