Blessing Home Updates

May 2010 started with a touch of sadness in Blessing Home as the number of children had suddenly been reduced from 44 to 34 in the new school year. Beside those who had left to pursue vocational courses after middle school, or gone on to university after high school, a few also had completed their education and left. Others left to stay elsewhere.

But it could also have been a blessing as Blessing Home really could not cope with that big a number of residents in terms of facilities as well as financially. With 34 children, the dormitories have become more spacious for the children and there is more room for study and recreation.

Pastor Voravud and the children have also cultivated a vegetable plot next to the pond. Hopefully, they will be able to supplement their purchases with some home-grown vegetables very soon, to help reduce the cost of vegetables. A local Christian charity has also donated 3000 catfish fries, so the fish pond has also been re-stocked. With the recent rains, there is now sufficient water for the fish to grow in the next few months, in time to be harvested for food from early next year.

Besides having devotions every morning and prayer on Friday nights, the children have also been learning some basic performance skills. They have in the last two months been putting up a few simple sketches during "performance nights" on Fridays. They did quite creditably, and their leaders have been encouraged to help their groups to improve. It is a good start for building confidence, improving their sense of mutual cooperation, and fostering a closer camaraderie.

The present school term is coming to a close, and very soon it will be the October school holidays, when the children will go back to their homes and families for 3 weeks, and Blessing Home will be left empty.

When they return to school at the end of October, it will be time again for us to finalize our plan for this year's mission team to Blessing Home in December.