Rejoice in giving

The Kind Guardian Angels

Story by Sumalee Sae-Tia

It was said that God loved and cared for all children so He gave every child a guardian angel to watch and protect them from danger. No child could describe how the guardian angel looked like. Some said the angels looked beautiful, some said they were boys with wings. Each had his own imaginations of the angel. But one thing the children agree upon, the angels loved them.

If guardian angels really existed, the 95 sponsored children under World Vision Foundation of Thailand's (WVFT) child sponsorship program at Baan Pae and Mae Tang Projects in Chiangmai province had found theirs. These guardian angels were ordinary people like grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, aunts and uncles, who are child sponsors committed to giving these children a new life.

The anticipated day for the meeting between heaven's ambassadors and the sponsored children arrived. On July 19, 2003 at the National Science Museum, Pathumthani province and at Dream World Amusement Park the angels and their children met, hugged, talked, walked around, ate ice creams and took joy rides together.

Several children met their sponsors for the first time. Also, for many children, it was their first visit to Bangkok. They were very excited to meet with their sponsors and enjoyed visiting several places. They had the chance to ride on the sky train and visit the planetarium.

Methee Meeping or “Nong Mark”, 10, a grade 5 boy from Mae Tang Project expressed his excitement “I have prepared a gift. It's a telephone mat. …I would like my sponsor to be healthy. Yesterday we went to the Planetarium and saw many stars. They told us that the “chicken stars” (called locally) are known as “Young Girl Playing Water” by the foreigners…”

“Nong Liew” or Miss Paninee Kantawong, 16, from Mae Tang project, told of her sponsor “I am very happy to meet Aunt Nee. We met for the first time. She did not look as I imagined. She asked me to call her Aunt, so I thought she was probably fat. But in reality, she is not fat at all.”

“Nong Paei” or Miss Veraporn Paoviset, 13, from Mae Tang Project said, “I am very happy and impressed to meet Aunt Nee. I thanked her for sponsoring me.”

As for child sponsors like Aunt Nee or Ms Suraeka Watcharaboonchoke, who sponsor Nong Liew and Nong Paei, said, “I just met the children for the first time. I am so impressed and happy to meet them. They are all lovely. I would like them to grow up and be good citizens, able to help our society and country. Education wise, I would like to sponsor them until they reached the highest level they can study. The reason I choose to sponsor children through World Vision because of their Christian identity. Even though I am not a Christian, but I have Christian friends. I know they are devoted to do things for God. They are committed to God, work seriously and are trustworthy. This gives me confidence to support WVFT. WVFT teaches good things to the children because they apply God's teachings to form good children, to be compassionate and grateful to their parents.”

Uncle Vichien Vatanajit, headmaster of Somthavil School at Hua Hin, his wife and son left home in Prachuab Kiri Khan province, early in the morning to meet his sponsor child at the National Science Museum, Pathumthani province. He told us with good humor that,

“I have never met this child before. Today, I was very excited. We left home at 6 am from Hua Hin and arrived here at 10 am. My son helped me drive here. If I don't love this child I would not have make this trip. When I saw her for the first time, I was surprised. She is much fatter than her picture. In the picture she probably weighed about 40 kg. I suspect WVFT has taken good care of her health (laughing). I have faith in WVFT because of their good performance. I have often received reports and letters from the child. This Sponsors Visit Day is very good. It gives you the opportunity to know your sponsored children. My sponsor child is from a mountain tribe called Leesaw. Just now when we were looking at pictures of the ocean in the Science Museum, she told me that where she lives also has one. We were puzzled as how could there be an ocean in northern part of Thailand, so we asked her where did she see the ocean. She said at Mae Sai District. We all laughed and told her that was no sea but a river. She still insisted that it was very large. I think it would be nice if we arrange the next Sponsor Visit Day near the sea (more laughs).”

Not only are guardian angels of children are good-hearted adult child sponsors, but who would ever know that some time, the guardian angel can be a small child also. “Nong Nan” or Miss Nanticha Tiyaroj, 12, the daughter of Mrs. Busarin Tiyaroj, had sponsored Miss Pacharapa Budhawong from Mae Tang project, who has her age. The two had become close friends at the Sponsor Visit Day. Both Nong Nan and Pacharapa said they were glad to meet here and both would be good friends from now on.

That same evening, the children had to say goodbye to their child sponsors to catch the train back to Chiangmai. Even though the farewell was mixed with some sadness but all the children said with happiness that when they got home, they would tell their parents right away that they had met kind hearted guardian angels who would help them and their families.