Dear Friends!
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I hope you all had a very nice Easter. Things are going well here in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Thailand. It is miserably hot but we thank God for air conditioning. The school is closed now and some of the children went home to be with their parents. We have been having special intensive English classes for those who wanted to stay here and study. We structured it so they can go home on weekends. We had about 15 children the first week. Last week some of the children were unable to come because right now it is extremely dangerous in the mountains around here due to the fact that there are a band of men kidnapping children from the villages and roads to sell into the human trafficking trade. One man was murdered and several children are missing. The parents of our children wisely decided to keep them home because the roads are dangerous right now. Sometimes it is easy to forget the kind of world we live in and the real danger for our kids if they don’t get education and have someone who cares for them and can help them – they fall easy prey to these sort of people.
Anyway the English classes have been going well and this is our last week. I have been traveling a little bit to do seminars as March and April is “seminar season” around here for some reason. I did a woman’s seminar and this weekend I pack up for about 10 days in the village to do two seminars – one woman’s seminar and one pastor’s conference. I have gotten spoiled to the town life so I am having to put my flesh under again for village life. No air or fan in this 100 plus degree weather, no electricity, no bed, semi-weird food. Yes I am asking for sympathy. When I look back at the year I lived in the village I marvel at the grace of God because I truly really loved it. That is God for you. For everything He has asked me to do He has given me such incredible grace and I have really not minded any of it. God is way more than good.
We have been doing the frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking task of sorting out which children will be coming to live here with me next month. We had about 17 teenagers that needed to come study high school and it seems that for many their parents think that they have had enough school. High School starts to get a little expensive for the parents (they have to pay uniforms and book fees) and plus they see their big almost grown girl or boy and think he/she can work now and make money. Short term thinking is a big cultural problem here in Thailand. They are not conditioned to think about the future and plan for it. It doesn’t occur to them that their kids can make so much more money for them if they finish high school. It has been such a fight to keep them in school. I have ended up having to pay for many of their school fees because their parents will not help them anymore. Especially the girls. But many are coming so for that I am thankful and for the ones that aren’t for whatever reason we just believe God is with them and all the things we taught them will stay with them and continue growing in their hearts.
We are also getting new children. One is a little orphan girl that is so cute. We hired two new staff and rented a boys home and are building new rooms in our existing children’s home. I have prayed and believed God that through all this transition of losing children and losing staff and getting new children and new staff that God will bring to us those children and staff that He has chosen and now I believe we have the right kids and the best staff and now we can really start to grow and see God do amazing things this next year in all of our lives. I expect Him to take my breath away everyday with His beauty and goodness. God has been teaching me so much and changing me at such an incredible rate these last two months. I tell you truly I have never changed so much so quickly in all my life. I know it is because I needed to grow and be more and know Him more and grow in faith and power so that He could do more and give us more this next year. Whatever I am the children will be also. I believe God is planning something breathtaking for us and I just wait in expectation everyday for the new beautiful thing God will do.
Every morning I pray with my staff and before they come for staff prayer at my house I put on my makeup and after prayer everyday I have to put it on again because I always end up crying my eyes out at how beautiful God is and how lavish His love is for me. Everyday I am overcome by my Lord. So then I think tomorrow I will wait till after prayer to put on my makeup but I never do. I always think today I won’t cry but I always do. Every time. But I don’t learn. Explain this to me.
Thanks to all who love me and pray for me and the kids. Thanks to all you who give. You are so faithful. We love you and pray for you and believe God for beautiful things to happen in your lives as well. God Bless you!
Love,
Candace
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