During a visit to the HOL building site, Nam Waan enjoys hamming it up in her bedroom-to-be with her future roommates.

Nam Waan was only 6 years old when the HPTP staff first met her and her 12 year old sister Nam Pueng.  Now a teenager, this is her testimony that she recently shared at Sunday school:

From the time that I was born I did not have the things that other people had; but I was happy like others because I was able to live with my mother and father.  But my happiness did not last very long because both of my parents died.  I had to go live with my aunt.  When I was a child I was told that I was a Christian, but I never went to church, I never worshipped God.  I did not know who God was.  But before meals I noticed that my aunt would pray.  She did this before each meal.  I wondered what she was doing.  But when I came to the House of Love I began to learn who God was and what the reasons were that we went to church.  And I learned that I could pray to God.  I had the chance to go to church and study about God in Sunday School.  The Sunday School teacher taught me that when we are sad or we need something we can pray to God and ask in faith that God help us.  I have prayed and talked to God about many things.  I have asked for clothes, for friends, and for love.  God has given me each of these things.  I have also prayed for funds for the House of Love, and God has provided.  I have this feeling of wonder, a feeling that God has provided in miraculous ways.  It is almost like a fairy tale.  But this is not a fairy tale, it is very real.

Many people look at the House of Love and think that this is a home for children who do not have love, who have many problems.  But as for me, I feel that this home gives us warmth, love, and new life.  My life is not lacking anything.  I have friends that give me happiness and with whom I can have fun.  I have God in my life and I know that God is with each one of us who live in the House of Love.  Even when there are problems at the House of Love we can see God at work helping to make things right.  My experiences have led me to have a greater and greater faith.  I know that God is my father and the person who has the most value for me.

Praise and Prayer:

•    October is semester break for the children at both the House of Love and the House of Blessing Daycare.  Please pray it can be a relaxing and fun-filled time for the children.  Please pray for safety and good care for the daycare children who live in the slums during this time.  (Most are in the care of older siblings during the break.)

•    One of the young men from the HOL will be entering the army for his mandatory one-year of service.  Please join us in praying that Ahtu will walk with the Lord, and grow spiritually, even when away from his HOL home.

•    Exciting news for the Community-based Rehab Program (CBRP)—Christians in another province in Thailand are interested in visiting and helping those with disabilities, and Kim and a volunteer physical therapist from Australia will be traveling to Nan Oct. 9-11 to do some advising.

•    The IMEM staff have been busily preparing for the Bible camp, Shining the Light, that will be held Oct. 14-16th.  This year, the plan is to again invite the 60 AIDS orphans supported by the project.  But the venue will be Chiang Mai—the first time many of the children will have been to the city.  Pray for the 12 staff that will be in charge of the camp to have sensitivity to the needs of the group, and that the lessons from the Bible as well as teaching about AIDS, children’s rights and other topics would meet felt needs.

•    Praise God for the progress being made at the House of Love building site.  The kitchen has been started, and most of the tiling is finished in the girls’ dorm.  The children love visiting the property and seeing the changes.  This last week, they were running through the rooms, picking the ones that they would be sleeping in.  Their joy and excitement was captured by one statement, “Let’s move in now.”  The builders have said it will be about 2 more months before the building is ready for the children.

•    There continue to be many needs in the ethnic minority communities, and we are grateful that we will soon have more space to meet some of the needs.  Recently, we have learned of a 13 y/o girl living in the slum who is in an abusive situation, and needs housing now.  Please be praying for HOL house parent Khun Surachai as he works with the aunt and the girl to come to a solution soon.

Dancing with excitement during a visit to the HOL building site