Excavating treasures!

There is a third floor at the Agape Home. It was not called for in the original plans, but due to improvements in the roof line, and the pitch, there it was, a third floor space. We made the decision early on then to put in steel beams and reinforce the area, and even put in a cement floor in the BIG middle section. Our hope was one day to turn this space into something useful, but from the beginning it has instead provided a little-known luxury in Thai homes---useful storage space. That being said, what began as an orderly storing of clothes, toys, equipment, files...whatever, whatever...labled and placed on rows of steel shelving...over time has turned into a HUGE mess!! That is not to say that there have never been attempts to keep it clean over the years, but you know how it goes..out of sight, out of mind!!

This week, that has changed. It changed because of a wonderful opportunity to see the potential start of something we have been dreaming about since our kids have been getting older---a chance for them to learn useful skills that will help them find jobs and successful futures. So, after several days of hard work, the third floor is clean, the stored items have been sorted and the important stuff kept and shifted to the roof spaces over the two wings of the home, and as of yesterday, freshly painted and now air conditioned. Next week a few of our eldest girls will begin work on a sewing project on new machines provided for this purpose, and will have the chance (during their hot season break from school) to try thier hand at filling orders for small sewn pieces, and getting them ready to ship to another organization doing charitable work all over the world. If all goes well on the trial run, t-shirts could be next...we'll see!!

As for excavated treasures, one of the boxes unearthed had my name on it, and contained all sorts of photos from my early years here at Agape. I had thought these lost (seems my photos, at least most of them and their were LOTS!) got lost in my leaving, and the ultimate disarray of the third floor! So, being reunited with one box worth was a treasure indeed!! As for the rest, who knows...they could still turn up. If not? Well no matter for the images are written on my heart forever!