This is 3ABN Now with
John and Rosemary Malkiewycz.
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Hello and welcome to 3ABN Now.
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You know, it's so good
to have you take the time
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to watch these programs.
These programs really tell
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the life stories of
people: what they've achieved;
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what they've done; and what
in actual fact they're doing
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now. And today we
have a special guest
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that started out going
overseas to help with ICC.
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That was... International
Children's Care. Um-hmm.
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And that closed down, and
this lady had a burden to help
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those kids over
there. And so we have with us
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Althea Mason.
Welcome to the program!
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Thank you very much.
And we're going to see what
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you've really done with your
husband over there in Thailand.
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What God has
achieved through you. Um-hmm.
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Yeah... it's going to be good.
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It's a miracle story.
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I know! We
relate to that because
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we ourselves have
worked as people overseas
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helping other people.
And it's kind of contagious,
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isn't it, Althea? You
can't get away from it.
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It sort of becomes part
of your life... your blood
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that flows in you that
you want to continue doing it.
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And it means going away.
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But you know what? God still
gives you many more friends
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and many more
children, doesn't He?
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He does indeed. Yes.
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And it becomes that
sort of thing that...
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that home that you have there
and the family that you have
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become just your whole life.
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They're an
extension of my life. Yeah.
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Thailand holds a
very special place for us
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because we worked there also.
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But we were married in
Bangkok, Bukit. Um-hmm!
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We had two weddings,
in fact. One in Bangkok
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and five months
later one in Bukit. Yes.
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And that was an
interesting experience.
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And you know what?
It's been terrific.
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As your turn your heart to
the Lord and you want to help
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other people, that's
exactly what Jesus came and did
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and taught us to do. And it
is exciting, isn't it Althea?
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It never stops being
exciting. I like that!
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I think when you know you're
doing what God wants you to do
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and you're where
He wants you to be
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life... the doors
just keep opening.
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'Cause I was just
wondering and thinking:
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before I get going you have
a text that you have chosen.
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And it's a very
special one in fact.
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Very special for me. It is
found in the book of James.
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And it's chapter 1 and verse 27.
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James wrote: "Pure religion
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and undefiled before God
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and the Father is this:
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to visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction
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and to keep himself
unspotted from the world. "
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Why did you choose this verse
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out of all the
verses in the Bible?
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It's really interesting because
when you go to the hill tribes
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where I am I see
those children as
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unspotted from the
world that we live in.
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And I know when I first
started visiting Thailand
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and fell in love
with the children
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people would say:
"Why don't you adopt them?
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"Why don't you adopt some
and bring them back here? "
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And seeing them in their natural
environment where they live
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I would say to people:
"That would be the worst thing
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I could do to
them... bring them back here.
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They have a good life. They
don't have all the technology.
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They actually live in nature;
they have a healthy diet.
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Why do I want to
bring them back here? "
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Umm... that's right.
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A happy peaceful healthy life.
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Yeah, and you know there
are so many wars that are being
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fought over religion.
But religion shouldn't be
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according to the
Bible what people say it is.
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Religion is looking
after those less fortunate.
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And that's what
we should be about:
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helping those less fortunate.
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"And to keep oneself
unspotted from the world. "
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The world is
full of selfishness.
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Very much so.
Thinking of what I want...
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NO. "Someone should
be looking after me"
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instead of: "I should be
looking after someone else. "
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And I realize being
over there: we have too much.
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We don't need all
these things to be happy.
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It's a bit of a cultural shock,
isn't it? When you come back
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to... when I say the Western
world from where you've been
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from a place where
there's just simple things.
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You suddenly see all
this I call it "stuff. "
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You go in the big shopping
center it's just full of "stuff.
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" I can't stand clutter.
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I want to get rid
of all the clutter.
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I just want a few
things around and simple. Yeah.
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I remember when we
moved to Bangkok from Nepal
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we could only take what we
had with us in our suitcases.
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And James and... James was 17.
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And he came to
me one day and said:
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"Do you know, Mom, you
really don't need a lot of stuff
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to be able to live. " Because
we didn't have very much.
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We had what we had taken with us
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and all their school stuff.
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And so we were
living with very little
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even though we were in
Bangkok, a very Western city.
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For the time that were
there we didn't need a lot
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and it was easy.
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So Althea, you
are the administrator
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of Adventist
Rescued Children's Care.
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Just talk us through
a little bit about that.
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OK. Well, five years
ago I went to Thailand
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as the administrator of
Intl. Children's Care Australia
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in Thailand. Um-hmm.
And I was looking after
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the Kirsten Jade Rescue Center.
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And last year on the 9th of May
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Intl. Children's Care
Australia closed their doors.
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For us that just
happened overnight.
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All of our income just stopped.
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And... Panic! Was it panic? No?
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It was: "What do we do? "
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"What do we do? What do I do? "
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I'm the only
Western person over there.
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And I prayed about it,
and I just had such a peace
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that I was where
God wanted me to be.
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And all of our sponsorship
stopped. All the direct debits
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stopped. There was no income.
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And I would have said
that them closing their doors
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would be the worst
thing that could happen to us.
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But I'm telling you now
that it was a blessing -
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um-hmm - that it
happened to us because
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we have seen so
many miracles happen.
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The children have
seen the miracles happen
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and so our faith in
God, reliance on God,
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has been... Well,
we've had nowhere else to go!
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We've had to rely on God
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and every month
we have the money.
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At one stage I had come back
to Australia with my parents.
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They had lived there for 4 years
and had to come back for health
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reasons. And my
manager rang me and said:
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"We don't have any money
in the operating budget. "
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And I said: "It's
OK. I'm in Australia
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and we will pray about it. "
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And we did. And three days later
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we had $20,000
put into our account.
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I don't know who put it
there. I know someone who does.
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He knows the someone
but I don't know who it was.
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And we have just
been blessed like that.
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You know, when we didn't
think we could go on God said
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"You're where I want you to be."
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Hmm. That's the sort of
way that we end up running here
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many times, isn't it? Yes it is.
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You're saying: "Uh-oh"
and then all of a sudden
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God prompts someone. And we
were doing in Sabbath School
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over there I was teaching the
children the story of Esther.
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And you know, she was there
"for such a time as this. "
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And the children
said to me: "Mummy,
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you are our Eseter. " Eseter!
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"God brought you here
for such a time as this.
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Without Mummy
we can't be here. "
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Umm. And it's not without
Mummy... it's without God.
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But, you know, they
saw me as the bridge
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because there was no other
Western person batting for them.
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I want to look at a
picture of your family.
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Yeah, there's a few of them.
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This is your family and you're
there on the right hand side.
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How many are there?
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Actually, I haven't
counted in that picture.
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I think there should be 42
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but sometimes on the weekends
I have children back from
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vocational school or university
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so there might
be a few more there.
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I have 52
children all up on campus
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with our vocational
school and university ones.
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And I have house parents and
a social worker and a manager.
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Just tell us your background
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with all of those
children that you have.
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What is your actual background
as far as children goes?
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Well, I grew up a little
girl who always wanted to have
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children. I played with dolls.
I had the names picked out,
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and I just wanted to
get married and have babies.
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And I grew up and I got married
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and I didn't have babies.
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And I struggled
with God with that.
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It's like: "This is what
I wanted to do, you know.
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I just wanted to be a mummy. "
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And you know, sometimes
God answers our prayers
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but we don't know
what the answer is.
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Like for me, I
can clearly see that
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God said to me: "Just
wait a while... just wait. "
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But I do know that God
put a peace in my heart
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to accept that I
wasn't having children.
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And 52... no, not 52... I'm 52.
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Thirty years later God's
put me in a place where I have
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lots of children. He has given
me the desires of my heart.
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And I know that
I'm in the right place.
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I'm called Mummy every day.
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You have 52 people
that call you Mummy?
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Yes... even the staff.
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Well let's make it more than 52.
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So God granted you your
wish but in a different way.
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And you know what?
If I'd had children,
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I might not be there.
My life would have taken
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a completely different course.
I'm sure it would have. Yeah.
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And so sometimes
we just have to wait.
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And God has a bigger plan.
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And I think sometimes
there's answers to prayer
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that we might not
even know on this earth.
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Hmm. And when we get
to heaven God will say:
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"That's why I did
that. I answered it" -
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hmm - "but you
couldn't see it at the time. "
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So for me God has
blessed in abundance.
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And, you know, the
miracles that have happened,
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the volunteers that have come
and helped us with projects,
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we can't do... We haven't
had the money to improve things,
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but God has continually
sent along people to do that.
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And an example of that
00:11:08.43\00:11:10.60
is the boys house
had 30 leaks in the roof.
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The girls house
was leaking terribly.
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The ceiling
tiles were all moldy.
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And the electrics
needed changing. We had a local
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electrician come in and say:
00:11:23.51\00:11:26.08
"All the electrics
have to be changed. "
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And this was just after ICC
Australia had closed their doors
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we had a
government review. Um-hmm.
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And they said we
had to have new wiring.
00:11:34.56\00:11:36.56
Had to bring it up to standards.
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Yes... Thai standards.
00:11:38.36\00:11:40.00
And it's like: "How
are we going to do that?
00:11:40.40\00:11:42.20
We don't have the money
for that. We're just managing
00:11:42.40\00:11:44.17
to operate. " And then
Luke Hankinson contacted
00:11:44.37\00:11:47.97
me by e-mail. This
is someone in Australia?
00:11:48.17\00:11:51.01
Yes. Pastor Dennis
Hankinson is his dad.
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And Luke e-mailed me
and he said: "Althea,
00:11:54.24\00:11:57.75
I hear you have a
children's home over there
00:11:57.95\00:12:00.78
and I just want to know if
you could do with an electrician
00:12:00.98\00:12:03.42
or two. Do you have
any work we could do? "
00:12:03.62\00:12:05.82
There! "No! "
00:12:06.02\00:12:07.86
"Yes, please! "
00:12:08.26\00:12:09.59
What an answer to prayer!
00:12:09.79\00:12:11.39
And that's what
just keeps happening.
00:12:11.59\00:12:13.33
And I have someone in
Germany who paid for the girls
00:12:13.53\00:12:17.13
to have a new roof.
