I love Thailand! Anytime someone asks about this month, this is the response I give. Though the work is hard and living with 15 people can be a stretching experience all in itself, this month has been fruitful and fun.
My squad arrived in Bangkok late in the evening on October 5 where we spent the night at the YWAM base. The next day was spent relaxing and getting introduced to Thai culture. That next night we were met with probably my favorite traveling experience yet. We took an eight hour overnight bus ride. Now, in the United States, traveling via bus overnight includes a smelly Greyhound with lots of strangers and is about as much fun as getting a root canal, but this bus experience was far from that! We were served food, given blankets and pillows, shown movies, and seated in reclining seats. Definitely, not what I was expecting and the six hours of sleep I got was an added bonus.
Once in our city, we met our contacts and were taken to their home. We have been very blessed this month to live in a house. We have beds, western-style bathrooms, a kitchen, and laundry facilities. Our wonderful host even cooks breakfast for us every morning! We are also working alongside another team – Team Relentless (you should check out their blogs!). They are living with us and participating in the same ministry. We have become like one large team this month and will definitely miss them when we are separated next month.
Our days here include construction and gardening. We are assisting in the construction of a new boys’ home here at Remember Nhu. We have shoveled gravel and poured concrete and are always filthy by end of the day.
I have learned many new skills this month. As far as construction goes, I was literally clueless before we got here. Now I know that a lot of work goes into a building before the foundation is even laid, and I have even learned how to make pillars out of rebar. Some of us have also helped the groundskeeper in gardening. We have learned how to plant tropical fruits such as pineapple and dragon fruit and what types of soil are best for growing.
Every evening we eat dinner at one of the three children’s homes and get to play with the kids afterwards. Saturdays and Sundays include more extended time with the kids as well. The kids here are so funny! They love to hear us try to speak Thai. The boys even have some math flashcards. So not only have we brushed up on our addition tables, but we can now all count to 20 in Thai!
The past few days I have been able to work with one of the older girls at the home on bettering her piano skills. It has been so fun for me to get to use my talents and passions here. She is a very diligent student. We have daily lessons which last from 1-2 hours. She even said she practiced for 3 hours last night! Every teacher dreams of hearing those words! Teaching music with somewhat of a language barrier has helped me to strengthen my communication skills as I have to think about how to explain concepts to her in a way she will understand. Working with her has become the highlight of my day.
Sometimes, life here in Thailand does not feel that much different than in the United States. We have had many comforts of home, but the reality of being in a foreign country will hit when we least expect it. As the Thais say, America and Thailand are “same, same, but different.”
