Welcome Koko
We are having an exciting time pushing ahead towards in our ministry vision in Thailand. This week we signed the papers to have two boys become the first of many children who will make up our children’s home.
There was a lot to learn, but God has been so awesome, so faithful. If you remember it is almost a year ago now when God really got my attention; telling me all we had to do to start a children’s home was to go ahead and do it. What He was saying to me was everything we need to make this work is already in place; we just have to push ahead and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Today we are seeing evidence of this in the form of many blessings, the most current is Koko. A few weeks ago we learned of a boy who needed some help. His mother is very poor and has a skin disease that keeps her in bed most of the day. In fact we heard from other villagers that she was dying.
This week we went up his village to see this boy and his mom. The boy’s name is Koko and he is six years old. Koko has been doing a good job of helping his mom, but his mom is very tired, and she cannot look after him properly. Koko has family in the village, but they too are poor. Koko has been staying mostly with his grandma. He hasn’t been going to school regularly, and his father ran out before he was born.
We asked Koko to come live with us and he was very excited to come. At first he was a bit shy, but now he is full of confidence. Koko’s language is a mixture of Khmung, Karen, and Thai, which is fine for the jungle, but now he has some adjustments to make as he will have to become proficient in Thai to succeed in a city school.
We have enrolled Koko in A Christian school, it will cost more than the government school, but we believe the quality will be far above public school. Also, he will get a little extra care which will help him transition to his new world. We are hoping someone will feel led to sponsor his education costs (roughly $1000 a year).
Koko is intelligent and thoughtful, the other day he said he was thinking of his mom. He said he wanted her to get better. Anchalee asked him “how will that happen?” He said “God is able to heal her.” This is quite a statement from a six year old who comes from a background of Animist/Catholicism. We know this because the rest of his family all wear symbols of witchcraft. His mom has been treated often by witchdoctors, but they called a priest to do a ceremony for Koko when they released him to us.
We are overjoyed with receiving such a wonderful boy. He is respectful and a quick learner. In a few days he already has a number of English words figured out, he does the dishes, and he loves school. Koko has a lot of energy too, along with curiosity; something that keeps us on our toes.
Our heart now goes out to his mother, with her strange disease. We will do our best to keep tabs on the situation and to help get her a diagnosis. We have laid hands on her and prayed for her healing, but will keep pursuing God for her complete recovery. We have sent photos of her condition to a doctor in the west.
To all our supporters, Koko says Sawatdee Krap (Thai for hello)