July Newsletter

Dear friends,

The first month of the new academic year has passed. It has been a time of adjustment for our 28 new children. Many have come to love the regular, wholesome meals, the cleanliness, and the individual love and care they receive from our staff. Sadly, a few could not adjust to living in our big family and have returned to their homes. However, most of our new children love being here and have embraced the opportunities they are receiving with great enthusiasm and gratitude. One of these little girls is named Jean, who is described below:

Jean comes from a very large family; she is the sixth child, with 14 siblings from seven different mothers. Her biological mother struggles with addiction and is in rehabilitation, so Jean grew up with her father’s first wife. After her father passed away last year, Jean felt unloved at home. Even with these challenges, she is cheerful and has adjusted well to life at Grace. She enjoys playing sports. The caring environment here gives her a sense of belonging,

security, and joy, something she has longed for in her family life. Studying is a challenge for Jean, but her determination and effort inspire us. Our sponsors’ love and support give her hope to keep studying and to build a brighter future filled with possibility. After being at GM for a short time, Jean broke down in tears and told Nice, her housemother, that she is overwhelmed by the love and care she receives at Grace. She compared it to the total lack of love she had received from her stepmother. How can we ever begin to thank our invaluable sponsors and partners for all you make possible for us to do here at Grace?

A beautiful thing happened last evening that we would like to share with you. Nirin, Witoon’s & Ewe’s daughter, and Rada, Doi’s & Yao’s daughter, heard that one of their friends, a fifth-grader in our home for little girls, cannot read or write. They immediately went to their parents and volunteered to help the little girl with her reading and writing. They are imitating the love and sacrifice of our dedicated staff which they see lived out every day here.

This first month has been challenging in many ways, but we are encouraged and constantly

reminded of why we do what we do!

The Grace Ministries staff