Ladies at the church in
00:12:17.33\00:12:20.00
Gippsland in Melbourne, in
Victoria. They raised money
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.37
for the roof
for the boy's house.
00:12:23.57\00:12:24.91
And God just keeps blessing.
00:12:25.31\00:12:27.48
You know, Althea, I
want to say someone out there
00:12:27.68\00:12:29.41
is probably
listening to this and thinking
00:12:29.61\00:12:31.15
"Hmm, maybe I
could do something. "
00:12:31.35\00:12:34.12
And you really need people
out there to do and help you
00:12:35.42\00:12:38.22
because you're actually being
very productive in what you do.
00:12:38.42\00:12:41.06
It's not just a matter
of raising children and
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feeding them and
helping them grow.
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You're actually
training them, aren't you?
00:12:45.06\00:12:46.39
Life schools. At
the end of the program
00:12:46.59\00:12:50.33
we will give you a chance to
write down the contact details,
00:12:51.03\00:12:54.30
so have your pen
and paper ready now.
00:12:54.50\00:12:55.97
And you know, it's
amazing that I feel sometimes
00:12:56.47\00:12:59.97
God put me there. I'm
a nurse by profession.
00:13:00.18\00:13:02.48
And it's like: "God,
You put me in this position.
00:13:02.98\00:13:07.12
I'm a nurse. I have a
lot of love for children
00:13:07.32\00:13:10.55
but I don't seem to have
a whole lot of other skills
00:13:10.75\00:13:13.56
that would be really handy.
" And God says: "That's OK...
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.26
I've got lots of
people with those skills. "
00:13:16.46\00:13:18.36
Yes. "I'll just send them
to you as you need them. "
00:13:18.56\00:13:20.90
Hmm. And that's what He's done.
00:13:21.10\00:13:22.93
You know, I've needed IT help.
00:13:23.13\00:13:24.60
I've needed a lot
of building work done.
00:13:24.80\00:13:27.40
So many skills
that we don't have.
00:13:28.90\00:13:30.81
And the building work over
there is done by Thai people
00:13:31.01\00:13:35.34
and a lot of them
know how to do things
00:13:35.54\00:13:38.78
but not to our
standards. Um-hmm.
00:13:38.98\00:13:40.52
And not lasting.
00:13:40.72\00:13:42.62
When I have the
money to make a difference
00:13:43.02\00:13:45.82
and to change
something I might want to spend
00:13:46.02\00:13:48.52
a little bit more
money and do a quality job
00:13:48.72\00:13:51.16
that I only have to do once.
00:13:51.36\00:13:52.69
Um-hmm. I don't want to have
to revisit it in 6 months' time.
00:13:52.89\00:13:55.93
And my staff are learning...
That's a good strategy!
00:13:56.43\00:13:59.30
My staff are learning
that they have to ask me first.
00:13:59.50\00:14:02.57
"Can we do it this way? "
00:14:02.77\00:14:04.11
or "Do you have
another suggestion? "
00:14:04.14\00:14:06.31
And I'm afraid often there's
another way of doing things.
00:14:07.18\00:14:09.81
You mentioned just
to us personally that
00:14:10.31\00:14:12.71
you know we go to a place
and we try and "Westernize" it.
00:14:12.91\00:14:16.35
By that I mean to have
running water and shower
00:14:16.75\00:14:19.79
and things. But you've
discovered something different,
00:14:20.09\00:14:21.72
haven't you? A
good example of that
00:14:21.92\00:14:24.13
is my last day in the
hospital where I was working
00:14:24.33\00:14:27.00
I did a fund raising lunch.
00:14:27.20\00:14:28.80
And one of the things
that I was raising money for
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.93
I had written them
all up on the board:
00:14:32.13\00:14:33.67
one of the things was
hot water for showers.
00:14:33.87\00:14:36.57
But when I went over there
00:14:37.57\00:14:39.34
and I saw these
poor kids, you know?
00:14:39.54\00:14:41.74
They shower all the
time with cold water.
00:14:41.94\00:14:43.58
What I realized was
00:14:44.08\00:14:45.88
that when they
would need the hot water
00:14:46.28\00:14:48.35
that's the dry season.
00:14:48.55\00:14:50.12
Um-hmm. It's when we
are trying to save water.
00:14:50.32\00:14:52.52
So we don't want them
standing under showers
00:14:52.72\00:14:55.19
or using up the water.
00:14:55.39\00:14:57.59
And then the fact is that
cold water never killed anyone
00:14:58.09\00:15:01.56
having a cold
shower. And to be honest,
00:15:01.96\00:15:03.77
except for a few months the
cold water is really not cold.
00:15:03.97\00:15:06.77
But I went over there and
the poor kids, they had these
00:15:07.74\00:15:10.21
taps in the bathroom
and they'd stand under taps.
00:15:10.41\00:15:12.81
Or they'd use a bucket to
fill it up and put it over them.
00:15:13.01\00:15:15.68
So we went through
and we put shower heads
00:15:16.64\00:15:20.05
on all of these taps.
00:15:20.25\00:15:22.22
And then slowly as
I would walk around
00:15:22.42\00:15:24.22
over the next 6 months or so
00:15:24.42\00:15:26.02
the shower heads
would be broken off
00:15:26.42\00:15:28.12
or there'd just be the
shower tubing with nothing.
00:15:28.32\00:15:30.76
Now why do they
break everything?
00:15:31.36\00:15:33.33
They don't like the showers.
It's cold... cold water coming
00:15:33.73\00:15:36.80
out. They just like
to "bucket" it over them.
00:15:37.00\00:15:39.57
So we have tried a
few different things.
00:15:40.44\00:15:42.44
And now we've made a
stainless steel trough
00:15:42.64\00:15:47.01
that we fill with
water and we have scoops
00:15:47.21\00:15:50.11
and that's what they want to do.
00:15:50.31\00:15:51.75
They just want to
scoop the water over them.
00:15:51.95\00:15:53.72
We had to do that,
didn't we Rosemary?
00:15:53.92\00:15:55.25
We had to do that in a few
places in Thailand and Cambodia.
00:15:55.28\00:15:57.99
But what I found was that
00:15:58.19\00:16:00.39
to have a big container of water
00:16:00.59\00:16:02.32
and to have your dipper
and throw it over yourself
00:16:02.72\00:16:06.23
is a shock at first
00:16:06.43\00:16:08.03
but then it's refreshing
when the weather's hot.
00:16:08.43\00:16:11.53
And even when
it's not quite that hot
00:16:11.73\00:16:13.37
it's still refreshing,
and so you get used to it
00:16:13.57\00:16:17.04
very quickly and find
that it's actually not so bad.
00:16:17.94\00:16:21.04
But when you've gotta
get into a cold shower
00:16:21.24\00:16:23.08
in goes one arm, and you try to
get that arm used to the water.
00:16:24.11\00:16:28.28
And in goes the other
arm or the leg or something
00:16:28.48\00:16:31.19
and slowly you have
to get your body in.
00:16:31.39\00:16:34.19
And you're
wasting all that water
00:16:34.39\00:16:36.22
while you're trying to
get yourself acclimatized
00:16:36.62\00:16:39.16
to this hot spray... to
this cold spraying water.
00:16:39.36\00:16:41.70
So having the dipper and
throwing it over yourself is
00:16:42.10\00:16:45.43
a bit of a shock to start with
but then you get used to it.
00:16:45.63\00:16:47.97
It's a very good example to me
00:16:48.37\00:16:51.74
of how people go
to foreign countries
00:16:51.94\00:16:55.11
and we think we
know what they want
00:16:55.31\00:16:57.68
and we think they
should have it this way.
00:16:58.08\00:16:59.88
That's right. Whereas you need
to be there a while and find out
00:17:00.08\00:17:03.59
this is the way they like
it. It's like their toilets...
00:17:03.79\00:17:06.12
stand-over toilets. We
need to update the bathrooms.
00:17:06.32\00:17:10.13
They really need fixing.
And we really do need to do
00:17:10.33\00:17:12.66
something with the bathrooms...
they're pretty terrible.
00:17:12.86\00:17:14.70
And so I asked the children:
"What toilets do you like?
00:17:15.50\00:17:18.53
Do you like the ones you
sit on? Or do you like the ones
00:17:18.73\00:17:20.90
you stand over? " Squat
on! "Oh, don't like the ones
00:17:21.10\00:17:23.41
you sit on. They're
like Mummy's toilet. "
00:17:23.61\00:17:25.34
I remember the first
time I saw a squat toilet was
00:17:26.74\00:17:29.44
in Kuala Lumpur Airport.
00:17:29.64\00:17:32.58
And I walked in
there and I saw this toilet
00:17:32.98\00:17:35.55
and I thought: "Do you
mean I can't go to the toilet
00:17:35.75\00:17:39.05
for the next two weeks?
What am I going to do? "
00:17:39.25\00:17:42.29
I thought: "I
can't use one of those! "
00:17:43.32\00:17:45.53
You know, I got to the hotel and
they had normal Western toilets
00:17:46.03\00:17:48.63
so I was fine. But then I act-
ually found later down the track
00:17:48.83\00:17:52.10
living over there that
those toilets aren't that bad.
00:17:52.30\00:17:54.77
They're pretty good, actually.
00:17:54.97\00:17:56.30
You know, it's actually
probably healthier. Yes.
00:17:56.40\00:17:57.87
A healthier thing, but...
Being a nurse you would know...
00:17:58.07\00:18:01.68
That's not what you sort
of think about when you first
00:18:03.31\00:18:06.08
see them. They're good and
you're thinking: "Oh, no! "
00:18:06.28\00:18:09.62
Terror! So Althea, what?
You've got all these children.
00:18:09.82\00:18:13.82
How about your husband?
How does he fit into all this?
00:18:14.02\00:18:16.09
Umm... well, he has
his own ministry. Uh-huh.
00:18:16.49\00:18:19.26
He gives out Great
Controversies to foreigners.
00:18:19.46\00:18:23.67
He finds that people
when they're on holiday
00:18:24.07\00:18:26.13
are very accepting of
listening or even going
00:18:26.33\00:18:29.27
and sitting down and
having a "cuppa" and talking.
