About two weeks ago, we received a little boy and girl from the Government orphanage in Chiang Mai. The little boy is 11 months old and has been in the orphanage for 10 months prior to being at Agape and needs lots of prayers as he's struggling to adjust to how things are at Agape. He is such an adorable little boy but is a little insecure and always wants to be held. It's so hard to try and not hold him every time he cries, but it's so much better for him to know that we love him in other ways and that we want to give him lots of attention without him being held 24/7 than for him to feel he has to cry to get attention.
The little girl also is having a bit of a difficult time in adjusting. She's about 3 years old and is right about the age that most people start having memories that they carry into adult-hood so it's been a rough road for her so far. She has a wonderful laugh but doesn't bless us with it too often yet. Please just pray that she will feel safe at Agape and will see how much we all want the best for her so she knows that everyone here is very willing to love her for everything that she is!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
July Updates!
This month has been one of the busiest months that I've spent here at Agape. We had a volunteer go back home and gained two more within two weeks of each other! Camilla, from Denmark, and Carmen, originally from the Philippines but now living in the United States, were both new additions for us this month. Carmen was here for about two weeks while Camilla will be staying for a six month stint. Please keep them both in your prayers as Carmen will be traveling and Camilla will be the veteran volunteer after I come back home!
Apart from the new volunteers, we've had good news involving the houses that the older boys and girls will eventually be living in. Agape's founder, Avis, took a trip to the U.S. a little while back to raise money to finish the project and has finally raised enough to complete the houses! This is such a blessing because the kids will be able to live in a family like setting with a married couple to help take care of them. It's things like this that truly reinforce my belief that prayers truly are heard and answered! The kids will be moving in within the next month or so if everything goes according to plan; it's such an exciting time for everyone here!
Our newest addition to the Mother-Baby Unit also had her baby this month! A healthy little boy who is being taken care of by the Agape staff while his mother stays in the hospital. He is absolutely adorable! Most of you who know me well know that I am not a "baby person," but looking at this sweet little boy (who was only three days old when I got to see him) just made my heart swell with the knowledge of how incredibly precious life is.
Unfortunately for us, our twos and threes, along with a few of our infants have developed cases of pink-eye so we have to keep them isolated from the rest of the kids so it doesn't spread! Since we are a little short on help right now with only two volunteers (Carmen works with a different group since she's only here for two weeks), I've been helping with the sick kids and haven't gotten to interact with the others for about 5 or 6 days. Although, on my first day helping out one of our infants, Kattika (pronounced kah-tee-kah), needed changed and fed so taking care of her that day kind of fell to me. That's right, I was taking care of an infant. Shocking right? She was probably the best behaved infant I've ever seen so it was a cinch to take care of her.
Apart from a few of the kids being sick, it's been a pretty good month for the rest of us as far as health. The H1N1 (swine) flu has finally come to Thailand and just recently to Chiang Mai so when I go out, I have to wear a face mask as a precaution. We don't want any of the Agape kids to get sick! It's been blown a bit out of proportion, thanks to our wonderful friends in the media, but it's really not as bad as what some people make it out to be.
Lastly, I've gotten lots of questions as to when I'll be coming back state-side and it looks like I'll be coming home around the third full week in September. I don't have a fixed date just yet so if you have any comments or suggestions as to when you'd like me home, just let me know! It hardly feels like I've been here for this long already, but time has just gone by so fast. I'm finishing out my Thai lessons and actually have to rush to get the last few hours in before I head back home. Don't think I'll be fluent when I get back, I'll just know enough to get by. When I come back though, I'll definitely make sure I learn lots more!
Apart from the new volunteers, we've had good news involving the houses that the older boys and girls will eventually be living in. Agape's founder, Avis, took a trip to the U.S. a little while back to raise money to finish the project and has finally raised enough to complete the houses! This is such a blessing because the kids will be able to live in a family like setting with a married couple to help take care of them. It's things like this that truly reinforce my belief that prayers truly are heard and answered! The kids will be moving in within the next month or so if everything goes according to plan; it's such an exciting time for everyone here!
Our newest addition to the Mother-Baby Unit also had her baby this month! A healthy little boy who is being taken care of by the Agape staff while his mother stays in the hospital. He is absolutely adorable! Most of you who know me well know that I am not a "baby person," but looking at this sweet little boy (who was only three days old when I got to see him) just made my heart swell with the knowledge of how incredibly precious life is.
Unfortunately for us, our twos and threes, along with a few of our infants have developed cases of pink-eye so we have to keep them isolated from the rest of the kids so it doesn't spread! Since we are a little short on help right now with only two volunteers (Carmen works with a different group since she's only here for two weeks), I've been helping with the sick kids and haven't gotten to interact with the others for about 5 or 6 days. Although, on my first day helping out one of our infants, Kattika (pronounced kah-tee-kah), needed changed and fed so taking care of her that day kind of fell to me. That's right, I was taking care of an infant. Shocking right? She was probably the best behaved infant I've ever seen so it was a cinch to take care of her.
