Steve and Sheleen’s US Adventure

*Note: Thanks to everyone who contributed to Steve and Sheleen and their quest to come to the U.S. Sheleen was awarded the very prestigious Ford scholarship, which is paying for her schooling, and is doing well as a university freshman on the nursing track. Steve is now employed at Medical Teams International and is getting paid an actual salary for the first time in at least 10 years (and possibly ever). Their youngest daughter, Lily, is about 50% recovered from e. coli poisoning she contracted in Thailand, and has been doing well considering. So for those who have inquired so generously about contributing — thank you! And although everyone likes a gift now and then, I think Steve and Sheleen are probably doing fine and would rather you give your hard-earned dollars to another worthy cause.*

Remember this guy?

It’s Steve, doing his “handsome man” routine. This picture increased my website traffic into the thousands per month.
That being said, this post is not about Steve and his handsomeness (no offense, Steve). It is about Steve and Sheleen and their personal lives, which I am about to violate (yippeee!).

Sheleen and I have known each other since I was about fifteen. That means she remembers enough about my embarrassing teenage years that I have to pay her to keep quiet. When Sheleen was seventeen or so (and I was nineteen) she joined YWAM, a non-denominational organization that provides mission opportunities for young people. She and I ended up in England at about the same time, except that I was there mainly to drink beer and she was there ostensibly to become a missionary (and not to drink beer. I said, “ostensibly.”)

She went to China and I went back to Gonzaga University. Whilst in China (or en route — I’m fuzzy on the details) she met another missionary and they became romantically involved. Then she married his best friend, Steve. I have to admire that kind of initiative.

Sheleen was nineteen. From China they went to Thailand and Sheleen had her first baby, Asia Marie. They spent several years in Thailand working with refugees, and slowly their attachment with YWAM dissolved and they became a part of a non-religious organization called HANDS, or Health And Nutritional Development Services, and a religious organization called ARM (they rejected my suggestion for “LEG” in the US and gave me a stern look when I suggested other possibilities *cough*BUTT*cough*). Both organizations were involved in helping refugees and children who had been trafficked into slave labor and/or prostitution.

However, by 2002 or so, they had been overseas for such a long time that their resources back home started to dry up. A serious car accident convinced them they needed a break and to recharge. So, Steve applied and was accepted to a university in his home country of Great Britain and they traveled to England where, as Sheleen says, “It rains a lot. I mean, a lot.”

Three years later Steve graduated at the top of his class in university, and they decided to return to Thailand. Upon their return, as is often the case, they found that things had changed considerably, and while Steve had a place there (and plenty of new information from his non-profit oriented degree), Sheleen was increasingly limited to doing paperwork when what she really wanted was to be useful in a more hands-on way.

So, she e-mailed me about medical programs in the US, and recently was accepted at a university in Oregon for their nursing program.

Why am I delving into the lives of my friends? (Other than for the pure joy of being nosy, I mean) Well, some of you may remember me asking for donations for their mission in Thailand and I am doing so again in a much more public way.

Steve and Sheleen need about $5000 to travel to the US, plus $1500 for Steve’s visa. Anyone who has dealt with immigration knows what a headache this can be. Since I’ve been using this website to make money lately, I decided to use it to help my friends out and set up a button so that others can donate. I will also donate whatever I make from this website for the next couple of months.

Why would you want to do that? Well, guilt, mainly. I don’t think I could run around a jungle and do what they have done; Sheleen has battled typhoid and giardia; Steve has had a disease of the inner ear that affects his balance, and their youngest child has had E. Coli poisoning. Suffice to say, they have sacrificed much to help those less fortunate and lived without for many, many years. I couldn’t do this myself, so the next best thing is to support people like Sheleen and Steve who are willing to take risks in order to help some of the world’s poorest and most disenfranchised peoples.

They plan to stay in the US long enough for Sheleen to finish her training — training that will be essential in the field. I believe that if there is a God, people like Sheleen and Steve are God’s Hands on earth. That’s why I give them my hard-earned money, and why I am now giving this same opportunity to you.

This is money given to an individual. It is not eligible as a tax break. If you want to tell me who you are and get favored friend status, that’s fine; if not, you can donate anonymously.

If you don’t donate, do the next best thing — donate anyway. Um, I mean, tell a friend to donate. Or, well, you could say a prayer, I guess. Hopefully God will hear your cheap-ass self and someone else will help Steve and Sheleen.

Nevertheless, their cause is good and they are good people. I really think they are amazing and I hope they can raise enough just to get to the US (then there is paying for the degree, but Sheleen is applying for scholarships non-stop, so I hope something will come through there).

I know that many people donate to other causes, but if you do decide to donate some of your hard-earned money to Steve and Sheleen, I want to say — thanks. There aren’t many Steve and Sheleens in the world, and I feel privileged to know them and privileged that I can help them in some way.