Your Beautiful Hands Can...

“All ‘hands’ on deck!” is what one of our kid’s church pastors shouts when it’s time to pray.  It’s a good reminder for the children to stop what they’re doing, clasp their hands and focus on God.

Hands are so amazing aren’t they? The fact that they can do so many different things as well as communicate so much about how we’re feeling. 

They can show others when we’re nervous, tired, appreciative, mad, hurting, thoughtful… and so many other emotions!

They can also do so many things too.  They help us to swim, hug, cook, drive, write… this list goes on and on!!

Our hands also tell others information about us like whether we are married or single, our taste in jewelry, our age group and whether or not we bite our nails!!

But have you ever considered that your hands could also help fight child trafficking?  We know that most of you don’t have too much time on your “hands” but we’ve found a way that you can help without having to feel like time is slipping through your fingers.

We have produced an intricate colouring book called “Your Beautiful Hands Can” and in the right “hands” this book can do amazing things!

On one “hand” you can be having fun and doing something relaxing but on the other “hand” you will be helping kids in Thailand.

“But I’ve never tried my ‘hand’ at coloring or doodling,” I hear you say. 

Well this book would also make a lovely gift for someone or can be used as a fundraising activity for youth groups, churches and schools.

We’ll leave it in your “hands” to think creatively about the many other ways that this book can assist with the business at “hand” which is rescuing and caring for children.

I personally will not sit on my hands, or twiddle my thumbs, waiting for the right time.  The issue of modern day slavery is already out of “hand”!!!

The time is NOW! 

Wouldn’t it feel great to say that you had a “hand” in helping to fight child trafficking? 

I say, let’s use whatever we have at “hand” and make slavery disappear forever.

Will you lend a “hand”?  Watch the short video below!!

Email andrea@gozoe.org for quotes and expressions of interest for bulk ordering in packs of 50 or 100.  Books will be ready in June 2016!

7-ELEVEN

As I drove around doing errands, my mind wandered from thought to thought. 

My to-do lists. 

What to cook for dinner. 

Things to remember.
And then I saw it.
Another one. A new one, which had just been built.
A brand spanking new … 7- ELEVEN store.

My daughter and my husband like to play this game in the car called “7-Eleven”. It’s basically just spot the 7-Eleven store and the person who spots the most during the trip is the winner or the game can be carried on from one trip to another, depending on what they decide {sigh}.
It drives me crazy because I might be mid-sentence, saying something really important {a-hem} when all of a sudden “7-Eleven!” erupts, followed by lots of excitable screaming and yelling about who’s winning and who saw it first … yadda-yadda … hence, my important sentence gets lost. You get the picture.
But, in case you’re wondering how I could let this simple game drive me crazy, I just want to point out that in Thailand, there are over eight thousand 

7-Eleven stores! Yep! As Suzy Strutner said in the Chiangmai Times,

"Your life in general comes from 7-Eleven. It's where you pay your bills. 

And re-load your phone. And shop for groceries. 

And most importantly, it's where you get toasties. 

7-Eleven IS LIFE."

We used to pass at least 10 just on the way to school. You might understand now how it might, kind-of, just a little bit, get annoying after a while {nod here}.

And then my thoughts trail away to other things. Things I’ve been reading. 

Strangely enough an article from Family Education talks about what to expect in the second grade, and helping your child aged 7-11 to successfully face challenges that the school year may bring. My youngest is now 7 and I am trying to think ahead and be prepared (as much as possible) in relation to the social and emotional issues that this age group generally face.
And then my mind races once more, this time to the ‘other’ kids in this age group, the ones who don’t have a mum or dad reading up on all the latest educational advice. Whose mums or dads never had the chance to learn to read. Whose parents are no longer alive. Whose parents, for whatever reason, couldn’t protect them. This is the group we came here to help: the orphans and the little ones who cannot fight for themselves.
And while I sit in my car noticing the 8001st 

7-Eleven to be built, I think of the many little 7-11 year olds who still need rescuing. 

 At ZOE Children’s Homes we have at least ten children who fall into this age group who have been rescued and are now safe in the care of a new family. [There are also many children who are both younger and older than this].
The team at ZOE not only works hard to prevent child trafficking from occurring, but we will intervene when a child is in danger of being sold or has been sold into prostitution or slavery. But it doesn’t finish there, we commit to caring for these children from then on.
Did you know that there are more than 58,000 

7-ELEVEN outlets worldwide? You see them too.
As you drive home from work.
As you race to pick up your kids from school.
As you rush to that meeting.
As you dash out to go to the gym.
On your way to church.
But what can you possibly do? Right?

