The last couple of days

Sorry I have been falling behind on my blogging. I do write it up each night, but I haven't had access to the computer to post it so here's what we have been up to for the last couple of days. I also apologize for grammar errors, its too hot to profeed!!! haah

Wednesday was spent working with Dew, Boong and Lek. From now I will refer to them us our scholarship prep girls. Dew and Boong have up coming exams, so we did not work with them on Thursday and Friday. Our other teaching sessions will start on Monday.

Nitaya’s mother died on Wednesday so we attended a wake service for her on Wednesday night. Nitaya is the volunteer coordinator here at the Mercy Centre. We have been working quite closely with her during our time here. Her mother passed away on Wednesday. In Thailand with a death occurs, family and friends experience three days of mourning. You are supposed to wear dark colors as a sign of respect during those three days of mourning. We attended the wake late Wednesday night. The ceremony was much longer than a wake in Canada. We attended Mass for an hour and then there was a prayer and singing time which was also an hour long. The service took place completely in Thai, and a lot of the Mercy Centre staff attended. Nitaya’s mother was only 58 and her death came quite suddenly.

On a lighter note, during a walk to a 7-11, we just happened to meet up with an elephant walking down the road. It was surrounded by an entourage of men, who were selling food to feed the elephant.

We didn’t have any teaching on Thursday because the Dew and Boong took the day off to study for their exams. So Si Jae, Jodie and I decided to spend the day exploring Bangkok. In Thailand, massages are really cheap and are available everywhere. So we decided to start the morning with a massage. The masseuses offered to teach how to give Thai massages in exchange for English lessons. Jodie and I plan to take them up on their offer. We visited the Temple of Dawn and infamous Reclining Buddha. Later in the afternoon we traveled by boat and Skytrain to the Night market. The Night market was fabulous. The clothing here is sooo cheap and soooo fashionable.

On Friday, Jodie and I helped Sister Joan with her Milk Run. Sister Joan delivers powdered milk to mothers in need here in Klong Toi. She supports mother with babies up until 12 months. We met her committed team of volunteers, who were all women from Australia and New Zealand. We had wonderful morning with them and joined them for lunch at Sister Joan’s house, where we the most delicious ham sandwich that I had ever eaten. It has been a couple of days since we have eaten bread, so when I saw that ham sandwich, my mouth watered just a bit. I think the biggest adjustment so far has been the food. Everything begins to taste the same. Fishy and spicy! Anyways, back to the milk run. Working with Sister Joan was definitely a highlight. She is very kind and humble. I admire a lot of things about her but I will only share a few with you. She is a kind, loving, generous Godly woman. She has worked really hard to keep the Milk run up and running. They serve over 150 mothers and babies here in Klong Toi. Sister Joan drives up to a park or the street outside of her house and serves the mothers and children of Klong Toi and has been doing it for years. The milk run works at such a practical level and in a place where needs are endless, it gives you hope that one person can make a difference.

The rest of our afternoon was spent at Mercy Centre. A large company by the name of Crown was holding a party for the children at Mercy. A large bouncy castle and a large teddy bear mascot were in attendance. The children had a blast, and their fun lighthearted attitudes were contagious.

In the evening, we attended a dinner party at Father Joe’s.

On Saturday, Jodie and I went to the Zoo with the Kids. The Zoo was called Safari Land, and it was Thailand’s equivalent to Sea World or a Disney Theme Park. We watched a monkey show, a dolphin show, a stunt show, and we also went on a safari. Some of the highlights of the Safari included seeing Zebras, Rinos, and Giraffes. Two bus loads of kids went which included the younger girls, a few children in kindergarten and Mercy 4 which are the younger boys that live here with us. The kids were magnetized and in awe of everything and it was a thrill to experience it with them. Throughout the day, the children showed there true caring nature both towards each other and to Jodie and I. Whether is was by holding a hand, sharing their food, or trying to translate what was going on to us. By the end of the day, we had some sleepy children and adults, who easily fell asleep on the bus ride home.

Sending love from Thailand,

Misty