00:18:29.47\00:18:31.41
And he has a lot of good stories
and he meets a lot of people.
00:18:31.91\00:18:35.14
Hmm. That's
what he enjoys doing.
00:18:35.34\00:18:37.38
That sounds really good. Yeah.
00:18:37.58\00:18:40.55
So as we go now to look a little
bit about what you're actually
00:18:40.75\00:18:44.19
doing there and how
the children survive
00:18:44.39\00:18:46.35
and how you survive I guess
00:18:46.55\00:18:49.12
because I'm sure there
are people listening out there
00:18:49.52\00:18:51.79
that would want to be
involved. I really do, because
00:18:51.99\00:18:54.06
it is a very commendable work
and it's something that Jesus
00:18:54.46\00:18:57.37
encouraged us... because these
children: do they have parents?
00:18:57.57\00:19:00.90
No. Some of them have parents.
00:19:01.10\00:19:03.24
Um-hmm. We've got children
who both parents are in jail
00:19:03.44\00:19:07.18
for 25 years. They
might have one parent
00:19:07.38\00:19:10.38
and that parent's an
alcoholic and a drug addict.
00:19:10.58\00:19:14.05
So if they have a parent
it's not sustainable for them
00:19:15.42\00:19:17.95
to live with that parent.
What would normally happen
00:19:18.15\00:19:20.22
to those children?
They'd be on the streets.
00:19:20.42\00:19:23.99
Going down the same
lifestyle, I presume?
00:19:24.19\00:19:27.26
They would be
neglected... totally neglected.
00:19:27.46\00:19:29.60
We've got some children
who were there earlier on.
00:19:29.80\00:19:34.14
They wouldn't survive
if they hadn't come to us.
00:19:34.34\00:19:36.81
Very malnourished; very poor.
They get into crime and things
00:19:37.01\00:19:40.41
too to try and survive?
00:19:40.61\00:19:41.94
Yes. In fact, we've
got three siblings and both
00:19:42.11\00:19:44.78
parents are in jail for drugs.
00:19:44.98\00:19:47.42
The oldest boy - he's 15-
he was actually born in jail
00:19:47.62\00:19:50.82
the first time his
mother was in there.
00:19:51.95\00:19:53.52
And he and his sister and
brother are so happy to be with
00:19:54.26\00:19:59.29
us now because he was being
groomed to go down that track.
00:19:59.49\00:20:04.03
Yes. And he was
being asked to carry things
00:20:04.23\00:20:06.13
and he didn't want to. So
for him to be out of that scene
00:20:06.33\00:20:09.90
he's really happy and he's happy
for his little brother & sister.
00:20:10.11\00:20:12.84
What's the age of the youngest
one that you have there?
00:20:13.58\00:20:16.28
The youngest I have now is 6
00:20:16.48\00:20:17.98
and the oldest is almost 20.
00:20:18.18\00:20:20.78
She graduates
from year 12 this year.
00:20:20.98\00:20:23.59
All of our four "kindie" chil-
dren started grade 1 this year.
00:20:23.99\00:20:27.26
We don't have
anyone in kindergarten.
00:20:27.66\00:20:29.39
Hmm! The first time
for a very long time!
00:20:29.59\00:20:32.06
Excellent! I've got... Talking
about you being a "Mummy"
00:20:32.46\00:20:36.00
as we were before, we've got
one more photo of some of your
00:20:36.20\00:20:39.03
little kids. We
do. I love that photo!
00:20:39.23\00:20:42.70
There you be "Mummy. "
How old are those boys?
00:20:42.90\00:20:46.04
Actually the little one looking
in your face looks real young.
00:20:46.24\00:20:49.61
He is five in that photo.
00:20:49.81\00:20:51.68
And you've got a dog in your
hands! I know, because my dog's
00:20:51.88\00:20:54.82
just over a year old
and he's a big dog now.
00:20:55.02\00:20:58.05
Really big. And I've
had two dogs over there.
00:20:58.25\00:21:01.69
Rescued dogs...
and they both died.
00:21:01.89\00:21:05.23
One while I was away so I
don't really know what happened.
00:21:05.63\00:21:08.90
The other one: he was very
sick and I had him at the vet
00:21:09.10\00:21:12.23
but he ended up passing
away and I was really sad.
00:21:12.43\00:21:15.30
And we had some volunteers there
and they found this little puppy
00:21:15.50\00:21:17.71
in the village and
brought him for me.
00:21:17.91\00:21:19.94
Ohh. And he's the best dog.
00:21:20.14\00:21:22.68
He's a BIG dog now.
00:21:22.88\00:21:25.41
He's a good guard dog. He's
very good with the children.
00:21:25.61\00:21:27.72
He's very very patient
and it's been lovely for them
00:21:27.92\00:21:30.45
to have a puppy
and watch him grow up.
00:21:30.65\00:21:33.05
Now Althea, one of the
things I really appreciate
00:21:33.46\00:21:35.92
about what you are doing
is you are not just relying on
00:21:36.12\00:21:38.86
donors to send
money to sponsor children.
00:21:39.06\00:21:41.96
You are devising
ways to have some
00:21:42.46\00:21:46.94
industry or something
happening that you can
00:21:47.14\00:21:51.54
actually support some of
the work you're doing yourself
00:21:51.74\00:21:55.44
and at the same time
you're teaching the kids
00:21:55.64\00:21:58.05
resourcefulness.
You're teaching them
00:21:58.25\00:22:00.55
how to do growing of vegetables.
You have HUGE vegetable patch.
00:22:00.75\00:22:04.45
We do! And what do
you do with veggies?
00:22:04.85\00:22:07.62
Well, all the children go to
the Chang Mai Adventist Academy
00:22:08.02\00:22:11.59
next door. They can
walk there to school.
00:22:11.79\00:22:13.76
They walk home
for lunch. Um-hmm.
00:22:13.96\00:22:15.40
The school has over
a thousand students.
00:22:15.70\00:22:17.73
A thousand students? And at
least 600 boarding students.
00:22:17.93\00:22:21.37
So they are happy to buy any
vegetables we will sell them.
00:22:21.77\00:22:25.11
But they don't just want
5 or 10 kilos of something.
00:22:25.31\00:22:28.41
When they want to buy
it's 70 kilos of something!
00:22:28.61\00:22:31.81
That's only
probably one meal, isn't it?
00:22:32.01\00:22:33.78
It is! That's one
meal! That's right.
00:22:33.98\00:22:35.55
So even in the wet
season which it is now -
00:22:35.85\00:22:39.52
rainy season - the
greens grow so quickly.
00:22:39.72\00:22:42.02
And so we do... we grow a
lot of greens for the school.
00:22:42.42\00:22:45.36
But we've also
started a mushroom house.
00:22:45.56\00:22:48.23
Um-hmm. Right! And
we're really happy to have
00:22:48.43\00:22:51.03
this mushroom
house because it started
00:22:51.23\00:22:56.10
a new skill for the children.
It just looks like a whole bunch
00:22:56.30\00:22:58.64
of bags. Well it looks
like a wall - a prison wall -
00:22:58.84\00:23:01.11
or something. Someone said it
looks like a whole lot of skulls
00:23:01.31\00:23:04.31
that someone has lined up there
and tied the end of the bag
00:23:04.51\00:23:07.82
and just... But look!
They are blooming mushrooms!
00:23:08.02\00:23:11.85
They ARE blooming mushrooms!
00:23:12.05\00:23:13.39
And you know there's
a lot of technical skill
00:23:13.69\00:23:16.62
to it. You have to use
alcohol on the end of a spoon -
00:23:16.83\00:23:19.79
to bathe the spoon
handle - to go around the edge
00:23:20.00\00:23:22.50
and to actually
break off the mushrooms.
00:23:22.70\00:23:24.27
You don't want to
get bacteria in there.
00:23:24.47\00:23:26.07
Is that right? The
bags are filled with
00:23:26.27\00:23:28.84
coconut fiber and
sawdust and mushroom spores
00:23:29.04\00:23:32.97
and other
things... I don't know.
00:23:33.17\00:23:35.28
But we've sent children
and staff to a major university
00:23:35.48\00:23:38.55
to learn all
about growing mushrooms.
00:23:38.75\00:23:41.38
And we used to buy
those bags. We call them pods.
00:23:41.58\00:23:44.65
Um-hmm. Now we
make our own. Excellent!
00:23:44.85\00:23:47.82
So the children have
learned what goes into them.
00:23:48.02\00:23:49.89
How you actually make the
bags and how you harvest them.
00:23:50.09\00:23:54.40
And now we're teaching the
children you've gotta weigh
00:23:54.60\00:23:57.10
them, you've gotta write
that down, and then sell them.
00:23:57.30\00:24:00.27
They go to the
teachers, to the school.
00:24:00.47\00:24:02.50
The lady down the road: she
buys them for her little shop.
00:24:02.70\00:24:05.67
So they're learning
so many skills. Yes!
00:24:06.07\00:24:08.24
And not only that but
learning how to do these
00:24:08.44\00:24:12.01
the vegetables or
even these mushrooms
00:24:12.21\00:24:15.68
that's giving them a life
skill where they have something
00:24:16.08\00:24:19.15
that they will know how to
do to earn some money when they
00:24:19.35\00:24:21.42
get older. And
actually to survive also.
00:24:21.62\00:24:23.93
Teach them how
to grow vegetables.
00:24:24.13\00:24:25.59
And Thailand is very unique and
very blessed for the opportunity
00:24:25.79\00:24:29.96
of growing multiple things.
00:24:30.37\00:24:31.77
They can live on it...
they have food for their family!
00:24:31.97\00:24:35.20
These children
can go into the bush
00:24:35.40\00:24:37.61
and they'll know what to eat.
00:24:37.81\00:24:39.97
You know, if we go for
a walk somewhere: "Mummy,
00:24:40.18\00:24:42.11
this one you can eat.
This one is good if you have
00:24:42.31\00:24:44.48
headache. This one is
good for a tummy ache. "
00:24:44.68\00:24:46.61
"Don't eat this
one... you die! "
00:24:47.02\00:24:48.65
You know, they've
learned all these skills.
