Myself and six of our students went 6 hours south west of where we are now to a place called Mae Sot. This town is made up of mostly Burmese people, most of whom are illegal. We were working with a family and a few single people who's main objective in going there regularly is to provide relief for these people and help them develop their communities, schools, etc.
It was absolutely amazing! We were able to bring Christmas to kids in schools, and some street kids. The difference between them was huge. The kids in the schools were crying because they were so thankful, and the kids on the street would hide what we gave them to try and get more, say they hadn't been given anything at all, or just try to take things when we weren't looking. What was so sad about this to me was that they don't know any different. The life they are forced to live consists of lying, stealing and anything else along those lines. But the Lord gave me a special love for these street kids, along with a much needed patience, and it was very hard to leave them.
One of my students was hit pretty hard when a homeless lady with a baby asked her to take the little girl. It was clear that this lady knew Whitney was better off than she ever would be, and wanted something for her daughter she felt Whit could provide. Whitney wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and bring her home with us, but had to promise the lady instead, that she would pray for them everyday. She's holding true to that promise still.
The four days we had in Mae Sot will never be forgotten. That place made a huge impact on my life. I hope and pray i was able to shed His light in such a dark place.
