So, it has been a struggle since being in Thailand. The culture is very different even just from Cambodia. And even though Eric and I were on our own for most of the activities in Cambodia, we didn’t realize until now how much American “backbone” and organization we had while there. Since being in Thailand it has been hard to find a way to help with anything. The Thai’s communication is very indirect and they are the most hospitable people I have ever met! That is why without realizing it, we ended up at the mall watching a movie rather than at the orphanage helping with English camp. The communication was not clear and no one would tell us how to help or what they needed from us.
It has taken a couple days to transition to being here and to figure out how to be of any assistance. The children’s needs are being met by the orphanage staff. And they are incredible people! They have dedicated their lives to raising these orphans and they are doing an incredible job at it!
I’ve finally figured out how to get rides out to the orphanage at the beginning of each day, whether with Tutu, her son David, or the intern Ashley. Once here, though, unless Ashley tells me how to help, really you are on your own again to figure out where you could be useful. It has taken being very observant and also just feeling out what a normal day for the orphans is.
The campus crusade students are running English camp for the orphans, so the staff has gotten a bit of a break, which is great for them.
So…. With that being said. Today was a great day! It was really encouraging because I really feel that I am getting the hang of the culture and what my role in it is. I woke up early and came with Ashley so I could be present at the entire English camp. The orphans painted for one of their activities today and it was so adorable! They did such a good job! Some of them are really artistically talented! I saw that some of them were spilling some paint on the floor, so I grabbed a wash clothe from the kitchen and had officially specified my first job! I can’t tell you how much joy I had cleaning up the orphans’ mess. It allowed the Campus Crusade students to continue in the work they needed to do, while taking care of a job that one of the staff wouldn’t have to worry about later.
One responsibility that the staff still does have during this week of English camp, however, is cooking lunch for the campus crusaders. I helped with that! We cooked in the outdoor kitchen at the orphanage for a while. I peeled so many mangos that I lost count! It was fun to be a part of that process, though.
During movie time in the afternoon, I spent some time uploading my pictures onto facebook so that Crossroads would have them for their church service this weekend. I’m sorry that the pictures haven’t been working on here, but they are all up on facebook (of Cambodia at least), so feel free to check those out! I will try to start getting some up here as well.
Tutu picked Ashley and I up later. Her, Eric, and David had spent all day shopping around for instruments. We have a concert in a woman’s prison on Monday, and they have to buy a guitar, a bass guitar, a drum set, a P.A. and microphones, so they did a lot of shopping! Tutu has been saving up for these things for a long time to have for ministry, and now, because of the concert, is the time to buy them! So Eric has been able to help a lot with that. Tutu took us all to Thailand’s version of Walmart pretty much, haha, Carfour. Ashley and I picked up things to make spaghetti, brownies and cookies so that we could cook an English lunch for the Campus Crusade team tomorrow.
After we all got dinner. The food is SO cheap in Thailand! Eric and I both got a big dinner and water bottles for under $2! Crazy…
It was already pretty late by the time we got back to Tutu’s house. Ashley and I went over to Mike and Debbie’s house (other missionaries who are currently in the States) so that we could use their more powerful oven for baking. We made the brownies at night and spent time in the kitchen dancing and listening to music for the wedding that we have to prepare for!
So, although it has taken a few days to transition to Thai culture, I feel that I finally have gotten in the swing of things and it is great to feel that I am a help here. It really takes a lot of initiative. We are never given a list of tasks to do in a day. When we wake up we are responsible for getting where we want to go and once we get there (which is usually the orphanage for me) we are responsible to find how to help as best we can. Ashley has been an angel and I’ve talked with her extensively about allowing me to relieve her of some of her mundane responsibilities and we have a pretty good thing going now. Most of it has involved cooking lately.
But tomorrow is the last day of English camp and then next week all the orphans will be back in school! So the daily routine will be interrupted once again! We have a lot of music responsibilities to practice for! (the concert in the prison and the wedding). So we are starting to get busy already!
We found out that we will be sharing from the Bible or giving our testimony at the prison on Monday, so please pray that God will speak through us! Thank you so much for your prayers so far! They are helping so much!
I'm praying and thinking of you every minute! I love you!