Well here’s a really easy thing. Every time you see a 7-Eleven store, let it remind you about what you have just read.
I’m not going to give you a bunch of statistics to remember. If there is one child who has been trafficked, it’s one too many.
You’re valuable to us!
You have the potential to share what ZOE is doing with an audience that we cannot reach – your friends, family, work colleagues, sports team, mothers' group, church, school and neighborhood.
You can create awareness about the atrocities of human trafficking, child trafficking and modern day slavery.
You can address these issues through your Facebook page, your blog, your local newspapers or any other link to mass media that you have.
If you've been touched by the work going on at ZOE or if you've seen or read or heard or experienced something that affected you, then go on and share THIS with others. 

Will you?

What's the Plan?

I'm not sure if you have someone in your family that continuously asks the question, "What's the plan?"  But I must admit, I like knowing what the plan is too!!

The other day, I was getting nervous and trying not to stress-out about it, but misplacing my diary (planner) felt like half my brain had just been wiped. Thankfully, after turning a few rooms upside down, and praying about it (ashamedly, in that order) the diary appeared tucked under a basketful of sewing things! Sigh.

Well now that it's back, I am looking at the calendar with disbelief... there's only 37 days till we're back on Australian soil!! What? How? Okay, that means I have a lot of planning still to do in a very small amount of time. But apart from all that, we are all very excited.  Our children haven't been back since September 2014 so they are SUPER excited!

In the mean time, I thought that I’d share with you a bit about what we’ve been up to lately.

Back in April, we enjoyed having David’s sister, our brother-in-law and our 2 nephews visit us. Especially for the week when our three kids were on school holidays, it was such a joy to have “cousin” time. There was a lot of laughter and fun that occurred and we made some great memories.

Also in April we had some of the children from ZOE come for a play-date as it was also their school break. We had fun Zentangling, making creations out of Paddle pop (popsicle) sticks as well as playing Lego.

The rest of the break included water, water and more water. The Thai New Year, also known as Songkran is a three-day celebration/ water fight.  As some of you may know, Thailand has had a big heat wave this past month so three days of throwing water and being wet is a welcome relief from the scorching heat. 

After Songkran, our kids went back to finish their final quarter/ term for the year feeling kind-of exhausted after so much fun. School finishes in June for them so they’re very much on the home stretch now.

I have been working on a project called “Family Baskets”. It’s a fairly new initiative to bring a basket of new ideas to the parents at ZOE every three months. It’s a way of encouraging family bonding, good memories and strengthen the family units.  It empowers the parents with new ideas and activities to try.  I try to provide activities based around these three areas:

1. Some sort of family bonding task or challenge or goal to work on.
2. Some type of craft/ something to learn/do e.g. make something/music related/arty/ fun etc
3. Something relaxing/stress relieving/ fun or a new game/activity.  

I love trying to fit within the budget and think of new and exciting things to do.

Dave and I are also working towards a big event this Saturday night where we are organising a project for ZFA. I am really looking forward to being able to share all about this soon… keep a look out! This is going to be COOL!

Aside from all that, there’s been LOTS happening here in the Transitional Home aka The Nest.

We are learning to keep handing the big and little issues over to God whilst continuing to love and reach out to these precious young people.

I shared with friends this week how I have struggled personally these past couple of months, often times feeling very disheartened. Praise God though as I have felt the fog lift. Whilst we feel like so much of this is unchartered waters and we don’t know what the next week looks like or how things will pan out; with our trust in God, we do not need to be afraid or discouraged. We need only to keep our eyes focused on Him. God is so good. He is faithful time and time again.
Within our little family, I am really enjoying watching our three as they grow and change. I really want to freeze them at their current ages but I am also excited to see each new step they take in becoming ‘themselves’; their beautiful, unique selves!  I love seeing them try new things and find the areas that they love to participate in.

Other than that, I have really valued the opportunity to be a part of the leadership team for the PTG (parent-teacher-group) at our children's school this year. I gained a lot of insight into the school and the annual events etc. I met some lovely people too and I will continue on being a part of this group in future.

