They’ve never been outside of Thailand. Never held a passport. Never flown on a plane. And most certainly never eaten latkes or pierogies. But today ten Mercy boys are flying to Poland to compete in a three-day international soccer tournament to be held in Warsaw – with transport and housing expenses paid by tournament organizers. All teams, including, of course, our Mercy team, will be represented by children who live in group shelters. What a fantastic experience! Our children never thought they would ever see or do anything much beyond their neighborhood slum. Today they’re in Poland! We feel their excitement, and will be sharing their experience with you in the coming days.

This month and next, we are sponsoring either our 14th or 15th (depending on who’s counting) Klong Toey Slaughterhouse Youth Soccer Tournament. Over 650 poor kids from all over Klong Toey are competing on the cement pitch beside the Klong Toey Slaughterhouse. Some teams have been practicing for months while others have never competed before. Every kid gets a chance to play. And every kid comes out a winner! (More details in Fr. Joe’s newsletter below.) The photos above and below were taken during the third week of competition.

Bursts of joy fill our days at Mercy, and we wish we could share each of these moments with our friends.

Over 60 Mercy children took off to the beach last week, where they belly-flopped into the waves and buried each other in sand castles.

Tears, tears, and more tears, mixed with shouts of delight and plenty of laughter.

This is Holy Week, and I’d like to share a few moments of mercy with our friends from around the world.