November 09

Dear Friends,

Hello everyone! It has been such a long time since I sent out an update. The weather is now in the “cold” season which means it is not miserably hot from early morning till late at night. Gavin and I chuckle at the Thai people wrapped up in their hats and coats and scarves simply because the temperature drops below 80 degrees now in the mornings. As most of you know I had to have emergency surgery at the end of October to remove several tumors and my appendix. It was a harrowing experience, to say the least. I went to the emergency room here in Mae Chaem which is something I would have never even remotely considered doing except that I was in excruciating pain. My fears were justified as I lay on the stretcher in the emergency room and watched the chickens come and go pecking at the dirty floor. To my relief, they said they had a relatively modern ambulance to take me for surgery in Chaing Mai. So I was rushed over the largest mountain in Thailand two and a half hours to a nice hospital in Chaing Mai where I was immediately sent in for surgery. I stayed there 3 nights and was released. I am doing well now but I still have to take it easy and rest a lot more than I like to. Thank you so much to all those who prayed for me. God was with me and it was wonderful to find out that the tumors were not cancerous and to have them removed before they burst. It all worked out very well.

Things are going well with the children. We had a baptism a few weeks ago and 7 of our children were baptized. They were mostly the new children that had come this year. We are up to 38 children now. Gavin is teaching music 6 hours a week. He teaches guitar, bass and keyboard and the children really love the classes and are learning so much. I am teaching English two hours a week and soon we will be starting a third class for the Thai children that live nearby who also want to study. We do this as an avenue for preaching the gospel to them. Our teenagers know so much English now that they will be the main teachers and I will just help them.

We are getting ready for Christmas now. We give the children about 12 dollars to go shopping with and they love picking out their own presents. We are also planning on taking a team of our children to the Burma border to do an outreach there as well. The kids give a portion of their Christmas money to buy presents for the little refugee children and we take some of them over to present the gifts themselves. It is so important for them to feel like they have something to give instead of having the mindset that they have nothing to give and others should give to them.

At the end of October we hosted a pastor’s seminar and we had more than 40 village pastors come and we ministered to them. Gavin and I taught them about worship and about the necessity of keeping God first in their lives. While we were in America, it became necessary to move our children to a new location. The new place is much better for the children as it is farther from the city and more mountainous. There is plenty of room to play and it is quiet. The children love it. The buildings are more rustic but the children seem to be really much happier there. We are working now to fix the building as much as we can to make them warmer and cleaner. Gavin and I are also looking for a house close to them that we can rent. Right now we are pretty far away and we miss being so close to the children. Plus our current house has recently acquired a concrete block manufacturing company directly across the road which makes it noisy most of the day. We found a beautiful house very near the children’s home that would be so perfect if only it were finished. The people started building it and ran out of money so we are talking to the owners about finishing it so we can live there. We are trying to find out how much it will cost to finish it, it seems the owners will let us finish it in lieu of paying rent for two years. Please pray for us that we will have wisdom in this area and can find the necessary funds to complete the house. Also, the house is on 2 acres of land that we might possibly be able to buy as well to build our new children’s home.

It is so wonderful to be back and working again with these beautiful children. I am attaching a photo album so you can see our new children and the house we mentioned above. God is always so faithful. It is a wonderful blessing to have Gavin here with me. He is adapting so well and the children love him. It makes life so much easier and more fun to have such a wonderful partner and friend. God has been so good to me and given me a very great gift – He knew exactly what I needed even when I didn’t. Gavin took such good care of me when I was sick and I can’t imagine what it would have been like to go through that experience without him. I feel so overwhelmed with blessings and so amazed at how well God prepared for me. This Thanks giving we have so very much to be thankful for. We are especially thankful for all those who give to our ministry. Thank you so much!! We pray for you and appreciate you more than we can say. May God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,Candace and Gavin

PS: You can send a tax deductible donation to Rhema Missions PO Box 50126 Tulsa, OK 74150 Memo Rev Candace Brailsford 100% goes to our ministry.

