Baan Sak Fan Orphanage

After our wonderful week in Phuket, we drove an hour and a half north to Phang Na province.
We spent most of the week at the most amazing place... Baan Sak Fan Orphanage.

Meet Gai & Somraum...
two amazing, loving, selfless Thais who left their life in another region and moved, with their own 3 kids, to Takuapa after the Tsunami--to raise other people's kids.

See these smiles? They're the real deal.
This couple are doing an amazing job of loving, leading and caring for about 20 kids, mostly teens, who don't have anyone else to take care of them. Most of these kids lost their parents in the Tsunami of '04. In some of their eyes, you can see a little sadness, but mostly this is a group of very happy, healthy, amazing kids--in a new family of their own. We were basically the fun squad... showing up for 4 or 5 hours a day with crafts and sports and games... we had an amazing time getting to know Gai and Somraum, as well as the kids. The kids were pretty shy with their English, but we still had a lot of fun making cards and decorating notebooks... (thanks to my scrappin' friends who sent me off with a whole dufflebag full of craft supplies!)

beading and manicures... We also got the kids hooked on Dutch Blitz, Uno and Twister...
Lots of fun playing with the kids, despite the language barriers... our kids did so well, diving into every new experience and person...We fell in love with everyone of them and can't wait to visit them again.

A group of Swiss doctors donated the money for the land and the buildings, and supported them for 2 years. Now they are in a situation where they daily depend on God to meet their needs. They have a brilliant plan to become financially self sufficient--chicken farm, pig farm, palm farm (for palm oil). Businesses that will provide reliable income for these kids, this great big family. They have such a solid plan, and Joel and I are honored to advocate for them here in Canada so that they can get things going, and extend their ministry to kids who need love and care. These are savvy, sophistocated people and all they need is a little help from people like us. A little money goes a long way in Thailand. If you're interested in helping them, we'd be than happy to tell you more.