A Home More Than an Orphanage

Reared and educated as an Anglican, I've felt conflicted about organised religion for many years because, as a glass-half-empty person, I usually associate the idea with sowing division, promulgating guilt, and forcing belief systems on others. But visiting House of Mercy in Khon Kaen, which was founded by pastors from an Assemblies of God church, reminded me of the lessons that Jesus and His spiritual colleagues have tried to teach us, the lessons that frequently have been warped and twisted beyond recognition by many people who claim to be spreading His/Their word, yet are doing quite the opposite.

But as much as Jesus weeps every time, say, a self-proclaimed "Christian" parent rejects his child for coming out, I suspect He grins whenever contemplating this little orphanage. This is what He was talking about. The loving atmosphere at House of Mercy enveloped us as soon as we walked through the gate into the garden. The 39 children -- orphans who not only lost their mothers to HIV/AIDS (their fathers usually have never been around at all), but also live with the disease themselves -- are blooming with affection and cheekiness like any kids their age. This place is a home, not an institution.

A Kiwi woman named Angela Reynolds leads a staff of Thai locals and volunteers from Oz and New Zealand. A volunteer herself, Angela calls her past several years of helping the children a "life-changing experience". The loving efforts of Angela and her team are changing, improving, I daresay extending the lives of these precious children. I saw one Thai carer gently rubbing a salve into a tiny girl's scalp, then tenderly comb her hair. Angela was like a human trellis, considering how often kids would wander over and ask to be picked up for a cuddle. It's not all hugs, though: Angela acknowledges that the teenagers can be quite a handful -- a universal condition, one that I'll be dealing with in about five more years!

HIV/AIDS still carries an ugly stigma in Thailand. Some locals, however, drop off donations at the gate but are too afraid to enter due to prevailing ignorance about how HIV/AIDS actually spreads. Apparently many Thais believe that these children were born with the disease as karma for bad things they did in a previous life; if they suffer valiantly this time round, maybe they will come back in their next life as, say, children without the virus. I see it as a raw deal, an example of the frightening randomness of human existence.

Unfortunately I had to cut this trip short because I came down with some weird sore throat/fever thing. We spent our first late afternoon, after driving down, with the kids and then had dinner at the Kiwi Cafe with Angela and Ros's friend Dr Thom, a women's cancer specialist from Khon Kaen University. By then, my throat was killing me, but I told myself that all I needed was a good night's sleep to feel fit as a fiddle for the next morning's art workshop with the kids. The next morning, however, I could barely get out of bed. I decided to fly back that afternoon because the prospect of spending all day in bed and then driving back the next day (we'd planned on sidetrips as well, during which I would have languished in the van in misery) seemed ghastly indeed.

Leaving early, without getting to bat around the balloon again with spritely Pam, or letting Oi chat with Pedro again on my mobile, and without learning more Thai from assertive little Som-O, wasn't such a terrible wrench because we're going back in December during the Annual Walter Familiy Exodus to Isaan. I can't wait to see the children again and to introduce my two to the gang. Already I can picture Nathan and Alec, totally intimidated by the unknown situation, finding themselves gradually letting down their guard and before they know it, having such a blast with their new friends that they won't want to leave when it's time. I didn't collect for this trip (but my Aussie friend Alisen did pass me two huge bags of goods, so I made sure the ANZWG ladies knew they were Alisen's donations, not mine), but I will for the December visit.

We are definitely signing up to sponsor at least one child. Each child needs about five sponsors, due to the high costs of HIV/AIDS care, but most of House of Mercy's orphans aren't fully sponsored yet. I can vouch after looking around, talking with the volunteers, and most importantly, observing the children's thriving behaviour, that sponsoring a child through House of Mercy will bring joy and good health to a deserving little someone. Please check out their website if you're interested.

While we're on the topic of sponsoring and philanthropy, my friend Teresa in Oregon is fewer than 100 days away from her journey to Vietnam and Thailand. This intrepid single mum and her two kids will be helping orphans in both countries. I admire Teresa's vision and her commitment to bringing up her children as humane citizens of the world. Somehow she manages to run the household, pursue her own university studies, host international exchange students, AND plan for the Big Trip East. Hats off to Teresa -- I can't wait to welcome her to the Land of Smiles!

Comments

[teresa]

Ah, thanks for the kudos, Lyle. We're down to 9 weeks until departure to SE Asia. So much to do. How did we accumulate so much that we needed to get rid of?!

It sounds like it was a great orphanage and I agree with you whole-heartedly on the Christian aspect of it all. It's good to see an group that practices what it preaches.

[whitney]

hi, i would really like to sponsor this boy Art thats at the house of mercy, i went there in april as part of a school mission, only im having trouble locating their site- any info would be appreciated

[karam]

hi,
i am a high school student in bangkok and i am interested to do some service in the local thai community. i was thinking of providing first aid for orphanages and things like that. I want to go study medicine in college and i want to give back to the community starting today. can anyone help me out? thanks
Karam

[expatudon08]

a usefull and informative blog great work guys i will try and read all your posts
regards john and noi