Happy Easter to all!
The runts had a good Easter, with a party and their favorite food, pork and egg noodles (which is also MY favorite), plus Coke, cake and ice cream. This was the first Easter for many of our wee ones, and the Holy Week ceremonies kept their attention. More of our older kids left to return home or find work or further studies. We keep a close eye on them, and are ready to help them with room and board, food and medicine money, plus their school expenses.
In the meantime, we await the arrival of 8 new children and also babies who have severe brain damage, and physical disabilities. I had to order a halt to the renovation of the bakery (future home for these poor babies) and send the crew to the older boys house to repair the roof and ceiling and some problems with water flow from the sinks and showers. They are back working on the bakery now. We have five such babies with us now, and since there is no place like ours in the northeast of Thailand (1/3 of the land mass which makes up the country), we will possibly wind up with a truckload of these unfortunate little beings. Having Ben here from the big hospital in Maastricht, Holland and his wife Angelique about 8 months every year makes all this easier. Ben is a skilled therapist who got me back to normal after a stroke 6 years ago, and then last year was instrumental in getting me out of bed, after months of sickness from Covid vaccine, and they also help children on our Outreach program, and local adults who have had strokes, etc. They are a very popular couple!
We have asked the government for some financial aid for these disabled babies, but the answer for requests for government aid used to be “You are a Catholic work, and we do not help Catholics”. Now the excuse is that there is no budget for disabled babies. Thank God we have generous donors who keep the wheels greased!
With a farm manager, and a couple whom I hired, the farm is flourishing. Mama cows and pigs are all preggers, and our 150 chickens are cranking out eggs at a furious pace. Wells were drilled, huge water tanks ordered, and we are preparing to make our own animal and fowl feed. Pumps are run by solar panels, and the rice paddies were flooded to prepare the paddies for grain, corn, sugar cane, etc., plus some vegetables which will be all ground up and fed to the livestock. It will be much cheaper than the animal feed in stores, and probably better quality. We shall see.
April and the first week or so of May is what is remaining of the kids’ summer vacation. They go swimming, sightseeing and to movies. One of our girls who graduated is now working at a movie theater, and is able to get the kids in half price.
Here’s hoping you all experience gorgeous spring weather, and good health and happiness. The kids, staff and priest pray for you all!
Fr. Mike Shea
