I think the best times I had on the mission field is when I'm with my kids. The streetkids.
A bunch of unpretentious and terribly unrefined children !
Few days back, some kids came over to help us paint the office. We had such a wild time painting the shutters while chatting about almost everything under the sun. Suddenly they came to the issue of marriage. Now, these kids are 12-14 and they were already discussing about the kind of husbands they want!
Suddenly Nee (a streetkid) looks at me and asked "Pii Eugene, I reserve your oldest son ya ?"
Before i could reply, Jong (another streetkid) quickly chirped in ... "I'll book the second son !"
Naam (The newest streetkid) looks obviously dismayed, decided that something was better than nothing. She said "ok then... I'll take whatever that's left !"
About Me
- Eugene Wee
- Join us as we embark on this journey of faith. Journey with us by praying alongside & supporting us every step of the way. May this journal and our lives be a testament of God's love in a hurting world.
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Monday 28 March 2011
Excerpt From Bangkok Post 29 Mar 2011
Wild weather grips the nation
Temperatures plunge, storms wreak havoc
Thailand is expected to experience more unseasonal weather patterns this week causing more floods, rough seas, storms and cold temperatures, meteorology officials warn.
A crocodile is captured by zoo workers yesterday at Suan Somdej Phra Sri Nakharin Park, where Nakhon Si Thammarat municipality’s zoo is located. It was one of 11 crocodiles that escaped the flooded zoo. Zoo staff shot dead one crocodile and caught three others. Seven remain at large. Two bears also escaped. NUCHAREE RAKRUNHeavy downpours and turbulent seas have caused flash floods in at least six southern provinces, disrupting land, sea and air travel and causing devastating damage to farmland and property in many areas.
Local and foreign high-season tourists were caught off-guard by heavy rainstorms while celebrating their summer holidays in popular southern tourist provinces.
Thousands of tourists were stranded on Koh Samui after bad weather forced the closure of the island's only airport and the suspension of the ferry service to and from the mainland yesterday.
Airline personnel were unable to provide exact departure periods for those stranded as bad weather continued into the night.
Roads in the densely populated tourist areas of Chaweng and the fishermen's village of Bophut are submerged under nearly a metre of flood water.
Compounding problems for international travellers are fully booked flights from Koh Samui because it is still the busy tourist season on the island. Bangkok Airways personnel said they will give priority to passengers with international connections if weather conditions improve tomorrow.
Several hundred more tourists were also reportedly stranded on islands at Similan National Marine Park in the Andaman Sea because of the turbulent weather.
At least eight people have died - seven in Nakhon Si Thammarat and one in Phatthalung - while more than 268,000 households have been affected by severe floods covering Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Trang, Surat Thani, Chumphon and Songkhla.
But in other parts of the country, 47 provinces, particularly in the north and northeastern regions, have been declared as drought-affected areas with more than seven million people affected.
Weather officials said yesterday they could not say why the high pressure wedge has continued to prevail from China.
"If the influence of the high pressure remains strong, we will see more and more rain in the South," Weather Prediction Division chief Charoon Laohalertchai said.
He said the unusually heavy rainfall in the southern provinces was likely to be a result of the La Nina phenomenon.
The amount of rainfall in Nakhon Si Thammarat during the past week was higher than the province's year-long average of 200mm. In some places of the province, the amount of rain was more than 600mm in five days, which is higher than the average annual rainfall in the central region.
"We expect to see a declining amount of rain by the end of this month, together with a declining influence of La Nina by the middle of this year," Mr Charoon said. However, he said the increasing temperature in the Andaman Sea was an important factor that might lead to more rainstorms in May and June over Phuket and other provinces along the west coast.
The Meteorological Department predicted yesterday the temperature in north, northern, eastern and central provinces, including Bangkok and nearby cities would decrease by three to five degrees Celsius from today.
Residents living in several provinces in the lower Northeast have experienced a sharp drop in temperatures during this summer season.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, a cold spell gripped the province yesterday with Pak Chong district experiencing the lowest temperature at 16.1C.
The temperature dropped to 12C at Phu Rua district in Loei and 5.5C at the top of Phu Rua national park.
In the North, cold spells have also gripped the region, with the temperature on Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, measured at 7.8C yesterday.In lowland areas, average temperatures were between 18C to 23C.
Admission & Summer Camp For STREETKIDS!
This is a picture of the second STREETKIDS! rehabilitation shelter in Chiang Mai !
We have been planning for almost 2 years for the older streetkids to shift to Chiang Mai to have access to better education. For 6 months, we searched for an affordable place to put these kids up, but to no avail. Most medium sized homes which can house 10 kids would cost around 25,000bht (SGD1,000) to rent, something that we can't afford at this point in time.
We contemplated all options, even the option of renting a warehouse, but it was still too expensive. On the last day of our search, we saw a little advert of a house going for 15,000bht and we quickly made an appointment to view. The house was beautiful and it had 4rooms + 5 toilets. Perfect for the streetkids !
For a house like this, the price was unbelievable and more than that the owners were the most amazing people we've met ! But this joy was short lived, the error was soon realised. The owner made made a typo on the ad and posted wrongly, he was looking at renting the home for no less than 25,000bht.
The lovely couple knew we had a tight budget and they saw the importance of our work with street children. After a long discussion, the couple decided that they will honor the ad so they can be a blessing to our work !
We drafted the contract to start renting in Apr, however the couple told us that if we needed to come in to stay earlier, we can do so at no charge !
Here is the picture of our new home & the kids all dressed up to apply for admission !
This is the first time in the kid's lives that they are studying and living outside the village. They were visibly nervous, knowing that standards are higher in Chiang Mai but it was an opportunity for a lifetime
The kids filling up their personal particulars for admission. Their very first step to a whole new world of opportunities and hope.
STREETKIDS at Sanpasak School admission. The top school in the district.
Thursday 24 March 2011
Two 7.0- Magintude Earthquake Strikes Burma - Affecting Chiang Mai
Two 7.0-magnitude earthquake strike Burma
The Associated Press
Date: Thursday Mar. 24, 2011 10:41 AM ET
Rangoon, BURMA — Two strong earthquakes struck northeastern Burma less than a minute apart Thursday night. They could be felt as far away as Bangkok, but a tsunami was not generated.
The first 7.0-magnitude quake was just 10 kilometres) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was followed by another of the same strength but far deeper: 230 kilometres).
The quakes struck along Burma's borders with Thailand and Laos, about 110 kilometres) from the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai.
Buildings swayed in Bangkok, 500 miles (800 kilometres) south of the epicentre.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says it was located too far inland to create a destructive wave.
The first 7.0-magnitude quake was just 10 kilometres) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was followed by another of the same strength but far deeper: 230 kilometres).
The quakes struck along Burma's borders with Thailand and Laos, about 110 kilometres) from the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai.
Buildings swayed in Bangkok, 500 miles (800 kilometres) south of the epicentre.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says it was located too far inland to create a destructive wave.
A New Life Begins
Time sure flies. Tomorrow 11 kids from the Village STREETKIDS programme will be moving over to our new centre in Chiang Mai. This move had been in the pipeline for more than 2 years and this year we have enough support to make it happen.
You see, this shift is more than just a change of environment. Its giving these children a credible shot to break away from poverty. In a child's life, the teenage years from 11 to 16 years of age is known to be one of the most important for a child's development. For these Hmong village children, its even more significant. Why ? Its not just about puberty & growing up, when village youth reach these age, they get ready to set up their own families and most drop out of school before they are 16, plunging back into a cycle of poverty & drug abuse.
Stage 2 rehabilitation gives these children not only a fighting chance in life, but an environment to excel in their education.
We have worked with these children for 3 years, planned for this transition for 2 years and tomorrow, their journey begins. Years of being despised, tragic family backgrounds, mistakes in life and tomorrow they are ready to change all that !
Join me to pray for these kids !
You see, this shift is more than just a change of environment. Its giving these children a credible shot to break away from poverty. In a child's life, the teenage years from 11 to 16 years of age is known to be one of the most important for a child's development. For these Hmong village children, its even more significant. Why ? Its not just about puberty & growing up, when village youth reach these age, they get ready to set up their own families and most drop out of school before they are 16, plunging back into a cycle of poverty & drug abuse.
Stage 2 rehabilitation gives these children not only a fighting chance in life, but an environment to excel in their education.
We have worked with these children for 3 years, planned for this transition for 2 years and tomorrow, their journey begins. Years of being despised, tragic family backgrounds, mistakes in life and tomorrow they are ready to change all that !
Join me to pray for these kids !
