Bacon and baking...

                                 It seemed like a good idea at the time...
                                              growing pigs for food.

                      The children loved the tiny little piglets and cuddled them...
                                         Thanks Amy Milson for helping Indi!

"Little" Amy

 

until ...

one let out an almighty squeeeeel!

Pippa was NOT impressed!

 

                They ARE cute though.... until one escapes...

 

and you have to catch them! (Joey and Neng get themselves dirty chasing the piglet).

  

 

                         Or until they grow and you have to clean out their pens!

 

                          But it's better than buying the meat from the market...

                         Allan replaces rice hulls to help keep down the "mud factor"!

                                           
                                          And they ARE cute when they are feeding.

 

But all good things must come to and end...

 

After the kill,  you have to bag up the meat...

                                                           
                                                         And make your own mince...

                                                        
                                                    Or go inside and make cupcakes!
 

Our lovely friend Pauline made us her yummy pikelets...

to eat after killing and cutting up the pigs of course!

 

So we are finished with the pigs...until the cycle starts again...

 

Love and blessings...the Schmidtees!

 

Life with Lu

Lu is a wonderful child. Big dimples, easy laugh, pretty features. She loves talking to people and getting to know what they are like. Lu loves it when we host visitors, quietly watches them and interacts shyly until she gets to know them - then everyone notices her lovely demenour, her easy laugh and of course...those dimples!

Early days with us - she was so cute...still is as a matter of fact!

Lu with a Christmas gift from Australia.

She is a very artistic little left hander and delights in her creations whether it be cooking or craft or music.

Lu plays a Thai instrument at school. I marvelled at her talent as she was so deft at moving the instrument and drawing the bow across and made some intersting sounds - she did it with such ease I have to admit to being a little surprised. Now if only we had a live in music teacher!

Lu tries playing the ukelele which she of course found quite easy!



Lu making a "monkey." She loved seeing her creation come to life.

Being such a generous soul, she gave her hand made toy to a little girl at school. When asked why she did this, she looked shocked that I didn't understand. "This little girl -she doesn't have much Mummy. I wanted her to have a little friend (her precious home-made toy)."

She loves cooking and will mix, stir, shred, grate along with the best of them.

Lu loves our youngest member of the household and is always ready to teach him things and to just love on him.

She is also quite a complicated soul. Today was a sad day. She stayed close by me all day today.

“Mum, can I get you a drink”? “You look tired” she says as she rubs my back. What is going on in that pretty little head of hers? She insisted on rubbing my feet and said "oh Mum. You (your) feet very dirty." I just thought that went with the territory of walking around in bare feet but the Thai's don't seem to get dirty feet! She quickly got a wet cloth and cleaned my feet for me. "There (you) are Mum" she declared. "All clean now. You want (a) massage? Oh, I get you a cup of tea first."

Gee - am I overwhelmed with this child at times. I tell her constantly that she doesn't have to please me all the time. She roars with laughter. Mummy does tell the funniest of stories!

Of course, ALL Thai children are told to respect and honour their parents. She classes me as her "Falang Mummy" and says quietly "When I am with my mummy, I miss you Mum." "Do you Lu? Thankfully that's only once a year then." She says "Oh, is OK Mummy. When I stay with you I miss my (birth) Mummy too. Funny isn't it Mum?" she says with a far away look in her eyes.

We hug and it's my turn to rub HER back. What a precious little girl.

Thanks for supporting us to "do what we do" and to love on these precious little children.

We are indeed blessed.

With love, until next time.

Sam.

The one...

She had been left to fend for herself, scavenging food from leftovers that had been carelessly tossed on the ground. She was only three years old. There are many children who are in need of care. We can't help them all. We are not called to help them all. We were called to help "the one".

 

Because her mother worked so sporadically, she was left for long periods of time. This is not how it should be.

 
A friend’s husband saw her and enquired to a villager as to the whereabouts of her parents.

Our friend spoke with the mother and learned her story. “Do you have other children?” our friend asked. Yes she did. Five other children. Her husband had died leaving her with six little mouths to feed. Sadly, she had given all her children away. She did not want to raise any of her children so the last one had been left to fend for herself!

Our friend emailed us and sent us photos of this precious little girl. 

  Oh my! What a 'lost' looking little girl!

 

 

She looked so helpless. So tinyl So... lost!

Her name is Chubby.*

As Chubby was ‘at risk’ and the mother didn’t seem to want to care for her, had given away her other children, we felt this was definitely a child we could help. We don't discount what may have been a difficult decision by the mother.

My husband travelled back up the mountains with our friends to collect the child.  Our friends spoke English, Thai and Hmong so there were many translations going back and forth all day with the Hmong villagers, our translators and hubby. Very tiring!

Chubby's village is "on top of the world" and overlooked a neighbouring country.

Most Hmong villages are right up on top of a mountain. They are very difficult to get to and are so remote that it is often difficult to get an education or to receive basic medical help.

 

Her family's kitchen.

 

 

Her last meal in the village was a bowl of boiled rice and water. She sat on the dirt floor and ate her meal.

 

Her last meal at home

On the way home our friend stopped and gave her a quick bath at a roadside service station. The water was practically black. Once it dried, her matted hair sat where it had before. 

Many hours later hubby arrived home with Chubby and a nanny bathed her.

 

They laughed that the water was still so ‘black’ but after her THIRD bath, some shampoo and clean clothes we could start to settle her in to our home.

I was not here when Chubby came into our care. When I returned a week later, one of our other children told Chubby that I would look after her and was the "Mummy" of the home. Chubby grinned, hopped on my knee for a cuddle and had been firmly attached to both of us ever since!

 

 

 

This little girl has not been back up the mountain to see her family. That is where we are at now. Our goal is not to keep children from their family. We want them to know their family and extended family. To know where they are from.

 

But it is so difficult. We want her to feel safe. To BE safe.

Really never a more trusting child would you find.

 

Chubby is happy more than 95% of the time, loves singing, dancing, dolls, reading, school, playing and being part of our large, extended family.

 

 Our son with Chubby

 

Chubby and Coco

 

 

 

A decision will need to be made in the coming months. Do we allow her to go back to her village for the school holidays? After all this time?

 

Such a hard decision. She is so vulnerable. So precious. But this is her family. Her culture. Her roots.

 

 Pray with us as we have to make many decisions like this and other decisions that affect the lives of these wonderful children.

 

 

Until next time.

With love from our family to yours.

The Smiddys.

 

*Name changed to protect her identity