Evelyn's Report from her trip to Thailand

As I flew from Vancouver on November 23, 2007 to Hong Kong - I was on my 1st flight on Oasis Airlines
which is a new airline serving Vancouver to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to London - with new routes
in the near future. Upon checking in - I soon found out I was 45 lbs over my luggage allowance - so
looking at the cost of the excess luggage- and comparing the cost to upgrade to Business Class,
I chose the Business Class as I could have a greater luggage allowance with this upgrade.
It was a comfortable beginning to this trip and as I landed in Hong Kong - I was meeting up with my
friend, SUsan Denbok . Susan and Gerry have a work also with orphanages - called Three Strand
Ministries. Alot of my connections and information has come through these wonderful people.
Sunday, SUsan and I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Raymond Lee and his wife. My purpose was
to meet this couple and invite them to Kamloops for a fund-raiser dinner. Dr Lee was so friendly and
obliging. So we will continue to proceed with these plans for a future fund-raiser.
Sunday night - I flew to Thailand. Dave and Terry Wharf met me at the airport at 10:30 pm. After a
long wait for the luggage - we finally made it back to the orphanage at 1:30 am. The children were being
taken care of by another lady while Dave and Terry came to Bangkok to get me.
The city of Srirachu is about 60 miles south of the Bangkok airport. THe roads in Thailand are very
good - many are 3-4 lanes, and even in the city - I was very surprised at the good roads.
16 of the children at the orphanage go to school - and the 4 younger ones are home(ages 3-4)
So this keeps Dave and Terry busy everyday. Terry does 8-10 loads of laundry a day -
while Dave stirs up breakfast for the children and drives them to school. The children do not
all go to the same school so it takes time to drop the children at school, in different parts of the city.

Since I brought 2 large suitcases with gifts, I was able to give the children some small gifts, and the
rest would be saved for Christmas gifts. The children were so excited. Toys are a rarity around the
orphanage as money must be spent on food and clothing and toy-money would be way down on the list.
Dave and Terry are very frugal in shopping. I went on a couple shopping trips with them to
the large wholesale grocery stores. Rice is served for each meal, along with some vegetables
and small amounts of meat. For Breakfast the children have rice, with some egg stirred in. They only
get milk one day a week. Milk is very costly in Thailand. No one complains, and right down to the
youngest little boy, Matthew - each child takes 2nd servings and finishes everything on their plate.
There is a great unity and peace in this orphanage. THe older children help with the younger children,
and the boys have a large bedroom with particoned off to give some privacy to the children.
The youngest boy is well taken care of by the older boys. The girls have the same sleeping
accommodations. They two small girls (ages 3-4) are cared for by the older girls. It truly is a
great example how a large family can work together so well.
I was so stirred by the needs that I could so visibly see. THe truck that is used by the orphanage
has over 400,000 miles and has a cracked motor. Dave has worked on this vehicle so many hours,
to keep it on the road as it is so vital to the needs of the children. Dave and Terry also are looking
for a scooter to run-errands, without having to use the truck for each small errand. I also inquired
about vitamin supplements and since this would be so costly, I am going to make some inquirys
with a large USA company and see if we could have vitamins shipped over there. I have taken
thousands of dollars of vitamins to the orphanages in China and this would be grately accepted
here at El Shaddai.

As I was leaving Bangkok, I sat at the boarding gate, thinking about all the the needs of El Shaddai
and the future of these children without the proper nuitrition. As I sat there, this business man came
and started talking to me. He asked me what I was doing there in Thailand, so I shared my work with
Orphanages, and about my time at El Shaddai. He was most amazed! He said "That is what I am doing"
He along with his fellow business men and women in Bangkok who are professionals, as Doctors,
Dentists etc - have formed a support group for Orphanages. He listened intently as I shared the needs
for El Shaddai and he said "I can do something about that" ....honestly, for a moment, I felt like
an angel had come to hear my heart and concerns. This man took my e-mail and phone number and
said when he returned from Hong Kong - he would e-mail me and make the connection with the
El Shaddai home and he would personally go there and take care of the needs of these children.
You can only imagine as I flew out of Bangkok, my heart was somewhat lightened by the thought
that someone else cares. As I always say," We cannot do everything but we can do something to
change this world"..and when we cannot do something, then we can network with those who can
do the things that we are unable to do. I believe that this group of business people in Bangkok
will be a vital part of helping this orphanage.