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Diary : Season Of Rebuilding
For those who are familiar with RADION operations, do bear with us. Allow me to give some background to our newer readers.
For more than 6 months, we have been working with Huay Nam Khao church to help them with fundraising, services and simple management. The church was about to fall apart with termite infested pillars, the only good part left, was the roof ! We did what we could and the church rallied alongside our call to rebuild the church.
Initially we expected the rebuilding to take at least 2-3 weeks. But in a turn of events, heavy rains came and construction workers could not work on other open air building projects and thus they all came to work on the only project that had a roof- the church !
The whole church was rebuilt in 3 days and this is how it looks like.
While the church was being rebuilt, RADION was not so fortunate. The heavy rains brought along with it strong winds that left dining area in the STREETKIDS! shelter badly damaged and the whole structure was left in an incline. Pillars were cracking and it could give way anytime.
All we could do was to tie the structure to a tree, hoping to keep it from falling.
After service last sunday, we told Huay Nam Khao church of our needs and they volunteered to come help us rebuild. We initially thought that the church would send 5-6 people, instead almost the ENTIRE church turned up, bringing their wives and children to help out.
It was like a community event. Within less then a day the old structure was torn down, a new structure was put up. Here are some pictures.
What a day !
For more than 6 months, we have been working with Huay Nam Khao church to help them with fundraising, services and simple management. The church was about to fall apart with termite infested pillars, the only good part left, was the roof ! We did what we could and the church rallied alongside our call to rebuild the church.
Termite infested columns and pillars
The whole church was rebuilt in 3 days and this is how it looks like.
An old church given a new lease of life
While the church was being rebuilt, RADION was not so fortunate. The heavy rains brought along with it strong winds that left dining area in the STREETKIDS! shelter badly damaged and the whole structure was left in an incline. Pillars were cracking and it could give way anytime.
All we could do was to tie the structure to a tree, hoping to keep it from falling.
It was like a community event. Within less then a day the old structure was torn down, a new structure was put up. Here are some pictures.
Manual piling.
Getting the structure up.
The beams & men working on the project
The completed work.
What a day !
Finding David : Chapter 10 : In Exactly 3 More Days
In exactly 3 days, we will be opening our second STK shelter in Chiang Mai. We have planned for this for almost 2 years now and now when its just 3 days away, half of me is reluctant to leave. Furthermore David hasn't returned.
Just yesterday we sent a message to David telling him that we'll be leaving for Chiang Mai in 3 days, and if he still wants a chance on the programme, he needs to let us know. When we relayed the message to his granny, the granny was visibly grieved. She knew we loved the boy but she told us that the problem with David was that he was very attached to the gang. He is out so frequently that even though he has been back in the village for a while, he hardly returns home.
I guess in 3 days, we will know his decision.
Whichever way this episode turns out, I want to thank all of our supporters for keeping us in prayers, especially David. STREETKIDS work is never easy and more often than not, its heartbreaking. But without your support, we would not have made it thus far.
Just yesterday we sent a message to David telling him that we'll be leaving for Chiang Mai in 3 days, and if he still wants a chance on the programme, he needs to let us know. When we relayed the message to his granny, the granny was visibly grieved. She knew we loved the boy but she told us that the problem with David was that he was very attached to the gang. He is out so frequently that even though he has been back in the village for a while, he hardly returns home.
I guess in 3 days, we will know his decision.
Whichever way this episode turns out, I want to thank all of our supporters for keeping us in prayers, especially David. STREETKIDS work is never easy and more often than not, its heartbreaking. But without your support, we would not have made it thus far.
Sunday 20 March 2011
History : Chapter 4 : So What Do We Do ?
2008 was a terrible year. 8400 Hmong refugeewere earmarked to be deported back to Laos, and the worst part ? We could not get in the camp to even see them through this very painful last lap. Each day, things got worse, refugees got so desperate that they threatened suicide should they be deported. That was really how desperate they were.
We wanted to be there for them in this painful period but it was up to the military who guarded the camp. My staff would ride 20km into the refugee camp every other week to negotiate for entry permits, but each time she came back discouraged and rejected.
There was nothing more we could do physically.
We prayed to the point of tears, our eyes were red and swollen. It is difficult to express in words what it felt like. Family members started to call us to come home, friends told us to quit. Even pastors discouraged us from continuing. Before long, donation streams started drying up, people slowly withdraw their support. Looking at the signs, everything was pointing towards one direction- pack our bags and come back to Singapore.
We struggled with God. What are we supposed to do ? First God calls us up to do this, and now the door is shut, no more money, no more support. What does God want us to do ?
But there was just this faint little voice inside that tells us not to give up.
The finances were drying up and we knew that to keep ourselves afloat we had to do something ! So we did one of the craziest things. We took some money, went to buy 3 used & trashed up PCs & 1 printer and started an internet cafe. That was all we could afford at that time. And that was the birth of RADION's very first business in the village.
Operating an Internet cafe wasn't difficult. It was keeping spirits high that was immensely difficult. We still could not see God's plan, but we just hung there, waiting for God to open the door to the refugee camp, but He opened another door !
We wanted to be there for them in this painful period but it was up to the military who guarded the camp. My staff would ride 20km into the refugee camp every other week to negotiate for entry permits, but each time she came back discouraged and rejected.
There was nothing more we could do physically.
We prayed to the point of tears, our eyes were red and swollen. It is difficult to express in words what it felt like. Family members started to call us to come home, friends told us to quit. Even pastors discouraged us from continuing. Before long, donation streams started drying up, people slowly withdraw their support. Looking at the signs, everything was pointing towards one direction- pack our bags and come back to Singapore.
We struggled with God. What are we supposed to do ? First God calls us up to do this, and now the door is shut, no more money, no more support. What does God want us to do ?
But there was just this faint little voice inside that tells us not to give up.
The finances were drying up and we knew that to keep ourselves afloat we had to do something ! So we did one of the craziest things. We took some money, went to buy 3 used & trashed up PCs & 1 printer and started an internet cafe. That was all we could afford at that time. And that was the birth of RADION's very first business in the village.
Operating an Internet cafe wasn't difficult. It was keeping spirits high that was immensely difficult. We still could not see God's plan, but we just hung there, waiting for God to open the door to the refugee camp, but He opened another door !
Thursday 17 March 2011
Extract : Sharp drop in temperatures felt nationwide as mercury plummets
Sharp drop in temperatures felt nationwide as mercury plummets
By Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation
The sharp drop in temperatures over the past few days makes it seem as if winter has returned to Thailand.
The mercury plummeted to between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius in Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces, while the temperature on Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, plunged to just 3.4 degrees yesterday.
Meteorological Department acting chief Somchai Baimuang said yesterday that the drop in temperatures had stemmed from an intensely high-pressure ridge, which was now hovering over Thailand.
"Never before in my working life have the temperatures dropped as much as 10 degrees in a single day. Never before have I experienced a winter in the summer," he said.
The cold weather has become a hot topic on Web boards and social-networking websites. One user posted: "I took a motorcycle to work this morning and, while going down Sathorn Road, I thought this must be the coldest day in the decade." Another said: "It was extremely hot last weekend. Then, we had heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday … and now it's so cold … this reminds me of the movie '2012'."
Meanwhile, a two-metre high wave hit Chon Buri province on Wednesday night, completely destroying five houses and sinking 10 boats.
"I've never seen a wave this high before. It was up to two-metres high," fisherman Muen Jitkawan said, adding that his fellow fishermen were talking about the possibility of a tsunami hitting Pattaya.
In Surat Thani, rough waves also sank about 10 boats, but there were no casualties. The sea was too hostile for ferries to Koh Pha-ngan.
"The waves are much stronger than last year, and small fishing trawlers should not venture out," Surat Thani Governor Thirayut Iamtrakoon said.
The Meteorological Department has predicted strong waves in the Gulf of Thailand, and is advising all ships to proceed with caution and small boats to stay anchored until Saturday.
Meanwhile, Somchai said the drop in temperatures had nothing to do with the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
A senior meteorologist said yesterday that this cold weather was unusual and caused by ocean winds from the West that were encountering cool winds from China, which made the cold last longer and brought on rains.
Anont Sanitwong na Ayutthaya, director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, said the weather would be unpredictable due to changes in the |wind's direction |and sea currents.
By Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation
The sharp drop in temperatures over the past few days makes it seem as if winter has returned to Thailand.
The mercury plummeted to between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius in Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces, while the temperature on Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, plunged to just 3.4 degrees yesterday.
Meteorological Department acting chief Somchai Baimuang said yesterday that the drop in temperatures had stemmed from an intensely high-pressure ridge, which was now hovering over Thailand.
