Nam is thirty years old and about six months pregnant when she comes to us; she is not quite sure and has not yet been to a doctor. For the last few nights, she has been sleeping in a park. A woman she met felt sorry for her and contacted Home of Grace to ask if […]

Nam is thirty years old and about six months pregnant when she comes to us; she is not quite sure and has not yet been to a doctor. For the last few nights, she has been sleeping in a park. A woman she met felt sorry for her and contacted Home of Grace to ask if we had space. The child’s father is over the age of 50, married with four children and is unemployed. Nam herself wants to return to northeast Thailand where she has a former boyfriend who wants to receive her and raise the child as his. After a few days at Home of Grace, Nam received money for the trip and clothes for herself and the child. She will be followed up with phone calls by the staff at Home of Grace.

Not everyone who comes to Home of Grace stays until after the birth. Some are like Nam and get the help they need before the birth. The challenges can be many, both for the women who come and the staff who support and help. Some of the women have traumatic experiences in their personal luggage which can affect the whole community. Others are mood spreaders who create a good atmosphere in the group. Not all the women and girls work equally well together, so joint meetings and conversations are important to sort out the disagreements.

Many of the women do not have anyone in their family who can support and help them after birth. The child’s father may be out of the picture, the grandparents may have one or two grandchildren they look after already and don’t have the strength to take care of more. Usually then, foster homes are the alternative.

We have a close cooperation with an organisation, the Sahathai Foundation, which arranges foster care. They check in with the foster home/child and mother/child until the mother can take over the care of the child again. Several times during the year we have had visits from former residents and children. It is good to see when mother and child are reunited and can be together.

There will be many changes in the staff at Home of Grace during June. Sawai, who has worked as a housewife/gardener for about nine years, joins the ranks of retirees. Anja Markkanen and her family return to Finland after completing their service, as do Alfhild and Eivind Hauglid. So far, there is no new missionary placed in the work at Home of Grace, but Norwegian Mission Society missionary Anne Storstein Haug will be the contact person until the event that new ones are coming. She will be at Home of Grace for one day a week.

If you would like to consider the opportunity to serve as a volunteer in mission, serving in practical ways, teaching English, teaching in the seminaries and institutions of our partner churches, or in local churches, you are invited to phone LCA International Mission on (08) 8267 7300 or email lcaim@lca.org.au. For more information, go to https://www.lcamission.org.au/join-gods-mission/volunteer/

Read more stories about volunteering at www.lcamission.org.au/category/join-gods-mission/volunteers/