The Stories
Today should rank as one of the most amazing days of my life. The last trip to the Freedom House Orphanage, back in September, was amazing, but both short and packed with responsibilities. This time around, we have had more time, and I have had a chance to really interact with these kids. Though you perhaps will not understand the depth to which I mean this, these children are amazing.
I first noticed this young lady yesterday, mostly because the brightness of her smile stood out from the pack. I found out today that she is the one that our doctor suspects has skin cancer.
Though he is not positive yet, the suspected melanoma is right on her spine, growing out of some scar tissue from an old injury. The location could make it very difficult to correct.
Heartbroken isn’t quite the right word for the emotion that I feel; somehow it seems too trite. Will you pray for her?
This is Beth, a young lady who was born in Karen State and has moved around a lot in her short life. She found it hilarious when I hit my head on the low ceiling yesterday, so that and the fact that she speaks excellent English meant that I got to pick on her today. After a little persuasion, she told us her story.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen such hope bound up in such tragedy. She told us of how her father died in Burma of a fever, and how she has all but been abandoned by the rest of her family–and yet, has found a very real faith in Christ. It did not take any persuasion at all for her to share the excitement she has for her faith, or the joy she found in her baptism. As she looks to the future, she is faced with the prospect of imminent resettlement, moving to California.
I can’t even imagine moving from a refugee camp to Bangkok, much less an entirely new country, culture, and language. Beth is one of many facing this exciting–but almost incomprehensible–change. Please, please, pray for them.
Our ministry time here is only half over. So much more to come–and updates on Ambassadors.
