A Big Thank You For a Big Effort

Wara - Theological Studies

 So delighted to report that Saturday's Garage Sale to raise fund for these       three deserving young women was a resounding success!

Total amount raised:  $1,600.00.

And because of continued inquiries from those who could not be there, that amount could actually be more before the day is done.

Tae - Business and Horticulture

Beyond the money, however, other successes of the Garage Sale should not be overlooked.

• A raising of general awareness of the needs of at-risk and orphan children in Northern Thailand.
• The deep encouragement for Wara, Tae and Da themselves.  You have no idea what this means for them.
• The deep encouragement for their parents, raising and launching such a large family, to know we have their backs on this.
• The good connection with the immediate neighbours of Highview Community Church who came out to support our cause.  And who also received an invitation to come join us on Sundays any time.
• The comradery and bonding of the Garage Sale Team itself, as we put out good effort together for a cause we all believe in, helping to shine the hope of Jesus into a world that needs Him so badly.

As always, Thank You seems inadequate all by itself.

But we say it anyways.

With all our hearts.

Da - Nursing.

 I will let Yupa, Director and Home Parent, have the last word: (straight from Google Translate)

Thank you so much for loving the children and we pray that God will bless and increase you in everything. I see the love of Jesus in the Highview Church brothers and sisters and family. Father Ken and Mother Ruth are honored to have everyone. People who love and care for little people like us, thank you very much.

God bless

Thank You!!

 We cannot say it enough!

Total raised today, to help Wara, Tae and Da continue their post secondary education:

$1,223.20!!!

This goes a LONG way in Thailand.
And it means the world to us!

Every person who donated items.
Every person who came to sort and clean yesterday.
Every person who helped us promote this.
Every person who showed up today to assist our shoppers.
And to all the shoppers themselves.

Thank you!!!!!
God bless you!!!!

Training Dragons

 

It was always the giggle with Tae. And a bit of held back mischief in her eyes, as if she knew an amusing secret. But then, at the smallest prompt, a big burst of laughter.

And she’s grown so tall. One of the lovelies. That’s what I like to call our teenage girls. And she is all graceful and strong and stepping out into her almost-adult life.

We all went to the movies once. It was the ‘bai teo’ (out for fun) of one particular visit. And a big deal too. You can imagine what it’s like to take a family of 23 out to the movies. Doesn’t really happen all that often. And while the overall cost is not as astronomical as it would be here, it’s still a fair bit of the budget to take into consideration. Especially if you’re getting popcorn.

Plus, there’s the logistics. Getting us all there, parking, getting out of the vehicle. Getting us all up the escalators (many for the very first time), around and around to the top floor of the mall where the theatres are. Buying the tickets. Buying the snacks. Finding our seats. Even before the movie begins, we’ve had several little adventures.

Most the of children, especially the younger ones, the ones newer to our family, are all bug-eyed and clutching. So quiet. The big city is so different from where they were born, and even from where they live now.

The lovelies, however, are over the top excited. We get to go to the movies!!! This never happens! Tae isn’t the only one with giggles and bursts of laughter on this day.

But.

At one point the lovelies realize the title we’ve chosen. “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”. It’s the conclusion to a series from Dream Works based on the novels by Cressida Cowell. It’s animated.

Wait, what? Tae is brave enough to express a concern that is apparently causing some consternation all of a sudden. She comes to me in an unusual show of questioning an elder.

“Cah-toon?” she asks, using the Thai word borrowed from English. There is no attempt to hide her disappointment. All this hype about going to the movies, and Ahjahn Ruth has the nerve to take us grown up girls to a movie for meant for babies?

If you know the “How to Train Your Dragon” series, or anything by Dream Works for that matter, you will know that the animation is sensational and the storyline compelling. The teens in my family are all over this. But with no context, Tae isn’t so sure.

I lay my arm across her shoulders and pull her in a little. “Chorp mahk.” You will like it, I promise. She nods, and is polite, but obviously not entirely convinced.

We watch the movie. It has such a sacrifice-for-love ending that most of us are crying. Goodbye beloved dragons (spoiler alert, oh too late, never mind). Tae is crying. We file out of our seats and we catch each other’s glance. She comes to me, still weeping, and says meaningfully, somewhat dramatically, “Chorp, mai chorp” Like, not like. “Chan cojai” I understand. It really is a tear jerker, just sayin.’

Tae grows things now. She’s studying horticulture and business with the goal of being an independent business woman with her own garden selling flowers and produce. This is a common and very solid career path for Thais, who value the entrepreneurial spirit. She’s living in residence right in the city of Chiang Mai. I bet she’s seen more movies by now.

She came home to Hot Springs when Ken and I were there this summer. Just to see us. And she’s still very much one of the lovelies.

This is what all the fuss is about this Saturday at Highview.
Our Garage Sale is to raise funds for Tae, and also Da and Wara, to continue their education past high school, giving them every opportunity to follow their own path into adult life.

Highview Community Church
295 Highview Drive, Kitchener
Come see us from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

When They Iron Your Underwear

 

I firmly believe that a sense of humour and a whimsy for fun are essential qualities in a pastor. That's important to this story.

First, we have to state that a feature of our time at Hot Springs is that we are treated as honoured guests and very definitely not invited into the domestics of things. When it comes to laundry, I'm not allowed to do any of the hanging on the line (we have no clothes dryers at Hot Springs), and it all comes back to me so neatly folded. Anything cotton or wrinkly is ironed. Ironed? I don't even do that for myself at home. Sigh.

I sneak in as much as I can when no one's looking, but truly, they really don't like it when I help clear the table, try to wash dishes, or clean my own bathroom. Believe me, I've offered countless times, all with adamant refusals. Which leads to the sneaking I've mentioned, and a little bit of family fun.

