All the women who come to Home of Grace (HOG) have different backgrounds and different stories. Some of the women are working as prostitutes. Others have become pregnant with a man who they later find out is already married. Common for all of them is that they have ended up in a difficult situation and […]

All the women who come to Home of Grace (HOG) have different backgrounds and different stories. Some of the women are working as prostitutes. Others have become pregnant with a man who they later find out is already married. Common for all of them is that they have ended up in a difficult situation and find themselves in desperate need of support, care and love.

Ann, an eighteen year old student studying in a well-known university in Bangkok, comes from the countryside. At university Ann met a boy and, within a short space of time, found out she was pregnant. Her boyfriend’s answer was for her to get an abortion, but Ann did not want to. With the world closing in around her, she was in a stressful situation. Her boyfriend left and she was too scared to tell her parents about her pregnancy.

Alone and afraid, Ann searched the internet in the hope she would find someone, anyone, who could help her. What she found was Home of Grace.

After finding the courage to call, the staff told her she was welcome to come and stay. In the seventh month of her pregnancy, Ann got into a car to travel to what would be the next stages of her journey at the Home of Grace. In the car, events took a sudden change in direction when she experienced severe pain. When Ann arrived at HOG, the staff could see she was about to give birth and immediately called for an ambulance.

Ann gave birth to her beautiful, 1,200gram little baby girl in the ambulance and had to stay in the hospital for a long time. Ann’s daughter was loved and cared for at Home of Grace while Ann returned to school. She would bring milk and visit her baby on weekends or whenever she could. Ann had already decided to give her baby away for adoption and Home of Grace helped her to contact a foundation they co-operated with when it came to adoption and foster care.

At the foundation, her baby had a health check. They found the baby had an irregularity in her brain, suggesting the child was autistic. Because of this, they could not send the baby away for adoption and Ann had no option but to take care of the baby herself. Shocked, Ann did not know what to do. Shock can lead to desperate responses and Ann went to talk to the child’s dad. He in turn spoke to his family. In this situation, the family decided to help the young parents, and are now taking care of the little girl.

During the whole time, the staff from Home of Grace were there for Ann, as they have been for many before Ann, ready to talk, to listen, to comfort and to love.

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 1 Thessalonians 4:9

If you would like to consider the opportunity to serve as a volunteer in mission, serving in practical ways, teaching English, teaching in the seminaries and institutions of our partner churches, or in local churches, you are invited to phone Nevin on (08) 8267 7300 or email nevin.nitschke@lca.org.au. For more information, go to http://www.lcamission.org.au/join-gods-mission/volunteer/

Read more stories about volunteering at www.lcamission.org.au/category/join-gods-mission/volunteers/