Gratitude

I recently returned to Thailand after seven months of US assignment. I am profoundly grateful for the many friends and supporters who graciously hosted me, and invited me to speak about my ministry in Thailand.

The Stats:

• 7 months in the US
• 12 states
• 50 Speaking Engagements
• 44 personal visits to supporting partners
• Reached over 3,500 people

The best part of my trip was making new memories with people I love. On this trip, I got to pick apples in Maine and oranges in California, attend a play in Los Angeles, marvel at Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures in Seattle, see bighorn sheep in Zion National Park, peruse the St. Louis Art Museum, shovel snow in Cincinnati, enjoy the lavish Christmas display at Longwood Gardens, and go kayaking in Rangeley, Maine.

I also presented an academic paper at the American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference in Oregon, and did workshops on trauma-informed care at the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution Conference at Green Lake Conference Center in Wisconsin.

Art Workshops

In addition to speaking and presenting, I facilitated 10 experiential art workshops throughout the US to support inner resilience and community healing.

Thank you for your friendship and support. I am grateful for the many ways that you uphold and sustain me so that I can continue to share God’s love with survivors of trauma in Thailand.

A Special Reunion

As some of you may know, I was adopted as a two-week old infant and was raised by my adoptive family in Wayne, Pennsylvania.  I am thankful for my family who loved me, provided for me, sent me to college, and contributed so much to who I am.

Nevertheless, I was always curious about my birth mother, a young college student from Kansas City who had the courage to give birth to me despite adverse circumstances and social stigma endured by single mothers. Where was she?  What was she doing? We met once briefly when I was 18, but regretfully, we lost touch with one another as I rushed off to college, a semester abroad, and the new challenges of life as a young adult.

Fast forward to 2026. Earlier this year, I scheduled a trip to visit a friend from Ohio who had moved to Kansas City. As I was making my travel plans, it occurred to me, “I have never been to Kansas City. I wonder if my birth mother still lives there…?” So I did some online research and discovered that she was, in fact, still there. I did not have her contact information, but I discovered that one of her daughters has an active account on Facebook.  I reached out to her, gave her my name, and explained that I had met her mother once, and would like to reconnect. She called her mom and got back to me immediately to say that her mother would like to meet me. So we arranged a time.

A few weeks later, there we were – my birth mother and I – standing face to face gazing into one another’s tearful eyes.  She opened her arms, and offered a warm embrace. Over the next days, we began a conversation about our lives. She has two daughters, a son, and two step-daughters. Her deceased husband was a family doctor. I told her that my parents are now deceased, but I remain in contact with my brothers and their families.

…How does one catch up on 55 years of life?  Where do you start?

Our conversation was surprisingly easy. Soon threads of connection began to emerge. We both like being outside in nature. Her oldest daughter lives in Germany and is an environmental rights advocate. I explained that I have been living in Asia for the last two decades, and work in anti-trafficking and mental health. Then she revealed that she is a nurse in an inpatient children’s psychiatric unit, and many of the patients she cares for are survivors of trauma including sexual abuse and trafficking.

I gave her a bracelet. She gave me a turquoise glass vase with daffodils from her garden, saying, “This vase belonged to your great-great grandmother on my father’s side.” And so it began.

What a remarkable gift it was to meet my birth mother!  We look forward to keeping in touch and redeeming lost years.

When we take a risk to reach out to someone, there are no guarantees that things will work out as we had hoped. Life often holds many disappointments. But risks may also contain the potential to enrich our lives, and expand our capacity for grace and forgiveness.  I am thankful that I decided to take the risk of reaching out to my birth mother.

Is there someone you would like to reach out to? Maybe now is the time.