"Never before in my working life have the temperatures dropped as much as 10 degrees in a single day. Never before have I experienced a winter in the summer," he said.
The cold weather has become a hot topic on Web boards and social-networking websites. One user posted: "I took a motorcycle to work this morning and, while going down Sathorn Road, I thought this must be the coldest day in the decade." Another said: "It was extremely hot last weekend. Then, we had heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday … and now it's so cold … this reminds me of the movie '2012'."
Meanwhile, a two-metre high wave hit Chon Buri province on Wednesday night, completely destroying five houses and sinking 10 boats.
"I've never seen a wave this high before. It was up to two-metres high," fisherman Muen Jitkawan said, adding that his fellow fishermen were talking about the possibility of a tsunami hitting Pattaya.
In Surat Thani, rough waves also sank about 10 boats, but there were no casualties. The sea was too hostile for ferries to Koh Pha-ngan.
"The waves are much stronger than last year, and small fishing trawlers should not venture out," Surat Thani Governor Thirayut Iamtrakoon said.
The Meteorological Department has predicted strong waves in the Gulf of Thailand, and is advising all ships to proceed with caution and small boats to stay anchored until Saturday.
Meanwhile, Somchai said the drop in temperatures had nothing to do with the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
A senior meteorologist said yesterday that this cold weather was unusual and caused by ocean winds from the West that were encountering cool winds from China, which made the cold last longer and brought on rains.
Anont Sanitwong na Ayutthaya, director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, said the weather would be unpredictable due to changes in the |wind's direction |and sea currents.
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Westerly Trough & Plummeting Temperatures
The Hmong hilltribe village of Khek Noi has been consecutive hit by extreme weather for 2 days now. Average temperatures during this season ranges from 29 to 36 deg celsius, however the extreme weather together with heavy rains & strong winds have plummeted temperatures down to 12 deg.
The cold is not the only worrying part, heavy rain on the mountain slopes may bring about a series of disasters such as massive landslides throwing houses down hundreds of feet.
The cold is not the only worrying part, heavy rain on the mountain slopes may bring about a series of disasters such as massive landslides throwing houses down hundreds of feet.
Monday 14 March 2011
Storm Damages StreetKIDS! Home
This morning we received a weather warning of a storm approaching our area in Phetchabun Province.
Storms in our area is not uncommon and temperatures can swing from 5 deg to 45deg in a matter of hours in certain cases.
By the time the storm warning came, there was too little time to do much but to keep the little ones safe while the storm passes through. The storm lasted only for a couple of hours but brought along strong winds and heavy rainfall.
My staff who was outdoors at the time of the storm said that it was so bad that you can hardly see the road when you're driving, much less the cars in front of you. Electrical were cut, water from the taps ran dry and internet was not accessible for hours.
After the storm passed, we inspected our properties for damage. Fortunately all was alright except for the STREETKIDS! home which suffered some damage. Here are some pictures that were taken at around 5pm.
The roofing in this area tore off leaving only the wooden frames intact.
Storms in our area is not uncommon and temperatures can swing from 5 deg to 45deg in a matter of hours in certain cases.
By the time the storm warning came, there was too little time to do much but to keep the little ones safe while the storm passes through. The storm lasted only for a couple of hours but brought along strong winds and heavy rainfall.
My staff who was outdoors at the time of the storm said that it was so bad that you can hardly see the road when you're driving, much less the cars in front of you. Electrical were cut, water from the taps ran dry and internet was not accessible for hours.
After the storm passed, we inspected our properties for damage. Fortunately all was alright except for the STREETKIDS! home which suffered some damage. Here are some pictures that were taken at around 5pm.
The roofing in this area tore off leaving only the wooden frames intact.
This used to be our STREETKIDS! dining area, fortunately no one was around when the storm hit. The storm was so strong that the whole structure is now inclined to one direction and is no longer structurally sound.
The meteorological service predicts that the bad weather will continue till the 18th. 4 more days...
History : Chapter 3 : The Last Outreach
It was a terrible heartache seeing the situation in the refugee camp deteriorate. The more the refugees protested, the greater the retaliation from the guards.
The real masterminds of the protest in fact did not come from inside the camp, but thousand of miles away. Its Hmong refugees's extended families themselves - the people who have been successfully repatriated to first world countries such as the US, France & Australia some years back.
Here is the problem. The family members had good intentions but living in first world countries, they understood little of Thai politics and they were masterminding the protest. Protesting was alright, but when the refugees turned on the guards and people that feed them, it was no longer acceptable.
In one incident, they burned down the shelters that the thai government built for them, hoping that will speed up repatriation. Nothing changed, the refugees just punished themselves. Thousands of refugees families ended up sleeping in the cold for weeks.
The government strengthen their resolve to send these "trouble makers" back and that was the last straw. The clock was ticking for the the refugees.
They had been misguided by their own family members, the thai government was upset and now their fate was drawing near. The whole camp fell into an eerie depressive silence. - now they knew could trust no one and they just suffered in silence.
In March, we knew that time was short and we just did what we could to comfort them. Little food rations, first aid kits and small items to prepare them for an uncertain fate. As I stood in front of our refugee friends teaching them how to use the medical kits, the leaders just mustered a grateful nod, little words passed between us, but there was such a sense of grief in the air.
At our final outreach, when we entered the refugee camp we could see that the people were still visibly fearful.
When they came out, many came forward to ask us to pray for them because they were really scared to be sent back to Laos. It was an emotional sight when you see adults and children sobbing silently with all the hurts just surfacing.
I remembered during one of the first session, I told the crowd that if they think no one remembers them, they are wrong. Because we at RADION stayed for months at the mountains for months just waiting for the opportunity to enter the camp to bring these relief and medical supplies to them. As I spoke, tears welled in the eyes of these refugees.
I told them that they are remembered and there are people out there who still cares. More importantly my God still remembers them and has not forgotten them for even a second.
We saw tears rolling down their cheeks.
The real masterminds of the protest in fact did not come from inside the camp, but thousand of miles away. Its Hmong refugees's extended families themselves - the people who have been successfully repatriated to first world countries such as the US, France & Australia some years back.
Here is the problem. The family members had good intentions but living in first world countries, they understood little of Thai politics and they were masterminding the protest. Protesting was alright, but when the refugees turned on the guards and people that feed them, it was no longer acceptable.
In one incident, they burned down the shelters that the thai government built for them, hoping that will speed up repatriation. Nothing changed, the refugees just punished themselves. Thousands of refugees families ended up sleeping in the cold for weeks.
The government strengthen their resolve to send these "trouble makers" back and that was the last straw. The clock was ticking for the the refugees.
They had been misguided by their own family members, the thai government was upset and now their fate was drawing near. The whole camp fell into an eerie depressive silence. - now they knew could trust no one and they just suffered in silence.
In March, we knew that time was short and we just did what we could to comfort them. Little food rations, first aid kits and small items to prepare them for an uncertain fate. As I stood in front of our refugee friends teaching them how to use the medical kits, the leaders just mustered a grateful nod, little words passed between us, but there was such a sense of grief in the air.
At our final outreach, when we entered the refugee camp we could see that the people were still visibly fearful.
When they came out, many came forward to ask us to pray for them because they were really scared to be sent back to Laos. It was an emotional sight when you see adults and children sobbing silently with all the hurts just surfacing.
I remembered during one of the first session, I told the crowd that if they think no one remembers them, they are wrong. Because we at RADION stayed for months at the mountains for months just waiting for the opportunity to enter the camp to bring these relief and medical supplies to them. As I spoke, tears welled in the eyes of these refugees.
I told them that they are remembered and there are people out there who still cares. More importantly my God still remembers them and has not forgotten them for even a second.
We saw tears rolling down their cheeks.
Friday 11 March 2011
Finding David : Chapter 9 : Feels Like Ages
Last night at about 1am, I was abruptly awaken by a knocking sound at our field office. "It must be David at the door !"
I scrambled for the lights and headed down the steep staircase as fast as I could. I opened the wooden door .... and there was no one there. I hoped to be greeted by a blond hair David, but instead I was greeted by a cold empty void accompanied by the cold mountain wind.
5 days felt like ages.....he's still not back yet.
After his last phone call to us, our hopes were at an all time high. We thought that the 3 year wait is about to be over and our boy was coming back for sure... or 95% sure, we thought. Last week, I even sat down with my manager (Puu) and started planning on how we can enroll him for adult school, how he could help out in the office while he studied for his night classes etc etc .
Puu knew I loved the child very much, but still she had to gently remind me not to get my hopes up too high, after all we're still dealing with street kids.
