As promised, dear readers, I’ll begin this Tale with my six days at a rural orphanage outside of Kanchanaburi, in western Thailand.
I’ve been away for four years, and I was quite pleasantly surprised to see the changes: Some of you may remember my concerns about the martial punishment which was practiced daily, especially as meted out by a couple whom I called “Mr and Mrs. Meany.” I even asked my Thai friend to translate a letter to the director, Maechee Jutipak, about the well-documented negative consequences of martial punishment: The children simply learn that harshness is the most efficient means of communication.
For whatever reason, Mr. and Mrs Meanie are gone. Wonderful.
And the nuns in charge now seem to be firm but gentle task-masters…
Read more…. CLICK HERE to view/download the full newsletter (pdf) Tales from Thailand #5
Wattle Hollow is a relatively small retreat center (40 acres of woodlands on a mountainside in Northwest Arkansas) with capacity for 20 - 25 folks.