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“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24

I met Suchi six years ago when I first came to Thailand. He was just a little boy living at Jasper Kids, but now he has become a man of God. Currently, he is attending a Technical Vocational High School learning to be a mechanic. When Missionary JJ first told me about Suchi’s story, I was heart-broken. I couldn’t believe what he had to face and endure in life. His parents were murdered, because they were Christians.

Suchi’s family lived in the mountains and the villagers all believed in superstition and held an animistic belief. His parents were the only Christians living in the village. When the villagers experienced a bad harvest one season, they blamed it on Suchi’s parents, because they thought the Christians living among them was a curse to the village.

One day, Suchi’s mom was working in the field wearing his dad’s jacket. A man from the village came and shot her thinking she was the dad. After the shooter realized what had happened, he went to the house and shot the dad. Suchi lost both of his parents and had to come live at the Jasper Kids Home, because no other relative could provide for him. His older brother got married to a daughter of the shooter without knowing his father-in- law was the one who had killed his parents. The shooter had purposely arranged the marriage so that Suchi’s older brother would not take revenge.

Two week ago, Missionary JJ traveled to Wiang Pa Pao for a weekend to spend time with the Jasper Kids. There, Suchi came to talk with Missionary JJ. Suchi started to share that he felt lonely because he didn’t have any family. Although he lives with 36 other students and have two staff families caring for him, he still felt depressed and discouraged in his loneliness.

Suchi will be graduating from the Vocational High School next year, and he is afraid what will happen to him next. He felt there was no one to turn to and began to weep. Missionary JJ assured Suchi that they were his family, and they would face the future together. Furthermore, Missionary JJ told Suchi that he would do all that he can to provide for Suchi to attend a technical college in Chiang Mai and help Suchi open an auto shop one day.

When Missionary JJ shared about how Suchi felt and what Suchi was going through, my heart started to cry. I hope to visit the Jasper Kids in a few weeks, and I am hoping to throw a weekend feast for the 36 kids and two families live with and care for them.

This is one of the stories of Jasper Kids. Please pray for Suchi to trust in the Lord to lead, for His grace to be sufficient, to have the courage to thrive in the midst of such difficult life challenges.