As a new school year begins across the nation, students will once again take up their books to learn about the shameful history of the slave trade around the world.

The problem is that the slave trade is far from history. In fact, it is very much the shame of our world today.

Currently, more slaves exist than during the time of slave trade abolitionist William Wilberforce. But unlike in Wilberforce’s day, 80 percent of today’s slaves are women and girls; 50 percent are children.

Earlier this summer, the U.S. State Department came out with its Trafficking in Persons Report for 2011. The report created global concern as nations reacted to their “tier placements.” Most third world countries fell under “Tier 2,” a dubious designation reserved for nations whose governments don’t “fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA’s) minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.”

The report is no surprise to those of us who work to rid the world of extreme poverty. For instance, in the 26 developing nations where Compassion International serves, 19 were placed in the “Tier 2” category. An additional five nations where Compassion serves were on the “Tier 2 Watch List,” a group of “countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards,” according to the report. Only one of the 26 countries found itself in “Tier 1”—meaning it was fully compliant with the TVPA’s minimum standards.

Read the entire post at FoxNews.com

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I (Juli) recently dreamed I was climbing a lot of barriers (including locked gates) to get to my sponsored child Nuy, and she was doing the same to get to me.

Nuy is the precious girl in Thailand I sponsored from the time she was 8 years old until she graduated from the Leadership Development Program last year.

In the dream, when we finally got past all the barriers, representing race, language and distance, and met in the middle, we hugged eagerly.

When I awoke, I recalled the real hugs we’d shared when I traveled to Thailand for her graduation – when we truly celebrated all the obstacles she overcame and the barriers we broke through over the years.

We shared a meal together for the first time, and on Mother’s Day no less. Words can’t describe the joy and satisfaction of that moment!

Chris: When we heard Mom was going to Thailand to attend Nuy’s Leadership Development Program graduation, my sister, Sarah, and I offered to go along.

We had grown up with Nuy, reading her letters around the dinner table and praying for her.

I didn’t know what to expect when we met her, knowing she had grown up in poverty. And when I saw her, right in front of me — beautiful, intelligent, nicely dressed — I wondered if she’d really needed us.

Then I realized, it worked. It really worked. She’s no longer in poverty.

Yes, she has chosen to stay with her mother in simple surroundings, caring for two small nephews, but she has a good job, is supporting her family, and is out of poverty. Wow! Compassion works.

Sarah: After the graduation ceremony, Nuy took us to a huge market and chose foods to cook as her gift to us.

The market was a crazy place with lots of things I hoped she wouldn’t buy, like the heads of pigs, slimy squids and intestines of various animals.

Thankfully, she made perfect choices and later we sat on the floor of the Leadership Development Program apartment, on a mat, eating the most delicious meal!

One other sponsor couple was also there with their student, Pen.

Chris: Hanging out with Nuy was fun, and meeting her in person was a step beyond the letters we had shared through the years. We had an extra day together after graduation, and soon we were taking goofy photos, laughing together, and sitting on the backs of elephants.

Sarah: We also went floating down a river on rafts. Elephants and wild water buffalo were all around and my brother and I pretended we were Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer! It was a blast!

Nuy is seen here with her mentor, Gratae, but Mom stayed back with Nuy’s mom, Bo, and the translators.

Juli: I’m so glad to have had time to visit with Bo. What a beautiful woman! She kept thanking me tearfully for staying with Nuy and not quitting.

As it turned out, she’d had a sponsor before us who had quit after one year.

What Bo didn’t know was that I couldn’t have continued sponsoring Nuy when she was accepted into the Leadership Development Program, but God had provided several friends to be partners in praying for Nuy and to help make the sponsorship payments; I didn’t want to lose her for anything.

Bo told me that the people at the child development center asked her to cook for the children, and she did so for years.

Since she was working at the Compassion center she would often sit in on Nuy’s lessons with her, and that’s how she also came to know Christ as the answer to her deepest needs.

Sarah: It was sad to say goodbye to Nuy, but we knew she was in God’s hands. I took this last photo of Mom and Nuy hugging. Nuy had just written something in Mom’s journal when she asked for her autograph (written in Thai, but later translated):

“Thank you for the love of God that you and your family give to me. I’m very glad and feel warm in my heart. Thank you so much for such a great time in only a few days.

I promise that I will miss you and pray for you often. And thank you for your embrace, which I’ve been awaiting for so long. It feels just like I’m hugging my mom.”

Chris: In addition, we had the opportunity to visit a child development center and meet three children in need of sponsors.

I wanted to sponsor this little girl, Film, but didn’t feel I could take on a second child yet; I’m sponsoring a little boy in Peru whom I also hope to visit some day.

It didn’t take long for Mom to find sponsors for all of them when we got home, although she chose to sponsor Mod-Daeng for herself.

Film’s sponsoring family is with her this month in Thailand — we all wanted to hide out in their luggage and go back too!