Photos at:
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/album/A207D8238670?source=pw980

Going Back to Thailand

Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I have written an update. I have been in America since March and it is the longest I have been in the States in 7 years. Lots of good things have been happening and I am so glad I have a great staff in Thailand that can carry on without me. I got married on June 12th to Gavin Brailsford and the long delay has been getting financially ready for Gavin to move and join me in Thailand. It has been exciting and challenging and faith building and frankly just breath taking watching God do so much to once again send me on the mission field. We have had wonderful blessings. My interpreter Debra (Ajan Witliac) was able to come from Thailand ot spend a month with me and attend my wedding. It meant so much to have her there since she is one of the dearest people in the world to me. It was a miracle that she could get her visa as well as the finances to come but it was her dream since she was a little girl and God did it for her because that is just the way He is. She had a wonderful time and now has a powerful testimony to go back and share with her people.

At the children's home things have been changing. We got 9 more children in May to bring our total to 38. We had to move to another location because the place we were renting was getting more and more expensive and the owner refused to fix dangerous problems with the house or allow us to fix things ourselves. We moved to a beautiful piece of property on the outskirts of the city and it seems like the children are very happy there. It is more like the village atmostsphere they are used to and less like town..

Unfortunately fighting has broken out on the Burma/Thailand border and many people have had to flee into the area where we do our outreaches. Our dear friends over there sent us a desperate plea for help with food for all the refugees and orphans flooding into that area so we have been sending money over there to help with the needs they have. We have good friends who are already working in that area so it was easy to get help to the people who could do the most with it. Please keep that situation in your prayers. People working and living there now do so under very dangerous situations. Debra's family is there giving all they have to shelter and feed people with fighting going on all around them

I am so excited to go back - it has been such a long time. I miss my children and can't wait to see their faces and how tall they are now. We learned last week that Gavin's house FINALLY is going to close after almost 5 months of being in process. We should be back in Thailand by the end of September! I am so amazed and so thankful to God. When I knew it was God's will that I marry Gavin I knew I was taking a big risk that I might never be able to return to Thailand. We needed MANY MANY financial miracles for this to happen. It looked utterly impossible. Gavin's house is in the worst economy in America - in the heart of the depressed economy of Detroit. His house was worth a fourth of what he owed on it as well as other financial obligations that go along with the American lifestyle today. But I felt so sure in my heart that it was God's plan for me to marry Gavin and trust Him to somehow make it possible and I knew that He would. I had no idea how I just knew that He would. So when I got married I felt like one more time I was jumping out on nothing but God's promises and betting everything that God was who He said that He was and that He would be faithful to me. It took longer than I imagined but He did it. Gavin's house sold in a "short" sale which means the majority of the loan was forgiven by the bank and Gavin and I are leaving America in a month almost completely debt free. The added blessing is that as Gavin is a computer programmer - he can do his work remotely from Thailand. God has been fabulous to us. He provided for us and even the delay was a blessing because Gavin had to have surgery on his heart the end of July as well so it was wonderful that we were here for that I feel so amazed and honored that God would make it possible for me to go to Thailand not once b ut twice now.&n bsp; He has done the impossible for me and made my dreams come true. When i left Thailand I prayed God please make my dream come true - bring me back so I can work here with Gavin. I told the kids when I left I would be back and I am so glad that soon I will be able to keep my word to them. God is awesome and I am so glad I believed for the impossible and now we can see it in our lives not just for my sake but for the children's. I want them to dream and believe and attempt the impossible, to bet everything on God and see Him take their breath away with how good and faithful He is. I am glad I did it first and I pray they will do the same. We are going back to Thailand with renewed purpose knowing for sure God wants us there because if He didn't we certainly wouldn't be going. Nothing that has happened to make it possible for us to leave was in our power to make happen.

Thank you to all who pray for us, sponsor us and love us so much. It is my honor to share this life with you all. Keep praying for us. I am attaching pictures from our wedding. God bless you!

love,
Candace Brailsford

PS: You can send a tax deductible donation to Rhema Missions PO Box 50126 Tulsa, OK 74150 Memo Rev Candace Smith 100% goes to the work in Thailand

Married!

Gavin Brailsford and I were married June 12, 2009 in Maumee, OH. We went to New England for our honeymoon and now are in Detroit waiting for Gavin's house to sell. We hope to return to Thailand very shortly.

