We had been in country for only 16 hours when we drove to visit a dear couple Fai and Day. They serve as the house parents of a children’s home of about 25 boys and girls just on the outskirts of Chiang Rai. While talking to them we asked them about all the children there and they told us that most all the children there have neither a father or a mother living due to the Aids epidemic that began to spread rapidly the about 10-15 years ago. This dreadful virus was spread because men who were unfaithful to there wives and families would go away and find prostitutes contract the disease then bring it back home to his wife and children. He introduced us to one young girl named Lek. Lek is 14 years old and has been at this home for about 9 years. We asked if she could remember anything about her family, and this was her story. "I have no father or mother. They both died when I was very young about the age of 2. They died because they both had Aids. I had an older sister that was born and only lived 8 days after birth. After my parents both died I went to live with my Aunts and Uncles but only for a short time because they could no longer care for me. They met a good Christian man and he told them of this home for children and so I came to live here. After coming to live here I accepted Christ when I was about 9 years old and now I have something to live for. I am very happy here because now I can go to school and maybe one day even go to college. For this I am thankful because now I have a future because of your help" The house parents told us that if these high risk girls were not here they would all most likely be sold or sell themselves into the rampant sex industry just to survive and then at some point contract Aids themselves and become an outcast in society.
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