A lone boy sat by himself and stared off into the distance. All around him children ran, screaming and playing. He felt lost and lonely. A woman sat next to him, conveying love through a hug, never saying a word …

… The former Buddhist monk stood among thousands of tourists, yet he felt lost and lonely. A woman sought him out, handing the young man a Bible. Sensing that he was searching for the meaning of life, she suggested he read that book to find the answers …

A mother’s love can break through language and culture barriers. There’s just something about a mother’s touch and listening ear that makes a boy feel special.

Tennessee volunteer Tiffany Inglewood* used her experience as a mother to touch the lives of two Southeast Asian boys. God knew a 24-year-old tour guide and a newly abandoned 14-year-old needed a “Mom” this week.

Inglewood is the mother of two boys. She said a father’s presence in a boy’s life is vital, but so is a mother’s.

“Boys love their mommies too, they need that love, even though they act like they don’t want it,” Inglewood said. “Boys need to talk about things too.”

Praat Sonjay,* 24, needed to talk through life today.

Inglewood met Sonjay while distributing Bibles to Chinese tourists. The Tennessee mother explained that she came to Asia from America to tell him about Jesus. She handed Sonjay a Bible and shared her testimony. Formerly a Buddhist monk, Sonjay argued every point in the Gospel.

“He is very smart,” Inglewood said. “He kept talking about all the things he had to do [to atone for sins].”
The Tennessee mother explained that salvation is simple. It’s a free gift, just like the Bible she handed him. Inglewood shared that Jesus could give him that peace and direction in life that he’s trying to find.

Sonjay stayed true to his beliefs in Buddhism. But, Inglewood thinks he’ll really think about their conversation.

Poy Wacharee* needed love today.

The 14-year-old’s mother dropped him off at a children’s home. She could no longer care and provide for him.
Inglewood just “happened” to visit the children’s home a few hours after Wacharee was abandoned. She found Wacharee sitting on a bench, refusing to speak or move.

“He broke my heart,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“He was just sitting there, so I sat down beside him. He wasn’t talking, I just hugged him,” Inglewood said. “Even though they (boys) act like they don’t want it, they still need a hug.”

Inglewood showed Wacharee pictures of her own boys. She convinced him to learn how to throw an American football. Soon, Wacharee smiled and laughed, making the Tennessee mother feel like she’d “won the lottery.”

“The only thing I was hoping for was maybe for 30 minutes I could took his mind off of it,” she said, referring to Wacharee’s abandonment.

As Inglewood returns to her sons next week, she’ll remember the two boys God sent her way this week to listen to and to love.

*names changed