Every morning when i get up, I ask Puu the same question. "Is David back yet?"
And for every of the last 5 days, she quietly replied...."no boss, not yet"
How i hoped for a different answer.
Time was running short. We're moving to Chiang Mai in exactly 14 days and if he misses this opportunity to come back, I'm not sure when we'll see him again.
When every child walks through that door, we dream of the impossibles ! We dream that this child will grow up to be a change maker and impact his generation and the next. When every child that walks out before he is ready, we hold on in prayer that when the child meets a difficulty in his life, he would remember RADION.
For now, we can only continue to pray.
I scrambled for the lights and headed down the steep staircase as fast as I could. I opened the wooden door .... and there was no one there. I hoped to be greeted by a blond hair David, but instead I was greeted by a cold empty void accompanied by the cold mountain wind.
5 days felt like ages.....he's still not back yet.
After his last phone call to us, our hopes were at an all time high. We thought that the 3 year wait is about to be over and our boy was coming back for sure... or 95% sure, we thought. Last week, I even sat down with my manager (Puu) and started planning on how we can enroll him for adult school, how he could help out in the office while he studied for his night classes etc etc .
Puu knew I loved the child very much, but still she had to gently remind me not to get my hopes up too high, after all we're still dealing with street kids.
Every morning when i get up, I ask Puu the same question. "Is David back yet?"
And for every of the last 5 days, she quietly replied...."no boss, not yet"
How i hoped for a different answer.
Time was running short. We're moving to Chiang Mai in exactly 14 days and if he misses this opportunity to come back, I'm not sure when we'll see him again.
When every child walks through that door, we dream of the impossibles ! We dream that this child will grow up to be a change maker and impact his generation and the next. When every child that walks out before he is ready, we hold on in prayer that when the child meets a difficulty in his life, he would remember RADION.
For now, we can only continue to pray.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
History : Chapter 2 : The Refugee Camp
Working in the refugee camp opened my eyes to a whole new world - a dark & practical one. This camp was different from the other camps in Thailand and all press were blocked out from this camp. What happens inside, stays inside, nothing gets out to the world outside.
This affected the amount of aid coming into the camp. Without media coverage, it did not make sense to some NGOs to assist, especially if their work cannot be featured. It does not make corporate sense and there was just no mileage in this project. From a marketing standpoint, the Karen refugee camps will be a better bet, lost of media attention and its more newsworthy. 8,900 people - is just too insignificant for the bigger players.
With just a handful of NGOs willing to forsake media coverage, it was still no enough. The refugees received less than 2 small bowls of rice a day, just enough keep them barely alive.
People were hungry, cold and suffering day to day. The Americans had forsaken them, the locals put them behind barb wires and no one wanted to help.
We did just the opposite.
We were not bordered by the lack of press coverage, we were not bordered by the political implications. All we knew was that people were hungry and suffering. Someone has to do something.
We were out of our minds. We took what we have of our savings and started providing aid to these people, even if it means a small milk supplement, or a fruits. It meant something to these people. We did all we could and many were touched by us just being there. RADION was not a name of an organisation. It was the name of friends who really cared.
Each outreach was more like a massive family gathering, smiles & laughter came back to the refugee camp. It was no longer just the masses, but people with names. Many times while collecting the reliefs, they will break into tears thanking us, and begging us not to leave.
We did not want to. But in January 2009 things took a turn for the worse. News flooded in that the refugees will be forcefully deported back to Laos. The refugees feared for their lives and protested in the camp. It was to the firing squad if the refugees had to go back to the country they fled from - they and their children. They had to protest, they wanted the world to hear. But no one heard. Making things worse, the guards retaliated by pushing all the NGOs out of the camp.
So there we were back in the little dilapidated shophouse praying and wondering if that would be the last time we will see them.
This affected the amount of aid coming into the camp. Without media coverage, it did not make sense to some NGOs to assist, especially if their work cannot be featured. It does not make corporate sense and there was just no mileage in this project. From a marketing standpoint, the Karen refugee camps will be a better bet, lost of media attention and its more newsworthy. 8,900 people - is just too insignificant for the bigger players.
People were hungry, cold and suffering day to day. The Americans had forsaken them, the locals put them behind barb wires and no one wanted to help.
We were not bordered by the lack of press coverage, we were not bordered by the political implications. All we knew was that people were hungry and suffering. Someone has to do something.
We were out of our minds. We took what we have of our savings and started providing aid to these people, even if it means a small milk supplement, or a fruits. It meant something to these people. We did all we could and many were touched by us just being there. RADION was not a name of an organisation. It was the name of friends who really cared.
Each outreach was more like a massive family gathering, smiles & laughter came back to the refugee camp. It was no longer just the masses, but people with names. Many times while collecting the reliefs, they will break into tears thanking us, and begging us not to leave.
We did not want to. But in January 2009 things took a turn for the worse. News flooded in that the refugees will be forcefully deported back to Laos. The refugees feared for their lives and protested in the camp. It was to the firing squad if the refugees had to go back to the country they fled from - they and their children. They had to protest, they wanted the world to hear. But no one heard. Making things worse, the guards retaliated by pushing all the NGOs out of the camp.
So there we were back in the little dilapidated shophouse praying and wondering if that would be the last time we will see them.
Monday 7 March 2011
History : Chapter 1 :The Dilapitated Shophouse
Over the weekend, while the rest of the kids went out to play in the the waterfalls, I decided to stay back in the office just in case David comes back. I did not want him to come back to an empty home and feel that we have left without him, so there I waited.
The day soon turned into night. Along with the dimming of the day was a dimming of hopes of our boy returning. The cool silent night in the village brought back nostalgic memories of pains and joys when we first rented a run-downed shophouse which later birth forth the STREETKIDS! work.
While we wait & pray for David's return, allow me to bring you on a journey. A journey 3 years back in time when RADION was in our infancy stage and our focus was bringing aid to the Hmong Lao refugees.
3 years ago, this runned down shophouse was all we could afford to rent. A full month of rental costs hardly more than 1 night's stay in a 4-star hotel in Bangkok. We had to save every single cent we could, providing milk & biscuits to hungry children in the nearby refugee camp was a big deal. We has very little funds and seeing all the pain amongst the refugees locked behind barbed wires, we couldn't bare to spend more while seeing people suffer.
The shophouse was the cheapest. It came with no furniture only 2 tiny rooms and a non ventilated basement. What it did come with however were dirt stained walls, cobwebs, algae coated floors and 2 slimy toilets which were home to maybe a dozen species of insects ranging from massive centipedes the length of your arm, lizards and spiders.
Despite this, we were grateful for what the Lord has provided and having a very basic shelter over our heads. It became the place of prayer where every week, we will wait in anticipation to go up into the refugee camp to see the little ones and bring them the much needed food supplies.
Though living conditions were rough, bathing in muddy water was a daily affair. But just the thought of being able to tell 3500 refugee children that God loves them, was enough to spur us beyond the hardships. After every refugee outreach, we would come back sun burnt, at the brink of exhaustion and many times cut, bruised & bleeding but yet with every opportunity, we would be up in the camp giving out reliefs and playing with the children.
It was the time of my life and nothing in my life has been more meaningful than this ! I could do this for the rest of my life, i thought !
But suddenly the situation in the refugee camp took to drastic turn.....
The day soon turned into night. Along with the dimming of the day was a dimming of hopes of our boy returning. The cool silent night in the village brought back nostalgic memories of pains and joys when we first rented a run-downed shophouse which later birth forth the STREETKIDS! work.
While we wait & pray for David's return, allow me to bring you on a journey. A journey 3 years back in time when RADION was in our infancy stage and our focus was bringing aid to the Hmong Lao refugees.
3 years ago, this runned down shophouse was all we could afford to rent. A full month of rental costs hardly more than 1 night's stay in a 4-star hotel in Bangkok. We had to save every single cent we could, providing milk & biscuits to hungry children in the nearby refugee camp was a big deal. We has very little funds and seeing all the pain amongst the refugees locked behind barbed wires, we couldn't bare to spend more while seeing people suffer.
The shophouse was the cheapest. It came with no furniture only 2 tiny rooms and a non ventilated basement. What it did come with however were dirt stained walls, cobwebs, algae coated floors and 2 slimy toilets which were home to maybe a dozen species of insects ranging from massive centipedes the length of your arm, lizards and spiders.
Despite this, we were grateful for what the Lord has provided and having a very basic shelter over our heads. It became the place of prayer where every week, we will wait in anticipation to go up into the refugee camp to see the little ones and bring them the much needed food supplies.
