Category "Thailand"

A World Without Orphans

November 26, 2019

“God put a new dream in my heart over 3 years ago and… 
guess what?!? It’s happening!!“

Written by Jessica Dodd

A World Without Orphans.

Can you picture it? A world without any orphans? A world where all children grow up in safe, stable, and nurturing families? I can.

What an amazing experience to be able to attend the Global Forum for a World Without Orphans (WWO), which was held on 24-27 October 2019. With 600 attendees from 60 different countries, WWO has a clear vision to see children thriving, families strong, and churches engaged. The vision will be achieved by helping children remain in, be reunited with, or regain a healthy family, so that they can reach their God-given purpose. The forum focused on the spiritual, relational, and practical aspects for how to best accomplish this aim.

Jessica Dodd with Director of ZOE Children’s Home Thailand, Yim at WWO

What was so encouraging about the forum was the spirit of “working together” to care for orphans and vulnerable children better. A united goal of implementing best practices and making realistic changes on every level…from the community/society, government, and even national policies.

A powerful time of worship, as well as the main session, focused on the Father’s heart for orphans, steered attendees towards how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus. Breakout sessions were taught by experts from around the world, and included both valuable and practical takeaways.

It was awesome to hear about how different countries have changed their policies on every level as a result of the 1st global forum in 2016 (just 3 years ago!).

For me personally, the four days of forum were life changing, inspiring, challenging, convicting, stirring…all at the same time! I’m so glad I got the opportunity to attend. I’m excited about the future, in more ways than one! 

Guest Blogger
Child Trafficking Rescue Events Missionaries Thailand Trafficking Restoration

Walk For Freedom: Chiang Mai

November 14, 2019

Chiang Mai recently had its first official Walk for Freedom!

ZOE was a part of the Anti-Trafficking Expo which took place after the walk. Attendants could find out about the work being done across Thailand to tackle the issue of human trafficking.

“Walk for Freedom is a global fundraising and awareness event, rallying tens of thousands of people, taking millions of steps, in hundreds of cities all over the world. We walk to disrupt the existence of slavery, shaking its very foundation with each step.

It’s an outward expression of A21’s inward desire to see slavery abolished everywhere—in our cities, in our communities, and in our world. One step at a time and one dollar at a time, we fundraise and walk to see a world without slavery.

ZOE’s table at Walk for Freedom Chiang Mai

Last year, we showed up in 475 locations in 50 countries, reaching 70 million people through social media. Each step mattered. Each step made a difference.” – A21

What an honor to be working alongside others in the fight to see trafficking ended. It was so encouraging that so many people turned up to walk – raising awareness and making a difference!  

Andrea Cross
Child Trafficking Prevention Events Thailand
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Going South East

November 12, 2019

ZOE recently sent a team to the southeast region of Thailand. The purpose was two-fold. We were there to bring food boxes to communities and to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Andrea Cross
Thailand
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The Gift of a “Work in Progress”

November 11, 2019

Our ZOE buildings are meant to be white, which is challenging because the soil on the land where our ZOE buildings are is a deep, rich orange color. Often times it gets onto our clothes, cars, and shoes and it’s really hard to keep things clean.

As I arrived at work this past week, I noticed that there have been a couple of guys painting around the front entrance to the building.

Sometimes as I go to my office, I’ve needed to go a different way, or walk around their tools but mostly, while the work is being done, I’ve been thinking that it all just looks like a bit of a mess.

It’s not only the buildings at ZOE that need maintenance though; my life, those I work with, the parents, and of course the children themselves – are all a work-in-progress and sometimes, everywhere I look there is much work to be done. It all just seems like a bit of a mess.

I don’t often feel like I do a very good job at seeing a mess and just heading straight into it. I am continually amazed at the ZOE staff and parents though, who commit wholeheartedly to seeing lives transformed and throwing themselves in 100% to see the hard work being done.

I’m so thankful that God gives us discernment and sensitivity to the needs around us so that at those times when we just want to walk around, go a different way, or avoid the chaos, He helps us to enter in and “be” with others in the same way that He is with us.

We are loved and accepted, yes, but loved way too much for Him to just let us remain in our pain, shame, guilt, and in our past. He takes those deep, rich orange stains and paints them as white as snow. And every time we find another stain, He does it again – a beautiful reminder of our God who forgives us and gives us a new life and a pure heart. What a wonderful gift!

Andrea Cross
Thailand Trafficking Restoration ZOE International

Great Day!

November 8, 2019

It’s harvest time!

Today was a great day!  Why? Because the self-sustaining agricultural team spent the entire morning along with some of our child care staff picking a bunch of different produce items. Needless to say, our kitchen was excited, because you can’t get any fresher produce than the organic vegetables we grow!

We harvested just under 40 pounds of chili! (It’s a good thing our family LOVES SPICY FOOD!) Then we picked about 198 pounds of cucumbers! We cut down about 40 pounds of morning glory (a leafy green vegetable). Finally, we got over 187 pounds of corn.

40 pounds of chili
187 pounds of corn
198 pounds of cucumbers

To top it off, some generous neighbors gave ZOE 112 pounds of peanuts just harvested right out of the ground! Our kids LOVE peanuts and now we have fresh peanuts for snacking!