Sarah: We also went on a home visit and met this amazing family. They graciously offered some water, and we shared gifts we had brought.

Mom also found a sponsor for a child named, Fram — the sponsor is the youth pastor of our church.

Fram’s parents were the nicest, most sincere people, and we loved meeting them!

And we had a great time with all the Compassion staff; they are amazing friends we will remember forever.

Juli: I had a correspondence girl named Emjay in the Philippines, and could not imagine failing to meet her, too, as she was also graduating from the Leadership Development Program. So we also were able to visit Emjay’s home.

What a hoot to ride around in this tiny green motorella, all scrunched together!

We had a great time, traveling by various vehicles to a beautiful island, and hanging out with sweet Emjay and her delightful center director, Eva.

Since they spoke fluent English, the bonding and silliness came very quickly and easily between all of us!

I’m thankful for the blessings our sponsored children have been to us as a family. My kids have a greater interest in missions, in foreign travel, and in needs around the world because of it.

They have true compassion in their hearts for others. They have worked to help others in places like New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, soup kitchens and foreign mission fields.

Although my oldest son and my husband were not able to go on this trip, they are eager to help at a table when I speak for unsponsored children in churches as a volunteer Child Advocate.

This past Mother’s Day I got an interesting gift from Sarah, and called to ask what it meant. The number 38 rang a bell for me, but I wasn’t sure what she meant by her note.

I called her, and she said,

“Mom, for your gift this year I’m sponsoring a child.”

Wow! I couldn’t hold back the tears.

Compassion runs deep in our family. God’s ways are amazing!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

The word jai in Thai means “heart,” and it is such an important concept to the Thais that the word can be compounded with more than 100 other words. A few examples:

• Hen jai (see + heart) is the ability to “see into the heart” or “sympathy.”
• Jai dum (heart + black) is “a cruel lack of humanity.”
• Jai boon (heart + merit) means “generous and full of merit.”
• Sabai jai (wellness + heart) means “easy going” or “comfortable.”
• Kao jai (enter + heart) means “understanding.”

The term nam jai (water + heart) means “water from the heart” and is used to describe genuine acts of kindness. It implies that these acts of kindness are done without any expectations – with no strings attached.

When someone brings food to the office to share with everyone else, or when a stranger stops to help when your car stalls — that’s nam jai. When your neighbor helps you fix a leaky faucet, or when a local takes you to your destination rather than just giving you directions, that’s nam jai.

Nam jai is grace. It’s unmerited favor. It’s a gift that doesn’t have to be, and cannot be, repaid. It’s what all Christians are called to show to those around them. We should be looking for opportunities to practice nam jai everywhere we go and with everyone we meet. Think of the difference it would make in this world if we did!

Jesus set the example for us. He practiced nam jai throughout His ministry. From healing the sick to raising the dead to allowing the little ones to come to Him, His life here on earth was a constant “pouring of water from the heart.”

He showed us nam jai in life but even more in death. Remember when one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear? It brought “a sudden flow of blood and water” from Jesus’ heart. The ultimate Nam Jai.

This post was originally published in February 2008 on Michael’s personal blog, Build Your Walls! Guard Your Gates!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

As a junior in high school, I have many opportunities to make a difference and change lives.

Whether it is donating to worthy causes, helping out at the soup kitchen, or leading the youth group praise band, the choices are endless. But, with so much need in the world I didn’t know where to begin. So I did nothing.

However, that changed when I learned about the impact I could make by sponsoring a child through Compassion. For $38 a month I can help a child with her education, ensure she gets regular meals at the child development centers, receives Bible teaching, and so much more!

A group of children in Thailand having fun in front of the camera.

I was eager to sponsor a child but hesitated because the thought of making a monthly commitment of $38 while in junior high was intimidating.

It took several weeks before I finally worked up the courage to go for it. I sponsored Dudsanee, a 4-year-old girl in Thailand, and emptied my pockets to make my first donation.

It’s been nearly a year since I started sponsoring Dudsanee, and I can honestly say that it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. To all you teens out there who are hesitant to sponsor a child, I want to encourage you to go for it! I am living proof that what you do makes a difference in so many lives, including your own.

Still doubtful? Here are five ways that my monthly sacrifice has been so worth it:

1. My relationship with God has improved.

Ever since I sponsored Dudsanee, my faith in God has become a lot stronger.

As a kid with no job, I have to rely on occasional babysitting opportunities or birthday money for income. Sometimes it’s tight, and I barely have enough money to make payments. But God does some awesome things — I have yet to come up short.

Knowing that God is going to provide for my sponsored child has given me faith in other areas of my life as well.

My prayer life has also changed. I have a picture of my sponsored child in one of my school binders. Every time I see her picture, I remember to pray for her.

Having a reason to lift up prayer requests to God on behalf of my Dudsanee has definitely changed the way that I pray.

2. I don’t think of myself as much.

The day I learned my sponsored child’s family income was less than a dollar a day, I was heartbroken to realize what I have as opposed to what others have.