Getting Married

I am getting married in one month to Gavin Brailsford!! I am very excited

Here is our wedding website.

http://www.ewedding.com/sites/candacegavin

God Bless you!!
Candace

Introduction

My name is Candace Smith. When I felt God calling me to sell everything and leave my corporate life in America 9 years ago, I never dreamed I would end up in the jungles of Northern Thailand standing between a lot of beautiful children and the poverty, degradation and danger their culture has for them. But here I am, seeing what love, hope and faith can do to change a life forever. I have a children’s home with 39 of the most gorgeous bits of life that you will ever see. They come from starvation, dirt and despair - villages so remote there are no roads, electricity or schools. These villages are the fertile fields for South East Asia’s infamous child trafficking business. We give the children an education, teach them English, life skills and that Jesus loves them and has a beautiful plan for their lives. This gives them and their families what they would have never had otherwise – options. They now have the opportunity to fulfill their limitless potential through hard work, perseverance and an unswerving faith in the God who has always loved them and always will.

Sponsor a child

Please pray about and consider if you would like to sponsor one of our children. I have listed them each below with their picture and a short profile. We are in need of sponsors for them. Your sponsorship will buy the following for the kids:

- rent for our children's home
- staff to care for the children
- two home cooked meals a day
- school lunches
- fruit twice a week
- personal hygiene supplies (soap, shampoo, toothpaste)
- medicine/hospital costs
- clothing

To sponsor a child fully is $50 per month. You can also commit to half sponsorship which would be $25 a month.

Please let me know if you would like to sponsor a child and which child you would like to sponsor and for how much. Your sponsorship is 100% tax deductable. Please send your monthly sponsorship to Rhema Missions PO Box 50126 Tulsa, OK 74150 Memo Rev Candace Smith 100% goes to our ministry.

Please pray about helping a beautiful child in Thailand.

God bless you,
Candace

Annie

Name: Nareetip (Annie)
Age: 17
Birthday: 10/24
Grade: 12th
Hobbies: reading, cooking and playing ping pong
Favorite Subject: English and Art
Future Plans: she wants to go to bible school and then work in a children’s home teaching the bible.
Special Notes: Annie has been at our home 6 years and she is such a joy. She is so sweet and funny. She is always there to make someone laugh and she cares so much about other people. She speaks English very well and tries more than anyone to learn English. She is always around helping the staff with whatever needs to be done and does a lot of the cooking at the home because she loves it. She is a great example to the younger girls and has a heart to stay here after she graduates and minister to the children as her life’s work. She is very special.

Supapon (Lily)

Name: Supapon (Lily)
Age: 17
Birthday: 5/4
Grade: 12th
Hobbies: reading funny stories, singing and talking to friends
Favorite Subject: English, science and Art
Future Plans: She wants to go to bible school and become a missionary
Special Notes: Lily has been with me 6 years and she is one of the brightest and most excellent of all our students. She is a natural born leader and has been a great leader in our home and a wonderful example to the other girls. She is very serious about her studies and serious about her relationship with God. She is one of our best English speakers and has probably the biggest dreams of all our children. I have seen her make great sacrifices to stay in school and stay in our home and I am always so proud of her decisions. She has grown into such a fabulous, young woman and in the future the sky is the limit for this very determined young lady.

Laura

Name: Pimonwan (Laura)
Age: 17
Birthday: 2/22
Grade: 12th
Hobbies: reading and napping
Favorite Subject: Science
Future Plans: She wants to go to bible school and become a missionary
Special Notes: Laura came to us only this year. She is a lively girl who loves to laugh and have fun. She is a good student and is always in a happy mood. Coming to us late meant she was behind in English but she has worked hard to improve this year and she has done a great job. She is a joy to have in our home and has definitely made it brighter.

Dawra (Diana)

Name: Dawra (Diana)
Age: 17
Birthday: 8/24
Grade: 12th
Hobbies: reading and playing volleyball
Favorite Subject: English & Art
Future Plans: To go to university and become a teacher

Special Notes: Diana has been at our home 6 years and has become such a lovely young woman. She is very strong and serious and is a natural born leader. She has made great sacrifices to be able to stay in our home and told me one of the things she is most thankful for is that we have taught her discipline while she has been here. She is beautiful and it has been difficult for her to obey our rule against boyfriends but she has done it because she knows this is where God wants her to be and where she has the most opportunity for good things in her future. I am very proud of her and the difficult decisions I have seen her make. She has turned into an extraordinary young woman

Julie

Name: Jayapon (Julie)
Age: 17
Birthday: 6/17
Grade: 12th
Hobbies: reading and cane ball
Favorite Subject: English & Health
Future Plans: Bible school and then become an interpreter
Special Notes: Julie’s father died when she was little and it is and extremely difficult life for a single mother in the villages. Julie is one of our poorest children and has been at our home for 6 years now. She has turned into such a beautiful, sweet young woman. She is one of our best English speakers and is a great help to our staff. She helps the little ones with their homework, cooks and smiles so sweetly through it all. She has great love shining through her eyes and truly has overcome great odds to become something beautiful for God.

