Blog

It feels like the entire world has been flipped upside down and it’s been steadily happening since early Jan (2020) for us. Here’s a few highlights:

People in Bangkok seemed informed about coronavirus but the pollution seemed more dangerous at the time- both in Bangkok and the northern parts of Thailand. Also, the fires in Australia were still raging. There was concern for China, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan but again, most in Bangkok were focused on the terrible air quality. Many wear masks already while they travel due to bad pollution here. I went to an island for a friends’ birthday and we scrambled to find masks as we flew back into Bangkok… the airport was eerie even on Jan. 22nd. You could feel the tension in the air and we were shocked to see the typical masks sold out at many local 7/11 shops all over.

THREE staff celebrated birthdays… our admin Zion is still on maternity leave, so we were unable to celebrate with her.

Also, a new ladyboy joined our program Jan. 22nd. This student is young, really petite, yet fiercely determined in so many areas. I was rather surprised as “Bella” quickly trusted our team. It was encouraging to all of us, as this ladyboy continues to choose to be optimistic, while also open about pain and trauma. One of the first “pre-counseling” sessions we have is to explain what counseling is and to learn more about the new students’ family background…

“Bella” started crying, telling stories of bullying and abuse since a really young age. I actually started crying too- because of the stories but also how quickly the defenses had melted and this teen had carried so much- alone. We started simply, where the student made a list of some of the horrible things that have been spoken over Bella’s life and to choose a few to immediately refute. (In 5 minutes, it was a page long- aagh and that wasn’t all) We talked about what is true? How do we NOT believe the lies spoken over us- sometimes consistently for years? How do we not let those lies- and trauma- hold power over our hearts and actions? We started with a topic that was painful but a little more tangible to refute… something people in the village had said for years. Bella’s facial expression of pain, anger and tears started shifting in that moment, becoming relaxed and hopeful. Bella looked me deep in the eye and said shyly and slowly, “I’m not stupid, I’m smart and I finished high-school with good grades.” I said, “That’s awesome, now say it louder.” Bella blinked, cracked a smile and straightened up in the chair, locked eyes with me with a slight questioning gaze- and then said it again more confidently. It’s a beautiful start and we are excited to watch seeds of hope and healing take root in Bella’s heart.

📷 by Dorothea