Legacy…
Sitting in a KFC in Mae Sai Thailand I asked the question, “Why do you work where you work?” Not an unusual question in itself, but it becomes more intriguing when the context is established. This woman works in a safe house for exploited girls in Myanmar. She is well educated, has an MDiv, is a competent manager, and respected by her peers. In short, she could make much more money and the status that follows.
She almost never gets a night off. That in itself would be enough for most of us to opt out. She sleeps in a bed with two other staff members. Her home country of Myanmar is not known to be exactly friendly to its citizens. Then there is the drama that is inevitably present when you live with a house full of teenagers. These teenagers come from backgrounds that are horrific.
As we sat in the brightly lit KFC, she smiled and said the following:
“My grandfather follow Jesus, and so did my dad. Very very hard for my grandfather since he was the first in his village. My dad follow Jesus too, and it very hard for him since he policeman. So I get education, and want to help girls.”
The legacy of her grandfather doesn’t stop with her. One of her brothers started and manages an orphanage in Myanmar. Two other brothers left their home country to make more money in order to support the orphanage.
Is she a hero? For sure. Not a hero that will be known by many, in fact for safety reasons I can’t even tell you her name, but then again that doesn’t matter to her. She continues her grandfather’s legacy, and who knows what legacy she is starting. Decades from now, someone may ask one of her “children”, “Why do you work where you work?” They can say, “I used to live in a safe house after my parents sold me into prostitution when I was 12, and the lady that worked at the safe house showed me love for the first time in my life…”
Thank you for reading,
David, faith based liaison, TBP
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