Another new kid...with her mother

We have another new kid at the home; this time with her mother. The details are crappy, so I will leave them out except to say being an illegal here is tough on a woman. Hopefully, she will not be here for a long time, but it is difficult to know what will happen.

The new home

Some of you contributed money to help put a metal roof on the home instead of an asbestos roof. I thought you would be interested in seeing how the home looks. Phase one is almost completed and phase two will start soon. Thanks again for your generosity.

Nice brand name

Kind of strange to see this ad in the mall

Our Cambodian kids

We caught up with Noora, a friend we made in Cambodia while we were volunteering at an orphanage She had both good and bad news. The good news is my favorite little girl, Sayon, is doing wonderfully and is even attending school with some of the healthy kids. On the other side of the coin, 4 kids including one we know died since we left. Pretty tough being a kid in a Cambodian orphanage I think.

Accidently funny sign

I did not think the atmosphere was so bad and the people were actually kind of friendly.

My big important meeting

I had my first big important meeting...ok it was really a meeting with the house mothers. Quite unique. In this area people speak one of many languages including Thai, Burmese, Mon, and Karen. The meeting was kind of like playing telephone, I say something in English (which one mother speaks...kind of) then it is translated to another than another language. I had nice things to say but I am guessing that by the time it made it to the last language they thought I was talking about boogers or something.

How the new kids arrive

The orphanage is getting close to the capacity and now the choices of which children should we take gets much more difficult. Make the wrong decision...a child is in the home who may be better at home, or worse, do not take a child and he has given to someone who uses the child for slave labor.

We got three new kids yesterday. The father has mental problems and refuses to take his medicine. He beats the wife and children. The community leaders and neighbors say that he is a danger, but the family are here illegally so the police are not worried about what he does. The wife, who is the sole supporter, is very sick ...possibly lung cancer and needs to go to Bangkok for treatment (which is only possible by herself with special permission due to her illegal status). The mother begged the home to try to persuade the husband to allow the children to live here. She could not ask him because she knows she will be beaten if she does. The entire community is afraid of the man and nobody will help the children because they are afraid of him.

One of the women who works here decided to befriend him and spent a couple of weeks talking to him. The kids already went to school at our school, so one day she asked him to come watch the children here. He said he never seen his children so happy. He thought they would be better off here. I think he is right but it goes against a basic belief that families should stay together. There are just so few options particularly when people are poor and in the country illegally.

So we have 3 more kids...maybe they will go back to the mother some day, but that is not likely. 110 kids now.

An update on some kids from our last trip

We arrived to good news in Sangklaburi. A couple of the children we were worried about are doing better. The three year old child who had been sexually abused prior to her arrival is much more socialized and seems to be growing in confidence. She asked Sandy to pick her up...no luck with me yet. Dia's brother, who was on a motorbike and was hit by a car, is out of danger although his mental capacity is greatly diminished.

It takes balls to wear that skirt

So I am looking for Sandy in a department store make up area (this is becoming a hobby) and I walk up behind this girl with incredibly long legs and an incredibly short skirt bending over a counter showing....well you get the picture. I immediatly realize one thing...this is Thailand and the only girls wearing that short a skirt and looking that sexy are ladyboys. I quickly divert my eyes prior to confirming my hypothesis. Sandy walked up to me a few minutes later and said "Did you see that "girl" working at the Mac counter". It turns out my guess was right...I think I have been in Bangkok too long.

Were back

We got back to Thailand on Tuesday after a long trip and getting ready to head back to the orphanage. We have had a few days to rest, a parent/teacher meeting for one of the boys who is studying in Bangkok, a meeting with UNICEF folks and a car auction...all kind of interesting. Tommorow we are off to Sangklauburi and the home.