I’m currently in Pattaya, Thailand working at the Father Ray Foundation, a Redemptorist Order of the Catholic Church.
Before I got here, I wondered about working for a Christian Foundation, considering some of the poor examples of Christian organizations that get press in the United States. After almost two months here, all my concerns were totally unfounded. I can see every day the good work the Foundation does, and there is no “convert the heathens” in anything they do. This truly is a wonderful and rewarding place to work.
(If you are offended by Christmas, and/or gift suggestions, stop reading here.)
So, since I do see the good work being done here, and it is approaching the Christmas season, I’d like to make a suggestion to anyone who would be thinking of having me on their Christmas List, and to anyone with a hard to buy for person on their Christmas List to consider an alternative. This season, how about thinking of making a donation of whatever you would have spent on some thing, to help out some of the kids here? And by the way, there aren’t any of those Sally Struthers kids here, these kids are happy and healthy, even if they can’t see, or can’t walk. And they are really great kids.
I know for me, there isn’t any material thing I really need, even if it were economical to ship here. I’ve spent the last year getting rid of stuff, so I’d just as soon not add to the things I still have that I really don’t need, and only create a problem figuring out how and where to store them. Maybe there is someone like that on your list; do you know someone who doesn’t really need more stuff, but would get a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing they helped put food on a kids table that would really appreciate the food? Or if you have particularly deep pockets, (not all that deep by US standards), sponsor an individual child for a year? (that works out to about $300 a year, or a bit shy of $20 a month) If that would be too much, and I know lots that would have a problem with that much, as the saying goes, every little bit helps. You can find the Foundation here.