HANGDONG MOTHER'S DAY 2012

On the 12th of August each year, the people of Thailand celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty The Queen Regent Sirikit. 

On the day before, The River Team went to encourage the medical staff and their patients at Hangdong Hospital.

A loving touch of a child of God

 You are loved

On The Queen's Birthday, Sunday the 12th of August, nearly one hundred mothers and their children from Hangdong community joined in the celebrations of The River. Each person was welcomed with flowers and ushered into a beautifully decorated room filled with an atmosphere of contagious joy and freedom!  

The River Kids Club members demonstrated their skills in singing and speaking English.  It was touching to hear the children sing:

"I'll love you forever, 

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my mommy you'll be."

As the youth band presented songs about a mother’s love, a gracefully dressed 79 year old woman grasped the hand of one  River Team member and whispered, “ I have no children of my own, but TODAY I have found a daughter in you!” She then continued, “This is so beautiful!” The old woman held onto the team member’s hand throughout the entire program. 

Mariaana Klar shared about her mum, Ulla, who came to Thailand in 1955 to join the work of Verner and Hanna Raassina, mission pioneers since 1946. Following the tragic loss of Hanna and her 4 children, Ulla married Verner and received his 2 surviving sons as a “wedding gift”. Together, Verner and Ulla served God in Thailand for some 40 years. Wide-eyed, the audience listened to the story about a wife, a mother and a grandmother, who knew her God and profoundly impacted her daughter's direction and choices in life. 

At the finale of the program, each mother received a pretty face towel gift and hugs from the kids and youth. The old lady received hers from the “new daughter” she had found that day!

The lunch was prepared by the The River Team men. "Khanom jeen," i.e. a special noodles and curry dish, was heartily received. The kids then jumped into The River swimming pool and the grown ups went into their chosen activities.

On offer was make-up, nail painting, massage, learning relaxation techniques to promote healthy sleeping patterns, cooking bananas Indonesian-style, and making steamed bakery goods easily prepared at home with limited equipment. Every woman took home their own cakes in beautiful packaging.

Relationships with the people of the local communities are becoming stronger. An increasing number of people are discovering that they are not alone - that there is true healing and wholeness in God and in being connected to His Family!

Thank you for partnering with us in changing lives for eternity!

THE POWER OF TOUCH

It is truly exciting to report that the Thai members of The River Team are now running running SHINE! They are expressing their own creativity in making the sessions different and interesting for the local teen girls coming from broken homes of the local communities.  

At SHINE the girls are on a journey of discovering true love and acceptance for the first time in their lives. They begin to understand that their individual lives are unique and created by God for a purpose. 

The practical hands-on activities allow the girls to not only learn important truths, but to also express their emotions. For example, when the girls are encouraged to do one another’s hair, emotions become involved.  One girl, who reluctantly conceded to allowing her hair to be touched, burst into tears at the realisation that she was valuable enough for someone else to want to brush it!  

SHINE girls discover their VALUE, WORTH and TRUE IDENTITY.  This continues to be enforced throughout the sessions and through the new friendships formed with others who have found the same truths!

Thank you for your valued partnership in changing lives!

SCHOOLS ARE A KEY TO REACHING THE YOUNG GENERATION!

One of The River Team's weekly activities in the community is to support the English Department of the local Government. This is accomplished by teaching English at local public schools, by running English camps during school breaks as well as by holding teacher training seminars for the entire district. With our current capacity, we are able to cover eight schools, but the demand is for much more! We need more native English speakers to volunteer!

The partnerships with the Education Department and with the local schools is far-reaching. About 140 kids are now regularly involved in our The River Kid's Club and The River Youth. On weekly basis, the kids and teens have an opportunity to engage in fun activities, as well as meaningful moments of learning about God. The River Team visits their homes and helps the families and their communities to identify the needs of the most vulnerable and to discover ways to find viable and sustainable solutions to break the cycle of poverty and abuse.

Recently, the Education Department publicly commended The River Team for its outstanding work in helping to raise the standard of the local schools by bringing transformation to the lives of the students.

Thank you for partnering with us and please consider volunteering with us!