The joy of a shared marble

'What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others...' Nelson Mandela

For most people who are not born into poverty it may be difficult to understand that people who have little are often more generous with the little that they have than those that have much.

My children have many friends from many different walks of life. They are missionary kids, growing up between worlds, even though they have Thai passports by birth. They have Thai friends who speak Thai, Thai friends who have been raised in English, friends from Australia, America, Canada and New Zealand. They are friends with the Burmese children in our area. However the children that they love to play with the most of all, are the Karen children who live in a small make-shift village on the border of Thailand and Burma.

Why do they like to play with those children the most? Their lives are so uncluttered. I would like to use the word uncomplicated but with the complex issues that they face growing up in extreme poverty and without citizenship in any country,  that simply isn't true. What I mean by uncluttered is that they have so little 'stuff'. There are few possessions to be had, and what they have, they share without a second thought. No parents have to come and intervene to make them share. It is their natural inclination.

This is not something that is behavior that has been taught, but rather an attitude that has been learned from the way that they see their parents interact with others. Everything is shared. As poor as they are and as little access as they have to whatever it is that they may need, they are always thinking of others. Just last weekend when we were in the village, a friend from Bangkok brought some second hand clothes for the villagers. The response of one of the leaders in the village was: "Next time you come, don't forget to bring more winter clothes. We know some people who live on the Burmese side of the border who live in the forest. It is very cold in the winter and they have nothing to wear." I had to ask myself, if I struggled to get by every day, would my attitude have been to think about someone else in need?

In the past few months we have spent a lot of time out at the Karen village with teams of volunteers. In all that we have given, and all that the teams have done, I am never convinced that we are the givers and not in fact the receivers in this relationship. For all that we teach and all that we do, I think each one of our volunteers, including our own family, learns and receives one hundred times more. I know that for my children, countless life lessons have been learned playing in the dust and climbing the trees together with their Karen friends. Probably one of the greatest is this:

One marble shared among many friends can bring more joy than a room full of toys kept to oneself.

My Karen friends have made a difference in my life. How much money you have is not the limiting factor on the difference that you can make to the world. Share what you have been given and the joy will be shared.

The strength to start again

Thongdee, Ae, Saoda and K

“I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.” F. Scott Fiztgerald

What does it look like to have the strength to start again? It takes courage. It takes strength. However, without someone cheering you on from the sidelines, it can be a very lonely journey.

The four people in the picture above have each begun to start again. In fact they have been on this journey for some time now. One of them is a very talented musician that was living a life that he was not so proud of, 2 of them were just recently released from prison, and one of them lived a large part of his life as a refugee. 

Life if full of circumstances that make it difficult to stand up when we make a mistake. When someone makes the decision to stand up and start again, we want to be cheering them on. Thongdee, Ae, Saoda and K are on a journey of redemption together - their stories, although  somewhat different, have a common denominator - each one of them believes that God has called them to serve Him in some way or another.

Together they left Ratchaburi at the beginning of June 2014 to attend a 6 month Discipleship Training School with YWAM Ubon Ratchathani in the north east of Thailand. They are desiring to learn more about God's plans for them. They are desiring to continue on in this journey to live a life that not only they are proud of, but that the Heavenly Father is pleased with.

Each one of the four need to raise US$1000 for the 6 month Discipleship Training School that they are involved in. We are here to cheer them on in their journey, but we need others who are willing to stand up with us and cheer them on from near or from far. We need people to join us in prayer for them. We need people to help them to cover a small amount of the fees of a 6 month experience that to them, is invaluable. 

We believe that God will use ordinary people who at some point in their lives have had to start again, just like the four of them. We believe that as people are willing to stand up with us and cheer for people like these four individuals, that they will have the strength that they need each day, through the encouragement that they receive. If you would like to contribute you can do so here.
(Please make sure that you state in the note that it is for: YWAM Ratchaburi DTS students).

We also believe that God will use the stories of these four people to encourage others to stand up and make a change in their lives. If that is you, be encouraged - and may you have a team of people cheering you on as you continue to try and rewrite your story with God. If you know someone who is trying to gain the courage and strength to stand up and make a change - why not let them know that you are cheering for them. 

Dreaming beyond the rainbow

‘Every child has the right to a good education. Every child has the right to an education that develops his or her personality, talents and abilities to their fullest; an education that prepares him or her for an active adult life; an education that fosters respect for his or her own family, cultural identity, language, country, and the natural environment; and an education in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance and equality.’ (The United Nations Convention on the rights of the child, simplified version: article 28 and 29).

 According to the United Nations this is something that should be the right of every child – until they are 18 years old. However, we have met many children that have been denied that right for various reasons. As we have gotten to know the Burmese children that live in our area in Thailand, we have learned so much about the plight that they face. Most never study beyond 6^th Grade. Once they are not in school, they usually begin working in construction. Six years ago, we began to fight for the right to an education for 2 young ladies – we fought for them, not only for them, but for their entire community. They were to be the first, but certainly not the last. They were to be the example of what every child in their community should have the right to.

Wanlee and Tuway, six years ago had reached the end of their 6^th grade year at school. They confided in us that they desired to attend high school. Nobody in their entire community had ever attended high school. Did they have the right to attend school as Burmese migrants in Thailand? Although it is not without challenges, it is possible.  The right to an education was being withheld not by the Thai government, but rather by their own community. It was their own family - who did not understand the desires that these girls had to continue their education. It was their own parents who because of the extreme poverty that they were faced with would rather have had their daughters find a job at the age of 12, than continue their education. To some in the developed world, this story may seem unreal. However, Wanlee and Tuway’s story was not unique. In fact in the developing world, it is an all too common story of how extreme poverty takes away your right to choose your own future – all when you are only 12 years old.

What is unique about Wanlee and Tuway is their desire and exceptional courage to fight for their dreams. When they approached their parents with us to ask if they would be allowed to attend high school, we knew that it was the beginning of a difficult journey for them. Amazingly, their parents agreed to allow them to begin 7^th grade – and each year they agreed to allow them to continue on. There were times when there were threats of sending them back to work in Myanmar. We stood strong with them and cried many tears with them each time that their parents threatened to not allow them to continue what they had started.

In February 2014, Wanlee and Tuway graduated from high school. We are so proud of them and feel privileged to have walked this journey with them so far. However, the journey is not yet done. From the start, we have encouraged them to dream bigger. Last week, they left Ratchaburi to attend university in Bangkok. What seemed like a dream that was way beyond the rainbow for two young girls six years ago is finally becoming a reality. There is much work ahead and there are many struggles still to come – but Wanlee and Tuway have already beaten the odds in their own community. When Wanlee and Tuway were 12 years old, they dreamed dreams of having the right to an education. We hope that they will be the future advocates for the next generation. That when the time comes, they will stand up and speak for those who do not yet have a voice in their community.

Wanlee and Tuway would not be where they are today had it not been for the people that have encouraged, prayed for and helped to support them over the years. If you are one of those people – thank you for the part that you have played. To some, it may appear that two lives have been changed –  but we know that it is the beginning of so much more, for so many more children like them.

If you would like to send an encouraging note to Wanlee and Tuway, or if you would like to help support them in their dreams in some small way – please contact us: ratchaburi@ywamthai.org

‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy’.Proverbs 31:8-9