Thailand: First Stop, Sarnelli House

This Wednesday we flew home from Thailand and one of the most incredible trips we will probably ever take.  If there is one thing that Colleen and I really do well together, it is planning and traveling, and this trip was no exception (apart from some horrific airport issues in Manila that were beyond our control...more on that later).  

Our itinerary was essentially a big loop of Thailand without going south into the Phuket area.  We arrived in Bangkok and immediately flew to Udon Thani in the northeast region of Thailand to visit the Sarnelli House orphanage over Christmas.  We then took an overnight bus from Udon Thani through the mountains (not the smartest idea...) to Chiang Mai, the largest city (but still quaint) in northwestern Thailand which sits at the base of the Doi Inthanon mountains (the highest in Thailand).  After four days in Chiang Mai, we flew back to Bangkok for the big lights/big city action to ring in the New Year.  

We began our trip at the Sarnelli House in Nong Khai, a tiny village just north of Udon Thani.  I'll start out by saying that our short 3 day visit to the orphanage was truly a life-changing experience for both Colleen and I.  I know...I always roll my eyes when people say things like that too...but I guess it takes going there for me to truly get it.  Fr. Mike Shea, who is from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (our connection to the Sarnelli House is my cousins Sam and Molly Mueller - Molly and Fr. Shea are second cousins...we also found out Fr. Shea grew up just a few miles from my grandparents in Wisconsin) has created one of the most impressive and transforming homes for 150 children (either abandoned or with AIDS) that I will likely ever see, and he does it all with his dry sense of humor and a no-nonsense disposition (I couldn't get over him seamlessly switching from his still very thick Wisconsin accent when speaking to us to perfect Thai when speaking to one of the kids).  Its pretty obvious when you're there that Sarnelli House would not be what it is without Fr. Shea.  We even told him at one point that this place would never work if he was a sap.  He just laughed.

 

Fr. Shea photos in Sarnelli House sporting a Favre jersey

Fr. Shea and Cebo - the namesake of Sam and Molly Mueller 's annual
cycling fundraiser "CeboRide" 

Grandpa O'Laughlin's gazebo

Colleen and I were expecting a quaint, grassroots sort of operation with a few small dormitories and maybe a chapel.  To the contrary, the Sarnelli House is basically a large village made up of a half-dozen or so huge beautiful "compounds" for the kids, a chapel, a larger church, offices, a medical clinic, a guesthouse for visitors/volunteers (our room had a king-size bed and a full bathroom), and a farm complete with rice paddies and pigs.  Also, the memorial proceeds from my Grandpa O'Laughlin's funeral were sent to Sarnelli House to build a gazebo for prayer/reflection, so being in Thailand I wanted to see that as well.  I thought we would be the only visitors there; however, we arrived to find 5 folks from Holland, 3 from Louisiana, and a guy from Virginia living in Bangkok.  The Dutch people have been coming twice a year since 2005, they have a foundation for Sarnelli in Holland, and recently opened the medical clinic at the orphanage in February 2010.  I was blown away.

 

The Sarnelli House, for the younger kids.  The orphanage
has 6 homes similar to this in total.

Aside from the impressiveness of the operation as a whole, the real heart and soul of Sarnelli is (obviously) the kids.  Honestly, these kids are the sweetest, most well-mannered, fun-loving children you'll ever meet - and yet you never even speak a word of the same language the entire time you're with them.  Apart from saying hello and thank you in Thai, as well as being able to bow with prayer hands which is like waving hello, all the kids know "I love you" in sign language, which they very often show us.  Tears your heart out. You quickly forget the horrific backgrounds they all came from, and the horrific disease that they deal with.  You could easily sit in the corner and sob the whole time you're there, but you don't because they are so fun-loving and playful and happy.  These kids are incredible.  I could babble on, but I'll stop and let the photos do the talking.  

Christmas Mass in the Chapel with Manu and Boy Lek

Baby Eileen

The head House Mother of the House of Hope for infants

This is Heart (we thought it was Art until the last day).
He was a hilarious fun-loving little guy, and by far our favorite.

This is Dottie.  She has a complication from AIDS that requires a full cast on her right leg.
Fr. Shea told us that Dottie runs the show at Sarnelli.

The young ones of the House of Hope playing with their Christmas presents.

Pizza Party the day after Christmas

Dottie and Boy Lek playing underneath a bench.

Playing at the Sarnelli House

This is Maggie, easily the cutest kid at the orphanage.
We told Fr. Shea her face should be on every brochure and poster.

Nin Nate waving goodbye from the Sarnelli House.