00:24:50.39\00:24:53.29
And we have life skill sessions.
On Sunday afternoons we try to
00:24:53.49\00:24:58.49
make the time and we
teach them weaving and sewing
00:24:58.69\00:25:01.86
and care of motorbike mechanics.
00:25:02.06\00:25:03.77
They learn crafts and
music and all different things.
00:25:05.37\00:25:08.77
And when we have volunteers
there with a specific skill
00:25:08.97\00:25:11.77
then we get them to
teach a group of children.
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.61
So the more we can
add to their skill set
00:25:15.01\00:25:17.91
it's going to be
better for them later in life.
00:25:18.11\00:25:20.52
How happy the kids must be!
00:25:20.72\00:25:22.05
That's right. They
love having life skills.
00:25:22.08\00:25:24.29
All different things
that they're learning.
00:25:24.49\00:25:25.82
They do! They
really really enjoy it.
00:25:25.85\00:25:27.19
And what other
things do you do to try and
00:25:27.22\00:25:30.06
do income to teach the
children different things?
00:25:30.26\00:25:35.13
What else are you doing?
00:25:35.53\00:25:36.87
OK. So we've had
the children weaving.
00:25:37.03\00:25:40.57
They make bags and
when I come back here
00:25:40.77\00:25:43.84
I sell the bags. The children
make cards and we sell them
00:25:44.54\00:25:49.24
in our little shop
that we have. Um-hmm.
00:25:49.51\00:25:51.55
And we also have a book
that we've done, and I'll...
00:25:51.75\00:25:53.75
we'll talk about
that a little bit later.
00:25:53.95\00:25:55.68
There are so many different
fundraising things we can do
00:25:55.98\00:25:58.79
to help them as well
with things that they give us
00:25:58.99\00:26:03.12
like the effort
they put into the book.
00:26:03.32\00:26:06.13
When I come back here
and sell some of the things
00:26:07.26\00:26:10.07
the girls have made - just
little things even dolls clothes
00:26:10.27\00:26:13.84
really intricate dolls clothes -
00:26:14.04\00:26:16.57
when I say: "You
know my kids made these"
00:26:16.77\00:26:18.87
people "Ah, let me have a
look. I'd like to buy them. "
00:26:19.07\00:26:21.44
But the reason I want us
to be more self-sustainable
00:26:21.64\00:26:24.75
is our income stopped overnight.
00:26:24.95\00:26:27.98
Yes. If there was
a huge economic crash
00:26:28.18\00:26:32.49
a lot of people would stop spon-
soring and a lot of our income
00:26:32.69\00:26:36.32
would stop again. We
want to be in a position
00:26:36.52\00:26:40.06
where we can
help ourselves more.
00:26:40.26\00:26:41.86
This is very very important.
00:26:42.06\00:26:44.63
It's very important.
And you know, I have a dream
00:26:44.83\00:26:48.20
of having a food van one day.
00:26:48.40\00:26:50.54
And having good
Western food for the tourists.
00:26:50.74\00:26:54.61
Just something like that.
00:26:55.01\00:26:56.64
And that would also
teach the children skills
00:26:56.85\00:26:59.01
managing business.
00:26:59.21\00:27:01.52
Lots of ideas. I
can't do it all myself.
00:27:02.52\00:27:04.95
There's something
to do with recycling?
00:27:05.15\00:27:08.16
Oh yes there is!
00:27:08.36\00:27:09.72
We've just had a new
worker start, and he knows
00:27:10.63\00:27:15.00
a lot of things
about many things.
00:27:15.20\00:27:17.43
And one of them
is waste management.
00:27:17.63\00:27:19.47
Now, one of our
big problems over there
00:27:19.67\00:27:21.90
is our waste.
There's no rubbish trucks
00:27:22.84\00:27:25.91
to come and pick it up.
00:27:26.11\00:27:27.44
There's no skips that you can
order to put all your junk into.
00:27:27.48\00:27:30.81
There's no hard rubbish
on the side of the road.
00:27:31.21\00:27:33.72
So we have to get rid
of all of it ourselves.
00:27:34.85\00:27:37.29
And in the past
they've dug huge pits.
00:27:37.49\00:27:39.95
The kids have dug
them... ENORMOUS pits.
00:27:40.16\00:27:42.79
And when I first went there
it's like: "This is ridiculous.
00:27:42.99\00:27:45.89
They are just throwing
everything into these pits.
00:27:46.09\00:27:48.36
When they get relatively full we
put a lot of dirt over the top.
00:27:48.56\00:27:51.80
and there's so much plastic
in there it's terrible. "
00:27:52.20\00:27:55.07
So I made three recycling
areas around our campus
00:27:55.27\00:28:00.38
just for bottles and cardboard
and tin... one of them' s
00:28:00.58\00:28:05.31
tin and glass. It
took a lot of effort
00:28:05.51\00:28:08.35
to actually get
the children to learn
00:28:08.55\00:28:11.75
that this is what you
do... this is where you put it.
00:28:11.95\00:28:15.59
But they started to learn
00:28:15.99\00:28:17.79
that when one of
those bins is full
00:28:17.99\00:28:21.06
we can put it all in a
sack and we can sell it.
00:28:21.26\00:28:23.77
Hmm! Now we
don't get a lot for it
00:28:23.97\00:28:25.93
but we get SOMETHING For it
00:28:26.13\00:28:27.77
and it's not
filling up the ground.
00:28:27.97\00:28:29.50
And now this new
guy has come in, and our
00:28:30.54\00:28:34.41
area where we've been
putting rubbish is full.
00:28:34.61\00:28:37.91
It's time to dig another one
00:28:38.31\00:28:40.32
and I said: "We're not
going to dig another one...
00:28:40.52\00:28:42.42
we're not doing it. "
You're going to recycle.
00:28:42.72\00:28:44.85
"We're going to
recycle everything. "
00:28:45.05\00:28:46.45
And so this... That's daring!
00:28:46.65\00:28:49.92
This pastor... He's a
68-year- old. He was a pastor
00:28:50.19\00:28:54.93
and he's actually
had donated to us -
00:28:55.13\00:28:58.10
I haven't seen it yet -
donated to us something from
00:28:58.30\00:29:01.10
the army: a plant that turns...
Not a plant as in something
00:29:01.30\00:29:06.01
you grow... a machinery
plant that turns your waste into
00:29:06.21\00:29:09.94
cooking gas. OK. All right.
00:29:10.15\00:29:12.45
So whereas we do have compost
00:29:12.85\00:29:15.75
and we do feed food to the
chickens and the ducks that we
00:29:15.95\00:29:19.72
have we're going to be
using a lot of it to make
00:29:19.92\00:29:22.12
our cooking gas and everything
else is going to be recycled -
00:29:22.32\00:29:26.56
hmm - and sold.
00:29:26.76\00:29:28.56
Very good. So it's a big plan.
00:29:28.76\00:29:31.43
I don't know how
we're going to go with it.
00:29:31.83\00:29:33.74
I'm sure you're
going to do very well.
00:29:33.94\00:29:37.17
But I think the end result
is that the children will see
00:29:37.37\00:29:39.67
they don't have to
dig holes for rubbish
00:29:39.87\00:29:41.68
and we don't have
layers and layers of plastic.
00:29:41.88\00:29:44.35
And you know, Thailand still
has a love affair with plastic.
00:29:44.55\00:29:48.45
You buy something in a
plastic bag and they put it
00:29:48.95\00:29:51.15
in another plastic
bag to give it to you.
00:29:51.35\00:29:53.12
And they are learning, though.
00:29:53.32\00:29:55.06
People are starting
- especially tourists -
00:29:55.26\00:29:57.33
tourists are starting to say "No
thank you" to the plastic bags.
00:29:57.53\00:30:00.50
It's something
they are learning.
00:30:01.93\00:30:03.73
Actually we've got a
photo of that pastor.
00:30:03.93\00:30:05.60
Yes. So the one
with the white shirt
00:30:07.74\00:30:12.07
yes, he's the new
pastor: Pastor Phanom.
00:30:12.27\00:30:14.58
And he's very good at
welding and agriculture,
00:30:15.58\00:30:18.85
organic gardening. And who's
the other man in the black?
00:30:19.05\00:30:21.68
This is my manager Anon.
00:30:21.88\00:30:24.02
Anon grew up as an ICC kid.
00:30:24.22\00:30:27.19
And he actually has a
very interesting story.
00:30:27.39\00:30:30.06
He came to us, you
see, just before he was 15-
00:30:30.46\00:30:34.03
um-hmm - and he says to me...
00:30:34.46\00:30:37.50
he said to me he was "a bad boy,
00:30:37.70\00:30:41.17
a very bad boy. "
00:30:41.37\00:30:42.90
And he has had a
pretty tragic life.
00:30:43.10\00:30:46.51
He said: "God brought me
here and He has changed my life.
00:30:46.91\00:30:50.51
He had a plan for me. "
00:30:50.71\00:30:52.05
And Anon has gone on and
done a degree in teaching
00:30:52.41\00:30:55.78
and he is now my Thai manager.
00:30:56.65\00:30:59.49
He was teaching
the "kindie" children.
00:30:59.69\00:31:01.59
We don't have any this year.
00:31:01.79\00:31:03.76
But his job was too big
00:31:04.99\00:31:08.53
and he was actually looking
and talking. He talked to
00:31:09.53\00:31:13.20
five other people about
coming and working for us.
00:31:13.40\00:31:16.20
Now coming and working for
us: for me I think it's a really
00:31:16.60\00:31:19.64
rewarding job - um-hmm
- but in Thailand it's not
00:31:19.84\00:31:22.61
rewarding financially -
00:31:22.81\00:31:24.25
um-hmm - and
people want to do better.
00:31:24.41\00:31:26.35
They want to eat. That's right.
They want to have a good life
00:31:26.55\00:31:30.49
with lots of money!
They haven't learned
00:31:30.69\00:31:32.75
that that doesn't
bring happiness yet.
