Judy’s Jotting: September 2026

Greetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand! I’m hoping that if I put this jotting together earlier in this month, I might actually finish and get it out before the end. I trust this finds you well and enjoying a bit of a cooler reprieve for those of you in the UK at least. We are appreciating cooler mornings now, even though the heavy rains that come with it are not always welcome.

God is so good and so faithful to us isn’t He! As I sit down to reflect of the month of August and now September, there have been so many incidences to thank Him for, and so much love and care through the good and the tougher times too. I hope I can reflect some of this in the jotting as it emerges.

Supporting the SDSU team

At the Social Development and Services Unit my colleague, Mary and I try to continue to be as helpful as we can to support the team here. Sometimes this is direct administrative work of report writing, collating stories and sometimes just being a presence in donor meetings. Joy, one of the younger Thai staff members is very capable at holding her own on donor meetings over zoom, using her English skills but she seems to appreciate us being there as a support. We have some important training days coming up in early October for the whole team, and Mary and I will be present to learn as well as to help where language becomes a difficulty. We as a team are very grateful for new opportunities to develop capacity skills in all aspects of community care programming, and appreciate the input being provided for us from one of our newer partners, who have a global approach to community sustainable development work, alongside disaster relief on larger scales too.

In the spirit of partnership too we were very grateful at Hope Home to have the staff of SDSU conduct our annual safeguarding / child protection training with all staff at Hope Home. Their input, from a point of understanding just who we are and the unique challenges we face, as well as the input from our Director and his wife (Rev Sanan and Jaruwan Wutti) meant that all staff heard the Biblical reason why we work the way we do and also were encouraged and supported in acknowledging the challenges to emotions and attitudes that come with work similar to ours. I trust all went away refreshed, built up and ready to keep on caring for each other with the same love that God demonstrates towards us.

This was an especially important time for our many new staff during this last year, and I trust has grounded them in the wider mission and vision of accepting all people regardless of status or ability and demonstrating true care and dignity.

Life at Hope Home

At Hope Home life just always seem to be busy but mostly happily so. Our school children are in a school that breaks up for half-term earlier than others and returns later than others. This Friday, so only mid-September they started the school break already- not October as in previous years. This means we have the delight and challenge of everyone home in the daytime and we will embrace it as ever with enthusiasm and much prayer for patience. Long walks in the morning help get excess energy out but not in the current rainy season unfortunately. Actually, we do appreciate the opportunity to input into these children’s lives through educational activities, learning to play together well and through many more opportunities to teach them about God’s love and the way of the Christian life.

In August we attended the Thai Christian family camp and had a wonderful time. We were expecting to be housed in one big area all together, but in practice we were in two houses so rapid division of staff and young people happened. It all worked out well in the end and our young people and staff had an amazing time and were very blessed and encouraged. Our young people and their Bible Student ‘buddies’ excelled in the talent show night making us super proud!

On route home from camp, we were treated to a day out at the night safari with train rides, special shows and much much more. Since that time our playground at Hope Home has become an imaginary zoo and in our evening playtimes there are animals hiding in the bushes all over. You never know when a hungry lion might just pop out. Just when the novelty began to fade Tada went on a school trip, also to the night safari, also on trains and special shows….so the Hope Home zoo is well and truly back!

Birthdays and the Hope Home team

September is also a busy birthday month for staff and for young people too, so lots of special meals all together to celebrate each life. Sam and Phil shared their party time, and both seemed very happy with that. Sam turned 15 years old, so this makes him an official adult now in the health care system, with extra logistical challenges, so we pray he stays healthy and out of needing to be admitted to hospital!

Our new night staff are settling in quite well, though not yet ready to be left in charge without myself or my other regular night worker there. This has meant many more night shifts for me in particular, but thankfully the night worker that left to attend family business in her home country is returning in October, so that should ease the situation until we get the new girls up to speed. They are learning well, but language is proving a bit of a barrier unfortunately.

Looking ahead to October

So, what does October look like?- for me and SDSU lots of training meetings and also conferences where Mary and I will help as translators. For me personally I look forward to the visit of our new BMS team leader, Matthew Wong and he will also visit Hope Home which will be good. I am also attending TBMF (our Baptist Fellowship) retreat, of which I am on the planning committee this year. We look forward to a time of good fellowship, rest and relaxation and good Bible teaching and worship being provided by a team from the USA. I will be very ready for a break by then. At Hope Home we have all the children home, so our teaching times will take on a more vacational bible school format, and our quieter periods in the daytime when the other young people typically rest -will not be quiet…but they will be fun! More birthdays in October too!

Thank you for your partnership

Thank you for your encouragement, your prayers and your support in so many ways. We all appreciate it, and I really do value it especially. As I reflect on a, to be quite honest, constant busy period since returning from Home Assignment in early July, I cannot but fail to see God’s hand of provision and guidance. Yes, I am behind on schedule of where I had hoped to be in many aspects, especially regarding capacity strengthening aspects of Hope Home, but I am learning to trust it is all in His perfect timing and not in what I envisaged timing should be. Progress seems slow, but not when I place it in God’s hands and trust in His leading. I am learning constantly to be patient in the waiting, sometimes with good attitude and sometimes not so much. Thank you for being partners with us together.

Anyways, I will end now and send this out, with the love and prayers and grateful thanks from me, and from my colleagues here in both SDSU and Hope Home.

May you be ever conscious of our Lord’s presence and joy in your lives, through the good times and through those times that present challenges too. He never fails, and He walks though the stormy times with us.

Thanks for reading. Until next time

Judy