Here are some pictures from the past month or so:

One of the young adults at The Nest bought 2 rabbits home the other day. Needless to say, there is always someone around to cuddle them!

ANZAC Day Dawn Service.

A particularly smokey day...

April in Thailand is typically hot and sweaty, but this year's scorching weather has set a record for the longest heat wave in at least 65 years. The average peak temperature each day this month has been above 40 degrees celsius.

Growing up so fast: healthy and strong.

Old Jeans, New Life

A few weeks ago, I met with Jess, the Children’s Ministry Director. She asked me to help her with a project and so we sat down to brainstorm ideas for a bag design needing to hold a drink bottle, notebook, pen and highlighter for the upcoming holiday program. It needed to fit in with a “Life is a Highway” theme.

Well, if you know me, you know that I love a theme! And after some discussion, I suggested making the bags out of old jeans. I knew a second hand shop where they sold jeans, some for as little as 10 baht a pair.

Her approval was all I needed to be off on my way, a new project to get excited about- I was one happy girl!

It was only as I started sewing the jean-bags that I began to ponder about how amazing it was that an old pair of jeans, previously cast into the cheapest pile in a second-hand shop, seemingly unwanted and discarded, could actually be transformed into something totally different… something with a new use and a new purpose.

After making a practice-bag first, my daughter quickly swung it over her shoulder and took it to school the next day. “Can you make all my friends one?” she asked after school. “They all really liked my bag”. Well, that was a good sign!

With each new bag that was created, I marveled at the change that took place. Each pair of jeans was different in its own way and yet with each one, the transformation was amazing as the old denim was recreated and made into something new.

The ‘new beginning’ that these jeans now had, reminded me of the very children for whom I was making the bags for. Children, who may've once been “used” but were now rescued, restored and repurposed.

In Psalm 139 it reads that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Unfortunately in life, too many children are not valued and loved in the way that God intended when He fashioned them together in their mother's womb.

Thankfully though when you and I do our bit to help save these precious little ones from slavery, abuse and abandonment, their lives can be transformed.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Not Perfect, Still Beautiful

Okay, I admit it... I love it when things go perfectly.  Whether it be a cake I’m baking, an event I’m helping to plan, even a family holiday.

Many of you know that I have struggled with speaking in Thai but did you know that I also struggle speaking in English too… okay, so maybe just in front of large crowds!! 

It’s all because I want it to sound perfect and if I think it’s not going to be then fear kicks in. Erg!

So anyway, last week, we had the opportunity to take a much-needed getaway with just us five. I was super-excited to have planned the PERFECT trip away.

 The plan was to have no plan.  Just stay at the beach and relax and hang out together. We were all looking forward to some serious “Crossie” time together.

We have lived in the ZOE Transitional Home for exactly 12 months now.  It’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions and craziness. It has stretched us in ways that we didn’t realize we could be stretched and challenged us tremendously.  My heart has broken, once again, for the precious children that ZOE rescues.

It cries out for the healing transformation that brings life back to hearts that ache to feel loved and accepted, and longs for moments when they get to know who they are and to accept that they’re precious and worthy.

~

Well, our holiday location was perfect.  All the “bits” that I was able to control and organise worked out really well.

But despite the “perfect” setting, and many wonderful bonding moments and laughter… our beautiful holiday also included an ugly side of bouts of diarrhea, sunstroke, vomiting, an ear infection and five people who all desperately needed time and space to unwind, process and relax in their own individual ways!!

You get the picture…

As the holiday drew to a close, we decided to take one last leisurely stroll along the beach at sunset.  A few nights prior, I had found a really nice, big shell that some other people passing by had even stopped to comment on.

So, on this final night, I had just one more opportunity to scout the beach while the tide was out and I was determined to find another “perfect” shell for my collection.

Tobi and I were walking together, eyes both scouring the sand when we began to chat about various things.  “Isn’t it amazing?” I said, “How we all have such different taste about what beauty is?  Like I might pick up this shell and think it is so pretty, but you might be thinking it’s average and then you see a shell that you really like, and I might not think it’s very special at all.” He agreed.

Moments later, he produced a shell for me, “Is this what you’re looking for Mum? You can have it.”