Though living conditions were rough, bathing in muddy water was a daily affair. But just the thought of being able to tell 3500 refugee children that God loves them, was enough to spur us beyond the hardships. After every refugee outreach, we would come back sun burnt, at the brink of exhaustion and many times cut, bruised & bleeding but yet with every opportunity, we would be up in the camp giving out reliefs and playing with the children.
It was the time of my life and nothing in my life has been more meaningful than this ! I could do this for the rest of my life, i thought !
But suddenly the situation in the refugee camp took to drastic turn.....
Saturday 5 March 2011
Finding David : Chapter 8 : Is The Offer Valid ?
The 2 weeks wait was a mix of disappointment, anxiety, stresses and of course fear – considering the numerous permutations of things that can happen to a village boy living in the streets of Bangkok.
That very phone call from David was muffled by a barrage of cars horns screaming in the background but hearing the boy's voice and knowing he was safe, lifted all our anxieties.
But one thing still remains. Why did David not call back earlier ? And why did he have to use a new number to contact us ? We had to pry it out before he hung up ! (after all the anxiety we've been through !)
According to David, he attempted to call in earlier last week to let us know of his decision. However his phone had no more credit left and the line was prompt terminated by the phone company. Since then he has been saving little by little just to get a new phone line to reach us.
I believe that there is a little more to what David says. It still does not add up.
You see, the boy could have packed up after we left Bangkok and returned back to the village to wait for us. He could have called from a payphone. But he didn’t.
My conclusion is this, I reckon the boy was more than just a little apprehensive, I believe he was insecure considering the disappointments and let downs he experienced. I believe he got the number just so he could call to make sure that our offer to him was still valid and secondly, he could be contacted, if we changed our minds and pulled the plug on him while he was journeying up !
I spared no effort to make it crystal clear to the boy that the offer is valid. In fact, it has been valid for the last 3 years and I’m defiantly not pulling out now. My work with street children and hurting kids have taught me the importance of giving these kids a sense of assurance; they need to know that they are still wanted by somebody.
David is scheduled to turn up at the field office tomorrow noon. Let's see if he holds up to the end of his bargain! Tomorrow's a big day !
That very phone call from David was muffled by a barrage of cars horns screaming in the background but hearing the boy's voice and knowing he was safe, lifted all our anxieties.
But one thing still remains. Why did David not call back earlier ? And why did he have to use a new number to contact us ? We had to pry it out before he hung up ! (after all the anxiety we've been through !)
According to David, he attempted to call in earlier last week to let us know of his decision. However his phone had no more credit left and the line was prompt terminated by the phone company. Since then he has been saving little by little just to get a new phone line to reach us.
I believe that there is a little more to what David says. It still does not add up.
You see, the boy could have packed up after we left Bangkok and returned back to the village to wait for us. He could have called from a payphone. But he didn’t.
My conclusion is this, I reckon the boy was more than just a little apprehensive, I believe he was insecure considering the disappointments and let downs he experienced. I believe he got the number just so he could call to make sure that our offer to him was still valid and secondly, he could be contacted, if we changed our minds and pulled the plug on him while he was journeying up !
I spared no effort to make it crystal clear to the boy that the offer is valid. In fact, it has been valid for the last 3 years and I’m defiantly not pulling out now. My work with street children and hurting kids have taught me the importance of giving these kids a sense of assurance; they need to know that they are still wanted by somebody.
David is scheduled to turn up at the field office tomorrow noon. Let's see if he holds up to the end of his bargain! Tomorrow's a big day !
Finding David : Chapter 7 : The Unknown Number
I've been on the road for more than 8 hours, traveling from Chiang Mai to the mountainous area of Phetchabun. The journey was terribly tiring and just when you thought you could have a warm shower before bed. The water runs dry. So I was left with less than half a pail of freezing cold water to bathe....
So right now, I'm both cold and excited as i write this update !
I was having dinner with my Thai director and suddenly my phone rang, it was an unknown number... I could only manage a "hello" before a series of weird questions followed.
Caller : "Sawadeekhrap"
Me : "Sawadeekrap."Caller : "Who is this ?"
Me : "hmmmm.... you called this number and you asking who is this ?"
Caller : *long pause.....*
Caller : *stammers* "is this Pee Eugene?"
Me : *I smiled* "yes david?"
Caller : Pee Eugene, I've decided. I'm coming home tomorrow !
Hearing his voice and those first few words made my eyes water. What a day ! The prodigal son returns....
p/s : I'll tell you the story of why the David's last number went dead in the next installment.
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-8-is-offer-valid.html
So right now, I'm both cold and excited as i write this update !
I was having dinner with my Thai director and suddenly my phone rang, it was an unknown number... I could only manage a "hello" before a series of weird questions followed.
Caller : "Sawadeekhrap"
Me : "Sawadeekrap."Caller : "Who is this ?"
Me : "hmmmm.... you called this number and you asking who is this ?"
Caller : *long pause.....*
Caller : *stammers* "is this Pee Eugene?"
Me : *I smiled* "yes david?"
Caller : Pee Eugene, I've decided. I'm coming home tomorrow !
Hearing his voice and those first few words made my eyes water. What a day ! The prodigal son returns....
p/s : I'll tell you the story of why the David's last number went dead in the next installment.
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-8-is-offer-valid.html
Finding David : Chaper 6 : The Long Wait
It has been almost 2 weeks since we found little David amongst the throngs of people in Bangkok. But it seemed like only yesterday where we sat down in that restaurant, when David was nervously fumbling through the tableware - being his first time dining away from a roadside stall.
It was a heartwarming moment to see little David all grown up but yet at the same time its heart aching to know what this child has been though in the last 3 years. A small boy forced to work long hours each day, living in a rough neighborhood where gangs and addicts thrive. "Home" to David is no longer a place of acceptance and love, but a rat-infested slum where he finds a corner to put his head down amidst the nightly shouting from the drunkard boss.
Parting with the child after dinner was especially difficult. It is not because it was immensely difficult finding the child, but rather it was the fact that I may not be able to see him ever again. Before we parted ways, I left him my name card and told him to drop me a call the following week if he's ready to come back.
David as I know him is a child that always kept his word, if he promised to call, it means that he will call. But a week passed and there was no call from David. Thoughts flooded through my mind. Could it be he does not have money to call back ? Could it be that he decided to go on with that life because of his new love ? Or could he be beaten up by his "owner" for wanting to leave.
We couldn't wait anymore. We called his number, our hearts sank.
The line was dead and the number has been terminated.
We can only pray.
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-7-unknown-number.html
It was a heartwarming moment to see little David all grown up but yet at the same time its heart aching to know what this child has been though in the last 3 years. A small boy forced to work long hours each day, living in a rough neighborhood where gangs and addicts thrive. "Home" to David is no longer a place of acceptance and love, but a rat-infested slum where he finds a corner to put his head down amidst the nightly shouting from the drunkard boss.
Parting with the child after dinner was especially difficult. It is not because it was immensely difficult finding the child, but rather it was the fact that I may not be able to see him ever again. Before we parted ways, I left him my name card and told him to drop me a call the following week if he's ready to come back.
David as I know him is a child that always kept his word, if he promised to call, it means that he will call. But a week passed and there was no call from David. Thoughts flooded through my mind. Could it be he does not have money to call back ? Could it be that he decided to go on with that life because of his new love ? Or could he be beaten up by his "owner" for wanting to leave.
We couldn't wait anymore. We called his number, our hearts sank.
The line was dead and the number has been terminated.
We can only pray.
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-7-unknown-number.html
Finding David : Chapter 5 - Is He Ready To Come Home ?
On the cab, David was obviously excited and chatty, which is aside from his normal quiet self. Hundreds of thoughts raced through our minds while we sat in the cab. Why did he choose to work specifically in that family, why is he so jittery since we left ? was it because he was afraid for the owner’s daughter ? or was he feeling uncomfortable with us ? Why is he afraid of making a simple decision of where to eat ? Despite the hundreds of ideas, something was still amiss and it just did not add up.
It was only when we arrived in the mall that it all became clear. Our little David was in love with the owner’s daughter. Her name is Derh. We spared no effort to tease the boy till his face was flushed. Finally we realized that the decision of where to eat was in the hands of Derh.
Both of them were terribly shy and was pushing the decision to each other and they were almost at the point of deciding to go to a road stall so as to save some money but eventually settled for MK Restaurant- A place where David had never had the opportunity to dine in.
David was visibly nervous, he confessed that he is not prepared for the occasion and hopes he does not embarrass anyone. It was interesting to see how David tried to behave and made every effort to “get it right” Of course there were a couple of fumbles, such as him putting the soup ladle’s handle on the edge of the plate and the scoop itself on the table. He made such a determined effort that I couldn’t bear to tell him it was wrongly placed for the fear of embarrassing him further. He was warming up and really in high spirits as he sat there eating this steamboat for the very first time.