Gaesone

Name: Gaesone
Age: 14
Birthday: 4/22
Grade: 9th
Hobbies: Singing, reading, dancing and acting.
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: She wants to go to university to become a teacher.
Special Notes: Gaesone is a very strong, beautiful girl with gorgeous curly hair that is unusual for Thai’s. She is a natural born leader with a flair for drama. Her English is advanced and she learns very quickly. She comes from a very remote village that has few Christians. Although her family is Christian her father is an alcoholic. She is always asking for prayer for her father and that her village would come to know Jesus.

Sara

Name: Sara
Age: 15
Birthday: 1/1
Grade: 6th
Hobbies: reading, writing and drawing
Favorite Subject: English and Social Studies
Future Plans: She wants to go to bible school and then become a missionary.
Special Notes: Sara is an orphan from the Thai/Burma border. She was living with some relatives who had just lost their home when she came to live with us. You can tell she carries a lot of pain with her still. Because her childhood was so unstable she is very behind in school. She is a hard working girl and mature for her age. She likes to work rather than study but everything she does she does very well. We pray for Sara because only God can heal the deep wounds from things we will never know about and give her joy.

Suwanee (Lydia)

Name: Suwanee (Lydia)
Age: 14
Birthday: 9/11
Grade: 9th
Hobbies: drawing, reading and watching TV
Favorite Subject: Thai
Future Plans: Go to technical school to be an accountant
Special Notes: Suwanee comes from a non-Christian family living deep in the jungle. This little girl wanted to study so much she used to walk 10 Kilometers (about 6 miles) to school everyday. There was no school in her village. Since she came to us she has become a Christian and is like a little sponge so hungry for love and to know things. Whatever you are doing she is right there trying to figure it out too. Her father is an alcoholic and this makes things very difficult and for her and her family.

Waliepaw

Name: Waliepaw
Age: 14
Birthday: 10/21
Grade: 9th
Hobbies: Reading and playing with her friends
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: She wants to become a teacher
Special Notes: Waliepaw comes from one of the poorest families in her village. She grew up malnourished and with a mother that was very sick her entire childhood. Because of the lack of nutrition Waliepaw’s growth has been stunted and she looks more like she is 8 or 9 than 14. But she is a very sweet, hard working and smart little girl. She does well in school and when she laughs she does it with her whole heart. You can’t help but laugh too when you see her laugh. She has such joy and hope for the future.

Brawnie

Name: Brawnie
Age: 14
Birthday: 10/14
Grade: 8th
Hobbies: reading
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: She wants to work in a children’s home teaching children the bible.
Special Notes: Brawnie comes from a very poor family living deep in the jungle. She has 5 younger brothers and sisters. When she was sent to us she was very shy and insecure and depressed about her life. Since she has come here even her face has changed. She smiles more now and gets more beautiful every day. She says she knows now God loves her and that encourages her everyday and helps her overcome her insecurity.

Suchada (Lizzie)

Name: Suchada (Lizzie)
Age: 14
Birthday: 12/24
Grade: 8th
Hobbies: Singing and reading novels
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: She wants to be a nurse.
Special Notes: Suchada is a very sweet little girl. She is very responsible and excellent in everything she does. If you give her a task she will do it with excellence without fail. She studies hard and is a favorite with her teachers. She is one of our best students. Her English is improving fast and she speaks well for her age group.

Mary

1. Name: Mary
   Age: 11
   Birthday: 11/27
   Grade: 6th
   Hobbies: Drawing, jumping rope, reading and dancing
   Favorite Subject: English and Art
   Future Plans: She wants to go to bible school and be a missionary
   Special Notes: Mary almost died when she was born but her mother wouldn’t give up on her and miraculously she was healed. She is a very determined little girl. She learns slower than other children but she never uses it as an excuse but simply works harder. Whenever anyone is sick she tells them God healed her and He can heal them and proceeds to pray for them. She is very secure in who she is and her love for God. She knows God has a special plan for her life and He will make her dreams come true.

