At the end of Oct we visited Hoay Maw with Tore from the Norwegian Charity Open Hands. We were joined by our friends from Mae Sai, Thomas and Esther. Esther helped us translate.

House Parents

During the month we had heard that the couple who have been working as house parents had decided to move. We were concerned that Paul and Rattanaporn would be overburdened just at a time when they have a new baby. We found that they were coping well. We discussed finding new staff.

We have found in another children's home that we are involved with, that it is very difficult to appoint staff to the role of house-parents. We have come to feel that the best Mother and Father figures for the children are in fact the family who started and run the home. In that respect, Pastor Joseph and his wife, his son Paul and daughter-in-law Rattanaporn provide a good "family role model" for the children and also have a true "Mother" and "Father" heart for the children. We have therefore recommended that they don't necessarily look for another married couple. The priority will also be to have a heart for God and a heart to care for the children rather than Bible School qualifications. We have also recommended that new staff are taken on a trial basis first. We are praying for the right people.

Fish Pond

It was great to see that the fish are growing fast and the children are already eating some. They have constructed a shade to protect the fish from the strong direct sun.

Wheels

Tore from Open Hands had the opportunity to ask about the needs at the home. We discussed that next year, about 10 of the children will be moving on to High School and will need transport to another village. The only vehicle that they have access to is Pastor Joseph's own truck. He is often away and so it becomes difficult to transport food from the market or eggs and mushrooms to the market to sell. We realised that whereas in the past, purchasing a vehicle would have been out of reach in terms of funds, that for the first time, we do have access to some funds for capital investment. A 10 year old, 2 door pick-up with a cover and bench seats in the back would cost about £4,000. Tore voiced the question, "If Open Hands were to raise half of the money, could you raise the other half?". That was exactly our thought. Having a vehicle would help them be more effective in transporting goods to sell at the market and that increased business would contribute towards the maintenance and running costs.

Christmas is Coming

Tore also asked about a suitable Christmas present for the children. Paul and Rattanaporn suggested warm hoodies for the winter. We will soon be giving more information about how you can get involved at Christmas.