We went to visit Jeab again the other day. Jeab is always full of life despite her circumstances. She always is talkative - I guess when your alone 24/7, blind and lame and discarded by the community because of a HIV infection, it's good to have company. She was telling us how the Thai girls from the northern areas like Chiang Rai and Phayo are very beautiful but also considered "dumb" due to the lack of education offered to them.  This is mainly because their parents (this has gone on for generations) see females as a quick way to make money by sending them at about 12 years of age to Bangkok to become prostitutes and send the money back home.  Supposedly when a daughter is born into the family there is much rejoicing because they know that they'll be coming in to a lot of money. The family generally starts off poor and within a few months of sending their daughter to Bangkok to work they rip down their old house and build a beautiful, big new one! They are greedy and keep the girls uneducated so they know no better. Very sad!  i had heard this kind of thing before from westerners here but you don't know how true it is, but hearing it again today just confirmed the stories. Sin keeps generation after generation in bondage. They need a new way of thinking that can only come from God.

After praying for Jeab, we went to visit a 11 year old boy (named Gom) in hospital whom we have met before when we were teaching English in the schools. The boy has been orphaned due to both is parents dying from AIDS a number of years ago. He was infected with the same virus at birth. He's in hospital now because of a complication with an infection.  Our boys joined us in visiting him and they all made paper planes together. Gom is being looked after by his grandmother who is also staying in hospital with him which means she can't work to earn any money while she's there caring for him. In Thailand if you stay in hospital you have to have your own carer.  She sleeps on the floor by his side.  We were able to pray for them and talk about God with them. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.