Everyday Heroes #5: David & Joyce Moore - Loving Kids @ Risk in Thailand

Let me introduce you to David and Joyce Moore, founders and directors of Abba House Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  The Moores were anticipating retirement when they went on a vacation trip to Thailand.  While there they were deeply impacted by the hundreds of street children they observed.  Street children may be orphans, runaways, abandoned, or from homes of abuse and neglect.  Sex tourism is a big industry in Thailand's major cities, and the Moores became aware that these young people were vulnerable to and some already involved in sex slavery.  While on their "vacation", they realized that God was calling them to minister to these children.

Joyce says, " In our international travels we discovered the sex tourism problem in Thailand. This was the place we would settle down in 2002, taking in teen girls at risk of exploitation and then later taking on teen boys we found in downtown Chiang Mai, homeless, hungry, and being sodomized for a bowl of rice." 

David, Joyce, and "Family"

Today Abba House is home to boys and girls ages 8 to 22 who have been trafficked in downtown Chiang Mai, Thailand. Some of

these young people have HIV, few can barely read or write. Some are orphaned, children of working prostitutes, raped, abandoned or 

unwanted. At risk to falling into a life of forced prostitution, they are now safe in the care of Abba House. These children are 

given renewed hope, their lives forever changed through love,respect and education,

and the opportunity to get to know their real"abba" -- Father God.

               

For the boys, the staff at Abba House teaches life skills such as construction, motorcycle repair, jewelry making* for half the day. The other half they have Bible School education, Music and English. The girls go to several different school systems in Chiang Mai depending on their needs.  The goal for all the children is to have a safe, loving home, and have marketable skills and education to enter young adulthood.

                 

To learn more about the Moores and Abba House Foundation, I encourage you to go to www.abbahousefoundation.com to learn more about this vital ministry.

                 

*If you would like to check out some of the jewelry made at Abba House, you can see it at betterwayimports.com - OR, ask me!