Today, we visited VCDF, or the Volunteer for Children’s Development Foundation, in Chiang Saen. We learned from Krunam and J.K. about the issue of street kids in northern Thailand along the border to Burma and Laos. These kids are born from the hilltribe descent and so none of the countries claims them, leaving them without birth certificates, social security, or any medicare. A lot of times, their dads are addicted to opium and their moms are forced to beg with them to support their dads’ habits. Many of the children end up smuggling drugs across the border, selling illicit goods, or becoming prostitutes. We went to the Thailand/Burma border and met some of these kids. We gave them snacks, gave them basic first aid, and bought them shoes. We met a woman there who had a little daughter under two years old and was expecting another child. Krunam convinced her to come to the VCDF drop-in center. These kids were some of the filthiest, rowdiest kids I’ve ever seen, but all I could do was hold tears back and give them piggy-back rides as I was being overwhelmed by God’s love for them. We later went to visit the VCDF orphanage, where we split into three groups to play sports, finger-paint, or sing songs with the kids, and then we all piled into two vans and a truck and went out to dinner. One girl, Sabatip, grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a separate truck with just children from the center (no one from my group was there). I sat through the ride unable to communicate with them, just listening to their conversations, and was struck by how quickly these children had been forced to grow up. At dinner, they took such good care of me, pouring water for me, handing me ingredients to add to my meal, making sure I was fed enough…and I just wish there was someway that I could love on them as well. When dinner was over, our group took the two vans back to our hotel, and my little truck of these precious children all waved by to me, blowing kisses and making me feel so incredibly treasured. Please pray for these children…I can’t say how much I’ve fallen in love with them, and I long for them to know how much God loves them. He’s breaking my heart…and in this process I’m getting to know more of God’s broken heart for His beloved ones.