There was quite a bit of catching up and it was a wonderful meal with lots of laughter as we reminisce the old days. Beyond the smiles and chatter, deep inside I knew that this may be the last time I get to meet David. My mind entertained the thoughts of him going back into the streets broke my heart.
After dinner, we took a little stroll and I was bursting inside to ask if David wants a second chance in his life, to come back into the STREETKIDS! Program. However I ended up asking him “David, do you want to study again?” The boy knew what I was asking and immediately got my hint.
He thought for a while and replied. “Yes, I would like to study…. “
The rough 3 years living in the streets of Bangkok must have caused him to realize the importance of education. In his conversation, he seems to have matured quite a bit and jested “with a primary 6 certificate, he will always be frying chickens for someone else.”
Though David replied a big “Yes”, experience working with Thais and especially streetkids is that sometimes, they are shy to turn your offer down, so they just say “yes”.
In David’s case, as much as I would loved to pull him away into safety. I knew deep inside me that he has to make his own decisions. Serious decisions. Is he really willing be apart from Derh ? Does he really want to study at 17? These are important questions that he needs to process. Before we said goodbye, I gave David my number and told him. “David, whenever you’re ready, give me a call. You’re always welcomed back home.”
The next few days is going to be a painful journey as I wait for a call, just a call to say he’s ready to come home.
p/s : here is a picture of David & Derh !
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chaper-6-long-wait.html
It was only when we arrived in the mall that it all became clear. Our little David was in love with the owner’s daughter. Her name is Derh. We spared no effort to tease the boy till his face was flushed. Finally we realized that the decision of where to eat was in the hands of Derh.
Both of them were terribly shy and was pushing the decision to each other and they were almost at the point of deciding to go to a road stall so as to save some money but eventually settled for MK Restaurant- A place where David had never had the opportunity to dine in.
David was visibly nervous, he confessed that he is not prepared for the occasion and hopes he does not embarrass anyone. It was interesting to see how David tried to behave and made every effort to “get it right” Of course there were a couple of fumbles, such as him putting the soup ladle’s handle on the edge of the plate and the scoop itself on the table. He made such a determined effort that I couldn’t bear to tell him it was wrongly placed for the fear of embarrassing him further. He was warming up and really in high spirits as he sat there eating this steamboat for the very first time.
There was quite a bit of catching up and it was a wonderful meal with lots of laughter as we reminisce the old days. Beyond the smiles and chatter, deep inside I knew that this may be the last time I get to meet David. My mind entertained the thoughts of him going back into the streets broke my heart.
After dinner, we took a little stroll and I was bursting inside to ask if David wants a second chance in his life, to come back into the STREETKIDS! Program. However I ended up asking him “David, do you want to study again?” The boy knew what I was asking and immediately got my hint.
He thought for a while and replied. “Yes, I would like to study…. “
The rough 3 years living in the streets of Bangkok must have caused him to realize the importance of education. In his conversation, he seems to have matured quite a bit and jested “with a primary 6 certificate, he will always be frying chickens for someone else.”
Though David replied a big “Yes”, experience working with Thais and especially streetkids is that sometimes, they are shy to turn your offer down, so they just say “yes”.
In David’s case, as much as I would loved to pull him away into safety. I knew deep inside me that he has to make his own decisions. Serious decisions. Is he really willing be apart from Derh ? Does he really want to study at 17? These are important questions that he needs to process. Before we said goodbye, I gave David my number and told him. “David, whenever you’re ready, give me a call. You’re always welcomed back home.”
The next few days is going to be a painful journey as I wait for a call, just a call to say he’s ready to come home.
p/s : here is a picture of David & Derh !
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chaper-6-long-wait.html
Finding David : Chapter 4 - The Home
Seeing the child which I so fondly remember standing at the dark alley brought mixed sentiments. Half of me was overwhelmed with joy seeing the boy for the first time since 3 years, while the other part of me felt a deep sense of grief. Grief knowing that behind his smile is a broken little boy who has seen some of the roughest 3 years of his life in the streets of Bangkok.
David smiled as he respectfully bowed his head in a simple “wai” (Thai gesture for greeting) and reminded me of the very first day I met this child when he walked into the rehabilitation program 3 years ago. Despite all these years, he is the same little boy I remembered, but just a little taller and sporting a new self dyed colored hairdo that would have enabled him to fit into the rough neighborhood.
David quickly reminded us that he had to go back “home” quickly to return the money as the owners were waiting for him. We jumped on the opportunity and asked to visit the “home” on the way to dinner and he agreed. We jumped into a cab and made our way. In the cab, there was an awkward silence David being the gangster was first to break the silence. He turned around and asked “Pee Eugene, what are you doing in Bangkok ?” Its a strange question because he knew the answer to this question when he spoke to my staff a couple of hours ago. But I'm guessing he wants to hear it from me personally.
So i replied “I came here to find you, David”. With these words, there was another long moment of silence but not without a small smile emerging from David's tired face.
In no time, we arrived in Inthamara, a rough little neighborhood where streets are interspersed with sleazy joints and girlie bars. This area contrasted from the modern city centre with its grand shopping malls and beautiful condominiums. This place was on the other end of the spectrum- A place where no mothers, if given the option, would choose this place to raise their kids.
We weaved through the streets and soon we arrived in a quieter segment of the main street with less girly bars. Not so bad, I thought. We quickly got off to avoid getting honked at and David promptly led the way to the house which was tucked away in a dark, murky alley. Though the air was laced with the smell of sewage, it did not seem to border the residents who seemed to have made their homes here. There is just enough light to see silhouettes of children playing in the dark but its way too dark to see anything else, much less recognise anyone if we do get mugged or attacked. This reminded me of the cramped housing scene in Slumdog millionaire, just much darker.
After a short walk, David turned into a small opening in a rusted metal gate where his “home” was. Home was a dilapidated shop house and David effortlessly squeezed though metal gate while for us, it was a little more challenging. Once inside we were greeted with a lurid smell of leftover food coupled with the stench of half dried clothes. The place was overcrowded with 7 others sitting on a little straw mat watching TV, totally oblivious of our presence. The people only started to take notice when David politely introduced us to his “owners” - A lady and her perpetually drunk husband.
We later found out that they were Hmongs as well. So with the help of my staff, we introduced ourselves and managed to break through the icy barrier. We explained our work to the family and our intent to visit David and bring him out for dinner. The word “dinner” did not sit well with the drunk husband, he suddenly got offended and territorial, insisting that we stay for dinner and refused to allow us to take the child out.
We just got ourselves into a predicament.
A heavily intoxicated and very insistent husband wanted David to stay, that was just the first part of the problems. He continued to insist that the guests should stay and he would be offended if we refuse. He was very insistent. Things were not going well as planned. This was a moment where divine intervention was required. After more than 20mins of negotiation, we managed to bridge the barrier by bringing both his daughter and David out for dinner. That somehow calmed his nerves a little more but he was still displeased with our refusal. This is obvious from his refusal to take a photograph with the rest of the family - something that signifies distrust and unhappiness in the Hmong culture.
With a little persuasion (or distraction) from the wife, we managed to quickly take our leave with the kids and soon the metal gates were behind us. What a moment of relief!
We quickly made our way to the street to catch a cab for dinner and just when we were about 5meters from the main street, we were halted by a loud shout from the house, and the drunk father staggered out, shouting and ordering the kids to stop.
Our hearts sank.... He must have changed his mind and wanted the 2 kids back.
He walked towards us and we prepared ourselves for the worst. But instead a miracle happened. The half drunk father digged into his pocket and shoved the notes into the hands of a surprised daughter. He murmured, “go share the cost of the dinner” and he staggered back into the dark house.
All 4 heaved a sigh of relief. And we quickly boarded the next available cab for dinner...
David smiled as he respectfully bowed his head in a simple “wai” (Thai gesture for greeting) and reminded me of the very first day I met this child when he walked into the rehabilitation program 3 years ago. Despite all these years, he is the same little boy I remembered, but just a little taller and sporting a new self dyed colored hairdo that would have enabled him to fit into the rough neighborhood.
David quickly reminded us that he had to go back “home” quickly to return the money as the owners were waiting for him. We jumped on the opportunity and asked to visit the “home” on the way to dinner and he agreed. We jumped into a cab and made our way. In the cab, there was an awkward silence David being the gangster was first to break the silence. He turned around and asked “Pee Eugene, what are you doing in Bangkok ?” Its a strange question because he knew the answer to this question when he spoke to my staff a couple of hours ago. But I'm guessing he wants to hear it from me personally.