Knowing the difference between the lives we both live has motivated me to get involved in other outreaches within my community. And, experiencing the kind of love a child can send through letters inspires me to love everyone I come across.

Sacrificing my time and money has also been very perspective-changing.

At first, I wasn’t too excited about giving $38 a month for a child I would probably never even meet. However, understanding her needs has made sacrificing things like movie tickets and cute T-shirts worth it.

3. God has rocked my world for the nations.

Through learning about my little girl’s country, I have fallen in love with people who have not yet heard the amazing story of Jesus.



I know that other religions like Buddhism and animism are prominent in Thailand where, Dudsanee lives and I want to put a stop to it.

In the U.S., knowing Jesus is something that is often taken for granted. But in other parts of the world, it’s not.

Can you imagine being able to play a part in your sponsored child’s walk with God? You may even help him or her make the best decision ever by accepting Christ!

We have the opportunity to reach the nations from our own homes.

4. My relationship with my sponsored child has been proof that we make a difference in the lives of others.

I love connecting with my sponsored child. Being able to encourage her through letter writing is a tangible way to make a difference, and receiving letters and drawings from her shows me just how much of an impact I have on Dudsanee.

Having her say she promises to be a good girl because she knows it will make me proud and she loves hearing from me and loves me so much in the letters I receive draws me closer to her and helps me know and understand just how real she is.

I love watching her grow through updated pictures and reading about her daily life. It’s so humbling to be able to be a part of her world!

5. I have been blessed just as much as my sponsored child has.

I always thought I was the one being a blessing, but sponsoring Dudsanee has humbled me.

This little girl knows my name and prays for me regularly. She wants so badly to please me and she considers me her sister. How cool is that?



Thai girls praying. (Dudsanee not pictured)

To think that she will always remember my name and that I have been given the opportunity to make a difference in her precious little life has shown me that the small sacrifices I make to provide for her and encourage her will make all the difference to her.

She will grow up with hope and opportunity to fulfill her dreams. She will be given the chance to rise above poverty and make an impact on others in the same way that Compassion has affected her.

Most importantly, she will learn about God’s love for her. And it’s all because of the amazing things God does through us.

Guys and gals, it doesn’t get much better than that.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hannah Beam is a member of Compassion’s Advocate’s Network and seeks to reach other teens to help fight global poverty. You can check out her blog at hannahproject195.blogspot.com.

If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, we are happy to consider publishing it. Read our guest blog post guidelines.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

So many different people have recommended that my family and I go see “Walking Street” in Chiang Mai, that we just had to go. It’s a place where local vendors hawk their wares. We thought we would take a few hours, see what it was all about, then head to church. We were wrong.

We found what we thought must be it and parked just out of range of the several booths that had been set up alongside the road. At the time, several cars were parked in the same place, so we had to parallel park to squeeze into a small place. (“Parallel wedge” might be a better description – inching forward 16 times and back 17.)

That accomplished, we unloaded the herd and headed to a street-side restaurant, had lunch, and then began our walking tour. About two and a half hours passed, and we were running late for church, so we started back toward the car.

But as we got closer to where we remembered parking, my anxiety began to grow. There were a lot more booths than I remembered from a few hours ago. In fact, there weren’t just booths on each side of the street; now they filled the middle of the road, too. Hundreds and hundreds of vendors had brought their goods to sell, and there was maybe enough room for a motorbike to pass between some of them.

Leaving my family behind, I picked up my pace. By the time I reached the car, I was at a nervous trot. Then I saw it … a boat of a car in a sea of angry street-side vendors.

Instinctively, I put my keys back into my pocket so that no one would notice I was the owner. Casually, with a bit of a smirk on my face to indicate how amused I was that someone would be so stupid as to park their car in the middle of this particular road, I passed by my car to survey the prospects of extricating it from the mess it was in.

It was hopeless. I walked 50 yards up the street and only saw a congested series of expensive roadblocks just waiting to be knocked over or crushed under my tires. I tried back the other way – no use. Side streets – no point. Everything was blocked.

So, my wife and I huddled together to work out a plan. Walk the streets for eight hours with three grumpy kids? Nope. Abandon the car to more responsible future owners? Nope. Hide out at the Wawee Coffee Shop until the whole thing blew over? Bingo!

Only one problem: Our laptops were in the trunk. You can’t go to Wawee without your laptops. It would have been a definite giveaway, and by now, everyone within twenty blocks knew about the car. Loudspeakers up and down the street repeatedly called for the owners to make themselves known for a public shaming.

There was no helping it. The laptops had to be recovered. Who was to do it? For a moment, I entertained the fantasy that my wife would volunteer, but that was less likely than us navigating the clogged streets.

So, after kicking the dirt a few times, I coolly walked up to the trunk, inserted the key and received a verbal barrage from the vendor, whose space I was blocking.