I will keep you posted as this develops. Thank you again for helping us, help others around this
world. Every penny goes to these orphans and as we bought the deep freeze for El Shaddai - I believe
that someone will come along and fill this deep-freeze for the children.
At our fund-raiser on Nov 19th, we raised funds to purchase a deep-freeze and wooden clothes
dryers for the orphanage in Thailand.
Please keep this orphanage in your mind and heart. Any donations that come in - will go directly to
the needs of this home.
Thank you
Evelyn Picklyk

Did you know?

Russia - there are over 20,000 children in the jails in Russia
there are over 1,000,000 streeet children - with no residence - living in abanded buildings and stealing to
survive - eventually they end up in jail - Most of these children come from the orphanages - and at 14
they cannot stay in the orphanage any longer - so they begin their life on the street - most of them do
not have parents or have any relatives who wish to take care of them.

China-Vietnam border - city opf Manshan, Guanangxi province
A number of years ago we provided the money required to register this orphanage with the government
which was $ 500cad - the House of Hope was established under a dear friend - Dora Tweksbury.
Today - I have just learned that she has opened another home in the same area - and her vision is to
open 1 girls home and 1 boys home - and expand her dream to eventually open more homes.
This little Chinese lady has a great dream and as she continues to touch orphans in western China,
we are looking forward to what we can do to assist her.

China/Tibet Border - the city of Qinhai- had a young couple (Doctor and his wife)- just married in July 2007 -
go and begin to work with children - in just a few months - it became evident that this couple -
Chinese man and Tibetan woman,would quickly make inroads into the hearts of teenagers - and now they have
established a home for teens who have no parents and basically have been orphans most of their lives.
The city officals, is happy to have a doctor in their city and they have trusted the children
into their care of this couple. My friends from Hong Kong are planning a trip up to this city to assist
this couple and find out what their needs are.

El Shaddai Orphanage, Thailand

The El Shaddai orphanage is under the directorship of David and Terry Wharf (from Kamloops). David was an instructor at TRU and took 2 years out of his career and Terry took leave of absence from her job, to go and work with this orphanage in Thailand , 1 hour south of Bangkok. With their dedicated service to these children , the orphanage has recently grown from 14 to 20. Along with the daily life of raising 20 children under the age of 14, comes the challenge washing clothes for 20 children, feeding them a balanced diet and keeping the orphanage organized. When David and Terry came home this summer, it came to our attention that Terry had been washing the children’s clothes on a washboard. IHHS immediately stepped into action and raised $800 CDN to purchase a durable washing machine for the orphanage. Now the need is for wooden clothes racks (for drying the clothes) and a deep freeze. We are raising funds for this project with an approximate cost of $600CDN. Funds raised through fund-raisers and private donations will go towards this project.

Opportunites for blessings in India

Below is an email that Evelyn received from Pastor Jose in India. It outlines areas of need for this work and the orphanage there. If you can help out and bless this ministry please send your donation to:

International Humanitarian Hope Society
223 Sagewood Dr.
Kamloops, British Columbia
Canada
V2H 1R1

Be sure to let us know what you would like your donation to go to!
Thank you for your continued support!


Hi Sis. Evelynn

Grace & Peace

Hope you are fine in the Lord.

We are praying for you and family and ministry and all.

Now as you asked for me of our monthly expenses I send you the same.

1) Pastors monthly support - 24000 IND - 665 $ CAN

2) Orphanage - 14000 IND - 400 $ CAN

3) Bible School - 12000 IND - 335 $ CAN

4) Widows- 4800 IND - 133 $ CAN

Its our ministries monthly expenses.



ONE TIME REQUESTS

1) Motor Bikes - 5 / 6 - 900 $ CAN for each

2) Bicycles - 5 / 6 - 65 $ CAN for each

3) Bible - 3 $ CAN for each



Thank you so much for your love and concern.