That was the harvest for this week. Last week, we only harvested corn. But there was so much corn, that the ZOE family actually started getting tired of eating corn almost every day! Fortunately, we have a pig farm and any corn we don’t eat, our pigs will! 

Les Ginoza
Self Sustainability Thailand

October Camp 2019

November 5, 2019

When we look back on our relationship of knowing and being known by God, there are milestones and breakthrough moments. 

Helping with camps at ZOE means that our team gets to be a part of those breakthrough moments for the children and youth ZOE rescues. We have the privilege of helping children and youth experience and understand God on a deeper level than they have before. We help peel back the curtain a little bit more and watch as God reveals His heart and love for each and every one of them.

This October’s camp theme was Transforming Faith, based on the Transformers movies that so many of our kids have seen! We talked about the transformation from sinner to saved, sadness to joy, and the foundational truth that faith has a way of transforming everything. 

Camp this year was a small piece of that transformation process for our kids and youth! Whether it was in moments of fellowship and fun, or teachings and object lessons, or powerful moments of worship (some of our youth led worship this year!), or the giant transformer we made from cardboard boxes, each piece was prayerfully planned out to help facilitate healing and transformation. 

Children rededicated their lives to Jesus, some accepted Him for the first time, others were overwhelmed by the love of God as their eyes were opened to what Jesus did on the cross, some were even asking how to share the gospel in the red light district where they were once exploited. Praise God for more breakthrough moments.

Andrea Cross
Thailand

Thailand

October 8, 2019

Thailand is recognized as a key destination for human trafficking, in addition to being a source and transit country for forced labor and sex trafficking. Thailand has been identified as one of the most popular destinations for child sex abusers since 1980s. (UNODC)

The majority of trafficking victims identified in Thailand are Thai nationals, trafficked for sexual exploitation domestically and to a number of countries internationally. The majority of victims identified within Thailand have been forced, coerced, or deceived into labor or sexual exploitation. (United Nations Action for Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons)

ZOE is working in the areas of prevention, rescue and restoration in Thailand. From conducting regular child trafficking awareness campaigns, to receiving calls on our hotline, ZOE’s team is ready to conduct assessments, investigations, or assist with rescue whenever necessary.

ZOE parents lovingly provide and protect trafficking survivors. They are trained in trauma informed care so that they understand the complex emotional needs as well the the safety implications around caring for rescued children. ZOE also seeks to bring human traffickers to justice. We collaborate with Thai law enforcement and other government agencies when intervening on behalf of children.

You can keep updated about Thailand here.

Andrea Cross
Education Thailand ZOE International

ZOE’s Banyan Trees

October 2, 2019

If you’ve had the pleasure and privilege of getting to know any one of the Tani sisters, then you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say, I can only imagine what outstanding and amazing people their parents must’ve been. 

Their daughters: Carol – ZOE’s beloved Founder (since 2002) and missionary in Thailand for 14 years, Joy – who has been serving as a missionary in Japan for 26 years, Nora – an incredible supporter of ZOE’s work since the very beginning, and Lynne – also a missionary in Thailand for the past 14 years, are some of the most selfless and loving women on this earth! The caliber and love that these four ladies show in the way they live their lives, and how they put other people’s needs ahead of their own, is an inspiration to so many.

The following memoir, written by Lynne Ginoza, highlights the very place where these sisters were impacted and shaped into who they are today – their family. It highlights the love they each share for God, and expresses the great honor and respect they hold for the exceptional parents who raised them.

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Our parents, Howard and Aiko Tani, were our living examples of Jesus when all 4 of us were growing up. They were our heroes in our eyes – a big reason of who we are and why we do what we do. They lived their lives by intentionally loving and caring for people around them…taking in a pregnant unwed girl; taking in 4 little Vietnamese sisters for a year during the Vietnam refugee crisis; being youth group advisors; speaking endless words of encouragement, hope, and wisdom into a countless number of lives who needed to hear those words; becoming missionaries to Japan in their retirement years; and seeing them stand up for those who feel they didn’t have a voice. And even after their passing away, it’s amazing that we seem to continue to meet people who have a story to tell of how God used our parents to change and influence their lives. Our one regret is that they never got to see ZOE or hear about the amazing miracles that God has done for ZOE throughout these years. But even though they are in heaven now, we just know, they know. 

The Word of God says to honor your father and mother. So we decided as a family to honor our parents by buying and dedicating two banyan trees to plant at ZOE. When fully grown, these trees will be massive. It took awhile, but we finally found a perfect place for the trees. There is a little grassy knoll that overlooks our sports area at the ZOE campus, where a lonely playground set stands – it has never been really used by the ZOE kids because it stands directly in the sun with no shade – so it has always been too hot to play there. But now, with these massive trees planted nearby, we know that this will give the needed relief from the heat. They were strategically planted so that one tree would provide shade from the morning sun and the other one will provide shade from the afternoon sun. If ever you come to visit ZOE, you will see two magnificent trees that will stand in honor of the two amazing people who taught us how to love.

Andrea Cross
Missionaries Thailand
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