erhaps the most impacting and memorable experience in Thailand
(if not our entire travels) was the day we spent with Rin.
Rin is a child we sponsor through
Compassion International.
Compassion started in Korea after the Korean War as a way to jump
start the future of the country by providing welfare and education
to the children. Since then, Compassion has spread its charity to
over 30 other countries around the world.
n fact, it closed its doors in Korea because this country is now
prosperous enough to provide for its children. A good reason to
go out of business! Dave sponsored two Korean boys through their
graduation from high school, and now, Rin. We send $24 a month to
provide her with an opportunity to go to school where, along with an
education, she receives a good meal and basic medical care.
s we arrived in Chiang Rai with our Compassion interpreter, our hearts
were filled with curiousity and wonder over meeting our sponsored
child the next day. In the morning, we arose with reserved feelings.
We felt connected to this small girl, but what if she didn't feel
connected to us? Our reservations were quickly dismissed as we walked
the dirt path to her village. We rounded a corner and on the side of
the trail a small girl stood alone in her best dress. She was
smiling as she stood in the traditional Thai greeting of respect.
When she saw us, she bowed forward and said, "Sawatdee kaa (Hello)".
Our smiles grew wide, and even our interpreter had a burst of emotion
over this brave five-year old.
he led us to her parents' lowly one-room home where we met her family,
friends from their village and exchanged some gifts.
It's difficult
to describe the wide range of emotions we felt as we spent the day
with them - gratitude and honor for being able to participate in this
girl's life, guilt and humility for having so much, love for Rin and
her parents who love her, and hope and hopelessness for her future.
After visiting her and a Compassion boarding school for hilltribe
children (a story in itself), we returned to our hotel mentally,
emotionally, and physically exhausted. The next day as we headed
toward Laos, we even snapped at each other a few times before
realizing we hadn't had enough time to process all we had experienced
the day before.
erhaps the most impacting and memorable experience in Thailand
(if not our entire travels) was the day we spent with Rin.
Rin is a child we sponsor through
n fact, it closed its doors in Korea because this country is now
prosperous enough to provide for its children. A good reason to
go out of business! Dave sponsored two Korean boys through their
graduation from high school, and now, Rin. We send $24 a month to
provide her with an opportunity to go to school where, along with an
education, she receives a good meal and basic medical care.
s we arrived in Chiang Rai with our Compassion interpreter, our hearts
were filled with curiousity and wonder over meeting our sponsored
child the next day. In the morning, we arose with reserved feelings.
We felt connected to this small girl, but what if she didn't feel
connected to us? Our reservations were quickly dismissed as we walked
the dirt path to her village. We rounded a corner and on the side of
the trail a small girl stood alone in her best dress. She was
smiling as she stood in the traditional Thai greeting of respect.
When she saw us, she bowed forward and said, "Sawatdee kaa (Hello)".
Our smiles grew wide, and even our interpreter had a burst of emotion
over this brave five-year old. 
he led us to her parents' lowly one-room home where we met her family,
friends from their village and exchanged some gifts.
It's difficult
to describe the wide range of emotions we felt as we spent the day
with them - gratitude and honor for being able to participate in this
girl's life, guilt and humility for having so much, love for Rin and
her parents who love her, and hope and hopelessness for her future.
After visiting her and a Compassion boarding school for hilltribe
children (a story in itself), we returned to our hotel mentally,
emotionally, and physically exhausted. The next day as we headed
toward Laos, we even snapped at each other a few times before
realizing we hadn't had enough time to process all we had experienced
the day before.