In His ministry

Pastor. Jose

A note from Evelyn

I just got this stirring story from an orphanage in Romania - what a story about the children that they are reaching--doesn't this just stir your heart.
I will be going to Romania in the future - I have felt that for quite some time - and today I got an e-mail from this orphanage directory - quite interesting that this e-mail came to me today
Blessings

Evelyn

Here is the story from the Orphanage - under the direction of Rebecca:

In a remote region, a five-year-old girl and her two-and-a-half-year-old brother were sleeping among sheep on the open ground of a hillside. Food was scarce, and all the children had for shelter was a tiny, rickety shack nearby where their elderly, diseased grandfather lived. Sadly, the director explained, “We’re unable to help, as I have only one empty bed. We cannot separate the children, as the girl is like a mother to the boy.”

Even though Casa Shalom was filled to capacity, Rebecca was stirred to help. Although she had heard similar heartrending stories before, nothing could have prepared her for her encounter with the “sheep children.” Using a crude map the director had drawn for them, Rebecca and an assistant drove to the region where the children lived. There, a local pastor helped them find the little road that led to where the children were said to be. Eventually they had to park and walk the last few kilometers.

Sorin scared and alone
living among sheep

As the group made their way down a steep hillside, Rebecca saw a herd of about one hundred sheep next to a little shack. The scene was exactly as the ministry director had described it. On the ground outside the shack lay a thin layer of rags where the children slept — no mattresses, no sheets, just dirty rags.

An elderly man greeted them, his body covered with sores. Peeking inside the grandfather’s shack, Rebecca saw no sign of any food. Finally, two small children appeared — five-year-old Mirela and her little brother, Sorin. Both were filthy, their faces badly burned from the sun. Little Sorin was naked, his hair and body caked with sheep manure.

As Rebecca approached them, the boy was cautious. But little Mirela had a bit more courage. When Rebecca asked her if she would like to attend school, the girl smiled and answered yes. Rebecca then carefully explained to Mirela that she was going away to find a home for her and her brother in Bucharest, and that she would return to get them.

For the next three weeks, Rebecca and her staff searched to find a home for the children, and in the meantime obtained a release from their mother, who couldn’t care for them. During that time, two beds became open at Casa Shalom. Now the “sheep children” could have a home!

When Rebecca returned to the little shack on the remote hillside, the grandfather greeted her with teary eyes. He said, “Every day since you were here, my granddaughter has come to me excited, saying, ‘Grandpa, maybe this is the day the lady will come and take us to a nice house.’ I didn’t think you would come back, but I see you kept your promise. We don’t meet people like you everyday.”

Mirela and Sorin were eagerly welcomed by the other children at Casa Shalom, and they grew to love their new home. But the adjustment was difficult, especially for little Sorin. One afternoon as Rebecca was working, she heard a strange sound coming from outside the orphanage: it was the sound of a lamb’s cry. She knew there were no sheep around, so she and the staff walked outside to see what the sound was. They found an upset Sorin, crying as he only knew how: by bleating like the sheep he’d grown up with. It was the only way he knew to express himself.

Sorin happy and healthy
at Casa Shalom

In fact, when he and his sister first arrived, Sorin still hadn’t learned to talk. Rebecca slowly began to teach him a few words, including “Hallelujah.” Their first Sunday at church, little Sorin was bewildered, hiding underneath Rebecca’s dress the whole time. But the next Sunday he recognized the word “Hallelujah” being spoken in the service. Suddenly, the little boy began shouting, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” with a great smile.

Sorin and Mirela are older now, and have been thriving at Casa Shalom. Both love going to church, where they look forward to a special hug from their pastor. From the pitiful bleat of a lamb to loud shouts of “Hallelujah!”, God’s praises are sung from the mouths of babes in his house. It is a joyful sound heard regularly at Casa Shalom. ■

Report on India-September 2007

Our team flew out Sept 1st, and only one of our team had been to India – so we were anticipating a new experience in a foreign land.
We spent one night in Singapore and enjoyed a day of seeing some of Singapore before carrying on to Cochin, India that evening.
Cochin is in southern India – in the province of Kerala. This is generally a high tourist area due to the beaches and favourable weather.
The population is several million. With a total population of over 1 billion people in India, each small community even into the hills, are filled with inhabitants. Life is very simple and poverty is so evident.
Upon arriving in India – we were met with hot, humid weather – which was the end of their monsoon weather, this was quite a contrast from our hot, dry weather here in Kamloops.

