Pen was only 9 when her parents separated. Her mother took her sister and moved to Chang Rai, while her father took her brother with him to Isaan. Left alone and forgotten by both her parents, Pen moved in with her grandfather. Often quite ill, he would routinely travel for treatment in Bangkok, leaving Pen all alone. She tried attending school, but did not even have the money to buy a lunch. A kind lady at the school agreed to feed her some noodles in exchange for some help doing the dishes.
As she got older, Pen would travel down to Bangkok every summer with a friend from school to look for some work. One day, she found a job working as a dish washer in a go-go bar, and then later worked a server in an American restaurant. Everything she earned went to pay for her schooling. Pen had a great hunger to learn. Since she was unable to afford books for school she would borrow text books from her friends.
When she turned 15, she finished her schooling in Isaan. Pen wanted to continue her education but did not have the money she needed to pay for school. So, she began to search for a job where she could work at night and study during the day. She moved back to Bangkok where she began attending school in the day and working at a bar in the red light district at night. Pen went to school for a year, before finding a husband and getting married at 16. Soon she was pregnant with her first child. However, at only 7 months pregnant she gave birth to a daughter. Her baby was in the intensive care unit for three days before she died. A year later, Pen brought a baby boy into the world.
One day, after coming home from her son’s 6th month check up at the hospital, she found her husband with another woman. She left him, but she was left with nothing to feed herself and her son. Pen had no choice but to pick up another shift at the bar. She would work from 8 am to 5 pm, and then work an additional shift from 8 pm to 2 am to pay for the care, food, rent, and hospital bills for her baby son who was often sick.
Her husband contacted her one day to tell her that he wanted their son back. Pen began to think maybe it would be better for her son to live with his father, hoping he could take better care of him. So, she agreed and left her young son with her husband. However, Pen’s mother-in-law would call her every month asking for money to help take care of her son. Pen wanted her son back, and began to worry that her husband was not taking care of him after all.
One day, Thom, an member of Samaritan Creations and a missionary came to visit her bar. Thom told her about God. Pen did not really believe in this God, but told them all about the situation with her son. Pen was so sad and tired of the bar life and missed her son so much. Before Thom left that night, she gave Pen her phone number and told her to call anytime.
One night, when Pen was overwhelmed and crying she remembered Thom. She remembered what she had told her about God’s love and forgiveness. Pen called Thom that night and told her that she wanted to come work at Samaritan Creations. There at Samaritan Creations, Pen met Kay, who told her about the love of God that could change her life. The first time Pen visited the church, she decided to test this God out. She prayed, “If you are really God, have my friend who has been angry with me for 3 years call me on the phone.” Pen got a phone call from her friend 10 minutes later. Amazed, she then believed in God, but was afraid to give 100% of her life to him. Gradually, she began to realize that God would always do everything completely for her. Pen began to trust God, and after a month she gave her life to Him completely.
Today, Pen loves God because He is able to accomplish anything, is completely good, and has truly blessed her. God loves her even when she is angry with Him. He does not change. Pen now lives to give God glory with her life. She wants everyone to come to God as she did because He is so good. In her own words, “He has a big love for us. Now I am a new creation. I believe God has a plan for my life.”
As she got older, Pen would travel down to Bangkok every summer with a friend from school to look for some work. One day, she found a job working as a dish washer in a go-go bar, and then later worked a server in an American restaurant. Everything she earned went to pay for her schooling. Pen had a great hunger to learn. Since she was unable to afford books for school she would borrow text books from her friends.
When she turned 15, she finished her schooling in Isaan. Pen wanted to continue her education but did not have the money she needed to pay for school. So, she began to search for a job where she could work at night and study during the day. She moved back to Bangkok where she began attending school in the day and working at a bar in the red light district at night. Pen went to school for a year, before finding a husband and getting married at 16. Soon she was pregnant with her first child. However, at only 7 months pregnant she gave birth to a daughter. Her baby was in the intensive care unit for three days before she died. A year later, Pen brought a baby boy into the world.
One day, after coming home from her son’s 6th month check up at the hospital, she found her husband with another woman. She left him, but she was left with nothing to feed herself and her son. Pen had no choice but to pick up another shift at the bar. She would work from 8 am to 5 pm, and then work an additional shift from 8 pm to 2 am to pay for the care, food, rent, and hospital bills for her baby son who was often sick.
Her husband contacted her one day to tell her that he wanted their son back. Pen began to think maybe it would be better for her son to live with his father, hoping he could take better care of him. So, she agreed and left her young son with her husband. However, Pen’s mother-in-law would call her every month asking for money to help take care of her son. Pen wanted her son back, and began to worry that her husband was not taking care of him after all.
One day, Thom, an member of Samaritan Creations and a missionary came to visit her bar. Thom told her about God. Pen did not really believe in this God, but told them all about the situation with her son. Pen was so sad and tired of the bar life and missed her son so much. Before Thom left that night, she gave Pen her phone number and told her to call anytime.
One night, when Pen was overwhelmed and crying she remembered Thom. She remembered what she had told her about God’s love and forgiveness. Pen called Thom that night and told her that she wanted to come work at Samaritan Creations. There at Samaritan Creations, Pen met Kay, who told her about the love of God that could change her life. The first time Pen visited the church, she decided to test this God out. She prayed, “If you are really God, have my friend who has been angry with me for 3 years call me on the phone.” Pen got a phone call from her friend 10 minutes later. Amazed, she then believed in God, but was afraid to give 100% of her life to him. Gradually, she began to realize that God would always do everything completely for her. Pen began to trust God, and after a month she gave her life to Him completely.
Today, Pen loves God because He is able to accomplish anything, is completely good, and has truly blessed her. God loves her even when she is angry with Him. He does not change. Pen now lives to give God glory with her life. She wants everyone to come to God as she did because He is so good. In her own words, “He has a big love for us. Now I am a new creation. I believe God has a plan for my life.”
