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Angel of the Week: Thang

Meet Manglunthang, or Thang, as he is known by his family and friends.

Thang lost his father in 2017 and when his mother remarried soon after he was sent to live with his grandfather.  Unfortunately, his grandfather was too old to care for the needs of growing children so he came to Angels' Place.  His caregivers remember a shy reserved child when he first walked through the doors of the orphanage with his younger sister.  They were alone, forgotten and traumatized by a life of hardships: being raised by an abusive alcoholic father, losing their father to liver disease, being abandoned by their mother, all on top of the extreme challenges of growing up in poverty.  It is no wonder Thang was so withdrawn.  In his own words:  "My life was very hard."

Today, Thang is thriving at Angels' Place.  His caregivers describe him as a cheerful and friendly young man who is quickly overcoming the emotional obstacles to his success.  Thang appreciates the "friendly atmosphere" at Angels' Place and loves playing football with his new friends, listening to music and drama.  One day he dreams of becoming a "good" police officer and thanks to the education he receives now, this dream is a real possibility.  He is no longer destined to repeat his father's tragic story.

Thang wants everyone to know how grateful he is to his sponsors who have made his transformation possible.  Because of their generous support, he is getting everything he needs to build a successful life for himself and become a healthy and productive member of the community.

There are hundreds of children just like Thang on the waiting list to begin their transformation at Angels' Place.  You can help make room for them by visiting our Ways to Help page.

Inside Angels’ Place: Englian Valte

Meet Englian Valte, the Superintendent of Angels' Place.

Englian's job is to look after the welfare of the children and staff.  He sees himself as the link between the administration, staff and the children.  As a retired bank professional, he is now the longest serving superintendent to work at the orphanage and he is one of our greatest assets.  He is reliable, trustworthy, and has a strong commitment to fulfilling his responsibilities to the best of his ability.  Though he faces many challenges in his role, especially with problem children with low self-esteem, he finds it all worthwhile when he sees them blossom with proper nourishment, love and good care.  His greatest motivation is his desire to give children hope, especially those who have none.

In Englian's own words:  "I consider myself privileged to serve the Lord in Angels' Place as one of the staff.  I am happy and contented."

We, at the James Connection, feel tremendously blessed to have such dedicated and hard-working individuals like Englian working with our children.  Thank you Englian!

Look for more stories of the people working behind the scenes "Inside Angels' Place" coming soon.  In the meantime, if you have not read any of our "Angel of the Week" stories, don't miss them.  You will be inspired.  Just click on "Angel of the Week" under categories to the right of this page to begin.

To learn how you can get involved, visit our Ways to Help page.

 

A Life Transformed: Thuamneiching

Jan, our Founder and Executive Director, made his yearly journey to visit Angels' Place in early March. He had the opportunity to catch up with many of the "Angels" during his short visit. Here is the first in a series of stories about kids whose lives have been transformed through the work we do at The James Connection. Below is the story of Thuamneiching, told in Jan's words...

"I have talked and written about Thuamneiching many times since she came to Angels' Place 13 years ago, Before reaching age six she had lost her home and all belongings when a rival tribe invaded her village, burned her house and drove her and her family away. She escaped with just the clothes she was wearing and the possessions she could carry. She had already lost her father. She went to live with her grandmother, and the two of them survived on cutting wood in the forest and selling it at market. This earned them about $1.25 a day, not enough for her to attend school and pay for her supplies. She came to Angels' Place in 2005, already three years behind in school. She immediately made her mark. She did well in school and, after one year's instruction in martial arts, won the state title. Several years later she won outstanding girl athlete at a state track meet. Thuamneiching left school before finishing class twelve when she had an offer from a family to help with their children while traveling. She spent four months in Myanmar and one year in Singapore. While away she contracted dengue fever which knocked her out for many months. Now she has returned to Churachandpur and wants to finish class twelve, pass the state exam and qualify for college. She is working ten to twelve hours a day at a restaurant to support herself and her disabled mother while studying for the qualifying exam. She will make it. She has overcome much bigger challenges. Thuamneiching is modest and shy but hard working and determined. She is thankful for Angels' Place. She says "it was fun" and she learned to help others. It has been a wonderful privilege to have known her and watched her grow into a fine young woman."

It is only through the support of our generous donors and sponsors we are able to make a difference in the lives of children like Thuamneiching.  Won't you be part of the solution?  Learn how you can help by visiting our Ways to Help page.

Angel of the Week: Chingngaihsang

This cheerful young lady came to Angels' Place last year, soon after losing her father to liver disease. Her mother, who was desperately poor and unable to care for her child, brought her to the orphanage; a painful decision no mother should ever have to make. But there was no choice if her child was to have a future.

Sang, as she is known by her friends and caregivers, remembers her life before Angels' Place as "miserable". "My father was sick for a long time. We had no proper meals, no warm clothes." School, of course, was an impossible dream reserved for those lucky few who could afford the books and uniform.

Today, Sang proudly wears her school uniform as she trots off to school with her friends, one of her favorite things to do. She is in Class 5 and loves learning, particularly about science. She dreams of being a teacher or a nurse someday and knows she is getting the education needed to realize her dreams. Even though she is not with her mother, a loving circle of friends and caregivers give her a sense of "home". "I am lucky to be in Angels' Place," she reports. "I am happy here."

Sang knows how blessed she is to find a home at Angels' Place. So many of her friends she left behind are still struggling to survive, like she once was. There are hundreds just like her on the waiting list to get into Angels' Place alone. Very few will make it out of the destructive grips of poverty without help from those of us who can afford to open doors for them. Won't you consider opening a door to success for a child like Sang?

To learn more about what you can do to help desperate children in need, visit our Ways to Help page.

To read more Angel of the Week stories, click on "Angel of the Week" under categories to the right.