Our time in Thailand has been filled with many new adventures.
We have done so much in the last week!
TEACHING ESL (english as a second language)
*Monday to Friday
*Beginner class!
Each morning, we take a truck taxi to a church in Chiang Mai.
It takes about 45 minutes each way.
We begin with morning devotions and worship.
The expedition team then breaks into groups of 4 for teaching.
At 10:30 we begin our lesson.
The students in our beginner class are hilarious.
Every morning, something funny happens and we laugh about it all day.
I am so thankful for the students in this class!
It is my hope that the students get what they wanted and more from our lessons!
The class ends at 12 but we stay at the church until 3.
After lunch we have the option to go to the day market!
We also have time to plan for the next day.
VILLAGE
* Saturday November 17, 2012
On the back of an old pick up truck, a group of us travelled up the mountain.
For three hours we drove along narrow winding paths.
When we arrived at this rural village, we were greeted with a small breakfast.
Let me say, sticky rice in a banana leaf is YUMMY!
We then participated in a thanksgiving church service.
The village people were so excited to share this time with us!
After lunch, we had a tour of the village.
Water buffalo are COOL!
Another 3 hour truck ride and we were back at the housing site!
ALC (abundant life center)
* Every Tuesday and Friday
We have had the opportunity to work with a number of great youth/children.
At this housing location, there are about 30 young people.
While it is similar to an orphanage, it is actually very different.
I have learned a lot about this program and why it was developed.
The youth/children come from various villages around Thailand.
Their parents have made the decision to give them a better life.
At the center, the children/youth are given much more opportunity to grow.
Here, they can go to school, get a job, and learn about God!
In the villages, they would not have had the same freedom.
CULTURE SHOW
* Sunday November 18, 2012
We had some free time after church on Sunday.
This was a good time to rest and prepare for a busy week.
For dinner, we went to a place 1 hour away from our housing site.
Once again, we got to sit in the back of the pick up truck!
When we arrived, we took off our shoes and found a spot on the floor.
An amazing dinner was served.
We continued to eat the amazing food until the show began.
For the first part of the show, there were multiple dances.
We then moved to a small outdoor auditorium.
Here, we watched traditional dances preformed by various Thai families.
It was a great experience.
NIGHT MARKET
* Wednesday November 21, 2012
After our ESL lesson, we left for a Thailand tour.
This was much different then the first tour we had.
We went to various locations to observe Thai handicraft skills.
First, we went to a place where silk is produced.
We got to see the silk worms in action as well as the production of material.
Secondly, we went to a place that was all wood work.
The Thai people were carving large murals, small elephant statues...
Thirdly, we went to an umbrella factory.
I guess you can say it was not really a factory.
The workers were making the umbrellas by hand, painting them, and selling them.
We even had the option to get a painting on something we already owned.
The artistic abilities were absolutely amazing.
After our "little" tour, we were ready for the night market.
This was another adventure in itself.
By 7:00 pm the stands begin to open.
The people sell things like jewlery, clothing, souveniers...
I saw so many great items but there is no way that I could buy everything.
While at the market, I saw a couple of the ESL students.
They were putting their english to practice as they worked.
Next is our jungle trip.
We will spend the weekend with a jungle tribe.
Yes, this means sleeping in the jungle!
Exciting...
I will try to post more often as there is a lot to share.
Here are a couple pictures!
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