Covered in Saliva and Mucus

It's three hours before midnight in Banchang, and I'm sitting in the Kindergarten 3 classroom blogging away. My mind is currently filled with Thai phrases and vocabulary, and with David as an enthusiastic, round-the-clock language teacher, learning a new lingo has never been this exciting.

Pastor Anong is a fantastic woman, almost hyperactive, and the Rainbowland Children's Development Center is a beautiful place. Not exactly in an aesthetic manner, but the people make the place seem so warm and comforting. The children are insanely adorable, yet at the same time easy to entertain. Those in Nursery are constantly speaking to me in Thai, crawling onto my lap or back, or hugging my legs wherever I go. Those in Kindergarten love to play fighting games, regardless of gender, and my arms are bruised from being whacked by building blocks and covered with mucus and saliva. It's not difficult to see why David missed this place so much after his two-month stint here last year.

My favorite time has got to be putting the children to sleep. At noon, the teachers will play Thai worship songs and arrange the beds for them to sleep, and David and I will pat the (according to the rhythm of the songs) till their eyelids begin to get heavy. Of course, the more energetic ones will toss and turn, but apparently after seeing me yawn they seem to share the fatigue too.

So far the afternoons and the evenings have been spent doing visitations, and I get those moments when I wished I could speak a little more Thai. David's Thai is fantastic, and it's no wonder Vicar was impressed the last time he visited during David's stint. To think that he was still complaining that he has de-proved some more. Most of the time, I feel like I'm the only visiting guest, but hey, I had my share of the fun during the Gen12ii mission trip to Japan.

There are numerous things to thank God for. Firstly, my toothache has ceased giving me long-term headaches, though I still feel the huge financial pinch and regret that I spent money taking out molars that had no relation to the pain. Secondly, the room that I'm sleeping in has air-con, and the bed is more comfortable than the sofa-bed at home. Thirdly, I'm getting to learn and utilize a foreign language, which is a personal enjoyment for me. Fourthly, the food here is awesome, and the quantity so huge we can hardly finish what's on the table unless we totally gorge ourselves. Lastly, there's wireless internet and a laptop, so I can actually blog about whatever we've been doing here.

I apologize if this post (and the next few too!) sounds a little too rush and unlike my usual writing style, but I don't want to take up too much computer usage time. My new bed beckons, and I'm torn between giving explicit details and getting sufficient rest for the night. I've chosen the latter, as you can see, but stay tuned to this blog for more updates on our Thailand trip! +)

Once again, thank you for all your love and prayers. +)


Jergen na krab!



Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. -Jesus (Matthew 19:14)