THAILAND - "The Kingdom of God is among us", even in a slum

"Last night, after the celebration of the vespers I asked Pan, one of the seminarians who helps me in the community work - the slums around Pathumthani, where he had been and he answered: I visited the communities of Wat Sake, Lat Lum Kew and Ko Ping together with Kof, Pao and Fon, and I felt I had no strength because no one takes care of the weak. I cleaned the homes of the elderly, Kof cut some peoples hair, while Fon washed their clothes and Pao distributed the food. I told him: this means that the kingdom of God is among us, be happy to be able to do this and do not expect anything else".

This is what Father Adriano Pelosin, PIME missionary who has worked for years in Thailand told Fides. "There are many gestures, activities, initiatives, emergencies, we face every day.
We are also finishing the construction of a football, basketball, volleyball field, a parking space and classrooms for music, art and crafts for children and young people in the slums. On land purchased last year there is already a large vegetable garden with bananas, papayas, lemons, mangoes. We are planning a pond and a 'Franciscan woods' to protect nature which is constantly in danger in this suburb of the city of Bangkok".

"A month ago - continues father Pelosin - we welcomed a man who had been abandoned at the gates of the church, he was drunk and almost unconscious. After a few days he had a stroke and was about to die. We went to the hospital to pray for him. The next day he came back alone from the hospital and we were all amazed. Now he is very well and is of good help in the garden work". 

"The Kingdom of God is among us", concludes the missionary wishing a happy new year.