Delivery and inauguration of the trampoline was the first event and one of the highlight of the mission. The funds (US$600) for the purchase of the trampoline were forwarded in advance so that The MERCY Center could order it and make to make sure it was set up for an inaugural jump on the 4th of July.
The setup was completed by 3PM ahead of schedule, however, throughout the morning it looked much as if it could be a complete rainout. Around noon time it rained so hard that I had to take a taxi from bank the back to the hotel, a mere 200 meters or 1/8 of a mile. Thank goodness the rain stopped around 1:30PM and setup was completed by 3PM.
I arrived at the center with my friend Pha just as the setup had been completed.
The anticipation was obviously high as none of the kids had ever tried anything like this. Before the jumping could start it was time for a group photo in front of this monstrosity. The trampoline measured a full 14 feet (4.7 meters) in diameter. With all the anticipation it wasn't the easiest thing to get them all focused on the photo op at the same time, however, it eventually worked out.

It was decided that the smallest could go first followed by groups of progressively older kids. One initial concern I had was the hazard that the trampoline might pose on the smallest kids. My friend Bo (four and a half) was the first one on and it was soon proven that light body weight equals small jumps; while Bo along with the other youngsters hardly managed to jump a foot and a half (1/2 meter) they had the time of their life. A good 10 minutes later it was time for the next group, then the next and finishing with the oldest. Once the oldest got on the jumping got higher, but still 4 feet (1.2 meter) was as much as they could manage. I think technique was the main limiting factor and surely they will improve that as time goes on..
While all the kids will have countless hours of fun going forward, this is really a good toy (or tool) for the older ones. At The MERCY Center there seems to be a lack of physical activity for the older compared to the younger kids.

More Trampoline Visits

As I was visiting The MERCY Center later in the week I got to enjoy watching the trampoline in use again. This not only included the children doing the jumping, but also my friend Gary and myself, as well as other young missionary visitors to the center.
Between Gary and I, he was the first to try. I think it was his first time on a trampoline, but he made it look so natural which in turn gave me great hopes for my accomplishments coming up. While Gary was cautiously jumping with some of the kids in the ring they would lightly bounce as he jumped, but when he jumped high and landed on his behind the kids sitting on the surface would bounce 2 feet in the air. Jolly good fun if you ask me (or the kids). Eventually it became my turn and it took but seconds to realize that this was harder than it looked. It took a bit before I managed to jump as high as the older kids, but eventually I managed to take advantage of my excess weight (he he). My dreams of doing double flip somersault was, however, quickly squashed. One of the visiting girls from America, however, managed to show us all how jumping was really done, ... well shy of the double flip.

With three new visitors to the center Fred and Dianne gave us (Terry, his fiancée and Gary) the grand tour of the Children's home. I have obviously been there many times, and was surprised to learn that there was yet one more room in the place that I had never seen. The "sick room". It is a room isolated from the others and reserved to children who may be ill and are better off in solitaire, both for their comfort, but also isolated from the other kids so to limit chances of cross contamination.
The amazing thing about The MERCY Center is that it is a beautiful mansion on the grounds of an old diamond factory. The factory part is a simple, but large, cement block structure that is used for everything but the actual home for the children. This includes class room, activity room, offices, storage and computer room.

The MERCY Center provides their own preschool as well as extracurricular education; mainly English. For a child to learn good English in a third world country like Thailand can potentially elevate them a couple of nudges on the employment scale later in life. That means that the children in The MERCY Center not only are "rescued" from a life of demise, but might actually enter adult life well ahead of where they might otherwise have been had it all been status quo. Though there is no substitute for a good family life this reminds me of a phrase I heard many years ago: "Nothing is ever so bad that it is not good for something". In the case of The MERCY Children they might in some cases be better off.

I was asking Dianne about the statistics concerning the number of children that ultimately get reunited with their parents compared to those who do not.  While the opportunity is there for most to reunite, the overall realistic outlook is grim. Just before my visit 4 children were just reunited and with the situation being monitored very carefully all looks good. Out of the rest Dianne believed that only a couple have real hopes with the rest being permanent residents. The good news is that they are where they are will be miles ahead of their previous destiny once they grow up.

Back to the tour .....

The other part of the center is the Children's Home. Literally a mansion. Though a bit run down, it is an absolutely beautiful home with hardwood flooring throughout. A great family room that features lots of room to play and even a large (donated) flat screen TV. The boys room on the first floor is the largest bedroom with beds for about 20, the girls room, on the second floor, is smaller, but with two of the four children recently being reunited being girls, it only 50% occupied. Also on the upstairs with the girls quarters are the sleeping quarters for the overnight employees. The MERCY Center keeps a few small apartments nearby for the employees that are not on shift.

All in all, and excluding the unfortunate family situation that the children are in, one could almost envy the beautiful place they live. More importantly, one has to take joy in the efforts continuously made to take care of them in a family style and the opportunities they are getting.  As Terry said: "The happiness that you see in these children bear no resemblance to what they have faced in their young lives". That statement is not only accurate but a big compliment to all who run, operate and support The MERCY Center. That ultimately includes the supporters of OrphanKids.com.

In six month or so there, however, will be some drastic changes at The MERCY Center. The owners of the property are getting greedy and forcing The MERCY Center to relocate. Aside from the loss of the beautiful mansion being a loss, it is a win in most all other respects.

The MERCY Center will be building their own facility about 15 km or 10 miles further out of town. They have, trough donations, secured funding for two buildings (phase 1 and 2), both being for the children. Later, as funding permit, phase 3 and 4 will include living quarters for the employees and a community/classroom center. Finally phase 5 will be the office/welcome center building.
The biggest gains for The MERCY Center will be:

1. All the children will go to the same school and only a block away. Currently they attend three different schools which are miles away.

2. The grounds will be much larger allowing for a nearly 1000 feet (300 meter) hard surface bike/running track around the perimeter of the property.

3. Although the current facility is safely sequestered, it is still in a questionable neighborhood. The new location will be much better in that respect.

4. Although the current mansion is a charm of a place the "diamond factory" part of the place is not very desirable, that will instantly improve once the project is complete.

5. The current center is licensed for a maximum of 30 children and when the new facility is completed that may be raised to 50 or 60 creating even more opportunities for orphan and at-risk children.

The MERCY Center has already aligned itself with the new school, that all the children will attend, to share resources. This is likely to mean that the school will benefit from better English education for all students. That along with other benefits.

While we were at the center three kids were taken for a "ride" with the company car. They were heading for the Bangkok Hospital, but no need to worry. The Bangkok Hospital volunteer their services to take care of the children. This may include minor issues from a scratch to a stitch to anything more significant.

As I was writing this report I was searching for a single word that would describe the experience that this mission brought. With so much happening and so many emotions at play I could not do any better than settling on two words: Humbling and a Privilege.
To have been part of this mission and all the experiences and emotions that it brought was humbling. It was humbling in so many respects. Especially concerning the children who by our measures have nothing and by their own measures have most everything. It makes you think of what you have, like really ... really think.

Having been the liaison between the many supporters of this mission and the children who benefitted so much has been an absolute privilege. I am truly honored.

I hope that my report from this mission met your expectations and that you find your donation well spent, and I hope that you will also join me next time which is scheduled for December 2010.
If you did not donate to this mission, but was motivated by this report, please click the email button and allow me to send you a reminder approximately a month before the next official fundraiser starts.

On 20 August 2010 I received the following letter from the directors of The MERCY Center.
It was addressed to the 60+ donors who made this a huge success.