After 5 hours of sleep, I had breakfast and headed for Mercy Center. Bangkok traffic is horrific...1 1/2 hours to go 6 miles.
Life is full of surprises. Arrive at Mercy Center (MC) as a small Polish TV crew was shotting a series about Father Joe and the Mercy Center's work wth the slum children of Klong Toey. By following the Polish TV crew, I received a full tour of the facilities and listened to interviews of the children, staff and Father Joe...what an eye opener. The MC can be summed up in one word...LOVE. Hundred of children ( 300+) attending K --> 3, meeting the Aids Brigade ( 60+ children) who are fully integrated into the community, a homeless Aids mother rejected by the outside world who now lives at the MC and is a surrogate mother to about 5 orphaned girls, a 40 + year old down syndrome man who lives at MC and assists Father Joe at Catholic mass, the Aids Hospice Center which treats the seriously ill ( 20 + patients), Thai gov't provides Aids medication free of charge to MC...it goes on and on. Father Joe's main assistant is Jewish, most students and staff are Buddhist and a couple of teachers are Muslim ( one the daughter of the local Imam)... Father does not proselytize..his motto is to accept everyone who needs help!!!
Attended requiem mass for the parents of two of MC's employees...all faiths included and Father's words welcomed all.
The unique statue you see in the photo is "Our Lady of Klong Toey" which is the representation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was cast in bronze and Mercy Center staff added personal items to the molten bronze...Father Joe's donation was his personal rosary which was given to him by his mother for Father's First Holy Communion. The statue has a baby sculpted on the Virgin's belly....her missing loving arms are your arms welcoming all of God's children.
Left about 5 PM and went back to the hotel...only took 1 hour for the return drive...ate at small Chinese restaurant and went to bed at 8:30 PM...exhausted...see ya... Tom
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