Laugh Attack

Probably the singularly most disturbing reality of South East Asia are the children with vacant eyes. You will see them in lots of places, along the street, at the night market, and if you go into the villages where most of Asia's Hope children come from, they're there too.

Beyond the usual outward appearances associated with poverty - filthy clothes, lice-ridden hair, evidence of malnutrition - a child that doesn't smile, barely responds, seems to have bought out of life and living, is heartbreaking to encounter. These kids are everywhere here.

But not at Hot Springs.

Meet Bee-yung. He's one of the newer kids at Hot Springs, arriving there in 2009. He's Saiy's little brother. And he has eyes that are full of life and mischief.

He has a talent for producing this outrageous laugh that just over the top enough to let everyone know he's faking, but hilarious and sweet-spirited enough to make it almost impossible not to laugh too. He demonstrated his laugh attack for me and I was able to tape it.




Silly, right? And fun.

But as I was watching some of the footage I've captured this visit I watched this one a few times. Something hit me that made this much more than just cute or funny. Bee-yung is laughing. Even outside of his silly fake laugh, this guy is a happy guy. He engages well, makes strong eye contact, smiles readily, and laughs for real -- all the time.

Without the love and support of his Sponsor, Marianne Hillier, without Highview's all-church love for our Hot Springs kids, without Asia's Hope, without Suradet and Yupa's astonishing compassion, this young man could also have vacant eyes instead.

I am not sure we fully grasp exactly what these kids have been rescued from. We focus, and rightly so, on their healthy present realities and the future possibilities for each of them. But if I allow myself a quick glance over my shoulder to what was happening just before each of these amazing kids arrived at Hot Springs, I gain a fuller picture of the contrast. My heart does a double take. The difference between what was and what should have been, and what is and what now can be, is enormous! Every time I'm here I think I understand just a bit more and bit deeper exactly what the impact of our partnership with Suradet and Yupa is accomplishing.

I am finishing up a short stay in Chiang Mai, heading back to Hot Springs this evening. And while I have truly delighted in Debbie's company and enjoyed doing a bit of city shopping (mostly fun art supplies and such for the kids), I find myself looking forward to the quieter, simpler life of a more rural Thailand...the life of our family .... who laughs a lot.