Itsara

Wednesday’s post made me want to be more encouraging, and I do have an encouraging story to tell, even though it’s not mine. The other day, one of the volunteer couples here at Im Jai was sharing about their own struggles. I’m not sure of the details, but their church is going to support them less, or possibly not at all. The couple said that their church discussed it and has decided to focus their support on South America rather than Asia. Needless to say, the couple is worried.

One day, the wife of this couple was taking an evening walk with Tea. Tea is one of three boys that has joined Im Jai since we arrived. He is from Ladda’s village, actually. I don’t know what happened to his parents, but for his extended family in the village Tea was unwanted, unloved, and beaten frequently. Ladda was sad for him because when they came to pick him up, he was happy to get in the truck with people he had never met, if only because it could hardly be worse than what he had.

Anyway, this same boy surprised the wife of this couple when he looked up at the sky and said, “Auntie,* ever since I came to Im Jai, I know God is with me. Like when I look at the moon, it follows me wherever I go. And when I stop walking, the moon stops too. So I know God’s with me wherever I go.”

Of course I’m sure there’s a significant gap between what he told her in Thai, and what I’m telling you now in English, but the meaning is the same. When did I stop thinking like that? More importantly, why did I stop thinking like that?

*In Thai culture, older women are generally referred to as Auntie.