Our host met us at the airport and we were taken to our hotel which was just adjacent to the airport, where we would stay for the duration of our stay in India. Thank God for air conditioning and a good clean hotel.

We had many days filled with memorable experiences – visiting a new house church in the mountains – nearly a 2 hour journey each way by taxi, plus we were privileged to be part of a graduation ceremony of the Bible School graduates.
We had a ladies meeting and at the end of the service – the ladies sat around(on the floor) as we served them lunch – on a banana leaf – after we had served them lunch – then we also ate. The food was great – and we were blessed to have great health the entire trip.
There are a lot of details that I will not mention but I would like to tell you about our
Orphanage work in India.

The orphanage which we were blessed to go to, has about 20 children – mostly boys – children aging from 6 to 14 years old. We had a great day with the children. As we landed out the gifts, it was a delight to see the the children’s faces as they received their school supplies and small toys. They bowed each time someone would give them a gift, and at the end, they sang us a song in their language. We were all moved to tears. Under such primitive living conditions, their smiles shone through. We toured the home and since the government has not allowed the children to stay in this home, due to regulations, the children have been sleeping in private homes and on the floor of the church which is about 1 hour away.
The children come together during the day to this orphanage home and do their studies and eat together and then go home for the night. The beds that they had been sleeping on in the orphanage, stood empty. As I walked into the bedrooms – I was so taken back. On the head board of each bed was an inscription “In memory of Mrs Elsie Dilk” – each bed was bought by the funds that were raised at my mother’s memorial service 2 years ago. That was an emotional moment for me. I am sure that mom’s heart would be overwhelmed by the thought that her life was living on in the hearts of these children.
These children need a home and we were stirred at the small amount that it would cost to purchase land to build an orphanage so IHHS has donated money for the purchase of land and upon our next trip to India, the Pastor said, that we would be dedicating this new
Orphanage building.
This orphanage has never had a foreigner visit, or assist in any way. They also care for the widows and are planning to start up a sewing class to teach the widows how to sew so they can earn a livelihood for their families.
I was very impressed and moved by the warm hearts and kindness shown to us. It was even more rewarding to touch people who had never been touched by anyone in the world – Without the assistance of outside help, they have worked so diligently to scrape together money to help and needy, care for the orphans, and we consistently heard many reports of lives that were changed and a difference was made by this work in India. They have opened 48 such works all throughout southern India. Many of the workers have gone without food as they wanted to make sure the children were fed.

Will I go back to India? without a doubt – my heart has been touched so immensely by the work that is happening there and we have already booked for November 2008 to return.
We can assist with many projects there and as this work continues to grow and develop, we will keep you informed so that you too can be a part of touching lives in India.
We will keep you posted as to what can be purchased there, so taking money and purchasing items that are needed, would be a great asset. School supplies are costly there so we were able to bless the orphans with a lot of supplies. My sister Grace, has been
gracious to do a lot of the preparation for this trip and through her contact with this work, we have made a lot of new friends in India.
If you are interested in helping us with India – please make checks payable to IHHS
And all the funds will be directed to this mission.
Thank you for standing with us in the vision for India
Evelyn Picklyk
President

China update

In Evelyn's post of March 8, she mentioned the need she saw in the Brain-injury orphanage in Sanya for beds for the children. She just sent me this email with the following good news!

Dear Friends -
I just got an e-mail from the Brain-injury orphanage in Sanya, China and with the $1000USD that we raised and sent to them - they were able to purchase good beds for the children and some of the workers - plus money left over to buy better linens for the beds - the Orphanage Director, Maggie Davis was overwhelmed and so thankful for the generous gift given by the people of Canada for making life "a little easier" for the orphans in China!
Many thanks to all those who supported the fund-raiser auction in March and any ongoing support - you are making a difference in this world!
I will be returning to this orphanage in November.
Evelyn Picklyk

The children in this picture live in an orphanage in the mountains of China, near the Vietanmese border. Humanitarian Hope helped start this orphanage and Evelyn and her team will be visiting them in November.

The team will also be visiting a baby orphanage during their November trip. We are currently collecting clean, good condition baby clothes. We have a few wonderful ladies knitting sweaters and baby blankets to send along. If you would like to help out with a donation of clothing or wool for the knitting projects, see the link at the side for the Humanitarian Hope website and contact information.