Our Thai Daughters
Our girls doing some baking
In 2022, I began volunteering at a school in a nearby slum area. The school works to break the cycle of poverty by providing students the opportunity to graduate with a U.S. diploma through the ACE curriculum. The students learn English, which opens doors to higher-paying jobs and even the possibility of university scholarships. They are also taught about the Gospel and life skills such as cooking, swimming, and healthy family development. All of the students have experienced multiple instances of trauma due to chronic environmental stressors which impact their learning.
After speaking with the school director about the need for support with their most impacted students, and considering my background in special education, I began volunteering twice a week. I worked in small groups with students who needed more one-on-one intervention.
That same year, the school began the process of raising funds and navigating the bureaucracy required to open a safe house for girls in especially dangerous situations. Before the building could be purchased, an emergency situation arose involving the safety of two sisters. Our family discussed the possibility of bringing them into our home temporarily until the safe house was ready. What was initially planned as a two-week stay turned into six months.
Even after they moved into the safe house, we consider them a permanent part of our family. They do not have anyone else to care for them outside of those connected to the school and our family. When we told them that God was leading us to move, it was a tearful evening. The 13-year-old said, “You have always been a light in the darkness. Even when we aren’t with you, we know you are there. Now you will be gone.”
We have assured them that we want to remain part of their lives. We hope to bring them to America someday, but in the meantime, we will stay in close contact, checking in regularly. If they ever need us, we will find a way to be there. However, they have experienced abandonment from many people in their lives, including their parents and extended family, and we do not want them to feel that we are doing the same. Please pray that they will feel comforted and that we will be able to maintain our relationship with them.
As we prayed about moving, the hardest part for me was leaving these girls and the work at the school. They are an incredible group of people, and we are leaving a significant part of our hearts with them. Please pray that God will continue to provide for their needs—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.