Masha

Name: Masha
Age: 11
Birthday: 9/4
Grade: 6th
Hobbies: reading, playing ping pong and singing
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: She wants to study the bible and become a missionary
Special Notes: Masha was born on the war-torn Thai/Burma border. Her mother didn’t want her and wouldn’t send her to school or take care of her. She came to live with us. When she was younger she was always singing and she never failed to notice a bird or a flower. She is a beautiful girl, both inside and out. She has such a tender heart and cries easily when she is hurt or out of compassion for others. But the light of God is on her face and you can tell she has found her home in Him.

Dena

Name: Dena
Age: 9
Birthday: 12/14
Grade: 3rd
Hobbies: playing with dolls, drawing and jumping rope
Favorite Subject: English, Math and Thai
Future Plans: She wants to be a teacher
Special Notes: Dena came to us because she has a severely mentally handicapped sister and her parents had neither the time nor the money to take care of her. She has been sent to a relative who was living in a dangerous situation for a little girl. She is a beautiful and loving little girl. She is always singing and playing and she loves to play school. She even gets the older teenaged girls to be her students and she practices teaching them.

Orawan (Olivia)

Name: Orawan (Olivia)
Age: 9
Birthday: 10/9
Grade: 3rd
Hobbies: Drawing, playing, and going to the fields
Favorite Subject: Science, Art and Thai
Future Plans: She wants to go to bible school to be a missionary
Special Notes: Orawan’s father died when was a baby and her mother remarried to a man who didn’t want her. When she came to us she had a very foul mouth and no one could control her. Since coming here she has totally changed. She no longer swears like a sailor and is no more misbehaved than a normal, energetic little girl. Orawan is so funny and is a constant source of entertainment. She is a very smart and likes to play like she is preaching.

David

Name: David
Age: 8
Birthday: 4/8
Grade: 2nd
Hobbies: drawing, playing soccer, toy robots, cars and airplanes
Favorite Subject: Math and Thai
Future Plans: Airplane Pilot
Special Notes: David is a meticulous little guy. His clothes are always perfectly matched, he has files full of his drawings and coloring papers. He has everything perfectly organized. David is very smart and helps the other children with their homework even though he is the youngest one in our home. His drawing is also very advanced for someone his age and his English is very clear.

Jaw Cree

Name: Jaw Cree
Age: 8
Birthday: 11/29
Grade: 2nd
Hobbies: Drawing and playing with cars
Favorite Subject: Thai
Future Plans: He wants to be a car mechanic

Special Notes: Jaw Cree came to us because his family was too poor to take care of him. He was malnourished when he came. He is a mischievous little boy who loves to play. He loves to share whatever he has with his friends and has the most giving heart of anyone I have ever seen

Som Sak (Luke)

Name: Som Sak (Luke)
Age: 14
Birthday: 6/5
Grade: 9th
Hobbies: Singing, playing guitars, reading books and wood carving.
Favorite Subject: Math and History
Future Plans: He wants to go to Bible School and then work in a children’s home.
Special Notes: SomSak is such a sweet polite little boy. When he came to us he said he felt so shy and timid but he said coming here has helped him to know the Word of God and it has given him confidence and boldness he has never had before. SomSak plays guitar in our worship team

Seratep (Steven)

Name: Seratep (Steven)
Age: 16
Birthday: 6/19
Grade: 11th
Hobbies: Drawing, playing soccer and guitar.
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: He wants to go to Bible School and become a minister
Special Notes: Seratep is a great leader in our boy’s home and all the boys listen to and respect him. He is our most passionate worshipper and loves to pray and is deeply interested in the things of God.

Akome

Name: Akome
Age: 15
Birthday: 12/13
Grade: 10
Hobbies: soccer, guitar
Favorite Subject: art and sports
Future Plans: Bible School and pastor
Special Notes: Akome is one of our best English speakers among the boys. I have been teaching him English since he was a little boy and he always came to class even when he was the only boy. He is a very sweet, quiet and polite boy. He has wanted to be a pastor for years and is very serious about even now preparing for it. We know he will do it and we are already so proud of the example he sets and the quiet way he leads in our boys home.

