Our almost eight-year-old Klong Toey Miss Nong Ming made the Bangkok 10 o'clock night TV news a couple of nights ago. She shouldn't have though. In fact, it was "bad form".

This past Sunday 40 children from the Human Development Foundation’s Mercy Centre attended Mass at Assumption Cathedral in Bangkok. It isn’t unusual for these former street children, who are raised in the Buddhist religion of their mothers and grandmothers, to join in a Christian ceremony. Their home at the Mercy Centre, founded by Father Joe, is a religious house; and the Mercy children are brought up to respect all religions.

Last Sunday was "harvest day" for our boys living on our farm. Former street kids, these boys now grow their own vegetables, catch their own fish, and plant and harvest the rice they put on their dinner table.  Early on the morning of harvest day, our Mercy girls dropped by the farm to prepare lunch for their Mercy brothers. Once they saw how hard their brothers were working, they decided to pitch in, and in the end, everyone, both our boys and girls, harvested together. It's amazing how our boys have taken to a country lifestyle. In the past they had no confidence, no self-esteem, yet now they are thriving in school, sports, friendship and life.

The Golden Triangle Multi-Challenge: Hike -2 days, Cycle-3 days, and Kayak-2 days. 350 KM

This year a wonderful Dubai-based charity - Gulf for Good - will be sponsoring a Holiday Challenge around the Golden Triangle. Proceeds will go to the Human Development Foundation for capital improvements, specifically for building urgently needed shelters for our boys living on our farm. Gulf for Good has been sponsoring challenges for our foundation and others for many years,  helping disadvantaged children all over the world. We invite all our friends to join in the Golden Triangle Challenge. Dates to be announced.

On Dec. 24th, HRH Princess Srirasmi celebrated her birthday together with our hospice patients, our Mercy children and our kindergarten students. Over 500 children joined together in a joyous outpouring of song and dance and birthday wishes. As a gift to the Princess, our Mercy children made several promises: they promised to be good, to study hard, never to take drugs, never to harm the environment, to spend wisely, to work together in harmony with society, and, most importantly, to do everything with with a generous heart. The Human Development Foundation is under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Srirasmi. Photos: Above: in our hospice with Mae Jiap and her baby named "Big." Below, with Mae Moiee.