00:31:32.95\00:31:34.76
And so Anon had been
talking to all these people
00:31:35.99\00:31:38.13
and they were "No, no, no.
" And he was quite discouraged
00:31:38.33\00:31:41.03
because his
workload was too much.
00:31:41.23\00:31:44.27
He was doing too much and
he wasn't coping too well.
00:31:44.47\00:31:47.04
And the children took a
church service at San Sai Church
00:31:47.44\00:31:50.71
one Sabbath, and Anon
was talking to this gentleman
00:31:50.91\00:31:53.48
a long time while we had lunch.
00:31:53.88\00:31:56.14
And afterwards he
came to me and he said:
00:31:56.88\00:31:58.58
"You know, I talked to this pas-
tor and he would be interested
00:31:58.98\00:32:02.58
in coming and working for us. "
00:32:02.78\00:32:04.12
I said: "Really? "
00:32:04.62\00:32:05.95
"Did you tell him that
there wouldn't be much money? "
00:32:06.12\00:32:08.12
He said: "Yes, I told
him. He would be happy to. "
00:32:08.32\00:32:10.83
He said, calls me Mummy:
"Mummy, what do you think? "
00:32:11.03\00:32:13.90
I said: "Well Anon, that's
really good if he wants to come,
00:32:14.86\00:32:17.47
It sounds like he is
very skilled and he would be
00:32:17.67\00:32:20.04
perfect. " He's worked
as a pastor, a chaplain.
00:32:20.24\00:32:23.30
He's worked in health
education at Mission Hospital.
00:32:23.51\00:32:25.94
He's done a lot of things.
00:32:26.14\00:32:27.74
I said: "But Anon, we have to
pay him. Where's that going to
00:32:28.14\00:32:30.28
come from? " He
just looked at me.
00:32:30.48\00:32:33.35
I said: "Anon, we
have to pray about it.
00:32:33.75\00:32:35.52
You know, if God has found him
to work here, God will provide
00:32:35.72\00:32:38.85
the funds to pay for him. "
00:32:39.05\00:32:40.72
So we prayed about it and
I e-mailed someone over here
00:32:41.36\00:32:44.39
that I know and
I said: "You know,
00:32:44.59\00:32:46.70
this is what we need. We
really need another worker.
00:32:46.90\00:32:50.17
We need help but
we can't pay him.
00:32:50.37\00:32:53.34
Do you think you could talk
to your friends and see if maybe
00:32:53.54\00:32:56.04
someone or a group of
people could sponsor his wage? "
00:32:56.24\00:32:58.91
Three days
later I had an e-mail:
00:32:59.31\00:33:01.78
"Help is on the way. " And
someone has given the money.
00:33:01.98\00:33:06.31
They'll give money
this year and next year
00:33:06.51\00:33:08.28
that will pay his
wage for four years.
00:33:08.48\00:33:10.22
I know that he's
supposed to be working with us.
00:33:10.42\00:33:13.99
Yes, you do.
That's an important thing.
00:33:14.19\00:33:17.29
It reassures you, doesn't
it? It's really reassuring.
00:33:17.49\00:33:20.30
And he's just so willing
to help and he has so many...
00:33:20.50\00:33:23.33
He's got a lot of skills that
he can give to the children.
00:33:23.53\00:33:25.90
And we really felt that
spiritually... We're always
00:33:26.30\00:33:30.64
so busy, We have worship morning
and evening with the children
00:33:30.84\00:33:33.88
but we needed to
spend more time with them
00:33:34.08\00:33:37.85
and be able to do some
Bible studies with some of them
00:33:38.05\00:33:40.82
and this man is a chaplain.
00:33:40.98\00:33:42.85
It's like: "That's your job! "
00:33:43.05\00:33:45.09
Yes! He's got a lot of
jobs, a lot of hats to wear.
00:33:45.29\00:33:47.22
I can tell. You know,
Althea, when we think about
00:33:47.42\00:33:51.19
sponsoring a child... You
know, I'm sure the viewers
00:33:51.39\00:33:53.90
are wondering how much
does it cost to sponsor a child
00:33:54.20\00:33:57.57
a month, for a year.
Tell us a little bit about it.
00:33:57.77\00:34:01.30
$48.00 a month.
How much? $48.00.
00:34:01.50\00:34:04.41
Forty-eight dollars. Yes! And
what does that actually cover?
00:34:04.61\00:34:08.04
What does that
cover? It covers everything.
00:34:08.24\00:34:10.85
It covers their
education, their schooling,
00:34:11.01\00:34:13.68
the operations of the campus.
00:34:13.88\00:34:15.85
Forty-eight dollars
for how much? A month?
00:34:16.05\00:34:18.85
A month. Are you real serious?
00:34:19.05\00:34:21.32
OK. So that probably doesn't
sound enough. Is that right?
00:34:21.52\00:34:24.19
No it doesn't! OK,
so this is how it works.
00:34:24.39\00:34:26.63
It actually costs
$200 or thereabouts.
00:34:27.03\00:34:29.83
$200 a month per child
which is $6.30 per day.
00:34:30.03\00:34:34.27
Um-hmm. But if I
wanted to go and get sponsors
00:34:34.47\00:34:36.87
and I said: "You know,
it's only $200 a month"
00:34:37.07\00:34:38.97
there's not many people
that can pay $200 a month.
00:34:39.37\00:34:42.74
So we've broken it down so
that each child actually needs
00:34:42.94\00:34:46.11
four sponsors, but a
sponsor is $48 a month.
00:34:46.31\00:34:50.02
OK... I'm sure the
viewers will understand that.
00:34:51.09\00:34:55.19
But it's a
worthwhile project because
00:34:55.49\00:34:58.23
the pictures tell a lot
of that story, don't they?
00:34:58.43\00:35:01.30
Of the children
smiling and being happy
00:35:01.50\00:35:04.03
and enjoying their
time growing up in this way.
00:35:04.43\00:35:09.54
So it's a very worthwhile
cause. I want to encourage you
00:35:09.74\00:35:12.17
like I said, get that pen ready
because you'll have an address
00:35:12.37\00:35:15.14
roll and Althea will be
able to... You can probably
00:35:15.34\00:35:19.15
contact her direct and share
with her what God has put on
00:35:19.35\00:35:22.98
your heart to do in this case.
00:35:23.18\00:35:24.65
So... The lovely
thing about sponsors
00:35:25.05\00:35:27.29
is I've
encouraged sponsors who can
00:35:27.49\00:35:30.43
to come and visit the children.
So they can come and visit?
00:35:30.63\00:35:33.46
They can come and visit the
children. Of course there are
00:35:33.66\00:35:35.36
criteria. We have to have
a working with children card
00:35:35.56\00:35:38.53
or a police check, but we
have groups of people that come
00:35:38.73\00:35:42.24
and they will do a
project. They will fundraise
00:35:42.44\00:35:44.77
for a project and
come and meet their child.
00:35:44.97\00:35:46.98
Or the people who come and
do a project and don't sponsor
00:35:47.18\00:35:49.81
a child sometimes they
leave sponsoring a child -
00:35:50.01\00:35:52.41
OK - because they
fall in love with them.
00:35:52.61\00:35:54.02
But for the child... I welcome
volunteers for all of them.
00:35:54.22\00:35:57.95
because it adds
to their development.
00:35:58.15\00:36:01.19
They learn about the
careers these people do.
00:36:01.39\00:36:04.16
I get... When
people come in to volunteer
00:36:04.56\00:36:06.86
I tell them I want photos
that we can put up in the chapel
00:36:07.06\00:36:10.53
and show them where they
live, what sort of work they do.
00:36:10.73\00:36:13.47
Tell us all about you.
00:36:13.87\00:36:15.47
There are careers the
children don't even know exist.
00:36:15.67\00:36:17.77
OK. There are
careers I don't know exist.
00:36:17.97\00:36:20.68
That's right. Really we're
in a fairly sheltered world
00:36:20.88\00:36:24.38
so the more I can show them...
00:36:24.58\00:36:25.91
And we've had people come,
a family come, 5 yrs. in a row
00:36:26.11\00:36:31.99
to paint different pictures. OK.
00:36:32.19\00:36:34.36
And this year he
painted a map of the world
00:36:34.56\00:36:38.23
in the cafeteria
and it's a fun picture
00:36:38.43\00:36:42.36
of the world with
animals and everything.
00:36:42.56\00:36:44.97
But I've actually had
printed and put in the houses
00:36:45.17\00:36:47.60
a map of the world. The children
didn't know where Australia was.
00:36:47.80\00:36:51.81
A lot of them didn't
know where Thailand was.
00:36:52.21\00:36:54.54
Um-hmm. They now ALL know
since we do it in worship.
00:36:54.74\00:36:58.91
In chapel I go: "What's the
seven continents of the world? "
00:36:59.11\00:37:02.58
"What's the five
oceans? Where is Thailand?
00:37:02.78\00:37:04.79
What countries are around it? "
00:37:05.05\00:37:06.39
And when the volunteers
come we've had from Germany
00:37:06.76\00:37:09.49
and Canada and
America and Australia
00:37:09.69\00:37:12.26
they know where they're from.
00:37:12.46\00:37:14.46
Little things like
that. I had no idea
00:37:14.86\00:37:17.00
that they had no
idea about the world. Hmm.
00:37:17.20\00:37:20.04
So it's all the
educational things
00:37:20.24\00:37:22.50
that we want to teach them.
There's something interesting
00:37:22.70\00:37:25.51
I saw on your website and that
was how one of your students
00:37:25.71\00:37:29.64
he became a pastor -
yes - when he'd grown up.
00:37:32.18\00:37:35.65
But I think he was
there for a long long time.
00:37:36.05\00:37:39.72
And one thing he wanted
to do was go to visit...
00:37:40.39\00:37:44.63
Well, he went to the ocean.
He'd never seen so much water.
00:37:44.83\00:37:49.16
And so he wanted to take
all the other children that
00:37:49.36\00:37:52.03
they could have
the experience he had
00:37:52.23\00:37:54.00
in seeing the ocean for
the first time or the water.
00:37:54.20\00:37:57.34
It was actually
probably the Gulf of Thailand
00:37:57.54\00:37:59.24
which isn't an
ocean... it's a gulf.