Caleb

Name: Supap (Caleb)
Age: 14
Birthday:
Grade: 9th
Hobbies: playing guitar, soccer, reading and watching movies.
Favorite Subject: Health
Future Plans: He wants to be a soldier and then go to university to be a teacher.
Special Notes:

Ladawan

Name: Ladawan
Age: 15
Birthday: 5/11
Grade: 10
Hobbies: reading,
Favorite Subject: English
Future Plans: Teacher
Special Notes: Ladawan has always been very very smart. When she was a little girl I taught her English in her village. When I would ask a question to anyone they would immediately look at Ladawan for the answer because she always knew. I would tell them “Don’t look at Ladawan! She won’t be in America with you when you have to speak English.” But she is probably our best student and is very serious about school and about everything really. She is very sweet but also has a very strong personality that will make her an excellent leader someday.

Joshua

Name: Joshua
Age: 15
Birthday: 5/11
Grade: 8th
Hobbies: Playing soccer (goalie), playing guitar, reading and playing on the computer.
Favorite Subject: Health
Future Plans: Soldier and help the refugees on the border
Special Notes: Joshua grew up in a refugee camp. His father is Thai Karen but his mother is from Burma. He came to us because the refugee camps are dangerous places for little boys and his mom wanted him to have a better life outside the camps. He is on his school soccer team, his position is goalie.

Seradett

Name: Seradett
Age: 15
Birthday: 3/3
Grade: 9th
Hobbies: playing guitar, watching movies, cooking
Favorite Subject: Thai
Future Plans: He wants to go to Bible School and then go back and serve in his church in his village.
Special Notes: Seradett comes from a very poor family from a village deep in the jungle. He was badly burned as a baby from hot water and his torso is badly scarred. He was so desperately shy and insecure when he came to us but now he is at home and he has the best sense of humor, he is always making everyone laugh.

Pawncee

Name: Pawncee
Age: 15
Birthday: Dec 25
Grade: 10th
Hobbies: watching TV, drawing
Favorite Subject: Art
Future Plans: Teacher
Special Notes: when Pawncee came to us she was very shy and insecure. But as time passed she grew more confident. She is an excellent public speaker and a very good student. She is very sweet and still on the quiet side. She is our very best artist and loves to draw and paint.

Atit

Name: Atit
Age: 15
Birthday: 7/18
Grade: 11th
Hobbies: playing soccer, reading
Favorite Subject: Math
Future Plans: He wants to study at university and become a teacher.
Special Notes: Atit is very studious and is serious about doing well in school. He came to us after being in a terrible motorcycle accident where his cousin was killed. Being in a nurturing environment has helped him recover from the trauma

Campee (Hot Dog)

Name: Campee (Hot dog)
Age: 13
Birthday: 11/15
Grade: 8th
Hobbies: Playing drums & guitar, computers
Favorite Subject: Thai
Future Plans: Study music at university and become a worship leader
Special Notes: Campee is very smart and outgoing. He is our drum player and is very talented on the computer. He spends a lot of time helping other kids do their homework on the computer. Even though he is a teenager now he still seems like a little boy and likes to play cars with the little ones still.

Joe

Name: Werapon (Joe)Age: 14

Birthday: 4/1

Grade: 9th

Hobbies: playing guitar, watching movies and cooking

Favorite Subject: Physical Education

Future Plans: He wants to go to Bible School and then go back and serve in his church in his village.

Special Notes: Joe loves to help and is always in the kitchen helping cook. He loves the house father for the boys and is always with him where ever he goes helping him do whatever he can.

Update February

Dear Friends,

Hello everyone! I have been back in Thailand for more than a month now and it seems to be such a busy time of the year for the children. Their school year is coming to an end soon and they are starting to feel panicked about all the reports and research projects that they have known about for months but have put off doing until now. I remember the feeling very well. It is comforting to know people are essentially the same all over the world.

