I will never forget the first day I arrived in the shelter, being half excited, half nervous. When I saw the shelter, I told myself that it was so stupid that I ever was bothered to worry, as the reality was far beyond my imagination.

Basically I could not get over how modest - say, poor, in the economic way - their life was. The house was built with bamboo and leaves - in a way beautiful, and that's the traditional way of houses here, but rain was leaking everywhere and there was no floor so that children were sleeping on the concrete blocks with bamboo mats. Water only comes at certain times of the day and electricity was not enough to run most of the gadgets such as the washing machine or the rice cooker. The children's clothes looked as if they had been washed about 2,000 times already, and they were literally worn and torn. I couldn't help thinking how lucky I was being born in Japan, and was so stupid that I didn't appreciate that fact very much until then.

 
Despite the fact the life there was not always easy, I really had a great time in the shelter. Most of all, that place was filled with love - children love each other, and especially, they are also loved by Ita and Goin, and other adults who were helping in shelter. The children are just gorgeous. It was so inspiring to see how they care each other, share everything and have fun together. Knowing that those children came from dysfunctioned families, I was always amazed that they still know how to love, and how to accept love. Also it was so amazing the way they can play -- making up a game out of nothing - or everything! They don't have many toys, but they can figure out something to do with what they have all the time. They are absolutely geniuses.

 
The children are all different in character and age, and they welcomed and loved me in each other's own way. While younger ones climbed up on me and wanted my attention and affection, the older ones treated me like a true lady. The older boys actually spoke good English, so they took  very good care of me - accompanied me to shops, translated for me, and brought me food and water at dinner time. What I did with them was play with them, get scruffy with them,  teach them English and Japanese and also learn a few Burmese words from them. Funny enough, the children seemed to call me "Englayma" which means, English girl, although I am neither English nor an age to be called a girl! All those things brought me a lot of joy and I felt as if I had touched my inner child, which needed to laugh and sing out loudly.

 
I had a lot of laughs and great conversation with the adults living there, too. I enjoyed working with Ita and Goin - they are a great couple, and surely it is their love towards children which keeps this place together. Some of the adults didn't have any English, but there were always so many things to laugh about together, especially when the babies were around. Laughter brought us closer together. Life in the shelter is very simple - sleep, cook, wash, work, play, eat, and maybe a little bit of music - and there is a lot of joy there.  It again reminded me that happiness lies in the simplest things.

 
Before I got there, I was worried if I would be of any help to the people there. It seems that everything started working when I stopped trying to be a help - I was just myself, getting back to my childhood, and that was all I did. I don't know if I was of any help, but I know people loved me and I loved them all. That's enough for me and I am very happy about it.

 
When the boys started saying, "Asko, you go home, I no happy. Don't go, OK?" I didn't have a word. I asked myself, "Am I traumatizing those children, just coming here as a visitor and leaving them as if I were abandoning them?" I do hope they know that I will never forget them, always love them and will be interested in how they grow up in the future. I also want them to overcome their hard childhood life, and want them to know they deserve so much.

 
Great thanks to so many people - to Dhane, to having started this place in the first place, that deserves a lot of respect. Also to Tash, thank you so much for getting me to this place. Dave and Mary, who are helping out with the new shelter building, I enjoyed working with you and you are absolutely my guardian angels, without your help I probably couldn't have stayed in such good shape! Ita and Goin, it was a real pleasure to meet you, you are such a great mom and dad to the children! Titi, Sei Oo, Gotong - thank you for your great company, and next time I hope to speak more Burmese so that I can share more laughs with you!

 
With a lot of love from the heart,

Atsuko Miyashita

Thank you, Atsuko, for making a warm-hearted contribution to the lives of our children, and to Tash and Kay, especially for inviting you to visit the shelter.  I met Tash and Kay on August 31st, when I visited the shelter, and we discussed possible sponsorship for myself as a full-time volunteer at the shelter.  I hope to be there and directing the kindergarten, kitchen, and garden soon.  Tash and Kay told me about five students from their school who plan to be at the shelter during October when I have a holiday from teaching.  We will all work on the garden together.

As for the shelter, construction is ongoing, and while I was there I watched the carpenters at work a lot.  It is not easy to make a floor correctly.  I didn't know how much work was involved, planing the boards flat, treating the bamboo to prevent termite infestation, leveling off the floor joists, and on and on.  I have never been good with my hands -- two left thumbs -- except with kitchen pots and garden tools.

Goin had collected funds from Dave -- our ever-present guardian angel and godfather -- and I was surprised to see the fish tanks had been constructed and were in place.  I remember fried catfish -- also home-grown in the deep south of the U.S.A. -- and I hope to teach Ita and Goin how to fillet them and fry them in good home-grown corn meal.  This will happen next year, for sure, now.

The next bit of news is especially for Wendy, who has pledged to take care of the cost of the bathroom's construction.  Goin had worked very hard to sink the second tank for the second toilet -- this one inside the bathroom as requested by Ita and Wendy.  I appreciate the ladies' needs for privacy.  I have dreams of a Japanese style bath room with a tank for soaking my old bones in.  We will have to see if this can become possible.  After discussion with Dave and Mary, Mary suggested we use a camping style black plastic bag for the shower -- hanging it up in the sun warms the water and it is then allowed to rain down on the bather through an attached hose and shower head.  We will still be 'camping out' at the shelter in many ways.  This is all of the news for this week but I hope to add some more to this newsletter once I receive photos from Mary.  She and Dave are at the shelter and the work on the floor is nearly finished.  Thank you Jennifer and Wendy for making sure that the funds have become accessible.  It looks like we're on schedule for a shelter-opening party in October.

Dhane Blue, September 8, 2008

I've added a story about an adventure I had in India twenty years ago ... some of my 'hidden' background that can help explain why I am involved with helping refugees.  Read it here.