Margie and I went on a vision trip to Thailand and Cambodia in January of 2010. We joined our friends Steve and Barbara Kisley in Chiang Mai Thailand where the four of us met Carl and Laurie Ralston of Remember Nhu. Carl wanted to show us the property where the first facility that will accommodate 60 girls was in progress of being built. We decided to go to the property after breakfast the following morning. After breakfast we hurried to our rooms, grabbed the backpack, and met in front of our hotel.
A small red truck with a shell on the bed (called a song-tail), rolled up. We piled into the back, and off we went to property. When we arrived we met the house parents and the girls who were living in an interim building. The smiles were beautiful and the love of Christ was very apparent. Although they did not have much, they were clean, well nourished, loved, and cared for by the house parents. The new home was well on it’s way to completion, they walls were up, and the roof material were being prepared. The 11 acres were Carl’s answer to prayer and a safe refuge for these wonderful girls. Margie and I planned on going to go to Cambodia with Laurie. Margie worked with Nhu and her students at Nhu’s beauty salon. The first few days in Cambodia we met our tuk-tuk driver in front of our hotel and he drove us through the streets of Nan Phen to the salon. Margie was working on color and cutting techniques with the students. It was great to see the interest of the girls knowing that with this trade they will not need to go into the sex trade. Laurie told me that she wanted to take fruit to the children that lived on the Macon-Delta. We stopped by the girls home in Nan Phen, picked up one of the girls that formally lived at the Delta, picked up Nhu, bought fruit, packed up the tuk-tuk, and drove to the Macon-Delta. We parked on the street, grabbed the boxes of fruit, and walked through a dirt lot, down a small hill where we could see the floating shacks that these children lived in.
The girl from the area, ran down to gather up the children. These little children started running towards us. As I was passing out the fruit I noticed the stress in their eyes. I really got to me so I decided to take some pictures of the floating shacks, live electric wiring strung up on bamboo sticks all the way to these floating shacks that children are playing around. The water was so filthy that if we were to fall in it, they would evacuate us to Thailand to be treated. I looked at the children again and this small voice inside me said,“What are you going to do about it?” I thought, “Oh No”… We came back to Portland and about a year later Carl and Laurie came here for a fund raiser. They stayed at our house for a couple nights. One morning as Carl and I were preparing to back out of my driveway he said,” So Mike, what would you think of selling your house and working for Remember Nhu in Thailand?” I told him that it would require a conversation with my wife, and prayer before I could answer him.
When I was a child, if someone were to ask me what I would like to be when I grow up, I would reply, ”a missionary”. I told Margie this, she replied, I would love to be a missionary in Thailand. We have prayed about this for the last year taking steps towards that goal, and if it is God’s will, we will move to Thailand and work with Remember Nhu…
By the blessing of both Remember Nhu and Solid Rock Church we will be working with the Remember Nhu homes of refuge, for the prevention of children who are at high risk from being sold into the sex trade.
We would be humbled and honored to have you partner with us for this cause.
HERE’S HOW
Please join us in praying
* People to partner with us in prayer for the long run
* Wisdom and discernment in our roll with Remember Nhu
* Our home will sell or lease quickly
* We will be able to grasp at least some Thai language
* Our need to raise monthly support of approx. $1800 per month
- Plus a one time relocation cost of $2000
*That others will be encouraged to also join us in championing the cause
*Any funds must be made out to Remember Nhu and mailed to:
Mike and Margie Figueras
C/O Remember Nhu
PO Box 2700
Akron OH 44319-7000
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