Her English was pretty good, actually. I’ll save you the details, but her main point was that this was “WALKING Street!” You don’t park your car on “WALKING Street!” As politely as I could, I asked her if she could help me find a way out, but at this point, she said,

“I’m not talking to you!”

… and turned away for a moment. Then, she started yelling at me again.

With tail between my legs, I returned to my wife, who was busy pretending not to notice me and trying to forget that we’ve been married for 15 years and have three children together.

I gave her the laptop and told her to give the kids a good home and a good life; I was going back to the car to endure my fate. No tears or long embraces marked our parting, just a hasty retreat, laptop bag in tow.

Returning to the car, I noticed quite a crowd had assembled. They weren’t exactly an angry mob, but it was still too light out for the torches to be fired up. They stood around the car discussing ways to get their lost earnings out of it. Melt it down and recycle it?

Paint indigenous art on it and charge admission? Convert it into the first four-wheeled tuk-tuk and transport tourists around the city? It was either going to be one of these, or they were going to tie me to the hood as a warning to other irritating interlopers.

Keeping my head low, I put the keys in the lock, avoiding any eye contact that might trigger the mob mentality. I had no idea what I was going to do once I got into the car – maybe just gun it and hope for the best. But to my surprise, as soon as I slid into the driver’s seat, a policeman emerged from nowhere.

I honestly believe he was an angel sent from God – with a bit of a twisted sense of humor.

He led my parade the full hundred yards or so, making vendors pick up their wares and give way to the funny farang (local word for clueless foreigners). He directed foot traffic and helped roll carts out of the way – even picked up and moved a motorcycle for me. But the entire time, he insisted on pointing me out to the people lining the parade route.

“There he is! There’s the one you’ve been hearing about on the loudspeakers! I’ve captured the monster!”

Then he got out his cell phone to call his law-enforcement friends and share the story.

With my window down to hear his directions, I was treated to one-hundred yards of slow-moving humble pie. Locals and foreigners alike laughed at me.

To their credit, no one threw produce at me. No one tried to pull me bodily from the car to subject me to a public beating. No one shot out my tires. Most got a good laugh as I confirmed all their assumptions about farangs living in Chiang Mai, but it wasn’t a mean-spirited laugh.

The only one who spit fire was the woman whose parcel of street I blocked. I made it to the end of Walking Street with all my appendages, and the officer was too amused to even give me a ticket.

True to their reputation as people of the “Land of Smiles,” almost all the Thais grinned at me (about me) as I passed. I lost a little face, but I had some extra to give. And I learned a good lesson: It’s called “Walking” Street for a reason.

This post was originally published in Feb. 2008 on Michael’s personal blog, Build Your Walls! Guard Your Gates!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

We began our ministry in Thailand in 1970, when the Child Sponsorship Program was started. In 2002 the Leadership Development Program began, and the Child Survival Program followed in 2007.

After 40 years of ministry in Thailand, our ministry is now well known by the majority of evangelical churches in the country.

Country Director of Thailand

Sanya Ladaphongpattana joined our ministry in Thailand as a Program Coordinator and was later appointed Country Director.

Prior to coming to our ministy, he was a lecturer at Bangkok Institute of Theology and taught Sociology of Religion; he also served at many local churches and ministries.

Sanya holds a Masters of Comparative Religion from Mahidol University.

He also studied church management, missions and social studies at Selly Oak in the United Kingdom, and community development at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches in Thailand with whom we work to deliver child development and ministry in the field.

• Spiritual Climate in Thailand
  The main religion in Thailand is Buddhism. Generally there is no persecution of Christians, and people are free to engage in any sort of religious activity. However, some parents will not accept their child becoming a Christian.

  Many parents forbid their children to go to church and sometimes ask the staff to remove their children from the child development center.

  A recent study found that there are more than 4,000 Protestant churches and more than 300,000 Christians in Thailand. The number of evangelical Christians is growing, specifically among tribal people. However, church attendance is declining among young people. Also, many church leaders are not strongly committed to the church.

• Unique Challenges in Thailand
  Local churches are quite small (congregations average 60 to 70 members), so it is difficult to grow in terms of the size of our child development centers. There are needy children in areas of the country that do not have any local churches.

  The government provides free education, access to health services, and early childhood intervention services. As a result, we are sometimes faced with a limited number of children available, because families are already taking advantage of government services and do not have as much of a need for our program.

  Many homeless, abused and trafficked children in Thailand need to be reached. We want to start initiatives for these children, but it is difficult.

  Buddhist culture and practices are deeply rooted in Thai society. This can be challenging for implementing a program that teaches Christian values. Some parents even prohibit their children from enrolling in the program.



• Contributions
  Implementing Church Partners contribute administrative support, construction equipment and volunteer time.
• Church-to-Church
  There are no formal church-to-church partnerships at this time. However, there is one sponsoring church in Australia that has visited an Implementing Church Partner in Thailand.

