Oh my, my posts are starting to be further and further apart. It's been three weeks since I've last posted, and I'm sitting here wondering how I'm going to tackle this. I know if I make it too long, people will have a hard time reading it. I guess I'll just break it up into three parts. First off the reason that it's taken me so long in between posts is that the short term summer mission teams (STSM) from the States have started to arrive. So the last two weeks, I've been helping out with Great Harvest Church (Los Angeles), and now the team from Baltimore is here, so sorry for the delay.
Let's just start off from the last post. Three weeks ago, I spent my last week in Chiang Mai before I headed up to Wiang Pa Pao. In doing so, I finished up my Thai language lessons and finished my tutoring commitments. Overall, both have been good experiences. The Thai language has been tremendous in that I can communicate with the Jasper Kids a lot better, plus having got to know my language teacher, I have total respect for her and her faith in God. From the stories she's told me about herself over the past three months, I'm continually being challenged to live a life based on faith in our God and Jesus Christ. As far as tutoring went, although I don't feel like I taught much at all, I'm satisified knowing that I've built new relationships that I'd never fathom building. That goes for both the Korean volunteers that I tutored as well as the Korean missionary kids. God deserves all the credit for placing these people in my lives and vice versa.
In the final week of my commitment, I decided to treat my kids out to eat at McDonald's, and I was in for a suprise. I told the kids that they could get whatever they wanted, and however much they wanted, and my jaw dropped at how much the kids could eat. One kid ate a value meal, extra hamburger, and a chicken wrap! Seriously, it looked like these kids had never eaten a hamburger before or had been starved before eating. Regardless, I got a lot of joy watching the kids eat. Afterwards we played in the arcade, and I got my butt whooped in Winning 11 (soccer game). Thanks to Missionary Alex for taking me and the kids to eat McDonald's. That same night, my volunteer students got me presents, and when I opened it they were all toiletry items, like body wash, toilet paper, etc. There was even a lotion that supposedly lightens your skin, I don't know what they were trying to imply, but I guess I'm getting darker out here in Thailand. I definitely got a good laugh out of their gifts. I guess this is one of the perks of being a teacher.
Aside from saying my goodbyes, I've completely moved all my belongings to Wiang Pa Pao for the next two and half months. Luckily I have my own room, I'll get some pictures up of my room a little bit later. Oh I also have some good news! I finally received my work permit! I can officially be employed in the nation of Thailand, and I'm not an illegal alien in this country, so praise God! I just have to report myself next month to prove that I'm really working, so please pray for me. That all went down three weeks ago, two weeks ago the first STSM team came from the L.A. area, Great Harvest Church. Got to meet Jeff, Chris, Monica, Jane, and Lisa, and I found out that my college roommates grew up with them, kind of crazy how we know the same people. Over the course of their stay, it was a blast to work with them and hang out with them. I'll talk about my GHC experience tomorrow. Hopefully my post isn't too long, and sorry if there is no flow to the post, I'm writing this while I'm really tired, so sorry. Also I've posted my May newsletter as a link on the right side of the blog, so check it out if you haven't. Alrighty, I'll post tomorrow...shout out to Daniel Park, congrats on graduating...your done son!!!
The Volunteers that I tutor, except for the guy in the middle, I just helped him move his furniture.
Jung Heum, one of the kids I tutor.
Starting from the back: Ye-Ra, Paul, and Eui-Ra.
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