Field Reports

May Mi — A Tragic Story with a Happy Ending
Last Friday we visited Palel Myintta, a live-in facility in Yangon, Myanmar where 20 orphaned or abandoned children living with HIV are cared for in a safe, loving environment. Her is my colleague, Peter Scontrino, talking with the Director, Annie. That’s where I met four-year-old May Mi Than. Look at that smile. May Mi is HIV positive. Both of her

A Week in Myanmar
In Mid-May 2015 I headed north in Thailand to join my friend, Treasure Shine, in Mae Sot for a brief stop before we traveled across the border into Myanmar. There in Mae Sot we visited SAW (Social Action for Women) to see the safe house, orphanage, and crisis center they operate. They are doing great work that seems to be

January – February 2015 SEAF Trip
After bidding farewell to the TWCCTW group I headed back to BKK for a day and then on up north to Chiang Rai. So … as Paul Harvey used to say (I know some of you are old enough to know who Paul Harvey was)… Here is the “rest of the story” … My first stop was to visit Jit

January 2015 TWCCTW Trip
I’ve just recently returned from our January 2015 Together We Can Change The World (TWCCTW) trip to Thailand and Laos — a time that was busy, interesting, and productive. Here are some of the highlights. We began in Bangkok where my partner Scott Friedman and I were the featured speakers at the Bankapi Rotary club luncheon meeting. Judging from the

Current Status at the Wildflower Home
It has been a while since so many of you made your generous donations to our Wildflower Campaign so it’s time that I provided you with an update. I’m happy to report that the Good Shepherd Sisters have appointed a new leader for their Wildflower Home — Sr. Anurak, a Sister with whom I’ve worked closely for more than four

Three Trafficked Girls
This is a story about three little girls that have been trafficked – a story I wish did not need telling. Unfortunately, however, in today’s world it does need to be told – and heard – by those of us fortunate enough to be able to make a difference. For nearly four years now we’ve been working in support of

October/November SE Asia Trip
I’ve just returned from another most interesting and highly productive trip to SE Asia. I’ll share some of the highlights with you in this newsletter. Work began this time at the Fountain of Life Women’s Center in Pattaya where my partner, Peter Scontrino, and I conducted a weeklong workshop on Leadership, Management, and Supervision for the Good Shepherd Sisters and

June/July SE Asia Trip
But first I’ll report an important new development. Finally, after 13 months of waiting, the IRS has granted us Public Charity 501(c)(3) status. So, we now have a new non-profit called the SE Asia Foundation. (I’ll have a website up for it soon.) That Foundation will now be the home for all three of our active funds, namely the Bali

April – May SE Asia Trip Report
This trip began in Singapore where my partner, Scott Friedman, and I were offered an opportunity to speak at the nearly 4,200 attendee 2014 HR Summit. Needless to say, this was a huge gathering of interesting people from around the SE Asian region. Our talk, entitled: “The Secret to Employee Retention — Corporate Social Responsibility” was well received. Our unique


The Power of a Thank You
Today I’m delighted to share with you another edition of our Voices From the Field. This one is from our NGO partner in Cambodia – The Global Child (TGC). In

Voices From The Field
A few days ago, I was talking with Mike, a good friend and a generous supporter of our work. Mike asked me a lot of questions. Some really good questions.

Partnerships Are The Key To Our Success
Recently I’ve stopped using a few sensitive words when I talk about our work. Which ones? I’ll get to that in just a moment. What I really want to talk

The Need is as Great as Ever
The Need is as Compelling as Ever Now is the perfect time for you to make an important difference in the lives of so many kids Normally I begin these

These Cambodians Really Need Your Help
I’ve just returned from another of my regular trips to Cambodia and Thailand. While there I visited with more than 25 of our NGO partners. As I ventured out to

Let’s Keep The Momentum Going
I Need Your Help to Keep the Momentum Going When I was speaking with a friend recently our conversation wandered through a variety of topics. However, his queries invariably returned

Holiday Gift Giving with a Creative Flair
During the holiday season my mind invariably turns to gratitude. Like many of you, I have a multitude of blessings. At this stage of my life, however, I realize that

Today I want to talk about books . . . the power of books
Think back with me. Think back to the time you were a kid. What role did books play in your life back then? If you were anything like I was

Three Stunning Success Stories
Even though I was unable to travel to Myanmar during this most recent visit to Southeast Asia, I did have the opportunity to meet with two of my wonderful Myanmar

Looking Back to Strengthen Our Way Forward
Why, you ask, would a forward-looking guy like me talk about looking back? That easy. The past happened only because of YOUR generosity. More importantly, your continuing support gives us