The Gift Given Robin Gates in Thailand
Robin Gates is one of the Wenatchee women stranded in Bangkok, Thailand when protestors closed the airport. Willing to help, she was handed Cho, an incredible gift.
Sunday, November 30 she felt safe walking alone to an English Protestant worship service at nearby Christ Church. At coffee hour she heard about volunteers who were was bussed every Tuesday to the campus of the Pakkred Orphanage run by the Christian Care Foundation of Thailand. The church had supplied equipment for abandoned children with cerebral palsy, built a facility for their perceptual-motor development and established playgrounds.
Robin wrote, “I didn’t know what they did but my motto is just show up.”
Even though she has a 12-year-old grandson with handicaps, she wrote, “I was stunned to see a very large bare room full of approximately 50 children lying on pallets on the floor, side by side, on their backs, none of them with language or motor skills. The room was neat and clean with aides seeing to the children. One day a week, 14 of the children would be worked with and loved. The regular volunteers had the same child each week.
“I was given Cho. I held a twelve-year-old boy, about 40 pounds, in my arms. His legs and arms dangled. His head was flat and misshapen, as was each child’s from lying on their backs all the time. He smiled at me and his big brown eyes shone. He was so happy to be held and to be going to the activity room.
“We took them in strollers for a ride to the activity building. There we stretched their arms and legs on bean bags and played with a variety of objects to stimulate their muscles. Then we put them in special chairs each with a little table. Cho and I played with soft blocks that he somehow got to fall on the floor and laughed because I had to pick them up. At lunch a volunteer gave me orange sections to feed him, which were really extra. He loved them. At the end we played games with other boys in their strollers. Like all boys they loved racing.
“We shared our lives that day, Cho and I, with love and touch, smiles and eye contact. This young, bright Thai boy who will never walk, or talk, or feed himself, or leave his matt on the floor, gave me the greatest gift of pure joy. My prayer is that another volunteer will come to take him out every Tuesday. I cannot tell this story without tears.”
I could not write this without tears.
My wife Karen visited an orphanage in Guatemala. Afterward she said it was a gift and I should have gone. Now I get it.
For Robin’s full story, see the comments section.
Sunday, November 30 she felt safe walking alone to an English Protestant worship service at nearby Christ Church. At coffee hour she heard about volunteers who were was bussed every Tuesday to the campus of the Pakkred Orphanage run by the Christian Care Foundation of Thailand. The church had supplied equipment for abandoned children with cerebral palsy, built a facility for their perceptual-motor development and established playgrounds.
Robin wrote, “I didn’t know what they did but my motto is just show up.”
Even though she has a 12-year-old grandson with handicaps, she wrote, “I was stunned to see a very large bare room full of approximately 50 children lying on pallets on the floor, side by side, on their backs, none of them with language or motor skills. The room was neat and clean with aides seeing to the children. One day a week, 14 of the children would be worked with and loved. The regular volunteers had the same child each week.
“I was given Cho. I held a twelve-year-old boy, about 40 pounds, in my arms. His legs and arms dangled. His head was flat and misshapen, as was each child’s from lying on their backs all the time. He smiled at me and his big brown eyes shone. He was so happy to be held and to be going to the activity room.
“We took them in strollers for a ride to the activity building. There we stretched their arms and legs on bean bags and played with a variety of objects to stimulate their muscles. Then we put them in special chairs each with a little table. Cho and I played with soft blocks that he somehow got to fall on the floor and laughed because I had to pick them up. At lunch a volunteer gave me orange sections to feed him, which were really extra. He loved them. At the end we played games with other boys in their strollers. Like all boys they loved racing.
“We shared our lives that day, Cho and I, with love and touch, smiles and eye contact. This young, bright Thai boy who will never walk, or talk, or feed himself, or leave his matt on the floor, gave me the greatest gift of pure joy. My prayer is that another volunteer will come to take him out every Tuesday. I cannot tell this story without tears.”
I could not write this without tears.
My wife Karen visited an orphanage in Guatemala. Afterward she said it was a gift and I should have gone. Now I get it.
For Robin’s full story, see the comments section.
This is the first half of Robin's full text sent to me. The second section follows.
Tues. Dec 2, 2008 Pakkred Orphanage, Bangkok A special visit of Robin Gates What to do when stranded. By Robin Gates, 12/17. 2008
After completing an incredible trip to Bhutan, and Railey Beach in South Thailand, my three companions and I were headed home for Thanksgiving . Unfortunately, the Bangkok International Airport was closed by political protesters and no planes would fly for over a week. I had discovered Christ Church not far from the Christian Guest House where we were staying and knew some services where in English. I attended on Sunday morning and at the coffee hour learned of their mission project to Pakkred Orphanage on Tuesday morning.
I wasn’t sure what they did but my motto is to just show up so I arrived on Tuesday morning. Two vans were organized for 14 volunteers to go outside Bangkok to the orphanage. There we would work with cerebal palsy children who were housed separately on a very large campus designed for handicapped people of all ages. The church had helped supply equipment for the care of the children, built a facility on the campus for perceptual-motor development and established playgrounds.
On the ride to the orphanage, Maggie, from Australia, explained what I would see and how we would each work with a child. I have a 12 year old handicapped grandson, Keir so I had an idea of what I might be doing. However, I was stunned to see a very large bare room full of approximately 50 children all lying on pallets on the floor. Side by side, all on their backs, none of them mobile or with language. The room was neat and clean with aides seeing to the children. One day a week, 14 of the children would be worked with and loved. The regular volunteers had the same child each week.
I was given Cho. A twelve year old boy. They bring the children outside to a changing mat, make sure they are clean and put some pants on them. They powder their face and arms with talcum powder so they won’t burn in the sun, put a hat on their heads and hand them to you. I found myself holding a twelve year old boy, about 40 pounds in my arms. His legs and arms were dangling, his head was flat and misshapen, as are all the children’s heads from lying on their backs all the time, even to be fed. He smiled at me and his big brown eyes were shining. He was so happy to be held and to be going to the activity room.
Reply to this
This is the second section of the original wording Robin sent me.
We took them in strollers for a ride and end at the activity building. There we stretched their arms and legs on bean bags and played with a variety of objects to stimulate their muscles. Then we put them in special chairs each with a little table. Cho and I played with soft blocks that he somehow got to fall on the floor and laughed because I had to pick them up. At lunch we fed them cereal and vegetables, followed by a pudding and cake which he wanted more of. A volunteer gives me some orange sections to feed him, which were really extra. He love them. At the end of our time we play games with other boys in their strollers. Like all boys they loved racing.
Our time was over much too quickly. We shared our lives that day, Cho and I, with love and touch, smiles and eye contact. This young, bright Thai boy who will never walk, or talk or feed himself or leave his matt on the floor, gave me the greatest gift of pure joy. My prayer is that another volunteer will come to take him out every Tuesday. I cannot tell this story with out tears.
Reply to this
Nice.
Reply to this
Bless you Robin for "just showing up" and sharing time with Cho.
Reply to this