Heading out to meet Tawan

Visiting one of the schools in the area. About 30 Compassion children go here. It is a private school - VERY nice! - and Compassion office headquarters for this region. Tawan is able to go here on Saturdays for free education and instruction

One of the very nice classrooms. We would love for Tawan to attend school here but his grandmother wants him to attend the Buddhist school instead

Some of the children

More precious children

Sharing some smiles

Meetin Tawan!!!!

All of the Compassion children from this project site - pointing to Tawan

Walking in to Tawan's "house"

There he is! The boy to his right just died recently from a brain tumor

Tawan and his grandmother

Signing the guest book

Tawan's home.

Gifts from Compassion!

Our picture in Tawan's home

In the Compassion office. Each letter we write to Tawan comes through this very office

Gifts from Tawan

Gifts FOR Tawan

Playing

Showing him all his gifts

He didn't know what some of the things were

Tawan's home. They collect some recyclables for money too

Opening gifts

Playing with plastic animals

Cute little boy feet. Not much difference - they just walk in different worlds

More gifts

Jacob and Tawan play together outside

He had never thrown a frisbee before, but Jacob hadn't either so they were a good match

Visting in their home

Coloring pictures for Tawan

Tying his very cool shoes - I'm pretty sure we bought these for him for his birthday. We sent money and got a letter back saying he bought a shirt, pants, shoes and a new blanket. While we were visiting he changed into a very nice new pair of jeans, shirt and shoes to go to lunch. They were washed, ironed and laying on the bed ready to go.

Photo with the family, Tawan in his new outfit

We took him to lunch with us. Felt like he was ours!

Choosing from the menu

Enjoying a watermelon shake with his Compassion sister

Playing with Jacob at the restaurant

Racing cars with David at the mall

SO much fun! He loved to crash!

David shows him how to fight

Boys....

Playing a little air hockey

Driving cars with Jacob

Saying goodbye

Had a great day with him!

One last hug

ice cream at the mall

Yum!!!

Compassion

Today we will drive 4 hours to Bangkok, eat lunch, board a plane and fly about an hour south to go visit our Compassion International child. His name is Tawan. He is 6 years old. And we never thought in a million years that we would have a chance to meet him face to face. The best part? - He has NO idea we are coming!!!

We've been sponsering a Compassion child for over 15 years. Obviously not the same one :) Our first child, Nattapol, had to move out of the program due to a family situation when he was about 12. We've had Tawan for about 3 years now. We write to him and send him pictures of our family. We send him money for his birthday and Christmas and the organization takes him shopping to buy clothes, blankets, animals, seeds, and tools - whatever he might need to make it through another year in his tiny village. Compassion does an excellent job of sharing the Truth with their children and their families. We hope to be able to do the same. Please remember that as you experience the end of your week - throughout your entire night THursday night beginning at 9pm we will be visiting with Tawan and his family. By the time you wake up Friday morning we should be back at our hotel, hopefully forever changed and blessed by this experience. We hope to share Truth with his family if they have not already heard. Lift that up!