“Aww thanks” I replied, at first glance it looked good but then I noticed something and my perfectionist side dominated, “but actually I won’t keep this one. See, it’s broken.”

His next words left me speechless.

“Yes Mum it is, but even broken shells are beautiful.”

His words stuck in my mind and began playing over and over.  He was so right.

Later that night after finishing a movie we’d starting watching the day before, Dave and I were just about to give the instruction for the kids to head off to bed, when Eliana spoke up suggesting we have a time of prayer as a family, thanking God for this wonderful time away we’d had together.  We all agreed, it was a great idea.  I love hearing my children pray. It gives me such insight into their hearts and minds.

After we’d prayed she suggested that we also have a time of encouragement for one another- isn’t it awesome when you see your children take the lead on the things that you, as the parent, usually instigate?

Towards the end of the time of encouragement, I decided to share the conversation that Tobi and I had had on the beach earlier.  I spoke about how it had reminded me that we are all imperfect.

We are all broken in some way and we each have so many things that God is working through in our lives, but that indeed we are still beautiful to Him.  And with the realisation that that is how God sees us, and other people, we are able to try to see others in the same way - broken yet beautiful!

After we’d talked about this, Eliana came to whisper closely. “At the start of the week, I used to only collect the perfect shells too, Mum” she said quietly, “But then Tobi explained to me how when a shell is broken, you can see right inside the shell, which you can’t normally see. He said that some shells aren’t that nice to look at on the outside but on the inside they’re beautiful.”

Our holiday ended faster than I would’ve liked (why is that?) and it was time to trade wading through warm salty water, for the long list of emails that awaited me.  As I skim read, one email jumped off the screen, “Would I share at a meeting on Tuesday about the Transitional Home?”

Despite the fact that this request made me feel physically sick and, after I'd read it, my heart started racing faster than a Japanese bullet train, I must remember that I may not ever be a perfect public speaker but what I can share is what God is doing beautifully in, and through, this transitional home… the progress in the lives of the young adults who come in and out… and what God is doing in my own family too.  It can be messy at times to strip away masks and expose inner fears but through God’s grace and love we can experience hope, healing, authenticity and love. 

Please know this week, there is beauty in your brokenness!!

Year Six

As each anniversary of us living here approaches, I like to commemorate it in some way, a reflection... going back through old photos... "then and now" comparisons etc.  This year as our family celebrates our 6th anniversary in Thailand, I want to not only remember how it all began but I'm going to share a bit about our smallest family member...

In the beginning...

On the 12th March 2009, I sent an email to a volunteer working overseas.  I had stumbled upon her family's blog shortly after hearing about a place called ZOE Children's Home. That email led to a series of other emails back and forth, then us contacting their U.S office and eventually beginning the lengthy process of applying to work in Thailand... at a children's home... we had never even been to!  Through a series of Skype interviews, conversations and a week-long trip to see the work being done in Thailand first-hand; we were accepted in July 2009 and we committed to begin preparing for the move that would totally change our lives... 

Right before our first Skype-interview in May 2009 

(Spencer is 6 months old)

Our first border run April 2010

Dave's first Thailand birthday March 2010

Visiting the ZOE building site (the current children's home) January 2010

 

Our little guy in February 2010

At ZOE March 2010

Six years down the track, Dave and I can now say that Thailand mostly feels like home.  For our children, who have lived well-over half their lives here (and for Spencer, most of his life) it is definitely home to them.

Many times, people say to me, "Oh it's so great that your kids are experiencing this. My kids are so ungrateful", or "Your children must really understand what it's like to go without" etc.

Our children are children. They struggle with self-centredness, ungratefulness and not being content just as much as ... well, all of us do.

Like other parents I know, I hope for life-changing moments for my children that rock their world, that challenge their feelings and inspire them to have a passion that, combined with a love for God, changes lives around them and in turn becomes part of their legacy.

In early 2009, as David and I sat on our new leather couch, upon freshly laid floating floor boards, a simple DVD was the tool that God used to break our hearts for something that breaks His; child trafficking.  It is moments like this, that we never forget, that change our life and demand that we do something about the wrong that we have become aware of and help to make it right.  With tear stained faces we looked at each other and said, "We have to go..."