  After their visit, they supported a Complementary Interventions project to obtain a water tank filter, and they sponsor over 30 children from that church partner.

• Partner Development Activities
  We develop our partners through a variety of training programs. A leadership summit for pastors or committee chairs is held annually as well as an emerging young leader program. We also offer our partners the opportunity to visit child development centers that have implemented our program well.

Child Survival Program

• Caregiver Literacy
  We offer literacy classes two to three times per month where mothers learn the alphabet and basic math. Volunteer tutors help those who are unable to keep up in class. The tutors help the mothers one-on-one to ensure they are learning.
• Income-Generating Skills
  We offer cooking, weaving, embroidery, dessert making and local handicraft making. These classes are offered two to three times per quarter. The child development center provides materials needed such as needle and thread for weaving, beads and local material for embroidery and ingredients for cooking.



• Health Care
  Public health centers and hospitals conduct health screenings and provide free prenatal care, delivery and immunizations for mothers who are Thai citizens. Our ministry pays for these services for beneficiaries who are not Thai citizens. However, pregnant mothers in Thailand often do not seek prenatal care because they are embarrassed to go to the doctor.

  Child Survival Program staff members try to mitigate this by encouraging these young mothers to seek prenatal care and by training them on safe labor techniques and safe baby care.

• Nutritional Support
  Supplementary food is provided for beneficiaries who are malnourished or who do not have enough money to buy sufficient food. Child Survival Program Specialists track the weight and height of all the children.

  Children who are below average physically receive additional food such as eggs, powdered milk and meat. If a doctor suggests special food for a child, the Child Survival Program will provide the food.



• Involvement of Fathers
  We make an effort to build a relationship with fathers during home visits. Also, fathers are invited to special events such as Christmas parties, family camps, etc.
• Transition out of the Child Survival Program
  To prepare children to transition out of the Child Survival Program and into the Child Sponsorship Program, we ensure that they possess certain skills, such as the ability to eat and go to the bathroom on their own and read simple words.

  To transition the mothers into the Child Sponsorship Program, we provide literacy classes and income-generating activities.

  Our goal is that every mother has at least one income-generating skill. We also involve the mothers in activities such as Bible study, Christian fellowship, and the practice of spiritual disciplines. We ensure that every mother has heard the gospel.

• Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
  We would like to expand into the Thai-Burma border area and into the high mountain rural areas. These areas have many mothers and children who live in poverty and have no education, poor hygiene, and no access to sanitary delivery of their babies.

  

  Most of these mothers are not Thai citizens, so they cannot receive services at the public health centers. As a result, these mothers are at a high risk for fatal diseases and many children do not reach the age of five.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in Thailand provides a variety of benefits.

Children go to school from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. weekdays, so we conduct project activities on weekends.

• Weekly Meetings:
  • 3 to 5 year olds: 7 to 8 hours a week, mainly on Saturday
  • 6 to 8 year olds: 6 to 7 hours a week, mainly on Saturday
  • 9 to 11 year olds: 6 to 7 hours a week, mainly on Saturday and Sunday
  • 12 to 14 year olds: 4 hours a week, mainly on Saturday and Sunday
  • 15 to 18 year olds: 4 hours a week, mainly on Saturday and Sunday
  • 19 +: 4 hours a week, mainly on Saturday and Sunday
• Nutritional Support
  Each child receives lunch which consists of rice, vegetables and meat at the child development center every Saturday. Milk is provided for young children, and children who are malnourished receive additional food to take home with them, such as rice, eggs, canned fish and milk.

  

  We feed the children every week, because many parents are working on the weekends and not available to prepare meals for their children.

  Also, some families cannot afford to buy meat; the typical meal for the children at home consists of rice, vegetables and chili paste. We like to ensure that the children receive a nutritious meal every week.

• Vaccinations
  The Thai government provides routine vaccinations free of charge for all children who are Thai citizens at the public health centers or hospitals.

  There are alternative vaccines for diseases that are preventable, but these vaccines are not high priority. They are expensive and not paid for by the Thai government.

  Our ministry will cover the cost of these alternative vaccines for children who have not already received them.

• Specialty Curriculum
  We use language and culture curriculum as well as a Life Skills curriculum for children over the age of 12.
• Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
  We offer extracurricular activities such as sports and music as well as community service opportunities such as anti-drug campaigns. These activities are generally held during school holidays.
• Vocational Activities
  We provide vocational training which includes computer lessons, baking, mechanics, agriculture, animal farming and local handicrafts such as weaving. Camps for art, music, sports and evangelism are held once a year.

  

  We make an effort to provide multiple activities for adolescents so they might discover their own gifts and skills as well as earn an income. Also, we hope that offering activities at the Implementing Church Partner will prevent them from becoming involved in drug addiction, gangs or sexual problems.

  Some Child Sponsorship Program graduates will work at the child development center when they graduate. The development center staff also provides graduates with information on job opportunities.

