Dear Everyone,

I already wrote to all you good folks last week, but life here at Mercy Centre moves so very fast. And we have to keep up. A couple days ago, we wrote about the new school in the Fresh Market. This is the 2nd week and there are more new kids coming to study each day. And we’ve got a most exciting school environment – fresh fish (and some not terribly fresh), fiery chickens and ducks, aromatic vegetables and heavenly fruit. It is truly a vibrant atmosphere – you really know you are in the market place.

Then this past Saturday early evening, our talented musical group – playing traditional Thai instruments – some from olden days - and perform beautiful Thai dance – did a gig at a famous yearly folk festival at Central World called The Rhythm of the Earth World Musiq and World Bar-B-Q. Wish you could have been there. I clapped and cheered till my hands hurt and I was getting horse cheering, till one of the girls told me from the stage... ‘it’s okay Father Joe, let the other people cheer too!” And they did – over one thousand!

And now this week, our over 3,000 kindergarten kids are sitting for ‘final exams’ - Yes, we are old fashioned, (reading & writing & arithmetic) but it is so vital that the kids can read and write because for some, this will be the only education they will get their whole lives – but by being literate they can protect themselves, they can sign legal documents, read books and newspapers – take care of themselves and their loved ones.

And our make-shift schools in the construction sites flourish – nine camps – over 200 kids and adults – and again – the basics but a momentous life skill... learn to read and write Thai – most of them know how to count from when they could walk to a store for candy and knew how to count change from early on!
And our big Mercy family has gotten bigger and even more joyous. Four amazing children have moved in to our Mercy homes the last two months. Twin boys, 4 years old, came all the way from South Thailand – sat on the train for 20 hours with a worried mother. They are bright and polite, she taught them well – but they were not safe at home, she could not trust their stepfather.

So here we are and it’s not even the 3rd month of the year of the monkey! And next month is the THE day of the year – Graduation – and the kids have already started to practice, bowing and curtsying is not easy in a long robe.

Prayers,
Father Joe