I met Christina Hastings at the 2014 Christian World View Film Festival and overheard her mention that she is interested in missions and humanitarian photography. Of course I had to introduce myself as these two topics are interests of mine, and she agreed to contribute a blog post and photos of a recent trip to Thailand. When I got the content and photos this week I sat there blown away by the story she had sent along of the horrible truth of life for some people, and the beauty found in the eyes and souls of many others. -Lynette

The story in Christina’s words…

Her sunken eyes stared listlessly at the sidewalk she sat upon, a tiny baby asleep in her lap. In her free hand rested a battered cup craving to be filled with a few coins. I think she noticed me gazing at her because she slowly lifted her eyes to meet mine. Two brown chasms of hopelessness stared at me. She was breathing, but there was no life inside of her. What really stung my heart? She was perhaps eight year old. Why should an eight-year-old or a helpless baby be subjected to a despairing beggar’s life on the streets like this? I turned to my Thai cousin and asked, “Can we take them back to your family’s house and at least give them clean clothes and good meal?” He sorrowfully shook his head and replied, “Most street beggar kids in Thailand are owned by the mafia. They’re probably watching us right now, and it’s likely that anything in that cup funds the mafia. Sometimes they even forcibly hurt kids and rip off body parts in order to elicit sympathy from tourists.”

Like a hammer striking glass, my heart fragmented. I couldn’t believe the cruelty. That day a part of my heart died, but that day a part of my heart breathed life anew when compassion in my head collided with compassion in my heart. You see, I’ve heard about kids forced to beg on the streets. I’ve known about child slavery. I’m familiar with statistics about child starvation. But it was all simply that: statistics. That day I forgot the statistics about people, and asked, “What about this person?” The infamous Stalin himself is attributed with this observation, “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.”

Have we forgotten? Have I?

Behind every statistic is a face.

Behind every face is a story.

Behind every story is a heart.

Behind every heart is a soul.

A longing soul aching to be fully known and fully loved.

An invaluable soul created with vigilant care by the God of the Universe.

An immortal soul with an eternal destination.

I wish I had a picture of the girl who so profoundly affected me, but unfortunately I don’t. But instead this post is filled with pictures of other beautiful immortal souls in Thailand. Every day you meet immortals too. The boy on the other side of the cash register, the driver weaving through traffic, the man behind you in line at Starbucks, the little girl swinging in the park, the tired mom with an armload of groceries… How will you treat them?

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – These are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

-C.S. Lewis

Please head on over and check out some more of Christina’s  photography, and if you’re in the Austin, TX area, I know of a photographer to recommend!

Stick around, there’s a Part II Thailand post coming up soon…