Last year we experienced horrifying civil strife in Bangkok. This year we have devastating floods. But no matter what is happening outside, in Mercy Centre our children rule the day, mostly with their laughter and smiles.  For a glimpse into their everyday lives, please visit our new photo gallery. All photos by Rick Ashley.

It's 22 November 2011 in Bangkok. Day 26 since our first slum kindergarten flooded. - a total of eight went under water. In three slums, the water came up in an hour. Water to the ceiling. The children are safe, everything was soaked. In my letter of a couple weeks ago, I said 10 schools were going under water. I believed 'the T.V. weather guru'.. but in truth only eight flooded and 750 children lost their schools, most of them lost their homes also. Our other 14 schools are in slums on dry ground, and school is back in session as normal.

Preschools: Our primary aim is to get our slum kindergartens back in operation in several flooded communities.

The floods have not yet receded in any of our communities, but we are doing what we can now, today, and will do much more tomorrow and in the days to come. With your support, we are reaching out to the poorest families devastated by the floods, providing care packages, emergency supplies, food, rice, and whatever it takes to regularize people’s lives – to get the moms and dads back to work and the children back to school.

I promised a "flood update: in a few hours to you good folks with email My apologies to you my brothers and sisters whom I didn't then send a letter by ordinary mail. Anyway, the email, was four days ago when I wrote you all that our

The Concert for 30 Oct here in Bangkok for kids flooded out of their schools and homes is cancelled. Many of the singers, dancers and band members are flooded out of their homes here in Bangkok. Plus, they are afraid that the hall where we are having the concert will be flooded, and if not the hall itself, the road coming in to the concert area...All feel better safe than sorry!!!