Better choices, second chances

MISSIONER NEWSLETTER – Advent 2024

Hang Tran, Cambodia

The collaborative artwork of missioner Hang Tran and Barang, a young man served by Home of Hope.

CHOM CHAO, CAMBODIA—Due to illness and having no one to care for him, a young man named Barang stays at the Home of Hope, which is run by the Missionaries of Charity and helps about 70 people living with developmental and physical disabilities.

Barang’s parents passed away when he was young, and he was raised in various foster homes. He is able to manage his own personal care and assists other differently abled youth.

Not long ago, he left home in pursuit of personal interests, only to return months later, very thin and gravely sick. Barang has habits that are detrimental to his well being, but he is not able to shake them off yet.

We prayed fervently for his recovery. Thankfully, his body responded well to medical treatments and he was nursed back to life, literally. Food, shelter, and counseling were also made available to Barang. As his health improved, he grew more restless.

Before adding color with Hang to the image of the Holy Family, Barang first drew it in black.

… One day I discovered that Barang can make drawings, so I gave him papers and crayons to channel his energy into creativity.

“Khnhom ot dang ku ay te, bongsrey.” (I don’t know what to draw, sister.) He declined the art supplies.

“How about the images of St. Joseph, Mother Mary, and Baby Jesus from that figure on the wall?” I suggested.

“Poa chraen pek. Khnhom ku tai poa khmau bonnoh.” (Too many colors. I draw only in black color.)

“Good, go ahead,” I said.

After putting colors and decorations onto Barang’s drawing, I invited him to sign with me on our collaborative artwork. He proudly put down his signature. A volunteer, who really liked that painting, received it as a gift from both of us.

Barang had studied until the 10th grade, then stopped for various reasons. Now approaching his late 20s, he has been encouraged earnestly to attend vocational trainings or get a job to make a living. At times, it hasn’t been apparent if he’s able to connect the dots to make any progress. Through sickness and homelessness, Barang was lucky to have more than one second chance. Will he make better choices?

The interactions with Barang prompted me to look into the concept of Karuna in Buddhism. It means “compassion, the desire to remove harm or suffering from others.” According to Shantideva—an 8th-century Buddhist monk and philosopher: “Strive at first to meditate upon the sameness of yourself and others. In joy and sorrow all are equal; Thus be guardian of all, as of yourself.”

Barang seemed to learn by trial and error. If safeguarding or coaching appeared to go in one ear and out the other, then perhaps Barang was at a phase of experimentation and needed additional empirical data to acquire life skills. Pain is a byproduct of growing. In this phase, compassion would be to accompany Barang to compost, which will eventually remove, suffering into nutrients for new growth.

Is there anybody, who is not on one learning curve or another? How comforting to be accompanied, by those who have our best interests at heart, through those trying periods. Extrapolate that for each lifetime, multiply by the number of earth’s population, generations after generations, then one might catch a glimpse of the compassion in “Emmanuel, which means God is with us.” (Mt 1:23)

Good news! Barang has taken a step toward being responsible for himself. Recently he left the nest again, this time to join his other siblings to work as a sales clerk in a shop. Let us pray that Barang will continue to develop and one day be able to accompany or take care of others.

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