So i replied “I came here to find you, David”. With these words, there was another long moment of silence but not without a small smile emerging from David's tired face.
In no time, we arrived in Inthamara, a rough little neighborhood where streets are interspersed with sleazy joints and girlie bars. This area contrasted from the modern city centre with its grand shopping malls and beautiful condominiums. This place was on the other end of the spectrum- A place where no mothers, if given the option, would choose this place to raise their kids.
We weaved through the streets and soon we arrived in a quieter segment of the main street with less girly bars. Not so bad, I thought. We quickly got off to avoid getting honked at and David promptly led the way to the house which was tucked away in a dark, murky alley. Though the air was laced with the smell of sewage, it did not seem to border the residents who seemed to have made their homes here. There is just enough light to see silhouettes of children playing in the dark but its way too dark to see anything else, much less recognise anyone if we do get mugged or attacked. This reminded me of the cramped housing scene in Slumdog millionaire, just much darker.
After a short walk, David turned into a small opening in a rusted metal gate where his “home” was. Home was a dilapidated shop house and David effortlessly squeezed though metal gate while for us, it was a little more challenging. Once inside we were greeted with a lurid smell of leftover food coupled with the stench of half dried clothes. The place was overcrowded with 7 others sitting on a little straw mat watching TV, totally oblivious of our presence. The people only started to take notice when David politely introduced us to his “owners” - A lady and her perpetually drunk husband.
We later found out that they were Hmongs as well. So with the help of my staff, we introduced ourselves and managed to break through the icy barrier. We explained our work to the family and our intent to visit David and bring him out for dinner. The word “dinner” did not sit well with the drunk husband, he suddenly got offended and territorial, insisting that we stay for dinner and refused to allow us to take the child out.
We just got ourselves into a predicament.
A heavily intoxicated and very insistent husband wanted David to stay, that was just the first part of the problems. He continued to insist that the guests should stay and he would be offended if we refuse. He was very insistent. Things were not going well as planned. This was a moment where divine intervention was required. After more than 20mins of negotiation, we managed to bridge the barrier by bringing both his daughter and David out for dinner. That somehow calmed his nerves a little more but he was still displeased with our refusal. This is obvious from his refusal to take a photograph with the rest of the family - something that signifies distrust and unhappiness in the Hmong culture.
With a little persuasion (or distraction) from the wife, we managed to quickly take our leave with the kids and soon the metal gates were behind us. What a moment of relief!
We quickly made our way to the street to catch a cab for dinner and just when we were about 5meters from the main street, we were halted by a loud shout from the house, and the drunk father staggered out, shouting and ordering the kids to stop.
Our hearts sank.... He must have changed his mind and wanted the 2 kids back.
He walked towards us and we prepared ourselves for the worst. But instead a miracle happened. The half drunk father digged into his pocket and shoved the notes into the hands of a surprised daughter. He murmured, “go share the cost of the dinner” and he staggered back into the dark house.
All 4 heaved a sigh of relief. And we quickly boarded the next available cab for dinner...
Finding David : Chapter 3 - Finding The Lost
Here is my third installation of our journey to find and build a bridge of hope for a young 17 year old lad by the name of David. This series is unlike a novel where the author has already an end in mind, instead its a very real depiction of our journey, the difficulties, hardships and love for a child that people have given up hope.
So here we go !
After what seemed like a roller-coaster ride in locating David amongst the throngs of people in Bangkok City, we finally made contact with the child. The voice of the child over the phone had our hearts were racing. We were overwhelmed by a flood of emotions, unsure of what lies ahead.
A round of pleasantries and we learnt that he was living in the house of his "owner" in Inthamara. Inthamara is a rough little neighborhood laced with sleazy joints and dark alleys. His "owner" sends him every day another area called Lad Prao where he fries & sells chicken on a street side stall. At this point, he was multi-tasking, attempting to fry chickens with one hand and holding the phone in the other. We can hear the bustle of sales in the background and we tired to land the next question. Can we visit him ?
Despite the hustle and bustle of the cars and screeching of bikes, his answer came though the lines as clear as a bell.."Yes..yes.. you can visit me at the stall as well". The boy was obviously excited but he has little idea where he is, every day he is sent to this location and takes a ride back. The boy frantically started asking the fellow stall holders of the location and soon enough, he was able to give us a rough location of where to find him. Soi 48, Lad Prao. Near a 7-eleven.
Knowing that the boy has meet his sales target, we told him that we will visit just before he closes his stall for the day, so as not to disrupt his work. But of course this is a tricky arrangement and we withheld the urge to visit the child immediately.
The volatility of working from a street stall will be that if David finishes selling the chickens, he would have to immediately head back to give the day's earnings to his "owner". So everything pivots on sales. If its good, knocking off will be 7pm, if not its late at night. We decided to visit just before 7pm just to play safe.
We're terribly excited and we made provisions for the traffic congestion and made our way there early. We arrived at Soi 48 just before 7pm and starting to combing from the 7-11 the landmark that David provided. Soi 48 was not what we expected, it was not a quiet street, instead it had rows of food stalls catering to the crowd. We looked around and could not locate any stall that bear the resemblance to a fried chicken stall.
After some searching, we decided to ask a middle-aged man who too operated a mobile stall, hoping he could point us to the correct direction. He looked up and said.."yeah there is a fried chicken stall up there (pointing), but it closed early today"
Our hearts sank.... Seeing just a empty space, we knew we were too late, David must have gone home.
Suddenly, out of the dimly lit street lights, we saw a little silhouette of a boy peering out, as if he was looking for someone. Our hearts raced and we went closer to have a closer look. As we walked closer, we saw the face of a boy whom we so fondly remember. It was indeed David smiling from ear to ear (in his usual sheepish look) !
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-4-home.html
So here we go !
After what seemed like a roller-coaster ride in locating David amongst the throngs of people in Bangkok City, we finally made contact with the child. The voice of the child over the phone had our hearts were racing. We were overwhelmed by a flood of emotions, unsure of what lies ahead.
A round of pleasantries and we learnt that he was living in the house of his "owner" in Inthamara. Inthamara is a rough little neighborhood laced with sleazy joints and dark alleys. His "owner" sends him every day another area called Lad Prao where he fries & sells chicken on a street side stall. At this point, he was multi-tasking, attempting to fry chickens with one hand and holding the phone in the other. We can hear the bustle of sales in the background and we tired to land the next question. Can we visit him ?
Despite the hustle and bustle of the cars and screeching of bikes, his answer came though the lines as clear as a bell.."Yes..yes.. you can visit me at the stall as well". The boy was obviously excited but he has little idea where he is, every day he is sent to this location and takes a ride back. The boy frantically started asking the fellow stall holders of the location and soon enough, he was able to give us a rough location of where to find him. Soi 48, Lad Prao. Near a 7-eleven.
Knowing that the boy has meet his sales target, we told him that we will visit just before he closes his stall for the day, so as not to disrupt his work. But of course this is a tricky arrangement and we withheld the urge to visit the child immediately.
The volatility of working from a street stall will be that if David finishes selling the chickens, he would have to immediately head back to give the day's earnings to his "owner". So everything pivots on sales. If its good, knocking off will be 7pm, if not its late at night. We decided to visit just before 7pm just to play safe.
We're terribly excited and we made provisions for the traffic congestion and made our way there early. We arrived at Soi 48 just before 7pm and starting to combing from the 7-11 the landmark that David provided. Soi 48 was not what we expected, it was not a quiet street, instead it had rows of food stalls catering to the crowd. We looked around and could not locate any stall that bear the resemblance to a fried chicken stall.
After some searching, we decided to ask a middle-aged man who too operated a mobile stall, hoping he could point us to the correct direction. He looked up and said.."yeah there is a fried chicken stall up there (pointing), but it closed early today"
Our hearts sank.... Seeing just a empty space, we knew we were too late, David must have gone home.
Suddenly, out of the dimly lit street lights, we saw a little silhouette of a boy peering out, as if he was looking for someone. Our hearts raced and we went closer to have a closer look. As we walked closer, we saw the face of a boy whom we so fondly remember. It was indeed David smiling from ear to ear (in his usual sheepish look) !
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-4-home.html
Finding David : Chapter 2 - The Incredible Journey Begins
For those who have read my note entitled "Will This Be A Journey Worthwhile".
Here is this second installment written to give you guys more insights into this journey.
So here we go.
