Yesterday was a glorious day at our Mercy Centre. On the occasion of her birthday, HRH Princess Srirasmi visited our Mercy Centre to celebrate with our Mercy children, our kindergarten students, and all our house moms, house dads, teachers, and social workers. Our children renewed their vows to the Princess, promising to study hard and to be kind and generous. After receiving a luncheon feast from the Princess, our children also performed a classical Thai dance to the accompaniment of our Mercy kid orchestra. A spirit of joy filled the air.

Last week our social workers took 45 street children to a place they could barely imagine, far away from their everyday cares.

Last week our Mercy children, along with our kindergarten students, our staff, and neighbors, invited the monks from our local temple Wat Saphan to celebrate Mother's Day together as a community. Our children gave alms; the monks gave blessings, and we stood together in praise of all the goodness our moms bring to our beloved Klong Toey.

This past week Israeli Ambassador H.E. Itzhak Shoham and his wife Madam Dalit Shoham made a special visit to our Mercy Centre to meet the students who attend our Janusz Korcack School for Street Children.

In receiving his promotion to Second Lieutenant within the Port Authority Precinct of the Royal Thai Police, Khun Aumnaj Boonyamatee asked Fr. Joe to pin his new insignia to his police uniform. Of the many formal and informal ceremonial duties that Fr. Joe performs, he says that this one gave him great honor because Khun Aumnaj is a true slum hero: Second Lietenant Aumnaj works with our Mercy legal aid teams to protect the poorest and most vulnerable Klong Toey children.

Yesterday we celebrated the Songkran holiday – as we always do, according to Thai traditions – by giving honor to our elderly neighbors. Hundreds of Klong Toey slum grandmoms and granddads attended the ceremonies, led by the Monks from Wat Saphan, our local Temple. Fr. Joe and Sister Maria spoke to our elderly neighbors, thanking them for being the heart and soul of our beloved Klong Toey slum: “You gave birth to your children here,” Father Joe said, “and you raised your families here.... You are what make our slum a beautiful and holy place. We are what we are today because of you.”