Dear Friends of Sarnelli House,
This past week, the children returned to school for the second term. The staff and volunteers are now able to rest and relax a bit. During this period of time, we have had loads of volunteers, 13 of them, plus one of our Redemptorist major seminarians, Brother Lert. Noon lunches at our guest house reminds me of noon dinners when I was a kid. Farmers would cut their oats and bundle them, and then wait for the threshing machine. A farmer who owned one of those machines, would thresh for over 15 farms, and farmers on this list, would gather to help thresh at each other’s farm. Farm wives would help each other preparing huge amounts of food for the hungry farmers, who would sit at a long table, like our volunteers and guests at Charlene House.
We Have Brother Lert here, who has three years more before being ordained a Redemptorist priest. He is a hill tribe lad from north Thailand, from the Karen tribe. He is a fine, brilliant young man who works hard and is loved by the kids. He will be with us for the better part of a year.
The monsoon season is over, and the mornings are much cooler as we approach the cold season. I used to like the cold season, but not anymore. When it really gets cold, I look like the snowman with all the layers of clothes. In the meantime, our boys walk around in t-shirts to show how macho they are.
One of our volunteers from Holland was here to paint cartoon characters, etc., on the outside walls of our house for the disabled. He then had little kids color them, and the disabled kids had their hands painted and then impressed on the wall. It turned out to be really colorful and the wee ones were very proud of their participation in the project.
Debbie, a British lady who retired here in Thailand, is the resident Grandma to the little ones, and is making Halloween garb for the wee ones. The villagers don’t celebrate Halloween and much less trick or treating, so I suppose they will all be headed to my house.
May God bless you and yours.
Father Mike, the children and staff
