Horror and Glory.

Although I cannot believe it to be true, since returning, I have been in Thailand for three months now, completing my 90 day border run this week. Next month will mark a full year living in Thailand! Can you believe that!? In these past three months since coming back, friends and family of friends have passed away, children have started and continued their schooling, some children have gone back home to their villages, and new children have become members of the Remember Nhu family. So many changes and yet it doesn't feel like time is passing us by so quickly, but it is.
Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be outside of time; how different would life be if we were never chasing it? Unfortunately, punctuality has never been a strong character trait of mine so I'll never know.

That being said, we did use our time wisely this week. There is famous temple in Chiang Rai, Wat Rong Khun also known as the White Temple, that we (my roommate and a few interns) decided to visit. I did a little research on the temple before going to it so I could have a better understanding of its history and what makes it different. I'm glad I did because leaving the temple had me feeling all sorts of different ways.
I have visited many temples before, none ever affecting me quite the way this one did, and while I am glad to have checked this activity off my bucket list, I don't see a second visit in my future.

Before I begin, I do want to say that the temple itself and its surrounding courtyard and buildings are beautiful. I truly enjoy sight seeing different temples and admiring the architectural beauty, paintings and murals that depict Buddhism, and learning why Thai's choose Buddhism. But the White temple focuses on human moral, a contemporary, privately owned art museum in the style of a Buddhist temple, whose overall theme is "Humans are wicked". Although I cannot completely disagree, it was interesting seeing human moral through another culture's eyes in the form of horror shock  versus simple, humourous fortune cookie style proverbs found in other temples.

If you do not like horror, like me, view with caution. I mean, it's not gruesome, but it does depict demons, anguish, and fear.

It's amazing how great God's love is and it shows in faces of our children, an extreme contrast from the feelings of stillness and heaviness at temple. I'm fascinated by how a location can stir different emotions. The weight of the temple versus warm radiant love in our children's home is as clear as black and white, the obvious reason being one place has God in it and the other does not.

Now, on to some more cheerful news, we were able to visit one of our newer homes this month, to drop off gifts from a team. The children were ecstatic, I mean, who doesn't love to get presents? We also made them a spaghetti dinner and brought tons of Hello Kitty coloring sheets and crayons. The children at this home are just so sweet and loving and this home has been able to house more children in the last few months.

My stovetop to boil spaghetti!
The view makes up for the sweating

The children in line for first & second servings!

Who doesn't love carbs?!

 Or Hello Kitty?

Future ballerina?

Thank you Western Great Lakes District of the C&MA
for your generosity and love!

Also, we have successfully completed an entire month of English Camp! Every Saturday we visit one of the homes and play well known American games like Chutes & Ladders, Candyland, Connect 4, Memory, and such, which are modified with sight words and numbers to help students learn and increase fluency in everyday English conversation. I am continuously impressed with the children's eagerness to attend English Camp and their desire to learn (I also think it has something to do with the kanoms {thai word for snacks} they earn at the end of English camp. I'd show up to something for food too). 

Here are a few snap shot videos of the children participating in different centers:

I need to give a huge shout out to the interns because without them English Camp wouldn't be made possible. They are the ones who rotate with the groups of children, explain how the games work, and facilitate learning!!

Hope you enjoyed the read and videos. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog to get updates as soon as they happen!

Have a great week.