One easy sneak is taking in laundry, because, well usually no one is looking. I was making such an attempt on a day when Wara caught me. Mind you, this was my own laundry, my own underwear that I was gathering. But Wara came around from behind the hedge, saw what was happening, and made the usual fuss.

'No! Ajahn Ruth, please let me do that for you!' I protested, clutching my underwear protectively. "Chan ow chewy." I want to help. You all do so much for me all the time. This is a small thing.

'But don't you want us to iron those first?' she asked pointing to my underpants. Full stop. I think my mouth gaped open just a little.

Iron our underpants? What!!!!??? I'm somewhat horrified that all this time, all these visits, they've been - gasp - ironing our underwear! This is so not how I would want them to spend their precious free time. There's taking care of us, but -- this is ridiculous!

I convince Wara that my underwear is just fine as it is, thank you so much, and I come back into the guest house.

"I just found out they iron our underwear!" I announce to the Team. Everyone is equal measures impressed and distressed. I'm just shaking my head as I put my clothes away.

Later, when the first opportunity comes, I pull Yupa aside and express very sincerely that, while we so appreciate all the excellent care we are given when we are here, please, please let's not iron underwear anymore.

Yupa looks confused. I say it again, and I look up a few words in Thai to be sure I've got it right. Then from Yupa a sudden big smile.

'Oh Ahjahn Ruth. We don't iron underwear!! I think Wara was making a joke.'

Yup. She got me good. We laughed hard at this one.

And this is the young lady who is now in her final year at Bangkok Bible College. Currently she is serving in a 9 month internship before heading back to the classroom in the last leg of her journey towards becoming a pastor. And we couldn't be more delighted to support her in this.

As well as having a sense of humour and whimsy, Wara has proven to be full of warmth, insight, integrity and kindness - exactly the kind of pastor anyone would wish for. Her biblical competency is also apparent in the brief but well-spoken devotional she shared with the children one morning when Ken and I were there this summer.

Our Garage Sale on Saturday is all part of this.

Raising money for our Student Fund, so that Wara, and others like her who would not have this opportunity, can continue their studies past high school. A rarity in some parts of the world where the education of girls especially, is still a 'thing'.

From 8 to 1 Saturday, September 23
at Highview Community Church
295 Highview Drive, Kitchener

Who knows? You might find a treasure.
You'll certainly be helping a treasure. :)

A Beautiful Mess

The visit when I first met Da she was only 8 years old. She'd just come to Hot Springs and was that winsome combination of quite shy but also full of questions.

I needed an interpreter back then, and I remember a particularly unhurried evening by the fire, near to the end of my visit, where there were only a few of us. Da was right up against me, my arm around her. We were quiet for a bit. Then she took advantage of the moment, and, through the interpreter, I answered a number of her questions, mostly about snow, and other strange things in Canada.

There was a pause. She snuggled in a bit closer and asked, "Ahjahn Ruth, will you ever come back to us?"

Oh honey. What's the Thai equivalent for 'wild horses couldn't keep me away?'

And now Da is studying to be a nurse.

And this is partly the reason my front room is one big fat mess. Sort of like this explosion of wild weed that reminds me on my morning walk how beauty can be chaotic sometimes.

I'm talking of course about the Garage Sale on Saturday, and what a great opportunity it's been to clear away so much that I don't need anymore but might be useful to someone else. And at the same time, it's all raising funds to make sure Da can pursue her full potential.

If you're nearby, come see the mess at

Highview Community Church,

295 Highview Drive, Kitchener

between 8 and 1.
Saturday, September 23.

Wild weeds and wild horses and little girls who grow up to be strong and tender women.

Beautiful.

Worth a Thousand Words - Sponsor's Appreciation Dessert Night - Thursday, October 19th 7:00 p.m.

We cannot possible say it enough.

Thank You!

While they are here

Suradet and Yupa want to say it in person.

Sponsors (and Supporters) Appreciation Dessert Night

Thursday, October 19, 2023

7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Drop In

79 Blythwood Road Waterloo ON N2L 4A1

Casual, come and go

with a word from our honoured visitors at 8 p.m.

For everyone who has contributed anything to New Family Foundation's work with at-risk and orphan children through our connection with Highview Community Church....

Here's what you've made possible.

Since we cannot possibly express it properly in words, 

a few pictures to show what happens when you love us.

One child at a time, I think.

Today, here's May, three pictures from her arrival until this past July.

(Thank you Martin and Lillian.)

I'm Baking Cookies!!! New Family Foundation Garage Sale Saturday September 23 8 am to 2 pm

I'm baking some cookies!

Because every little bit counts.

Because everyone like a Bake Sale.

Because cookies are about the only thing I bake that turns out well.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 

8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Garage Sale (and Baked Goods)

Supporting New Family Foundation's Student Fund

Specifically

Wara

Finishing her theological studies hoping to become a (increasingly less rare) female pastor in Thailand.

Tae

Working on a degree in horticulture and business with the goal in mind to become an independent business woman.

Da

Studying hard in her first year at nursing school.

These young women are forging ahead against no end of odds that have been stacked against them.  We applaud their tenacity and support their individual efforts that ultimately come together to make a better world for us all.  

For an interesting read about some of what Wara, Tae and Da have faced in their pursuit of higher education, check out Facts About Girls Education in Thailand.  Fact #5 really applies here.

Got items to donate?

Drop off at Highview Community Church 295 Highview Drive Kitchener

Monday, September 18 9 - 5

Tuesday, September 19 9 - 8

Wednesday, September 20 9 - 5

Thursday, September 21 9 - 5

Friday, September 22 9 - 2

Or contact me at rabreithaupt@hcckw.ca.   

Straight up donations to "Student Fund" also gratefully accepted at donate@hcckw.ca.