
T’an’s parents divorced right after she was born. Her father left never to be heard from again. Her mother left T’an in the care of grandparents and went in search of a job and a new life. She eventually married and started a new family. T’an has had very little contact with her biological mother.
By age 7, both her grandparents had died, leaving T’an alone. At that time, an evangelist opened an orphanage nearby. T’an’s family was not Christian but the pastor of a near-by church knew her situation and brought her to the orphanage.
T’an says that it was at the orphanage that she finally learned what having a caring supportive family really felt like. She felt accepted and like she belonged. She also was introduced to Jesus. As she grew, so did her faith and a desire to minster to other orphans.
As T’an neared her high school graduation, she started to pray for God to show her the next step. Most high school graduates know that whatever they do, they have a safety net called home. For orphans, there is always a bit of insecurity. Will the orphanage be their forever home or was it just a temporary childhood home ?
In T’an’s case, the orphanage told her they had no provisions to help her after high school. So, T’an went to her eternal Father and asked for guidance. She heard God’s call to prepare herself to minister to other children in the same situation. Her dorm dad suggested she reach out to his school, LTC. He had heard there was a new scholarship available for orphans. So, T’an applied and LTC was pleased to award her a Next Step Scholarship Fund.
T’an will graduate in March, 2020. Her goal is to find a job where she can make a difference in the lives of families struggling to stay together. She knows personally the pain and loneliness that comes from such brokenness. She wants to see families stay together. The Lord is continuing to fulfill that Call in her life.
She will intern with two organizations. One works to help families stay together. The other helps teach poor farmers new and better agricultural techniques. T’an is excited about all she will learn during her internship. Please pray for T’an that God will continue to protect her, provide and lead her to fulfill all that He has ordained for her. Pray that T’an will remain faithful and strong in her life of service.
Na-Say
Na-say was born into a poor Christian family. Her father died and her mom remarried. Soon, her mother died. She lived with her grandmother until she was 8 years old. At that time, grandmother and Stepdad were unable to send her to school, so they made the decision to place her in an orphanage. Na Say says that she has no resentment towards her elders for their decision. She realizes that her stepdad's life as a farmer, working the fields for days at a time would have left her unsupervised most of the time. Considering the history of human trafficking in her home district, she feels certain that she would have been taken. |
The dorm parents immediately saw a special quality in Na Say. She was always willing to help the younger kids and do any necessary chores. When she graduated from high school, they offered her a full-time job as a care-giver for the younger children.
Na-Say didn’t have any other place to go nor any option for further study, so she took the position. But, she still longed for something more. God began to place on her heart a desire to study his Word and prepare herself to be a Teacher of the Word for Children. She laid it before the Lord, that if He wanted her to study, He would provide the finances and the opportunity.
Students from LTC came to do a youth rally at her orphanage. They told her that there was a new scholarship fund for orphans. She took that as an answer, applied and was granted a Next Step Scholarship.
Orphans like Na Say have a special burden for the at-risk children of SE Asia. They are very much aware of the dangers that lurk about looking for children to deceive and exploit. And they are determined to protect and bring needed change to a dark world. Following graduation, she will return to her orphanage and be on staff.
Thailand is full of orphanages and dormitories that are giving at-risk youth an opportunity to grow up in safety, security, and knowing Jesus. Out of these ministries are coming young people whom God has called into full-time service. Their generation is strategically placed to make an impact into a world that is filled with ugly.
Na-Say didn’t have any other place to go nor any option for further study, so she took the position. But, she still longed for something more. God began to place on her heart a desire to study his Word and prepare herself to be a Teacher of the Word for Children. She laid it before the Lord, that if He wanted her to study, He would provide the finances and the opportunity.
Students from LTC came to do a youth rally at her orphanage. They told her that there was a new scholarship fund for orphans. She took that as an answer, applied and was granted a Next Step Scholarship.
Orphans like Na Say have a special burden for the at-risk children of SE Asia. They are very much aware of the dangers that lurk about looking for children to deceive and exploit. And they are determined to protect and bring needed change to a dark world. Following graduation, she will return to her orphanage and be on staff.
Thailand is full of orphanages and dormitories that are giving at-risk youth an opportunity to grow up in safety, security, and knowing Jesus. Out of these ministries are coming young people whom God has called into full-time service. Their generation is strategically placed to make an impact into a world that is filled with ugly.
Because there are many more young adults like T’an and Na-say, LTC created the Next Step Scholarship Fund. By clicking the Donate button below, you can make an on-line contribution to one of two funds:
1. The LTC General Tuition Fund. This fund will be applied to the general operational funds for Lanna thereby making it possible to continue offering low tuition. By, June 2020, we need to raise $3,000 for the LTC General Fund so that LTC can continue to offer low cost tuition for the poor and at-risk.
2. The Next Step Scholarship Fund: This fund will provide full tuition scholarships for those who can not afford the low cost tuition offered at Lanna.
1. The LTC General Tuition Fund. This fund will be applied to the general operational funds for Lanna thereby making it possible to continue offering low tuition. By, June 2020, we need to raise $3,000 for the LTC General Fund so that LTC can continue to offer low cost tuition for the poor and at-risk.
2. The Next Step Scholarship Fund: This fund will provide full tuition scholarships for those who can not afford the low cost tuition offered at Lanna.