194 His Mission, Our Mission of day-to-day survival that now seems so foreign to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Yet, no matter how tough things were, the family dressed up for Sunday Mass. Everyone wore shined shoes and clean, pressed clothes. She reminisced about sewing and making her own clothing on an old sewing machine. I have also been blessed in my life with financial prosperity, yet thanks to my mother’s influence, I have always tried to maintain an awareness of the plight of others. Having been born with the proverbial silver spoon, my mother knew the importance of attempting to teach me to see the world through the eyes of those less fortunate. Being able to share my financial blessings with people of modest means, and especially being able to provide for the well-being of children, is a tremendously gratifying experience. The Grendys made the trip to Thailand When I saw the same type of manual sewing machines on the streets of Nong Bua Lamphu in Thailand, I thought of my mother’s story. Our trip to Udon Thani and Nong Bua Lamphu proved to be a major highlight of our travels, if not our lives. We found our inability to speak the Thai language was not a barrier, since the gratitude of children is universal anywhere in the world. We had the opportunity to meet and share dinner with Bishop George Phimphisan in Udon Thani. It is a memory we treasure. The bishop was a delightful, soft-spoken person and he spoke English fluently. When Pope John Paul II visited
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