00:37:59.64\00:38:02.08
But to them it was
something they had never seen
00:38:02.28\00:38:05.88
or really understood.
00:38:06.08\00:38:07.45
And we had the same
experience in Nepal.
00:38:07.72\00:38:09.98
They only had one lake that I'm
aware of in the whole country.
00:38:10.19\00:38:13.46
They do not understand
the concept of the ocean.
00:38:13.86\00:38:17.63
So you actually took the
children down to the water
00:38:17.83\00:38:21.80
from all the way
up in Chiang Mai.
00:38:22.00\00:38:23.67
And they had a wonderful time
and what a learning experience
00:38:23.87\00:38:27.24
to be able to go the water
00:38:27.64\00:38:29.80
which before that was just some
concept they couldn't really
00:38:30.01\00:38:33.04
grasp. When
Choompon, his name was Choompon
00:38:33.24\00:38:36.75
and he grew up there with
his brothers. He's an orphan.
00:38:36.95\00:38:39.88
He has a degree in theology
and a Master's in counseling.
00:38:41.12\00:38:43.89
And he gave back to us
by staying and working there
00:38:44.29\00:38:47.39
for five years. And
when he was leaving...
00:38:47.59\00:38:51.43
Before he had left
he said to me: "One day
00:38:52.66\00:38:55.76
I would love to take
these children to the beach. "
00:38:55.96\00:38:58.03
And when he told me that in
6 mos. he was going to leave
00:38:58.23\00:39:01.50
oh, I'd love to make his
dream come true, you know?
00:39:01.90\00:39:05.37
He loved the beach so much
00:39:05.57\00:39:07.21
and he'd grown up
with these children.
00:39:07.41\00:39:08.98
He wants them to see the beach.
00:39:09.18\00:39:10.55
So I alerted a
few people over here
00:39:11.61\00:39:13.65
and we had some
very generous donations
00:39:13.85\00:39:16.62
and fundraising events.
00:39:16.82\00:39:18.85
And it actually cost, and
I think it was reasonable,
00:39:19.25\00:39:22.06
$100 per head to take the
children on a 19 hr. bus trip.
00:39:22.66\00:39:28.60
I was told it was
12 hours by some folks.
00:39:28.80\00:39:31.30
We've both had those
experiences. It became 19.
00:39:31.50\00:39:33.47
Nineteen hour bus
trip... we traveled overnight.
00:39:33.67\00:39:35.90
We had 3 days at the beach
and we traveled back overnight.
00:39:36.10\00:39:40.61
And we even had
enough money left over
00:39:40.81\00:39:42.84
for 20 rounds on the biscuit -
00:39:43.04\00:39:45.15
you know, the
floats behind the boat -
00:39:45.35\00:39:47.18
and 20 rounds on the banana.
00:39:47.38\00:39:49.02
So they had a wild
time. They talk about it.
00:39:49.22\00:39:53.05
"Mummy, can we go
back? Can we go back? "
00:39:53.25\00:39:55.06
They had never
experienced waves.
00:39:55.36\00:39:57.79
They'd never had
their feet in sand
00:39:57.99\00:40:01.43
and had the water go
out. You know, how your feet -
00:40:01.63\00:40:03.97
yes - are in the sand.
00:40:04.17\00:40:05.63
They'd never seen the crabs.
00:40:05.83\00:40:07.87
You know, when you
walk at sunset on the beach
00:40:08.07\00:40:09.77
all the crabs. So
many firsts for them.
00:40:09.97\00:40:12.87
And to their credit,
this place where we stayed
00:40:14.11\00:40:16.98
it was nothing flash. It was
probably where they mostly had
00:40:17.18\00:40:19.28
school groups. And you
couldn't take your own food.
00:40:19.48\00:40:23.28
You had to have
the food they supplied.
00:40:23.49\00:40:24.95
There was one little
scoop of rice with some
00:40:25.15\00:40:28.66
fish and vegetables or
chicken and vegetables.
00:40:28.86\00:40:31.09
And that was their meal.
00:40:31.29\00:40:33.53
My children ate a
lot more than that.
00:40:33.93\00:40:36.16
They have piles of rice.
00:40:36.36\00:40:38.27
You know, no one complained.
00:40:38.47\00:40:40.14
And even on the bus 19
hours it was only the last hour
00:40:41.50\00:40:45.47
"Are we there yet? " when we
decided it was getting a bit...
00:40:45.67\00:40:48.24
"How much longer, Mummy? "
00:40:48.44\00:40:49.91
It's such an experience
and it's an education.
00:40:50.85\00:40:55.12
When people talk about
the seaside, the beach,
00:40:55.32\00:40:57.65
sunset on the
beach... walking in the sand
00:40:58.05\00:41:00.66
now they understand.
Even... I've got the poster up
00:41:00.86\00:41:02.82
Footprints in the Sand.
00:41:03.02\00:41:04.36
They understand...
they can relate to it.
00:41:04.53\00:41:06.66
And they have to
learn about life.
00:41:07.36\00:41:10.20
I don't want them just to leave
one day and not know anything
00:41:10.40\00:41:13.34
about life. They need
to know about the world
00:41:13.54\00:41:15.47
outside - that's
right. So I do... I do like to
00:41:15.67\00:41:20.31
have donations to take them out.
00:41:20.51\00:41:22.21
You know, when people say
"What do you want to do? "
00:41:22.41\00:41:25.11
"Can I give something
to treat the children? "
00:41:25.31\00:41:26.92
It's like: well transport.
You know we need four vehicles
00:41:27.32\00:41:30.35
to take them out. Just to
be able to take them somewhere
00:41:30.55\00:41:33.36
different. Take
them to a museum;
00:41:33.56\00:41:34.89
take them to the art gallery.
00:41:35.09\00:41:36.42
They've never
been to those places.
00:41:36.56\00:41:38.89
We'd have a
waterfall if they're free.
00:41:39.09\00:41:40.90
Yes, yes... that's right.
00:41:41.10\00:41:43.03
One of the other
things that you have done
00:41:43.23\00:41:45.70
over there not too long ago -
00:41:45.90\00:41:47.60
just recently - was you
had to do some renovations.
00:41:47.80\00:41:52.21
There were things that HAD
to be done in the office, etc.
00:41:53.27\00:41:56.98
And we've got a couple of
photos just to show people.
00:41:57.18\00:41:59.71
This is a back room
00:41:59.91\00:42:02.58
where you said
everything just got dumped.
00:42:02.78\00:42:05.02
Yes, this room... Actually
we'd already taken a lot of
00:42:05.22\00:42:07.99
things out of this
room. This is a room
00:42:08.19\00:42:10.13
right at the back of the office.
00:42:10.33\00:42:11.66
So you can walk through
the office into this back room.
00:42:11.86\00:42:14.26
And it was just full of
junk... 23 years of junk
00:42:15.10\00:42:18.70
and cobwebs and lice. We have
jumping lice out there. Ooh!
00:42:18.90\00:42:23.14
How horrible! It
was an awful room.
00:42:23.34\00:42:26.44
And if we ever had to
go and look for anything
00:42:26.64\00:42:28.54
it was like... Nobody
wanted to go, did they?
00:42:28.74\00:42:30.21
No one wanted to go there.
00:42:30.41\00:42:31.75
But we had some wonderful build-
ers come from Langaster church.
00:42:32.31\00:42:35.45
And I haven't got the
photos here, but they...
00:42:35.65\00:42:38.15
they gave our
office a total new look.
00:42:38.35\00:42:40.76
And my manager,
when he walks inside now
00:42:41.49\00:42:43.79
he goes: "Oh, Mummy!
00:42:43.99\00:42:45.76
I used to dream
about having a nice office
00:42:45.96\00:42:48.16
and now we have it! "
00:42:48.36\00:42:50.17
And to me it's a miracle
that these three builders
00:42:50.37\00:42:53.30
and an
electrician all came over -
00:42:53.50\00:42:55.30
two electricians - all
came over and worked for us.
00:42:55.50\00:42:58.81
And the amazing thing is
00:42:59.01\00:43:01.54
that when these people came
00:43:01.74\00:43:04.51
I had groups ringing me and
booking in for times to come
00:43:04.71\00:43:08.25
and do a project.
00:43:08.45\00:43:09.78
And I said: "Yes, we'll
have this and we'll have that. "
00:43:10.55\00:43:12.49
But I didn't really
understand the skill sets
00:43:12.69\00:43:15.22
that I was getting them
to do or the projects...
00:43:15.42\00:43:18.69
And only God orchestrated
it because the builders
00:43:19.96\00:43:23.30
came and did the building work.
00:43:23.50\00:43:25.43
Yes. The next
group of people that came
00:43:25.63\00:43:27.90
they did the
tiling and the painting.
00:43:28.80\00:43:31.17
Then the next group of people
came did the artistry work.
00:43:31.37\00:43:34.48
And then another
group of people came and did
00:43:34.68\00:43:36.88
some finishing off outside.
00:43:37.08\00:43:38.48
And it was all in
the right sequence.
00:43:38.88\00:43:41.42
Um-hmm. To the
point that on one occasion
00:43:41.62\00:43:45.32
I dropped one
group off at the airport
00:43:45.95\00:43:48.12
and as I left them my phone rang
00:43:48.32\00:43:51.96
and the next group had
just arrived and were waiting
00:43:52.16\00:43:54.80
at a point. I did a drive around
00:43:55.00\00:43:56.67
to pick up the next
group. It was like...
00:43:56.87\00:43:58.60
God is good! They're
coming from Australia
00:43:58.80\00:44:01.00
and I couldn't have
orchestrated that myself. No.
00:44:01.20\00:44:04.31
And it's not like the
airport is necessarily close by.
00:44:04.51\00:44:06.68
No... it's a
hour's drive away. Yes.
00:44:06.88\00:44:08.98
So the photo you had
was this awful looking room.
