Showing 1 - 10 of 36
Our Rose of Klong Toey, a Christmas baby
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 23/12/2021
» At Christmas, deep in the heart of each of us is a "broken alleluia". So often, almost always, in the slums of Klong Toey and here at Mercy Centre. The whispers, tears, the silent gestures of the children say so much about sadness and being dumped, left alone in an abandoned building or a bus stop. That's the broken part, and the alleluia is the joy of Christmas, of being loved. Being found.
To sing a Christmas song of Klong Toey
Spectrum, Published on 25/12/2016
» We asked our kids for a song: a slum version of our Christmas legend. A song by our kids. Not with notes but with beautiful lyrics. Their lyrics.
Sweet mercy and a calloused fist
Spectrum, Published on 18/09/2016
» It's a love story, raw and rough. But first, the ending -- the little girl is safe. Well, that's not totally true, but she's got a promise and she believes the promise. That's important.
Brush with deathbrings out the bestin our children
Spectrum, Published on 31/07/2016
» The bloom was off our Rose -- but for only a few minutes. She didn't die. It happened this past June 19, a Sunday. A sudden-death horror story. Almost. It began and ended in five minutes. Literally. Five minutes. But she lived.
Pride on show as Lion Tail Ben raises himself from the pack
Spectrum, John Rogerson, Published on 10/07/2016
» He's the slum kid who once boasted, "I can write my own name." And he learned how to spell. That was a while ago, when he was six. He's 20 now, and his aptitude and fine penmanship served him well during the 18 months he served in juvenile prison. He'd pen letters for prisoners and guards -- a skill and a favour earning him "an edge" in a place where edges save you.
Tragedy of a street kid success
Spectrum, Father Joe Maier, Published on 29/05/2016
» Why tell this story? Why take the effort to try and remember an 18-year-old street kid who drowned in the Chao Phraya River, half snockered on drugs? So, even though dying and drowning were the last things from his mind, drown he did, die he did. And it was kind of his own fault.
The broken wings of a fallen bird
Spectrum, Father Joe Maier, Published on 24/04/2016
» Galong, born with Down's syndrome, was of indeterminate age. He lived on the streets and worked as a "doorman" at a low-budget karaoke joint near the Pratunam market. Always a proper gentleman, he greeted us, shook our hands and in his gravelly voice asked, "How are you?"
A dance to fix a granddad’s broken heart
Spectrum, Father Joe Maier, Published on 20/03/2016
» She said, “I think I was dreaming. I was sleepy, but I mean, I sort of remember, and it wasn’t scary. Mum in heaven whispered ‘Ahh — ree — sah — rah ... my daughter, you’ve got to mend granddad’s broken heart and stop the pain in our family. Please do this for me, and I shall rest in peace. I didn’t mean to, but I hurt him so much.' ”
On the side of the angels
Spectrum, Published on 27/12/2015
» A few days ago a couple of glorious events happened at about the same time. It's a story that brought the Christmas of 2,000 years ago forward to the current day -- right here, right now in the slums of Klong Toey. It's about a fabulous teenage girl and her pushcart. Specifically, how the girl responded when she found what is considered a treasure in our slum -- a pair of used but almost brand new flip flops.
A hair-raising tale from Klong Toey
Spectrum, Father Joe Maier, Published on 11/10/2015
» The "three grandmothers" is the most famous story in the old part of the slum known as the Klong Toey slaughterhouse. The kindergarten kids love the story and ask the teacher over and over to "tell us again" before their afternoon nap at school.