30 August 2018 Service Above Self at the Glory Hut Foundation in Banglamung, Chonburi
PP. Dr. Charles, PP. Chamnong and Rtn. Dr. Lalita visited the Glory Hut Foundation, which is located in the middle of a tapioca field near Pattaya. It was founded in 2006 by Sandy Trepiccione, the US volunteer and team. Before returning home, they left the small assets plus
liabilities to a former AIDS patient, Ms. Pornsawan Kunkaew, whose prayed to God saved her life over 2 decades ago. At that time Ms. Pornsawan had been on the verge of leaving the face of the earth because she attracted HIV from insanity needles when being treated with Malaria while working to help the migrant workers in the border areas near Burma. She prayed that God have mercy on her and grant her two wishes: living to raise her two boys and finish her high school. In return, she promised God to dedicate the rest of her life to serving God and helping fellow HIV-affected patients. One year ago Venerable Ajaan Alongkot, the abbot of
Wat Phrabat Namphu in Lopburi, a Buddhist monk who has been taking cared of AIDS patients for decades, donated money to build the buildings in the photos. The Rotary Club of Bangkok has been working with the Mercy Center, founded by Father Joe Maier, training volunteers to take care of HIV-AIDS affected patients at their homes. We visited a patient who is a loner at home in the afternoon to observe her condition as seen in the photos. Ms. Pornsawan, meaning heavenly gift, told us that she even thought of raising funds by letting people hug AIDS patients, 100 THB a hug, to prove that it’s not contractable through hugging. PP Chamnong then asked her for 100 hugs, giving her 10,000 THB and PP Dr. Charles donated 20,000 THB on top for the hug as well.