00:44:09.18\00:44:12.01
And the builders came,
and we had one man there
00:44:12.21\00:44:16.08
named Jayden
Love. And he in the end
00:44:16.28\00:44:19.42
said: "I can only look at
this room piece by piece. "
00:44:19.62\00:44:22.09
"I can't look at everything. "
00:44:22.29\00:44:24.29
And he started taking
everything out, working out
00:44:24.49\00:44:27.30
was it junk, was it recyclable.
Could we use it somewhere?
00:44:27.50\00:44:31.00
Where would we put it?
00:44:31.20\00:44:32.53
And in the end we
have a beautiful room.
00:44:32.90\00:44:35.90
And let's look. Look at that!
00:44:36.10\00:44:37.77
And last night on video
00:44:37.97\00:44:39.64
I saw a sofa down the end
and a table for a board meeting.
00:44:39.84\00:44:43.11
And we've got some
cupboards going in there.
00:44:43.31\00:44:46.18
This will be a room
used for staff meetings,
00:44:46.38\00:44:48.85
staff worship in the morning,
00:44:49.05\00:44:50.49
staff meetings, board meetings,
00:44:50.69\00:44:52.52
when government officials come,
00:44:52.72\00:44:54.12
when relatives come
to talk about children.
00:44:54.32\00:44:56.06
We've got a nice room!
00:44:56.26\00:44:58.33
Somewhere nice to take them.
00:44:58.53\00:45:00.16
Instead of some place
where lice are jumping.
00:45:00.36\00:45:03.16
To me it's a miracle room.
00:45:03.37\00:45:04.70
I just look at it
and you know what?
00:45:04.77\00:45:06.57
I actually took a
sermon and I likened that room
00:45:06.77\00:45:09.10
to our lives. Before
Jesus comes into our lives
00:45:09.30\00:45:12.37
we're a mess. Full of
junk! We're full of junk.
00:45:12.57\00:45:14.84
And Jesus comes in and He
makes us as white as snow!
00:45:15.04\00:45:18.11
And then He starts
to fill us with Himself.
00:45:18.31\00:45:21.12
With the couch; with the table;
with the things that are good.
00:45:21.32\00:45:24.45
Beautiful! Useful.
00:45:24.65\00:45:25.99
In His eyes we're beautiful.
00:45:26.09\00:45:27.46
So do you need more
buildings out there, Althea?
00:45:27.66\00:45:29.66
We do need more buildings.
00:45:29.86\00:45:31.59
What sort of
buildings are we talking about?
00:45:31.79\00:45:33.33
Dormitories or
sleeping rooms or what is it?
00:45:33.53\00:45:37.20
We need a computer room.
00:45:37.40\00:45:38.73
OK. We've actually got
someone who wants to help
00:45:38.77\00:45:41.67
set us up with computer
education for the children.
00:45:41.87\00:45:47.01
My children are not
doing so well at school
00:45:47.21\00:45:49.14
with computers. We don't
have enough access to them.
00:45:49.34\00:45:52.35
We don't have
the right software.
00:45:52.75\00:45:55.02
You know, we need to
protect them on the computers.
00:45:56.08\00:45:58.75
But they have to learn.
It's a technology-driven world.
00:45:58.95\00:46:01.69
Hmm. Hmm. We also want to supply
00:46:01.89\00:46:04.23
the children... We have
some really smart children.
00:46:04.43\00:46:06.93
They need extended education.
00:46:07.13\00:46:09.13
Some of my young children
when they've got no homework...
00:46:09.53\00:46:13.10
We hand homework
to them every night.
00:46:13.30\00:46:14.77
so when they
don't have any homework
00:46:14.97\00:46:16.60
I'd love for them to have
some sort of English program
00:46:16.81\00:46:20.24
where it's a learning
program or a math program.
00:46:20.44\00:46:23.08
You know, they have games.
00:46:23.28\00:46:25.38
It's almost like a game
but you're actually learning.
00:46:25.58\00:46:27.52
Um-hmm. And there's so
much more that we could do
00:46:27.72\00:46:30.72
but we need to have a
room set up with computers.
00:46:31.12\00:46:34.82
So how much land is
associated with your property?
00:46:35.02\00:46:37.96
Is there room for expanding
and building and development?
00:46:38.16\00:46:40.43
There's room. Yes,
we have room. Yeah.
00:46:40.63\00:46:42.16
We've got about 10 acres.
00:46:42.56\00:46:45.93
Well that's a sizeable bit of
land. With all the gardens, yes.
00:46:46.13\00:46:49.44
So I was just talking to Jayden
Love. He's still over there
00:46:50.51\00:46:54.24
and he said: "You know
what? They're going to be using
00:46:54.44\00:46:56.58
this space for the
waste management thing. "
00:46:56.78\00:46:59.81
He said: "Now we're
taking this out of this shed
00:47:00.02\00:47:02.95
and that out of that
shed. You need another big shed
00:47:03.15\00:47:05.09
for all these other machines.
00:47:05.29\00:47:06.62
There's another thing you're
going to have to be building
00:47:06.69\00:47:08.02
soon and you've got
the computer room and... "
00:47:08.16\00:47:10.59
And later this year we're
starting to build a duplex
00:47:10.79\00:47:14.20
for the two men:
Anon and the pastor.
00:47:14.36\00:47:18.47
So they've got their own place.
They're both living in a room.
00:47:18.67\00:47:20.37
You know, Anon is 32 years
old. He's going to want to get
00:47:20.57\00:47:23.10
married soon. He doesn't
just want to be in one room.
00:47:23.30\00:47:26.01
So we've been making our
own blocks out of dirt and sand
00:47:26.41\00:47:30.28
and cement. We've got
a block maker. Um-hmm.
00:47:30.48\00:47:32.31
And we've got over 7,000 blocks
00:47:32.51\00:47:35.22
and we have a group
from Brisbane coming to start
00:47:35.42\00:47:38.25
that process. That's excellent!
00:47:38.45\00:47:40.62
Very blessed. You
were talking before about
00:47:40.82\00:47:43.83
the family that would come
and do painting and things.
00:47:44.03\00:47:47.06
Yes. And they did
the map of the world.
00:47:47.26\00:47:49.36
Now we've got a
photo of one of the things
00:47:49.56\00:47:51.93
I presume that they
painted. Yes they did!
00:47:52.13\00:47:54.77
And it says: "I was
hungry and you gave me food. "
00:47:54.97\00:48:00.34
And this is on the
wall of the cafeteria.
00:48:00.54\00:48:02.41
Hmm. So that's a
really beautiful reminder
00:48:02.61\00:48:05.61
of what the orphanage is
doing and what God does for us.
00:48:06.31\00:48:12.32
That's right. And
Andy Collis, he was
00:48:12.52\00:48:14.92
head of the art department at
Avondale College for 20 years.
00:48:15.12\00:48:18.23
So it's he and his
family that come out.
00:48:18.43\00:48:20.86
They painted the tree
house that my husband built
00:48:21.06\00:48:23.93
along with Kempsey School.
00:48:24.13\00:48:25.60
They painted... We looked
at that last time they came.
00:48:25.80\00:48:28.14
They painted the kindergarten
room which is beautiful
00:48:28.34\00:48:30.81
that we still use as a homework
room so it's still used.
00:48:31.01\00:48:33.61
They painted the sign last year.
00:48:35.44\00:48:37.88
The Kirsten Jade
Rescue Centre sign
00:48:38.08\00:48:39.91
and artwork in the girls'
dormitory. They've done a lot of
00:48:40.32\00:48:44.59
different things, and
this year it was the cafeteria.
00:48:44.79\00:48:47.79
Hmm. And so the
family that came before them
00:48:47.99\00:48:50.66
painted all the
walls of the cafeteria
00:48:50.86\00:48:53.13
so by the time that they came it
was a clean canvas ready to go.
00:48:53.33\00:48:56.36
Very very special. I bet ya
the kids like when Mr. Colkes
00:48:56.56\00:48:59.30
comes and does
his special art work.
00:48:59.50\00:49:02.47
They love it, and
they love watching it grow.
00:49:02.67\00:49:04.57
Yes. I especially liked
the tree house with the animals
00:49:04.77\00:49:08.41
and things in amongst
the branches and all that.
00:49:08.61\00:49:11.65
It would have been
fantastic to watch.
00:49:11.85\00:49:13.55
And it's lovely that
they get to experience
00:49:13.75\00:49:16.82
something beautiful in their
home, and it's made every...
00:49:17.02\00:49:19.95
You know, the art work has
made it so much more colorful.
00:49:20.16\00:49:22.59
Hmm. When I first went
there I found it very bland.
00:49:22.79\00:49:27.50
And I think I mentioned
the last time I talked with you
00:49:27.66\00:49:31.87
when I left the hospital -
I had that fundraising lunch
00:49:32.07\00:49:35.20
on the last day - one of the
anesthetists wrote me a check
00:49:35.40\00:49:38.61
for $10,000.
00:49:39.01\00:49:41.11
And he said: "This
won't make any difference
00:49:41.31\00:49:44.21
in my life but I hope it
makes a difference in the life
00:49:44.41\00:49:46.95
of your children. " That money
started us off with so many
00:49:47.15\00:49:48.55
That money started us
off with so many improvements
00:49:48.75\00:49:52.42
that needed to be made.
00:49:52.62\00:49:53.96
Things like
clean drinking water.
00:49:54.19\00:49:57.16
And now we've got a
filtered drinking fountain now
00:49:57.36\00:49:59.29
and it's cold. Nice cold
water that they can drink.
00:49:59.49\00:50:02.00
It's really refreshing
in a really hot climate -
00:50:02.50\00:50:04.93
that's right - to
have some cold water.
00:50:05.13\00:50:07.20
But I thank God for that
because I just imagine if I'd
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.64
gone there with no money
and seen all these things
00:50:10.84\00:50:14.04
that needed to
happen and no money.
00:50:14.24\00:50:16.85
So God provided it. He
always provides the essentials
00:50:17.05\00:50:20.22
and then He also
provides some of the wants.
00:50:20.62\00:50:23.62
Yes. Which is really lovely.
00:50:23.82\00:50:26.05
My niece in
England... she's been there once
00:50:26.25\00:50:30.09
and she's coming back
with her mom and dad and sister
00:50:30.29\00:50:32.23
in October. She's 10!
