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March 2017

I must apologize for being so tardy with my monthly letter to you folks. But, I am writing with tragic news. We took in a Down’s syndrome girl 2 and ½ years ago, named Muay, who died on March 3 at the Nongkhai Provincial hospital. She had a septic infection that caused pneumonia, and shut down her lungs and heart within three days. When I heard how bad it was, I went to visit her together with Fr. Ole and our nurse Kate. During our visit, I got a wet cloth and baptized her. (Muay used to sneak in line with the Catholic kids in order to receive communion). She would have been 17 years old next month. After two nights of wakes and Masses with our kids and staff, we had her funeral Mass and burial on Sunday morning, March 5. It was a sad, sad day.

When Muay first came, she had no birth certificate, and we did not even know her last name. Some government officials doggedly traced her to her parents; who had divorced and re-married, and moved from Muay’s village. Muay was very badly treated by her grandfather, and we took her in. She had T.B. from malnutrition, but when she was cleared of T.B., any little thing would still make her sick. We were lucky to find a school nearby where one of the teachers was trained to help children with Down’s syndrome. She was a mischievous, delightful little girl, and we dearly miss her sense of humor and pranks.

Over 50 years ago, while in the major seminary on Lac LaBelle, Oconomowoc, WI, we used to call February the “tunnel month”. March used to be worse. The weather was rotten; the ice on the lake was dozy, so we could not play hockey. Piles of dirty snow were everywhere. Lent would be upon us, with its strict fasting rules. And I just received a list of notes children wrote to God. One of them wrote “God, please put a holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now”.

So far, we have two new additions this month, to our crew of babies. One is a little 2 year old lad named “Ball”, and his 4 month old baby sister, name “Gam Boom”. Many of the children have colds, so we are trying to make sure that none of the babies wind up sick. The greedy little pups drink cases of milk every day, and are getting fat and they all look like Winston Churchill.

We will soon break ground of an experimental farm on our 12 rai piece of property. There will wind up being four houses there; for the boys and for the director. Our big problem right now, is electricity. We are busy building a four room flat for our giurls with AIDS who have been slowed mentally by the ARV medicine. They will stay on and work with us, and be salaried people.

We appreciate everyone’s kindness and interest in Sarnelli and its kids. May the Good Lord and his Mother bless and protect you and yours every day!

Gratefully,

Fr. Mike

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