Someone once said, finding a person in a country with more than 60 million people is likened to finding a needle in a haystack. Its actually an understatement which I soon found out. With one information that David was in Bangkok, it helped us narrow our chances of finding the child. One in 5,700,000.
With close to 6 million people living and working in busy streets of Bangkok, finding the child in Bangkok's massive labyrinth of small alleys and crowds is a very real challenge. But something in us refused to give up.
Two of our senior staff visited David's aged grandmother who has no idea where the child was, but only knew of another kid who may knew. According to David's grandmother, this kid used to work with David and should know of his whereabouts. Our hopes were raised and despite the grandmother's age, she personally went to find David's friend, the only hopes of finding David.
She found the boy after much searching, but this boy too did not have David's contact. All hopes were dashed.
With morale at an all time low, the team trudged on hoping to find one, just one credible link. With a dead end in sight, the team pressed for more links from the family and suddenly David's brother remembered another neighbour who just returned from Bangkok and a close friend of David. The team wasted no time and before long, we're started tracking the boy as he was the only credible link we have and the probably the hope in finding David. His name is Kam.
Kam was not an easy boy to find, the team visited his home, favorite haunts, the streets and when we finally found him late at night. He gave us another lead, he told us David was selling fried chicken in a mobile shop in Bangkok and our hearts dropped..... now its going to even harder !
However, the next piece of new made our hearts leap. He has a mobile number of friend who stays with David !The number was now our only link and we knew we were just 2 steps away from finding the prodigal son.
For an entire day, we tried calling, but to no avail. On our final attempt, a young boy's voice answered the phone. Our staff introduced us over the phone and asked him if he knew where we could find David.
There was a moment of silence on the phone.
For a child not wanting to be found by his relatives, he would have told his friends to push away all calls from people who showed any intention of finding him. The thought of our final contact hanging up the phone raced through our minds. We prayed for a miracle, a miracle in any form, a telephone number, an address, a shop location. Anything, just not hanging up the phone !
Before we knew it the voice came back on. His reply exceeded all our wildest imaginations !
The boy replied with a chirp......"I'm David !"
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-3-finding-lost.html
Here is this second installment written to give you guys more insights into this journey.
So here we go.
Someone once said, finding a person in a country with more than 60 million people is likened to finding a needle in a haystack. Its actually an understatement which I soon found out. With one information that David was in Bangkok, it helped us narrow our chances of finding the child. One in 5,700,000.
With close to 6 million people living and working in busy streets of Bangkok, finding the child in Bangkok's massive labyrinth of small alleys and crowds is a very real challenge. But something in us refused to give up.
Two of our senior staff visited David's aged grandmother who has no idea where the child was, but only knew of another kid who may knew. According to David's grandmother, this kid used to work with David and should know of his whereabouts. Our hopes were raised and despite the grandmother's age, she personally went to find David's friend, the only hopes of finding David.
She found the boy after much searching, but this boy too did not have David's contact. All hopes were dashed.
With morale at an all time low, the team trudged on hoping to find one, just one credible link. With a dead end in sight, the team pressed for more links from the family and suddenly David's brother remembered another neighbour who just returned from Bangkok and a close friend of David. The team wasted no time and before long, we're started tracking the boy as he was the only credible link we have and the probably the hope in finding David. His name is Kam.
Kam was not an easy boy to find, the team visited his home, favorite haunts, the streets and when we finally found him late at night. He gave us another lead, he told us David was selling fried chicken in a mobile shop in Bangkok and our hearts dropped..... now its going to even harder !
However, the next piece of new made our hearts leap. He has a mobile number of friend who stays with David !The number was now our only link and we knew we were just 2 steps away from finding the prodigal son.
For an entire day, we tried calling, but to no avail. On our final attempt, a young boy's voice answered the phone. Our staff introduced us over the phone and asked him if he knew where we could find David.
There was a moment of silence on the phone.
For a child not wanting to be found by his relatives, he would have told his friends to push away all calls from people who showed any intention of finding him. The thought of our final contact hanging up the phone raced through our minds. We prayed for a miracle, a miracle in any form, a telephone number, an address, a shop location. Anything, just not hanging up the phone !
Before we knew it the voice came back on. His reply exceeded all our wildest imaginations !
The boy replied with a chirp......"I'm David !"
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-3-finding-lost.html
Finding David : Chapter 1 - Will This Be A Journey Worthwhile ?
There was a young child who birthed into a broken family where he received no love from his parents. No love was an understatement, in fact, they abandoned him to the care of the grandmother as they went on their separate lives. He grew up in emptiness and poverty. Soon, this child was lured into the streets got entangled in glue-sniffing and was earmarked for failure by his neighbors. He rose up the ranks in the street gangs and found comfort in the company of juvenile delinquents - the only family he knew.
One day, he stole a few coins, hoping to buy either glue in hopes of intoxicating himself to overcome hunger pangs. But in a series of unforeseen circumstances, he met friends who convinced him to spend the coins in this newly opened internet cafe. This internet cafe, unknowingly to him happens to be RADION's outreach centre.
The staff reached out to this child and understood the crisis at hand. Before long, he volunteered to be on the rehabilitation programme to get himself "cleaned" and rejoin mainstream education. Within 3 months, he had successfully overcame his addiction of glue and started to do betterl in school. He grew to be a committed youth who knew how to care for others. His name is David.
David's joy was short lived, with gang members taunting him to rejoin the "pack". Under incredible peer pressure, he eventually left the programme and dropped out of school again. In a turn of the moment, he was back in the streets and got involved in glue yet again. 2 years being bumped around, without money and without a future, Davide is now in the streets of bangkok trying to make a living through selling things on the streets.
While most would have given up on David, something in me refuses to let him go. Something in me tells me that this child has a destiny ahead of him. Deep in me, I have a suspicion that God has something in stored for him. Therefore this round as I head through Bangkok back to my field office. I'm planning to do the most ridiculous thing - I'm hoping to try to locate this boy and offer him a second chance in his life.
I ask each and every one of you to pray alongside me as we navigate through an impossible maze to bring back a prodigal son.
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-2-incredible.html
One day, he stole a few coins, hoping to buy either glue in hopes of intoxicating himself to overcome hunger pangs. But in a series of unforeseen circumstances, he met friends who convinced him to spend the coins in this newly opened internet cafe. This internet cafe, unknowingly to him happens to be RADION's outreach centre.
The staff reached out to this child and understood the crisis at hand. Before long, he volunteered to be on the rehabilitation programme to get himself "cleaned" and rejoin mainstream education. Within 3 months, he had successfully overcame his addiction of glue and started to do betterl in school. He grew to be a committed youth who knew how to care for others. His name is David.
David's joy was short lived, with gang members taunting him to rejoin the "pack". Under incredible peer pressure, he eventually left the programme and dropped out of school again. In a turn of the moment, he was back in the streets and got involved in glue yet again. 2 years being bumped around, without money and without a future, Davide is now in the streets of bangkok trying to make a living through selling things on the streets.
While most would have given up on David, something in me refuses to let him go. Something in me tells me that this child has a destiny ahead of him. Deep in me, I have a suspicion that God has something in stored for him. Therefore this round as I head through Bangkok back to my field office. I'm planning to do the most ridiculous thing - I'm hoping to try to locate this boy and offer him a second chance in his life.
I ask each and every one of you to pray alongside me as we navigate through an impossible maze to bring back a prodigal son.
Update : http://radionjournals.blogspot.com/2011/03/finding-david-chapter-2-incredible.html
About Us
Eugene Wee is the founder & executive director of RADION International. At 16, he was radically touched by the Lord which resulted in his radical conversion from being an anti-christian to a follower of Christ. He first sensed God's call to enter ministry when he was 17 specifically in the area of reaching broken lives and people groups which the world has given up hope on.
After almost 10 years of waiting, the Lord finally lead him into the missions where he started his ministry by caring & bringing humanitarian aid for the Hmong Lao refugees who were seeking asylum in Thailand. The refugee ministry work resulted in thousands of refugees hearing the gospel for the very first time with more than 800 decisions to follow Christ.
Since the ministry started in 2007, the work has dramatically expanded its scope into reaching high risk children, domestic violence victims and providing essential medical care to poverty stricken villagers.
After almost 10 years of waiting, the Lord finally lead him into the missions where he started his ministry by caring & bringing humanitarian aid for the Hmong Lao refugees who were seeking asylum in Thailand. The refugee ministry work resulted in thousands of refugees hearing the gospel for the very first time with more than 800 decisions to follow Christ.
Since the ministry started in 2007, the work has dramatically expanded its scope into reaching high risk children, domestic violence victims and providing essential medical care to poverty stricken villagers.
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