This little guy, our youngest one who is all-boy, frequently mud covered, rough, boisterous, loveable, competitive, funny, loud, outspoken and gets away with way too much - strangely also has a very tender and soft side. A dim glow under the dirt-smeared skin, a very gentle and sensitive heart beneath the wrestles, pokes and pranks.

This kid, who had just celebrated turning one a couple of months before we left Australia and had not long been walking, really could be part-Thai.  

From fish eyes, frog legs and pigs blood, I'm not sure whether it's just the taste that he likes or the reaction that he gets from eating them.  He loves an audience, crazy dance moves, drumming and singing and it's no surprise that his chosen career-path (for now) is to be a racing car driver or a DJ.

Last Sunday night...  we had planned to visit a local market and try out a newish food section where I had eaten with my parents on their recent trip.  We were all craving some western food but unexpectedly when we walked there, we found a sign saying that it is closed on Sundays.  The problem was, that we still had the hankering for some pizza or a burger so we decided to keep walking and see what we could find.  Eventually we came to a restaurant that we had been to before and ordered our food.  With much anticipation we waited and eventually we were served. It did not disappoint! We all enjoyed the treat and decided to keep the remaining pizza slices for the next day's lunch as the kids would be at home due to school holidays.

By the time we left, it was dark and the footpaths were uneven so we carefully walked single file and held each other tightly as we crossed the busy city roads.

It was just as we were about to walk into our street that we saw him... a man with his t-shirt wrapped over his head and covering his face.  He was curled up on the step sleeping with no home... and no bed.

It became quickly apparent that our children had also noticed the man as they began to wipe tears from their eyes but most surprisingly was just how confronted they felt and within seconds, wailing  sprung forth from our youngest... big, gushing tears mixed with, "... that's just so sad".

Without hesitation, we all knew that we had something in our hands... something we could give.  The treat we had earlier thought of saving for ourselves was carefully placed beside the sleeping man and as prayers were tearfully uttered, we walked on.

As we rounded the next corner, into our street, we saw yet another man, sleeping in a similar position and rugged up with clothes covering his head. 

Our little-one's sobbing increased.

I held his hand. Both taken aback by his reaction and yet realising that it made plain sense - that this must be the first time he has remembered seeing someone like this, or was old enough to understand.

"It is sad" I agreed.  I held his hand tight.  The road was dark and quiet besides the crying.

But what was it that I really wanted him to know right now? I struggled for the words.

That's when my dad's encouragement, spoken out to each of our children on his last day in Thailand came flooding back. He was so right how he had summed each of them up.

"That soft and gentle heart you have, God gave you that heart. Remember how Gramps noticed the way that you knew all your teddy's names and the way you care for them. And the way you tenderly take care of animals? That sadness that you feel when something is not right... God must feel like that too. But He is going to use that softness in you so that you can help people.  Don't ever forget what you saw tonight.  When it makes you feel sad, you can use that to go and make a difference".

The crying continued into the night and as I lay down next to him and patted him to sleep staring down at his little tear streaked face, I remembered back to that night on the couch all those years ago when I too had wept for those who do not have a home and a family and know what it really means to be loved.

Why did I choose to share this little story? 

For us parents - let's continue to pray that our children have life-altering moments that begin to shape them and inspire them to be all that they were created to be.  

And in our own lives, let's continue to open up our eyes to see need around us and never forget those who have less than us or that don't know where hope, love and peace really come from.  

I'm thankful, that this situation has already allowed us to, not only, have many more conversations but to also act upon the needs that we saw that night.

As our family heads into this new year, both 2016 and our seventh year here, may it be a year where we allow God to continue to use our feelings of sadness, anger and injustice in combination with His love for people to keep making a difference and really see change in our community.

goodbye..?

It really seems too difficult to put into words the emotions that went along with having my parents come and stay with us for the past three weeks.  It wasn't just because it was the first Christmas we've had together in 6 years, or the fun we've had exploring new places, hanging out or trying new foods. 

For me, it seems best to articulate just how I felt, using the above quote from Winnie The Pooh, "Can't we go back and do it all over again?"  Yep! It was that special... I know I would be happy to repeat it all in a flash!

 Three weeks of "new favourite days"...

When adventure happens...

Sometimes it's the simple and "ordinary" things that are the most precious...

We've definitely felt loved these past few weeks...

 

But airport-goodbyes are still not getting any easier!! (Following this photo we pretty much all broke down in tears!)