Our 12th and 9th grades are finishing school in the next two weeks so last Friday we took all the teenagers (27 total) to Chaing Mai for their first ever trip to the mall and to see a movie. They were freaked out by the escalator. It was funny to see the intense concentration on their faces as they gingerly stepped on and even worse – stepped off. But by the end they were old pros and they had a great time at the movie – they had popcorn and soda and money to buy whatever kind of food they wanted at the food court. On the way home we stopped at a beautiful waterfall and they took endless pictures of themselves in front of it. It was cute. Three girls will be leaving us for university and bible school. This will really be the first time we have had graduates. I am feeling mom-like and not very thrilled about it. I have this irrational belief that they should just stay with me forever. I mean 5 minutes ago I had all these beautiful little girls and now I have a house full of gorgeous, grown up, young women sitting in their room most of the time talking and looking in the mirror. Again teenagers are the same everywhere. Our two young ladies that want to go to university are having a difficult time getting funding. They have been trying to get loans from the government and have been turned down several times. It seems very arbitrary to me because one of them is from a very poor family of 7 children and we have supported her through school the whole time she has been with us. So they must not give the loans out based on need. I want to help them if possible because they are both good students who I think would do very well in university and have certainly always tried hard and been good leaders here in our home. One of the girls - her name is Pa La Eh (which means lovely flower) is our very best English speaker. She has a gift for it. The cost per person is as follows:

1st term - $270 (includes school fees and dorm)
2nd term - $270 (includes school fees and dorm)

If anyone would like to sponsor either of these young women we would so appreciate it. Education is really the only chance they have to break out of the poverty they were born into.

The little ones were so disappointed not to be able to go to the mall/movie so on Saturday we took them to the festival that was in town for the weekend. I gave them about a dollar each which should have bought a toy/game and something special to eat. They all got normal things except our little Orawan who is very unique little girl – she spent the entire thing on fried sausage. $1 buys an enormous amount of fried sausage let me tell you (probably around 30 sausages!). Last night she excitedly called me to her room because she wanted me to see that she had finally perfected her rabbit nose wiggling and special fishy face. She is so funny and an endless source of entertainment for me.

This is the time of year as we are accepting new students for next term. It has been amazing actually but somewhat frustrating because we have to turn so many away. I put the cap at 35 children because we really are full at that point which means we could take 6 new students. However we have had around 30 children come here asking to be accepted. It seems crazy because there are children’s homes in this area that have their own land and big buildings and some of them even very beautiful and we have only our little rented homes and not enough bathrooms but they want to come here. One man who is from a village that is home to 4 of our children came to see us. He has a daughter and he said he saw how much the children from his village have changed since they came to us, how good they are and how much they love God and he is BEGGING us to take his daughter. We told him we are totally full and he offered us more than $250 dollars and to build a little bamboo house for his daughter to sleep in the back yard if we would only take her. Of course we don’t take children based on money and the bamboo house is out of the question. But we did take his daughter. We have chosen the children we feel have something special, they seem to have vision and purpose for their lives whether they know it or not. One little girl is the daughter of a village leader in a totally non-Christian village that we have preached to for years and yet they all remain unconverted. He is not Christian but he knows we will take care of his daughter and she will be well supervised and taught and loved here so he wants to send her to us. It is another way to reach this village with the love of Jesus because whatever else the children who come here learn they most certainly learn about Jesus. One man came with a 2 year old little girl and asked us to please save a place for his little girl for in 10 years when she is old enough! It is really crazy! But we have narrowed the list to 9 children that we feel we need to take which makes us MORE than full (38 children). And we have recently learned that our boys home may be sold and so we will probably have to convert our garage to be the boys home. Our poor boys have had to more 3 times in the last two years. It is the problem with renting. So please pray for us. We really need a bigger place and really we need to buy land and build our own children’s home.

It is a blessing to have such a good reputation amongst the people in the mountains here. It is humbling and I know it has only been God who has done it. Everyone sees how fabulous our kids are and none of us feel like we can take credit for it. It was only God and His word that changed them and He lives in our little home here and so people are drawn to it though they don’t know why. We don’t have the best facility but we do love these children fiercely and would lay down our very lives to give them a better life. Children can feel something like that. God’s love. It is all any of us really need. Thank all of you who give and pray for us. We appreciate it so very much. You are doing a great thing here in the mountains of Thailand. I am attaching pictures from our outing to the mall and some pictures of the little ones being cute! God Bless you!!

Love,
Candace

PS: You can send a tax deductible donation to Rhema Missions PO Box 50126 Tulsa, OK 74150 Memo Rev Candace Smith 100% goes to the work in Thailand