Christmas in Nong Bua Lamphu Thailand - HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Christmas Eve 2010 at Nong Bua Lamphu - activities held at the Sala with a Christmas play portraying the birth of Christ done by the youth, children from Mother Teresa children's home and teenagers from Ban Mae Maria. These activities followed by the Christmas Mass in St. Michael's church and later a meal with gift exchange again at the Sala.

Christmas Eve as well staff from Mother of Perpetual Help Center extend small gifts of appreciation to hospital doctors and nurses who have been helpful during the year with our patients from the hospice. As well small gifts were given to people at the Social Welfare and Education Departments for their help to the Center during the year.

Christmas morning at Ban Mae Marie our teenagers eagerly open their gifts. Each received small gifts with two bicyles for the common use and an envelope with some baht for them to purchase something which they might like. A week before Christmas a trip to Udon Thani to Central Plaze where they were given enough baht to purchase some clothing followed by their choice of having a lunch at KFC.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year 2011

Christmas greeetings from the staff of Mother of Perpetual Help Center and Ban Mae Maria.

Christmas crib erected in St. Michael's Church.

Christmas play by children from Mother Teresa children's home and youth from Ban Mae Maria.

Christmas at Villa Marie Hospice at Mother of Perpetual Help Center.

Visitation to St. Vincent De Paul home for the elderly in Udon Thani

Visitation to the Capuchin Convent of Cloistered nuns in Udon Thani

2010 has come and gone by so quickly. One last blog to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year for 2011. 2010 has been a good year once again and of course all of our good benefactors have helped to make this possible - THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU! Mother of Perpetual Help Center and Ban Mae Maria would not be able to continue all of the services which are extended to so many needy people here in the Province of Nong Bua Lamphu.

In the New Year we will continue to care for the aids patients who come for care at our hospice. More new patients will be sent to us I am sure. It is rewarding to see how many of them become well once again after many months of good food and loving care - many are able to return home, others stay on and are now helping to look after new patients and have become members of our staff.

Ban Mae Maria is slowly accepting new teenagers, both from Mother of Teresa children's home and others who come from other homes and institutions. Once Ban Mae Maria reaches its capacity there will be 24 young teenage men and women. All are attending the local schools and doing well. Once they complete high school some of them will no doubt continue on with college and higher education , others attend local vocational schools to learn different trades.

Recently our youth along with youth from St. Michael's parish visited a home for elderly men and women and the Capuchin Cloistered Sisters in Udon Thani and sang Christsmas carols to them. At the Church there will be many activities in connection with the Christmas Eve mass. The youth love to perform so they will have a Christmas play before the mass for all to enjoy - after mass all will participate in a meal with good food brought by all to share.

Meeting "Human Rights for Women and Child Protection"

November 25, 2010 various departments from Nong Bua Lamphu working with children and women's groups met at Mother of Perpetual Help Center. The Center invited the new head of the Social Welfare Department and various heads of departments as well as different Foundation groups who work with children and women. In all about 40 persons attended the meeting including radio, newspaper and television people. The head of the Social Welfare department was asked to give a presentation about laws and regulations for agencies and groups working with children and human rights. After his presentation healthy discussions took place and many exchanged ideas about their problems dealing with homeless and displaced children. It was felt that one of the root problems being faced by those working with children in particular is "family life". Because of the poverty here in this area in particular so many mothers or fathers are forced to take up work in other areas; thus, leaving children on their own or in the care of others. At the end of the meeting all felt that it would be good to continue these discussions in co-operation with each other to help bring about some solutions - a long term goal!

World Aids Day - December 1, 2010

World Aids Day December 1, 2010 began early in the morning with a march through the city of Nong Bua Lamphu. Students, teachers, staff members of Mother of Perpetual Help Center and volunteer workers all joined the march which was escorted through the city by the police. The march took approximately one and a half hour before entering the Center grounds. Student representatives from the different schools who took part in the Aids Education and Awareness program during the year came for the days activities - a total of about 200. The first activity was singing competition followed by a meal at noon. The afternoon activities were reading of letters to HIV persons from different students taking into consideration human rights and dignity for all. Prizes and awards were given for the singing competition and for the best letter. During the year our Aids Education and Awareness program in co-operation with Aids Net had a complex program to education "lady boys" better known as "katois" in Thailand (within the homosexual community). To end the program the "lady boys" put on a fashion show which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. In closing awards were presented to the winners in all of the various competitions.

Aids Education Follow-up With Youth in Schools

This year another 20 schools have gone through the Aids Education and Awareness program. Nong Bua Pittyakan High School (the school where Br. Ron is teaching English) has over 3,000 students so the follow-up program is taking place on 4 different occasions in order to reach a good number of the students.

Each follow-up session takes place for 2 full days with about 100 students taking part with small and large group discussions - the small group discussions being reported back to the entire group.

One of the main and most effective activities of the follow-up as well as the activities taking place during the 3 day camps is the exchange of water. This is an interaction where each person is given a small glass of water and a saringe - students exchange water with different persons 4 to 5 different times so that at the end of the exercise a chemical is inserted into each persons glass - if the water turns red, it means that the person is HIV. This activity demonstrates clearly and is understood by all that by having sexual contact with multiple partners the HIV germ can be spread to many persons.

Drilling for Water

Often the city water supply to the Center is no sufficient due to our long dry seasons as well as the growing number of businesses and new homes. The city has not always been able to keep up with the growing needs. Sometimes the Center can go for several days without water. With our Hospice care program at the Center this can cause big problems. A day or two without water is difficult for the patients not only for not being able to wash properly each day, but for cooking and keeping the area clean. A few months ago with water problems also at our new Ban Mae Maria we decided to drill for water there too and it has worked out very well - as well as reducing the montly water bill. It took just two days to drill for water, some extra time to relocate the water pipes, join the electricity for the pump so now we look forward to a good and regular supply of water for the needs of the Hospice and Center.

Tribute to a Great Lady

I was fortunate over the years to know Marie Quinlan, indeed Mother of Perpetual Help Center was fortunate as well. Marie had a great love for Mother Mary and this was shown explicitly by her collection of statues of Mary. Included in her collection was a statue of a Thai Madonna which I had given to her.

Over the years Marie has been very generous to Mother of Perpetual Help Center. Her generosity reached an endless number of people, not only in Thailand, but many other missions and missionaries in America and overseas. Her generosity will not go unrewarded - Marie will have a high place in heaven for sure.

Our Villa Marie hospice and intensive care unit for adults with HIV/AIDS was named in her honor. It was an honor to be present at her funeral in September while I was in America doing fund raising. Marie was 98, she had a good life and enjoyed the fine arts. Marie enjoyed her many years as a teacher and had kept in contact with many of her students over the years as well.

Teenagers Outing

Staff of Mother of Perpetual Help Center in Nong Bua Lamphu, Northeast Thailand. Left to Right: Kuhn Petawan, Brother Damien, Kuhn Fon, Brother Bernd and Kuhn Boonklang. Below photos of our teenagers from Ban Mae Maria after an evening of bingo and off to the carnival in the city for some relaxation. The day after some of the staff along with the teenagers took a three day trip to visit the father of one of the boys and a pilgrimage to the site of the Thai martyrs.