Bam listened and participated eagerly in our Sunday-morning English / Bible / music class at Mee Nuay’s village about two months ago. I remember thinking, This girl is sharp and really motivated to learn! As my Filipino friend Homer played his ukulele and I read Bible stories, we were excited to see the interest in the group of children that had gathered that morning for our class. I was particularly impressed with 14-year-old Bam.
After our second week, though, Bam stopped attending. I asked her aunt Mee Nuay where she was. “Oh, her family situation isn’t very good. They live in a run-down house. Her mother is irresponsible and has lots of boyfriends. She doesn’t make her children go to school.” My stomach turned as I pictured Bam’s home life.
Week after week went by with no sign of Bam. Occasionally I would think about her and pray for her, but not as faithfully as I should have. One Sabbath evening recently, I began thinking of Bam and felt I should make an effort to visit her home. The next day, Homer and I went back to Mee Nuay’s house in the village and went through our regular Sunday-morning routine. He took the kids, and I studied the Bible with the adults.
During the Bible study, Mee Nuay began to express concern for Bam. “She has stopped going to school because she works late at night as a cafeteria server to help provide for her grandmother. Sometimes she sleeps there because she gets off work so late. The atmosphere isn’t very good, and she isn’t afraid of men at all.” As I listened, my heart sank.
Following the study and a quick lunch, I asked Mee Nuay if she could take Homer and me to visit Bam at her house. After a couple of gravel roads and a little jaunt through a field, we arrived at Bam’s house, which looked more like a makeshift storage shed. The yard was cluttered with garbage, and the thin metal walls were decorated with various paper coverings. Bam’s grandma and younger sister were relaxing in the shade near the front door, but Bam wasn’t there. We visited for about 15 minutes and told them we missed seeing the girls on Sunday. We had a short prayer before leaving.
After dropping Mee Nuay off at her house, Homer and I headed back home to Khon Kaen. We rode in silence. My mind raced, and I wanted to cry. So many people are hurting. So many people live without hope, without knowing a better way. They battle through life’s trials; they throw away their futures without realizing it. And it often feels like no one knows, no one cares, no one helps.
I had to ask myself whether I was truly aware of the needs and the pain of the people around me, and whether I am doing anything to make a difference. I was vividly impressed with the thought that there are many, many Bams out there. As God’s church, we have the sacred responsibility to bring light to their dark corners of the world. Please pray that you, that I, that all of us together can carry that light.