• Child Sponsorship Program Alumni Activities
  We are in the process of collecting information from all sponsorship program graduates and developing an alumni database. Some alumni groups have helped their former development centers by providing feedback and advice to the center committee and staff, contributing to the programs, and helping with building projects.
• Parent Involvement
  We offer the following activities annually: parenting class, meetings to inform parents how their children are doing at the development center, and special events such as Family Camp, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

  In addition, child development center staff members visit the children’s homes every three months where they meet the parents and make an effort to build a relationship with them.

• Areas of expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
  We would like to expand in the north around the Thai-Burma border and northeast regions of Thailand. These provinces are the neediest and score the lowest on the Thailand Human Development report.

  There are 40 indicators on the report that cover areas such as health, education, employment, income and living environment among others.

Leadership Development Program

• Universities Attended
  Most Leadership Development Program students attend government universities, although those who have chosen to study theology attend a Christian university or seminary.
• Location of Universities
  Most students study at universities located in northern Thailand.
• Working Students
  Some students work as tutors in the evenings and on weekends, others work on-call at hotels as waiters and waitresses. Some work as carpenters, and others work as merchants selling goods during their summer break.

  

  The primary reason students work is to help support their families. It also helps them gain valuable experience and develop financial stewardship skills.

  The students also develop a greater appreciation for their sponsors, because they know they would not be able to work hard enough and earn enough to pay their own tuition.

• Service Opportunities
  Many students volunteer at their churches as Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders or worship team participants. Others participate at their universities in service activities such as tree planting and home construction.

  Some Leadership Development Program students work at camps during school breaks, and others serve at the child development centers.

• Leadership Development Program Meetings
  A larger Leadership Development Program group meets five times per year. School breaks are held in December, October and March through May. During those breaks, students participate in a work camp for at least five days where they volunteer at child development centers located in remote areas of Thailand.

  These students do various activities such as building latrines, painting classrooms, making repairs, tutoring children, and teaching parents about financial stewardship.

  At the beginning of May, there is an annual training camp for all the students. They cover Leadership Development Program curriculum topics, take part in worship, and hear pastors share their experiences.

  After training, students spend time together getting to know one another and building relationships. Lastly, all students are invited to attend the Leadership Development Program graduation ceremony. Many of the students help our staff prepare for the ceremony.



• Specialty Curriculum
  We offer two special courses to the students. The first is “God’s Calling.” The objective of this course is to help students better understand God’s calling in their lives and to guide them in responding to their calling.

  The second course we offer is “Christian Inner Healing,” because most of these students come from families that are verbally or physically abusive.

  Also, some families are Buddhist and reject their children when they become believers. As a result, many students carry bitterness and hurt which are obstacles to becoming leaders in their communities. The objective of this course is to enable students to understand their hurts and allow God to heal them.

• Mentors
  We try to find mentors for students who study in the same city as their former child development center. For those who are now studying in a different city as their former development center, the students need to find mentors on their own. If they need assistance, our Leadership Development Program Specialist offers advice.
• Career Placement Assistance
  If a student desires to work in ministry or some Christian field, the Leadership Development Program Specialist contacts churches and Christian organizations on behalf of that student.
• Alumni Group
  The Leadership Development Program alumni group has been in existence for three years. Some of their activities include mentoring students, tutoring students, providing financial support for Leadership Development Program activities, helping with the training camp, and giving orientation to new students.

Complementary Interventions

Our core child sponsorship program, while comprehensive, does not address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development. The Complementary Interventions program was created to work with our holistic child development model to provide additional services, such as our AIDS Initiative, Bibles for all children, disaster relief and water projects.

Some of the Complementary Interventions we offer in Thailand are:

• Water
  The goal of our water project in Thailand is to address the problem of water contamination and a limited supply of clean water resources in north and northeast Thailand.

  Many children and people in the communities have high rates of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea.



• Latrines
  The goal of the latrine project in Thailand is to provide an adequate number of latrines for children when they come to the child development center.
• Resource Centers
  The goal of our resource centers in Thailand is to provide learning materials such as books, computers, internet access and playgrounds.
• Infrastructure
  The goal of infrastructure projects in Thailand is to improve child development center facilities, so they will be safer and provide a healthier environment for the children.

Highly Vulnerable Children

Most of our Highly Vulnerable Children needs in Thailand fall into the category of “care reinforcement.” We plan to provide activities such as micro-enterprise and income-generating projects for children and their caregivers.

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Thailand is full of coffee artists. Wherever you go for a cup of Joe, they try to outdo their coffee competitors with creative patterns and swirls of blended foam.

I hate to even stir in a spoonful of sugar for fear of ruining the coffee canvas. But since the coffee won’t stay hot forever, I choose to capture each creation digitally.

But my absolute favorite of all time is:

How on earth?

This post was originally published in Oct. 2008 on Michael’s personal blog, Build Your Walls! Guard Your Gates!

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What’s worse than a traffic jam after a professional sporting event? A people jam after Loy Krathong!