Apart from a few of the kids being sick, it's been a pretty good month for the rest of us as far as health. The H1N1 (swine) flu has finally come to Thailand and just recently to Chiang Mai so when I go out, I have to wear a face mask as a precaution. We don't want any of the Agape kids to get sick! It's been blown a bit out of proportion, thanks to our wonderful friends in the media, but it's really not as bad as what some people make it out to be.
Lastly, I've gotten lots of questions as to when I'll be coming back state-side and it looks like I'll be coming home around the third full week in September. I don't have a fixed date just yet so if you have any comments or suggestions as to when you'd like me home, just let me know! It hardly feels like I've been here for this long already, but time has just gone by so fast. I'm finishing out my Thai lessons and actually have to rush to get the last few hours in before I head back home. Don't think I'll be fluent when I get back, I'll just know enough to get by. When I come back though, I'll definitely make sure I learn lots more!
Prayer Requests
-Please keep the volunteers currently at Agape and the ones we will be receiving soon in your prayers! Living in a whole new country isn't easy and we need to help each other out as best as we can.
-We will be having one of our long-term volunteers going back home for a vacation in early September. Prayers for both her travels and our work at Agape without her would be greatly appreciated!
-As always, finances are a big concern! God always provides when we ask for it, so please keep up those prayers for me. I have faith that God will give me exactly what I need.
-Getting closer and closer to the end of my stay at Agape has made me a little more homesick than usual. Probably because I'm excited about seeing all my friends and family again! Please just keep me in your prayers that I'll be able to keep my focus set on the kids and not let my heart wander home before the rest of me does.
-The newest mother in the Mother Baby Unit at Agape needs a lot of prayer right now as well. She has a lot of things going on in her life that could really use the Lord's hands.
-We will be having one of our long-term volunteers going back home for a vacation in early September. Prayers for both her travels and our work at Agape without her would be greatly appreciated!
-As always, finances are a big concern! God always provides when we ask for it, so please keep up those prayers for me. I have faith that God will give me exactly what I need.
-Getting closer and closer to the end of my stay at Agape has made me a little more homesick than usual. Probably because I'm excited about seeing all my friends and family again! Please just keep me in your prayers that I'll be able to keep my focus set on the kids and not let my heart wander home before the rest of me does.
-The newest mother in the Mother Baby Unit at Agape needs a lot of prayer right now as well. She has a lot of things going on in her life that could really use the Lord's hands.
Getting to Know the Kids
Last month I talked about one of our nannies at Agape, so this month I'll get back to focusing on the kids I help take care of!
Siwanon (pronounced sea-wah-non) is one of the three year olds that I work with and has one of the largest personalities that I have ever encountered! He knows what he wants and is ok with telling you all about it. Most of the visitors we get will be greeted by this adorable little boy with a big hug around the knees and a beaming smile. It's always fun to watch him interact with new people as he has no problem introducing himself and then asking you to come play.
When coming into work at 6 a.m. I can pretty much count on him greeting me with a "Sawadee Khap" and so much energy that I'm instantly awake and ready for what the day will bring! He has recently begun the adoption process and will soon be making his way towards his new home. We're all so happy for him and excited about this new part of his life that is about to begin!
Another of our little boys, Narong (pronounced Nah-rhong), is in the fours and fives group that I work with. To be honest, he was the one that it was hardest for me to connect with in the beginning. He didn't stand out in the way that some of the others did and just seemed very quiet unless he was determined about doing something his own way. Fortunately, as I've learned more Thai and have been able to talk with him a lot better, I've grown to love him for all the ways that he isn't like the other kids.
When we get done with the showers at night and can just relax for a few minutes before sending the kids off to bed, he'll come over and snuggle in my lap. I can always tell when he's done something that he's really proud of because he'll come over to me and say, "Mae Alissa! Look at what I just did!" and he'll wear the biggest smile you've ever seen while you tell him how wonderful what he made/did was. I feel so blessed for knowing him and the way he always seems to have a joyful spirit.
When coming into work at 6 a.m. I can pretty much count on him greeting me with a "Sawadee Khap" and so much energy that I'm instantly awake and ready for what the day will bring! He has recently begun the adoption process and will soon be making his way towards his new home. We're all so happy for him and excited about this new part of his life that is about to begin!
Another of our little boys, Narong (pronounced Nah-rhong), is in the fours and fives group that I work with. To be honest, he was the one that it was hardest for me to connect with in the beginning. He didn't stand out in the way that some of the others did and just seemed very quiet unless he was determined about doing something his own way. Fortunately, as I've learned more Thai and have been able to talk with him a lot better, I've grown to love him for all the ways that he isn't like the other kids.
When we get done with the showers at night and can just relax for a few minutes before sending the kids off to bed, he'll come over and snuggle in my lap. I can always tell when he's done something that he's really proud of because he'll come over to me and say, "Mae Alissa! Look at what I just did!" and he'll wear the biggest smile you've ever seen while you tell him how wonderful what he made/did was. I feel so blessed for knowing him and the way he always seems to have a joyful spirit.
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