After such a long time, living life in isolation in Thailand, we are pleased that many people have now been, or are planning to get, vaccinated and that the number of COVID-19 infected people is decreasing.
The evening curfew which lasted for many months, now no longer applies. The schools have started to reopen, we can attend worship in person, and we can gather again to share a meal at a restaurant. But Thai people are still worried and are afraid of being infected with COVID-19. Face masks, alcohol sprays and fever measuring devices in schools, shops and public buildings will probably be common for a long time to come.
Foreign tourists are once again welcome to the Land of Smiles, although they are firstly required to fill in paperwork and wait for it to be approved. While we haven’t had the income coming in for a long period without tourists, the Thai beaches and the nature here have flourished and are more beautiful than ever.
A child from Home of Praise picking up a bag with learning materials
At Home of Praise, the staff are very much looking forward to opening the nursery again. During the closure (since March 2021) the nursery building has been refurbished, and much has been done to meet the infection control measures from the authorities. Our teachers have spent time attending online training and preparing teaching materials, and they have done what they can to follow up with the children and their families during this period, both through phone calls and messages. A report from UNICEF says that the pandemic has had a major, negative impact on the economy and people’s lives. Many have lost their jobs and income – something that has unfortunately led to increased poverty. The staff have therefore also lent toys and teaching materials, and distributed food and other necessary equipment to families who have had extra difficulty.
One of these recipients is the family of Nong Auto. Nong Auto is a three-year-old boy. He is the second of four siblings living in a community under the expressway, close to Home of Praise. His father is a messenger (delivering via motorbike), and his mother is a housewife. During the severe spread of COVID-19 in the Klong Toey community, people had to stay and work from home. For Nong Auto, that meant that his father had no income because he had no customers, and their family began to suffer. They had no money to buy food and other necessary items. When the teachers heard about the family’s difficult situation, they rushed to help by providing milk, snacks, and dry food for the family, including hampers. The family came to Home of Praise every month to receive a food pack until Nong Auto’s father could start to work again in November.
This Summer, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand (ELCT) Diakonia department and Home of Praise, in collaboration with the community leader, carried out a large food delivery. Then we distributed packages of dry food, cooking oil, eggs, and water to all the approximately 300 households in Home of Praise’s neighbourhood.
Teachers in Home of Praise fixing the nursery
At the end of last year, the Diakonia department again carried out a large food delivery. This time in cooperation with all the ELCT church districts. More than 800 food packs were handed out to church members in need, people living in the church’s neighbourhood and people in our projects, including children in Home of Praise.
Thank you, to the Lutheran Women of Australia, for continuing to support and pray for Home of Praise. This has been particularly felt and important throughout the pandemic. Please continue to keep the staff, children, and their families in your prayers.
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