Hi from us all at Sarnelli House!

The school year is rapidly drawing to a close, and the kids are preparing for exams. Our senior high school kids are taking college entrance exams. Our TB kids who had to drop out of school sadly watch their friends begin their exams to climb another grade. For them, it will be repetition of this year, but at least, their health is back. Soon, vans of anxious tots and older kids will head south to KhonKaen's University hospital, Srinakarind, to take TB tests. Hopefully, all will pass and we can put this behind us. Several of these kids have had TB twice, and that is not good news at all. We are thinking of taking little 18 month old Soi to Rama hospital in Bangkok, to try to find out what is wrong with her, since she has stopped walking. All the doctors say is that there is a virus in her brain. Only bright side to this is that her Mom is now taking ARV medicine, and has returned to help us care for the poor little thing. Sawn is still desperately clinging to life; in the hospital more than home. Blind and deaf two-year-old Miss Jo also has had several long hospital stays, this past month. Saturday, I took poor Cebo to the hospital. After Mass, Gung had run up and told me to hurry to Cebo; that she had passed out and they couldn't arouse her. I scooped her up (she was cold as ice) frantically calling her name, as crying kids and staff watched in fear. After a minute, she opened one beautiful brown eye and looked at me. The AIDS virus keeps mutating in her wasted little body. The doctor took her off TB medicine to see if that would help. It is eerie how these AIDS children suffer and die so quietly, despite the real pain some are in, almost like watching a little puppy expire.

Our new triennial appointments came out. I still am in charge of the kids and AIDS work. I have two mountain parishes, one in the Nongbualampoo chain (1 ? hours away) and the other up in the Sangkom range (2 hours away from here). I still have Pai Si Tong (site of St. Patrick's Boys' Home and the House of Hope) village and Don Wai (site of Sarnelli House and the Charlene Richard Volunteer House). According to the appointments, I am to build a rectory/AIDS Center in Don Wai. It was suggested that I use AIDS funds, and I won't shock you with my answer! I insisted that the Redemptorists fund this venture, since they thought it up. I will have to put my computer in the office adjacent to the Girls' Home, since there is no phone service out in those villages. That office has two lines.

Thank you so much for your support. The kids are in the new unnamed prayer center every evening, praying for you and your intentions.

Gratefully,

Fr. Mike Shea

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