00:50:32.43\00:50:34.26
She did a project all
about the children's home
00:50:34.66\00:50:39.20
and she made cookies
and sold them to raise money
00:50:39.60\00:50:43.77
for the children
to have bicycles.
00:50:43.97\00:50:45.61
Now there were some very
generous people I believe
00:50:46.71\00:50:49.24
who paid 50 pounds for a cookie.
00:50:49.44\00:50:51.51
Oh no! But she raised I
think it was 1,650 pounds
00:50:51.71\00:50:57.29
for bicycles. So that means
I have two children's villages
00:50:57.85\00:51:01.69
and a refugee camp... they're
going to get new bicycles.
00:51:01.89\00:51:05.19
My children are
going to get new bicycles.
00:51:05.39\00:51:07.20
And we're going to
make a concrete bicycle path
00:51:07.40\00:51:10.73
so there's somewhere they can
ride them in the rainy season.
00:51:10.93\00:51:13.54
But even little people can do
something to make a difference.
00:51:13.94\00:51:16.94
Certainly. That's a
fantastic testimony!
00:51:17.14\00:51:19.57
That really is. And you know,
there may be other children
00:51:19.77\00:51:22.68
out there that are looking
thinking: "Well, you know it is
00:51:22.88\00:51:25.18
more blessed to give than
to receive. " Isn't that true?
00:51:25.38\00:51:27.65
It is, because I know
volunteers come to give -
00:51:27.85\00:51:30.29
um-hmm - and they take
away more than they gave because
00:51:30.49\00:51:32.95
they just get such a blessing
from being around the children.
00:51:33.15\00:51:36.29
Hmm. That's right.
00:51:36.49\00:51:38.36
We've got a picture
I just want to look at
00:51:38.56\00:51:41.00
about a couple of girls. Now
00:51:41.40\00:51:44.00
just tell me the
significance of this picture.
00:51:44.20\00:51:46.30
I took this picture
because I think it highlights
00:51:46.80\00:51:50.01
what we don't need
that we think we need.
00:51:50.41\00:51:53.94
These kids were having a
picnic and we needed a table.
00:51:54.14\00:51:58.58
We haven't got any
picnic blankets or anything.
00:51:58.78\00:52:01.02
And it's like: "Mummy,
no problem, no problem. "
00:52:01.42\00:52:04.35
They just pick the banana
fronds and they sit on them.
00:52:04.55\00:52:07.39
And that was our tablecloth.
And they just looked at me
00:52:07.59\00:52:10.19
and said: "See? "
It looks really good.
00:52:10.39\00:52:13.56
It looks really good and oh, we
have to have all these things.
00:52:13.76\00:52:16.70
Maybe we don't have
banana trees the same over here.
00:52:17.10\00:52:19.50
But it was just
the simplicity of it
00:52:19.70\00:52:22.20
and I just thought
that was so beautiful.
00:52:22.60\00:52:24.57
Hmm. It just shows
you don't have to have all
00:52:24.77\00:52:28.04
the trappings. You can
use something very simple from
00:52:28.24\00:52:30.75
nature and it can
do just the same job.
00:52:30.95\00:52:33.88
That's right... that's right.
00:52:34.08\00:52:35.65
Well we're going to go to that
address roll that we mentioned
00:52:35.85\00:52:38.25
before, and so have your
pen and paper in your hand.
00:52:38.45\00:52:41.72
And these are the
details to contact Althea:
00:52:41.92\00:52:44.76
If you would
like to contact Althea
00:52:50.17\00:52:51.90
to find out more about
Kirsten Jade Rescue Centre,
00:52:52.10\00:52:54.57
or send a
tax-deductible donation
00:52:54.77\00:52:56.94
please write to her at:
00:52:57.14\00:52:58.47
Contact her today.
00:53:42.82\00:53:44.79
This is a well-worth cause,
and if you didn't have those
00:53:46.69\00:53:50.93
details or didn't get
enough time to write them down
00:53:51.09\00:53:53.19
contact us at 3abnaustralia
and we'd like to share with you.
00:53:53.40\00:53:56.20
We're talking with Althea
Mason. She's the administrator
00:53:56.40\00:53:59.37
of Adventist Rescued
Children's Care in Thailand
00:53:59.57\00:54:02.57
in Chiang Mai. Is that right?
00:54:02.97\00:54:04.51
Just outside of
Chiang Mai. A. Mae Taeng
00:54:04.71\00:54:06.88
A. Mae Taeng - yes -
where Chiang Mai Academy is.
00:54:07.08\00:54:10.11
Yeah, so now you told us
00:54:10.31\00:54:13.38
the way you were raising money.
00:54:13.78\00:54:16.42
And there are a lot of
projects you are involved with
00:54:17.15\00:54:18.49
because you mentioned a few.
00:54:18.65\00:54:19.99
But there's one fairly
recent one that people can get
00:54:20.06\00:54:22.76
involved in. Just tell us
a little bit about the book
00:54:23.43\00:54:25.03
we spoke of earlier on.
00:54:25.23\00:54:26.66
Absolutely. We had a
lady Janina from Germany.
00:54:26.86\00:54:30.03
and she wanted to do a
book project with the children.
00:54:30.43\00:54:33.20
And so she came over and
they chose the Bible story
00:54:33.60\00:54:37.41
that they wanted
the book to be about.
00:54:37.61\00:54:39.57
And they chose
the story of Jonah.
00:54:39.77\00:54:42.08
Um-hmm. And then they
were given texts to read.
00:54:42.28\00:54:46.68
She put the
children into groups.
00:54:46.88\00:54:49.12
and - the older children
- and gave them the texts
00:54:49.32\00:54:52.99
that they had to read and
re-write in their own words.
00:54:53.19\00:54:56.79
OK. So the book is written
00:54:56.99\00:54:59.86
by the children.
Every picture is drawn
00:55:00.06\00:55:03.26
by the children and next to
the picture it's got the name
00:55:03.47\00:55:06.43
and the age of the child.
00:55:06.63\00:55:08.17
And some of them
are very very good.
00:55:08.57\00:55:10.41
One of my older
boys and his friend
00:55:11.77\00:55:13.74
wrote a Jonah song, and
the music is in the book.
00:55:13.94\00:55:17.68
OK. And if you go to our website
00:55:17.88\00:55:19.81
and look under Jonah you can see
the children singing the song.
00:55:20.02\00:55:24.42
But this book...
But it's in Thai?
00:55:24.82\00:55:26.89
The song's in Thai but in the
book it's written in English.
00:55:27.82\00:55:30.86
There's a picture of
the cover of the book.
00:55:31.06\00:55:33.19
And the kids have
drawn those pictures? Yes!
00:55:33.40\00:55:35.60
Excellent! That looks
like a mean and angry fish.
00:55:35.80\00:55:39.20
There are some very very
good pictures in the book.
00:55:40.20\00:55:42.94
The song is a fantastic
song and it talks about
00:55:44.51\00:55:46.91
we can't run away from God.
00:55:47.84\00:55:49.44
That He will always find us
00:55:49.64\00:55:51.41
and He has a purpose for us.
00:55:51.61\00:55:54.32
And you know Jonah's time...
"For such a time as this. "
00:55:54.48\00:55:57.32
God wanted him right there
in Nineveh to give a message.
00:55:57.52\00:56:00.82
Yes. And this
book... you can buy it.
00:56:01.02\00:56:03.99
That's right. So if
you buy one of these books
00:56:04.19\00:56:07.43
or buy one for your grand-
children or your children.
00:56:07.63\00:56:10.47
Part of that money
goes to you out there
00:56:10.87\00:56:13.70
in your center
there. That's right.
00:56:13.90\00:56:16.54
So it's available in
the ABC shop in Cooranbong.
00:56:16.74\00:56:20.04
The Adventist Book Center.
00:56:20.24\00:56:22.54
Sorry. Adventist
Book Center in Cooranbong
00:56:22.74\00:56:24.61
and the Adventist Book Center
in Brisbane and in Melbourne.
00:56:24.81\00:56:29.72
And I haven't got
it into Sydney yet.
00:56:29.92\00:56:32.85
I haven't been
able to visit them.
00:56:33.05\00:56:34.42
But it's also on our website.
00:56:34.62\00:56:36.52
How many languages?
How many languages is it?
00:56:39.19\00:56:41.70
It's a very special book. OK.
00:56:41.90\00:56:43.97
It's the only
book that you can buy
00:56:44.17\00:56:46.33
that is written in
German, English, and Thai.
00:56:46.53\00:56:50.24
So it's tri-lingual?
That's excellent, you know?
00:56:50.44\00:56:53.14
You know, Althea, it's really
good to have you on the program.
00:56:53.71\00:56:56.31
I know you're a
lady with a passion for
00:56:56.51\00:56:59.05
taking care of children.
It just flows, oozes from you.
00:56:59.25\00:57:02.38
And you can see the
children, being happy.
00:57:02.58\00:57:05.09
The fact that
they call you "Mummy"
00:57:05.29\00:57:06.89
is a really significant
thing because you're acting like
00:57:07.09\00:57:09.92
a mother to them
and that's very special.
00:57:10.13\00:57:13.50
You know, I just want
the viewers to realize
00:57:13.70\00:57:15.93
there's an opportunity
to help these children.
00:57:16.13\00:57:18.73
You know, Jesus really
wants us to take care of
00:57:18.93\00:57:21.17
our children and to
bring them up in love
00:57:21.37\00:57:24.04
and be caring
and be responsible.
00:57:24.24\00:57:26.81
And this is a way
that you can actually do it
00:57:27.68\00:57:29.64
and help you do
that. It's really great!
00:57:29.84\00:57:31.68
Make a difference
in someone's life.
00:57:31.88\00:57:33.55
That's it. That's
what it's all about.
00:57:33.75\00:57:35.25
So I want to thank you
for coming on the program.
00:57:35.65\00:57:37.65
And I KNOW you ARE
making a difference.
00:57:38.05\00:57:39.72
And we'd like you
to make a difference.
00:57:39.92\00:57:41.36
So contact Althea. May
God bless you till next time.
00:57:41.56\00:57:44.46