As my mom shares stories of their early years of founding a sponsorship program in Thailand, it is clear that God was providing vision, people and resources to build Mighty Oaks.
The name came from a scripture Mom and Dad felt captured the heartbeat of their dream. Isaiah 61 talked of One who would bring good news to the poor, restoration and wholeness to all. “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (v.1-3)
The dream was to see resilient strength grow in the children who were sponsored. That poverty would no longer leave them vulnerable to traffickers promising work in the south. Mighty Oaks would insulate the young from the dangers of being moved far from all support and taken advantage of. Instead, they would be planted in a nurturing environment with possibilities to become all they were made to be.
It was clear early on that there was a need for a home for girls that lived too far from town to attend school and for emergency housing for girls who lived in unsafe situations or who lost their parents. The home was the first building erected on the plot of land a large donation allowed Mighty Oaks to purchase. This meant there was no longer need to pay rent for office space and the girls home that began on the floor above. The girls home is always full. As soon as space is available, it is filled by a young girl in need of a caring home. Care is presently offered to the girls by some Agape Girl graduates.
Because the ministry building where teams are hosted is on the front of the same property, the girls in the home have privacy, but can enjoy connecting with staff and teams that stay here. It also means that our team has chances to eat, play and connect with the girls when they are not in school or busy with homework and activities.
Today was a half day with the agape girls!
The Day a Little Hand Found Mine
by Selina Mudavanhu
"We left the Mighty Oaks property early on Saturday morning, armed with enthusiasm. All the Agape girls, the staff, and the visiting team from Canada somehow fit into two cars and set off for Rapacha boarding school.
The mission: pick up ten-year-old Aomsin for the weekend.
The entourage: impressive. Slightly overwhelming. Definitely unforgettable.
This little girl has no one to call family, and for the very first time, the government had asked whether Agape Home could make space for her. That alone made the drive feel sacred.
When we arrived at the school, we waited only a few moments before seeing Aomsin escorted by three teachers. Steve Hudson stepped forward and presented her with a gift bag containing chocolate and a cozy blanket. It’s hard to say whose heart melted more at that moment: hers or ours. Her face lit up instantly, the kind of smile that starts at the toes and stretches all the way to the ears. Gratitude radiated from her, and within seconds, every single person in our group was smiling just as widely.
Aomsin dashed off to collect her clothes for the weekend and, just like that, clicked with the other girls. They spoke in Thai, which I do not, but the warmth of the welcome needed no translation.
Our next stop was the fairgrounds, where the Day of the Child celebrations were in full swing. Imagine crowds, vendor stalls selling everything from clothes to food, amusement-park-style attractions, and people everywhere. It would have been very easy to lose a child or an adult if you blinked for too long.
Amid all the chaos, Aomsin quietly reached for my hand so she wouldn’t get lost. And just like that, I was undone again. We didn’t share a language, but we shared smiles. We walked through the fair together, her occasionally tugging my hand to point out something cute or fun she’d spotted. It felt as though we’d known each other for years rather than minutes.
At one point, Gan handed me sticky corn to try. My first thought wasn’t Is this good? but How do I break this in half to share with my new little friend? I offered it to her, and she accepted with another beaming smile.
We bonded further at the animal cages. She tapped me repeatedly to make sure I didn’t miss any rabbits, goats, or particularly fuzzy creatures whose species I could not identify but fully appreciated.
I knew our friendship was officially sealed at lunchtime. Aomsin chose to sit at my table. She got her food first and promptly seasoned it with an impressive amount of hot pepper. I was still waiting for my food when the unexpected happened. With her chopsticks, she carefully fished out a piece of meat from her own plate and offered it to me.
I did not see that coming.
The selflessness, generosity, and kindness of that moment were overwhelming. Two hours earlier, we didn’t know the other existed. Now, here we were two people from different parts of the world, connected by smiles, shared food, and a bit of improvised sign language.
Sometimes, family doesn’t start with words. Sometimes, it starts with a held hand, a shared corn cob, and a piece of meat offered without hesitation."
And this new little girl found a sponsor - Thanks, Selina for making Aomsin part of your family!
More Thailand Blog Posts:
To sign up for the blog in your inbox: https://getoiling.com/PeggyWright/landing/https-getoiling-com-peggywright-landing-thailand
God is on the move!