We recently finished the final touches and furnishings for our new Short-Term Protective Home for girls in Thailand. This home is a place of rest, healing, and restoration for girls who will eventually be reunited with their families after their cases are concluded. Every item in the home, the furniture, decor, and accents were all chosen and placed with care and love—all with the healing and well-being of these girls in mind.
The day before the home was opened and prayed over by our staff and leaders, some of our newly-rescued girls and ZOE moms came to help finish the preparations. As they headed into the space and began to explore the rooms, you could hear them exclaim, “This is so beautiful,” or, “This will be my room,” and, “I love my new home.” Then, as they began to help put things in place, one of them picked up the Max Lucado book, “You Are Special,” translated into Thai. She began flipping through the pages and looking at the photos and then flipped back to the beginning and read the story. She would stop to ask one of our moms a question, listen to the answer, and then continue reading. This went on until she finished the book.
A brief synopsis from Amazon reads, “You Are Special is a beautiful story that reminds us that we are precious to God just the way we are. It is through spending daily time with him that we begin to see ourselves through His eyes.” We want every child who comes to us to know this truth and know that they are precious and unique. Later we heard that the girl who read the book chose to give her life to God and ask Jesus into her heart.