Somsak groans as he wakes to another dawn in Bangkok. He can hear the sound of rain hitting the tin roof of his slum shack and he dreads the wet morning on the streets. The heat and humidity don't bother him much, but the rain will make his job more difficult and less profitable.
'Mai pen rai (never mind)," he mutters to himself in an effort to get moving. He picks his way carefully through the six sleeping forms of his family. They, too, will rise and work soon, but for now he avoids waking them. Somsak and his family are from Issan in northeast Thailand. They had come to Bangkok several months before, hoping to find better work there than in the rice fields of Issan. Their home is now a small shack, crowded among the other shacks that line the banks of a canal or klong. This slum community is known as Din Daeng. It is home to more than 400 families, and it is typical of the many squatter slums that are temporarily built on the sides of the polluted, stagnant canals of this teeming city of 11 million people.
After a quick wash at the stand pipe near the klong` that intersects the slum community that he calls home, Somsak hoists the heavy, garland-laden poles over his shoulders and sets out. He and his family make and sell fresh flower garlands to motorists. The garlands must be fresh to be effective as offerings to the idols and shrines within the vehicles -- offerings made to entice the spirits to protect the vehicle and its occupants from evil during the driving of the day. Thus, Somsak and his family often stay up late in the night, stringing the garlands and preparing them for selling the next day.
Choosing to peddle his wares at one of the busiest intersections in the city, Somsak is soon one of many vendors working the dirty, polluted, and, this particular morning, puddle-pocked exchange at Asoke-Rama IX.
The exhaust from the hundreds of cars, trucks, and motorcycles that are fighting their way into the city cause Somsak's eyes to tear and his throat to burn. He hopes he won't catch fever again this week, but it wouldn't be unusual if he did. Being barefoot, wet, and sick is just the way some days are spent while working during the monsoon season. To add to his discouragement, motorists are reluctant to roll down their windows and purchase the dripping garlands when the rain is heavy. Somsak continues on, imploring the drivers with his eyes, knowing that his family depends on what little he can bring in each day.
As his stomach begins to rumble with hunger, Somsak longs for rush hour to subside so that he can eat his morning portion of satay and sticky rice. Walking back and forth between the waiting cars, he sees the many faces and lifestyles of this rapidly changing city. The overloaded trucks and lorries, with their drivers under the influence of many bottles of Kating Daeng (a strong caffeine drink); the taxies and busses, with their passengers squeezed in, on their way to work; and the hundreds of motorcycles, some with an entire family on board.
At that moment, Somsak's eyes meet those of a uniformed student eating breakfast in the back seat of his family's Mercedes. They stare at one another for a moment, each trying to imagine the other's life as his own. Then the traffic light changes from red to green and the car pulls ahead. The two 8-year-olds break eye contact and continue on their respective ways-one boy moving toward education and opportunity, the other moving toward the next vehicle in line and the hope of a garland sale.
The above situation is played out daily on the streets of Southeast Asia's cities. At 8 years of age, Somsak is already working to help support his family and himself He is representative of the more than 100 million street children of the world.
Every morning on my way to work I see "Somsak" and many others just like him. I have walked in his slum and so many others, with their strange-sounding names -- Huev Kwan Makkasan, Klong Toey, Din Daeng. I have talked with his parents and have seen the conditions he is growing up in.
Over and over I have asked myself difficult questions.
"Why?"
"What has determined that some children will grow up in such crushing poverty while others will grow up so blessed?"
The street children of Southeast Asia live in a society with traditions rooted in the Buddhist religion -- a religion which teaches that karma, or the actions of a previous life, determine your current status in this life. Somsak and his family believe their karma has determined that they will live in a slum and be poor. They must accept this as their fate.
How opposite this is from my Judeo-Christian heritage that taught me of my worth in God's sight, my value and place in God's plan, and, most importantly, my ability to choose-that I am not a victim of fate, karma, circumstance, or happenstance.
What did I do to deserve my unique upbringing in America? I grew up in a Methodist children's home where I could go to school and receive the love and attention of caring people. I was not forced to work on the streets as a child. Why did I deserve so very much when there are millions ofothers who have so very little?
When people ask me why we chose to be missionaries in Southeast Asia, I tell them the story of Somsak.
Maybe you wonder why you should support the ministries of Asia's Little Ones. Possibly you even wonder if these ministries are having a lasting impact on the lives of Asia's children.
In Vietnam they have a saying for kids of the streets. They are simply called "children of the dust." The description is a good one for kids in all Southeast Asian nations-whether you go to Bangkok, Saigon, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, or any of the other teeming cities, you will see these kids. They literally grow up on the streets -- working from a very early age, forgoing educational opportunities. Some rove in gangs. Some use drugs. Some are sold into prostitution. Yet all suffer as a result of sin, greed, and lack of care.
What hope do these children have? What chance do they have in a world that places them under the dust of our feet? Who cares if they grow up this way?
Asia's Little Ones is a ministry that offers these children hope, care, and another chance in life. Those who minister through Asia's Little Ones outreaches believe in rolling up their sleeves and "getting dusty" in order to change the lives of some of these kids.
In the countries of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, there are Assemblies of God missionaries like my wife Ky and I who believe we can not only make a difference in the lives of these children, but that it is our God-given mandate to do so. Asia's Little Ones provides funding, support, and encouragement to us and other missionaries in our ministry outreaches to children.
My wife and I have helped direct feeding programs, medical clinics, educational programs, and other ministries that have benefited directly from your involvement in Asia's Little Ones. As a group of missionaries who care about the children of Asia, we want to thank you for caring with us.
You may not have the opportunity to visit Somsak with me, but by your faithful prayer and giving to this ministry, you have a part in helping to bring these little ones "out of the dust." Asia's Little Ones is working in Southeast Asia to reach kids like Somsak with the love of Jesus. Your partnership in this ministry is essential. Together we will make a difference!
Thank you for caring enough to share with the children of Asia.
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