A few years ago in Chiang Mai, my family joined thousands of Thais and thousands of visiting and resident farangs (foreigners) to celebrate a Buddhist holiday. We aren’t Buddhist, but this is a BIG holiday in Thailand and we saw it as an opportunity to build some bridges and understand the culture better.

The holiday is celebrated in several ways. Krathongs – elaborate little rafts carrying a candle, incense and (sometimes) hair and fingernail clippings – are lit and placed in the river or other waterways to symbolize the release of anger, grudges and defilements.

Fireworks and firecrackers are set off, and beauty contests are held. But the part we participated in was the release of the khom fai, a type of hot-air lantern.

Near Maejo University in Chiang Mai, thousands upon thousands of these lanterns are released in unison and out of unison, and they light up the sky like a fresh new Milky Way.

The sight is amazing!

And the lanterns are fun to light (except the ones made with wax because they drip hot wax on the people below after you let them go).

We stayed until all the lanterns were released, and when we started to leave so did everyone else! We quickly found ourselves in a grinding, surging, waiting, jostling, immobilizing, pushing throng of people. Some were coming and some were going, but no one was really doing much coming or going.

To make matters worse, people on the outer edges of the mass set off firecrackers and fireworks that threatened to trigger a fight-or-flight response among the crowd.

I was surprised when, after 30 to 45 minutes of gridlock and loud explosions at the margins, no one lost their cool. These were Thais, and they tend to take everything with a smile and a “mai pen rai” (which basically means, “Don’t worry about it”). More than anything else, this phrase sums up Thai culture.

The traffic jam notwithstanding, this event is a must-see if you happen to be in Chiang Mai in November!

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I’m an expat living in Thailand, and I believe that this requires me to change certain behaviors that are normal and comfortable to me in order to be culturally sensitive. When the Thai national anthem or the king’s song plays, everyone is supposed to stand (including foreigners) out of respect.

If I hear either song, I stand. It’s a sign of respect to the country that is allowing my family to live on its soil.

In the mornings when I’m in town, I walk the kids to school and then sit for half an hour or so doing my quiet time in the school’s courtyard.

At 8 a.m. each day the large Thai school across the street from our school plays the national anthem. I always stand, but many times I’m the only one. The other foreigners typically continue their conversations, and even the Thais working at our school stop what they are doing only occasionally.

Standing is a simple gesture, but when you are the only one doing it, it’s easy to feel foolish. I look around at everyone doing their own thing and I wonder,

Am I overdoing this respect thing? If no one else is doing it, maybe it’s not really expected. I wonder if they are laughing at me. Maybe they are thinking that I’m being pretentious. Does it really even matter if I stand or not?

After all, there are plenty of excuses for not standing. The music is a little hard to hear. It’s not playing at our school. I’m not Thai. The Thais don’t even stand sometimes. No one seems to care. I’m having a conversation. I’m tired. My leg hurts …

I had an experience like this today, and I spent some time thinking afterward. Being a Christian is a little like standing for the Thai national anthem. When you take a stand for God, you will often look foolish to the world around you.

You are standing for music they may not be able to hear, and for reasons they don’t particularly understand. Even some of the Christians around you aren’t taking a stand for God.

It’s easy to second-guess yourself:

Am I being too strict about the movies my kids watch and the music they listen to? Am I naive to think my kids could possibly make it to marriage without having sex? Am I throwing my money away when I tithe to the church? Am I being pretentious by claiming that there is only one way into heaven and His name is Jesus Christ?

These doubts and questions are part of the cost of taking a stand for God. If it were easy, everyone would do it, right? Of course, God could strike down anyone who didn’t take a stand, but He doesn’t.

He doesn’t, because then EVERYONE would stand. They wouldn’t be standing because they loved the Lord; they would be standing out of fear and compliance. Those aren’t the types of followers God is looking for. He loves us too much to force us to “love” Him back.

When you take a stand for something, you have to be willing to pay the price. Without cost, there is no sacrifice. As King David said when Araunah offered him his threshing floor, oxen, wood and wheat for free in order to make an offering,

“No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”  – 1 Chronicles 21:24 (NIV)

The value of the sacrifice is tied to how much it costs you.

The foolishness you sometimes feel when taking a stand for God is part of your sacrifice. But you can take comfort in this scripture:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.  – 1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

One day, every stand you took for the Lord will be seen for what it was: wisdom, love, honor, respect, readiness, strength, adoration, devotion, courage, faith. Insist on paying the full price.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.  — 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)

This post was originally published in Nov. 2009 on Michael’s personal blog, Build Your Walls! Guard Your Gates!

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Compassion is more than just a sponsorship program that helps break the cycle of poverty. It is about a relationship between a registered child and his or her sponsor. The lives of a young boy, Vitoon, and his sponsor, Richard, will never be the same since they got to know each other.

