Happy Easter 2005

Last year during Lent and Holy Week, a visibly tiring Fr. Dick Strass did all he could to help with our workload. On Easter Sunday, I came to Viengkhuk to take the fire, candle water blessings, etc. Easter Sunday was Dick's last Mass on Sunday. As we roll into Holy Week this year, I really miss him. I will have 6 Easters, and started the day before Palm Sunday with Easter at Non Udom. The day after Palm Sunday will be Easter up in the Nongbualampoo mountains of Nong Seng. Next year, I will have 4 parishes and can pace myself a bit! 

School is out, and the little girls of Viengkhuk House clamor to accompany me to town, to the gym, and are helping me get ready to move. Actually, they are driving me nuts. But they are so cute and think they are so helpful, that even when I growl at them, they are blissfully unaware that danger is near. And there is always a trip to 7-11 at the end of the day. Them for junk food and me for beer. The boys of St. Patrick's had a nice Paddy's day party, and are now digging postholes and fixing fence. Our 3 Mama pigs all have had big liters, and the piglets are all safe. Boys are walking around with their favorite piglets, and Phi Wan has barred them from the kitchen.

The AIDS kids of Sarnelli are getting ready for the visit of the head of UNESCO from New York . It is a big occasion, and there will be many Thai officials at Sarnelli, on Holy Saturday. The kids will put on skits, etc. He and his entourage will be there for 90 minutes, before heading to Nongkhai for lunch. I was told that security will be heavy. I also was told that he is loaded with U.N. money for AIDS work, but people like that generally never give to us. The local Thai politicians are nervous as cats in a liter box, since government help has not be overwhelming. But they are now scrambling to make up for it. It is kind of late.

A lovely young AIDS lady came tday. Her son died two years ago from AIDS. She is pregnant again, and asked for money for an abortion. Her and her husband are dirt poor, since no one wants to hire them. I have stopped preaching to people. I give them incentives to have the baby. Our program supports the couple during her pregnancy, and pays all doctor bills. We have them take ARV medicine the last trimester, in case the mother is still not on the drugs. We take the baby as soon as it is born. And I pay her for three months as the mother recovers from the birth. We help them get jobs and monitor them regularly. She began to cry and sob. At first, I thought she wasn't getting the message, but really she was so relieved and happy not to have to kill the fetus. She is nearly five months pregnant. Say a prayer she doesn't change her mind. I am having Peh and Gung visit her regularly.

Have a wonderful Easter. May the Risen Christ bless you and yours, and comfort and strengthen those among us who are ill.

Gratefully in Christ,

Father Mike

back to top