Committed to helping the poor in Pattaya help themselves, through education and skills training.
Hugs and hope. They can do amazing things. When Jade* first came to Pattaya Slum Ministries, she was so hungry for hugs. She'd stop by our Center every day on the way home from school just to get a hug. Jade used to live with her mother Jan*, but when alcohol became Jan's main reason for living, Jade moved in with her grandmother.Day by day Jan's addiction to alcohol got worse. Finally the day came when alcohol was winning and Jan was dying. When we met her in the slum, her yellow skin and swollen stomach showed her liver just couldn't function anymore. Desperately thin, desperately afraid, she begged us for help. We gladly took her to the doctor but the news wasn't good. It was bad. Very bad. Her liver was damaged, but worse than that, she was told that she was HIV positive. This time the hugs were for Jan, and so were the prayers. She became a Christian that day. And hope came in. Then came the miracles. Three weeks later, her stomach was down to a normal size and the color of her skin was a normal dark tan. Now, five months later, Jan has gained weight, looks very healthy and has remained sober! She is all smiles when we visit her.She has hope in her heart again.She and her daughter Jade are learning how to love each other again, step by healing step. It will take time but they'll make it. They have hope now. They go to church together now. You can pick them out easily because they're the ones hugging each other all the time. Jade and Jan. That's what L.I.F.E. is all about.