Vitoon is a Leadership Development Program student in Thailand. He is in his third year at Rajabhat Chiang Mai University, majoring in English education.

Vitoon was born into a hill tribe called Karen. Vitoon’s house is in Chiang Mai, but it’s located in the high mountains, a five-hour drive from the city.

When Vitoon was in 10th grade, his sponsor stopped sponsoring him and Vitoon prayed to God for his new sponsor. That was when Richard came into his life.

“Richard sends me a bunch of letters and that’s why we have a great relationship. In his first few letters, Richard told me that he was 82 years old, he had two cats and he did not have a family. I felt so sorry for him. He was quite old and he lived alone. No one would help take care of him. So I began to pray for my sponsor.”

Through the letters, Vitoon could feel love and care from Richard.

“Do keep me informed in your studies, your success and even difficulties. I pray to God to help you, protect you and bless you, Vitoon, the most precious in my life.”

From the love Vitoon experienced from Richard, he found himself with a new family member whom he soon called Grandpa.

“Grandpa always encourages me to focus on studying so I will have good grades and I will have a better life.”

Grandpa Richard inspired this Karen tribal boy to have a dream to enroll in our Leadership Development Program so he could pursue a university education.

“I am so proud of you, Vitoon,” Richard wrote to him, ”but you will have to study hard and long hours to succeed again, but I know you can succeed.”

Vitoon’s parents are farmers who work hard just to make ends meet. They do not earn enough to support him through university.

When Vitoon knew that he was accepted as a Leadership Development Program student, he was happy but also sad.

“The child development center director told me when I entered the program, Grandpa might not be my sponsor because the financial support was much higher for university students. But Grandpa informed me that he wanted to continue sponsoring me. I was very happy and grateful to have him as my sponsor. He wanted to help me, even though we have never met.”

Not only has Vitoon found new family, but so has Richard.

“I do not have a family any longer so I am happy to be a part of your family. Vitoon, you are like a fine, intelligent, studious grandson to me, making me useful again doing what God teaches us: help one other. You are a big help to me. You give meaning to my life so I want to give you a better life.”

At the age of 84, Richard had to move to a retirement village where there are people who can assist him. He had to leave his cats and his familiar life behind, so the only thing he had left was his sponsored child. Richard longs to receive letters from his “grandson.”

“Last Tuesday was a very exciting day for me. In my daily mail was a large white envelop. I hurried back to my small room to see what was in the oversized envelope. I was very excited but as soon as I saw the content, I was even much more exited. Four beautiful colored photos of you spilled out.”

Letters for Richard are more than just pieces of paper; they are treasures that are priceless.

“Very dear Grandson, what a blessing you are to me. Today I found a long and interesting letter from you in your clear and beautiful handwriting. I was so excited and happy I kissed your letter many times before even opening it. I had waited for that letter for a long time.

“I have kept all your letters as treasures, so if I do not find one in my mailbox, I go to my three-ring binder and read again an old letter from you. That gives me much pleasure. I feel we are still in touch one with the other.

“Every thought you express to me changes a dull, cloudy day into a beautiful day full of sunshine.”

There was one letter that made Vitoon cry and he committed to praying to God consistently. He learned that his beloved grandpa Richard was faced with health problems. Richard cannot walk without a walking aid, and he has lost his hearing as well as the sight in his right eye. Sometimes Richard spends several days writing his long letters because he can use his one good eye only for short periods. 

Every time Vitoon writes a letter to Richard, he feels like he is sharing his life with his own grandpa rather than writing a letter to his sponsor. Vitoon loves telling Richard about his family, updating him on his life, and finding good messages to make his grandpa feel happy. Sometimes Vitoon sends photos along with long letters.

Richard loves Vitoon so much that he supports Vitoon through his spiritual life and academic study.

“I want to buy my grandson a fine, new guitar that must be selected from a good music store with the help of Compassion who will bill me for the full cost of the guitar you want. Choose the best one you see and your proud and loving grandpa will gladly pay for it. My first gift to my grandson.”

Vitoon uses his musical talent along with his guitar in a worship band that he leads for Sunday service. He is proud and enjoys playing his guitar so much that he writes to his grandpa many times to tell him. Vitoon also has a computer notebook that he received from his beloved sponsor. Richard wants Vitoon to use it to do research and reports for his studies. Vitoon is one of the few leadership students who has such a privileged relationship.

As a leadership student, Vitoon wants to develop himself to be a leader who has an impact on others. The Leadership Development Program has equipped and helped him to change from a shy boy to a confident man who can lead worship or games in front of people. This program also trains Vitoon to have a broader perspective, teaching him to listen, obey and fellow Jesus’ commands.

Vitoon has a desire to be a teacher in the mountains. He wants to dedicate himself to teaching young children in the same way he learns from Richard to live for others. He knows that children who live in remote areas have the same abilities as children in the city but they lack the opportunities to gain knowledge.

Vitoon wants to be the person who gives those children that chance, just as Richard gives to him.

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