Blog from Danielle
The following is a blog from one of our participants, Danielle Clouse, who has been on our Hero Holiday Thailand trip with us:
Christmas came early this year. The gift of giving has left me humbled and at ease. These past two weeks I’ve spent my time meeting amazing new people from all over the map and working together to achieve a common goal. We started out thinking we would be building a medical center for a group of well deserving kids but instead we learnt that the best gift we could give was simply love.
In Northern Thailand I have been faced with the surreal reality of how prominent child prostitution is in this world. We shield ourselves if it happens to come up in the media and we would turn a blind eye if we ever encountered it throughout our day. I believe it is human nature to keep the peace in these situations rather than getting involved, but at what point do we stop and realize what part we must play?
Today I was privileged to meet a wonderful woman named Kru Nam. She has started something amazing just simply by taking an interest in something bigger than herself and following through; rather than forgetting. We can’t all be the hero running into brothels and rescuing the innocent but we can all be the hero of finding our role in bettering the life of others and discovering the personal reward of happiness when helping someone in need.
On my flight to Thailand I read a terrific book by David Batstone titled Not for Sale. Krunam is one of the many stories illustrated in this book. To meet her in real life was a blessing. I left feeling like I met a latter day Martin Luther King or Harriet Tubman. She is an amazing individual and will not be forgotten.
Her accomplishment has blossomed from something that started just as an afternoon activity. She is an artist who walked across the bordering bridge in Burma (to Thailand) and noticed a bunch of “cute kids”. She thought it would be nice to paint with them, only to discover the terror in many of their drawings. This now is a method of therapy for the children. With the support of others Krunams simple act of kindness has turned into a safe house for kids wanting to escape their harsh reality. Children from bordering countries and tribes around Thailand are welcome to the home as a solution. Our role initiated by Krunam has been to help fund development and to love the children and show them how special they truly are. These kids all come from different situations but they now share a common dream of safety, happiness, and good health.
The knowledge I have acquired over this trip has helped me to see a clearer path of what lies ahead in my future; a fantastic experience to 
say the least. Some events that we have participated in on this Hero Holiday are the best memories of my life and you probably wouldn’t believe me if I shared (powder party anyone!?).
Thank you Christal for being my leader, inspiration and teacher, you are a hero who has found her place and now helps teach us the purpose of life. It`s refreshing to be around a group of amazing people who realize their power to change the world and I am graced to have had the pleasure of working with you all.
Danielle Clouse <3