Operation Extreme Love, Pattaya, Thailand - Day 6, Saturday

Last day today! We are finishing off with my favourite; time to play and interact with some preschoolers....

This morning we had a great worship and prayer time, thanking God for all he has done this week and for the way in which He has included us in His projects. Afterwards, we heard from Malina, on the subject of Child trafficking. It is a tough subject, but sadly, it is something we have to know about. Child trafficking is on the increase in Asia, and it is an international problem. But there was something to celebrate in the telling too... the day before, Malina and Rose (our precious Cambodian interpreter and friend) had been involved, along with the police, in the rescuing of a little girl, aged about 9. And the ‘handler’ (the person who had bought and brought her to Pattaya) was caught as well. It was wonderful news, and something to celebrate in the midst of the heaviness of the topic. 

We then had free time to chat with friends and eat lunch. And at 13h00 our team set off with Malina for the Hand to Hand preschool, where we had an absolutely super afternoon. 

Our team with the staff of Hand to Hand

Hand to Hand is a wonderful ministry, serving slum families. One of Hand to Hand’s core values is to keep families together. To this end, they investigate the reasons why a family is struggling, and try to help. ‘Do you need food? Clothing? Work? School fees? Care for your children while you work? How can we help?’ In the two years this small organization had been running, they have done brilliant work, and the preschool centre is a lovely, happy place. The children, who would previously have been roaming the garbage dump, much like the children we visited in Siem Riep last week, learn the skills they need to give them a good start for school, and the job is done so well that the teachers regularly enquire where the child went to preschool. Hand to Hand applied for permission to place children in local schools on their scholarship fund; initially given government approval for 10 children, they now fund 60 children, and there are more coming. In addition, Hand to Hand runs the prison ministry we joined in with yesterday....

"He's got the whole world... in His hands...."

We arrived, thinking we were coming to help with the planned programme for the afternoon, only to discover that the staff thought WE had planned the afternoon’s activities! So Malina and I had to do some very fast thinking, and we decided to act out the story of Noah’s Ark with the children. I told the story, Sarah interpreted, all the adults were the ‘ark’ and the children got to be the animals going in two by tow. It was fun, in spite of being a bit noisy and chaotic at times! Afterwards we sang songs with the children, some in English and some in Thai. And then we helped serve their food and before we knew it, it was time to say ‘Goodbye!’ It was a lovely way to end what has been a rather shocking and at times emotionally difficult week. These are children of hope, children who are growing up safe from traffickers, children who stand to get a good education and to build a better future for their families. A door of hope....


In the evening we had a great closing session with Rod and Bart, and all the team members received prayer and words of encouragement, and then it was all over. Mission complete... and it really does feel that satisfying. Of course it is sad to say ‘Farewell’. I have a feeling a lot of us will see each other again though. 

Tomorrow we are going to a Thai church with one of the interpreters, Sarah. We get the feeling that we will be privileged guests of honour, and we have been asked to share a little bit about our time here in Pattaya. And after that she is taking us to a market so that we can do a bit of the typical tourist thing and shopping. By evening we will be in our resort hotel, for 2 days of rest and relaxation before Craig flies off to China on business, and I head off home. I am grateful for this little interlude. I think we are more tired that we realise, and not just physically. It has been well worth it all. There aren’t enough words to describe the calibre of the people with whom we have got to rub shoulders these last two weeks. Beautiful, dedicated, loving people both ‘on the ground’ and from abroad... what a team! And while I am on that subject... XP does these school/mission things exceptionally well.