A Morning Out!

Going on outings with the kids is always a favorite part of the work day. Back in the day when I was here full time, I tried to get out at least once a week with one of the groups-but my time on these visits is usually so jam-packed that I can't get away. Today was different though, and I got to join the young preschoolers for their expedition to Carrefour (kind of like Target in SE Asia!). Off we hurled in the Van (with Avis at the wheel, the speed of travel is never sedate!), to our destination---in search of Khanom and adventure. Of course, this is also an opportunity to pick up a few things for the home so after we arrived, we split into groups to get the shopping accomplished. My cart passenger was quite a good companion-munching on some cheese twists and commenting on things as we walked past. I needed to pick up some tissue-and as always enjoyed comparing the brands available with what we have at home (to this day my all-time favorite is the "Sit and Smile" brand of toilet paper!). Here instead of Puffs infused with Vicks Vapo-Rub for that cold, there is Kleenex infused with Eucalyptus, and instead of the small boxes with flowers on them there were triangle wedge-shaped boxes that looked like fruit slices--green for Som-O (Chinese grapefruit), and red for Watermelon (Dangmoo). As the clip below will attest, my faithful passenger was just delighted with these---especially the watermelon that looked so real you could almost take a bite out of it!

Tuesday April 27, 2010

Hot season begins in Thailand in March, revs up to peak intensity during April, and begins to wane into just plain hot and humid rainy season by about the third week of May and into June. This means that the "summer" school holidays in the Thai school calendar run from about March 20-about May 20. That is a long way to say that it is school holiday time here and the children are home during the days!! What bliss! Although my visit is short this time, I am actually able to see and be with the kids more this visit because they are around all day.

Now, I know that the idea of 80 some kids all home for school break at the same time has many of your hearts pounding with empathetic panic! Long and short of it-there are very few day long programs that we can sign the kids up for!!! No matter though...for many years now lots of dedicated people begin planning way in advance to make sure that the days are full of a variety of fun and interesting (and at times even educational!) outings and activities for all the various age-groups to enjoy. In just the two days I have been here there has been constant activity---two visiting teams bringing their own day camp experience right to our door-arts and crafts---special outings to exciting locations like the Bua Tong (snake belly) limestone waterfall that you can actually walk up and down---in the water---on the limestone which is amazingly easy to find traction on even as the water rushes underfoot (-really---I have been there a number of times and can attest to this from first-hand experience!).

But, for me, today was really sweet. You see, every Tuesday during the noon hour, the nannies gather for a time of worship, prayer, study and fun in the big "Sala" area in the front of Agape. It is always wonderful to hear them singing and laughing together. This week, and during the summer school break---the "middle-aged" (9-12 or so) kids get to joing them---and the sight, and sound of it always brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. The video clip below will, I hope, give you a small taste of this very precious time! Oh, and if you hear a slightly familiar voice chiming in near the end...that would be me...momentarily forgetting that the same camera capturing the kids and nannies voices would also capture mine!

Video Test

My walk to the University--April 22, 2010.

After school fun...

I really like when the kids come home from school in the afternoon. They come racing up the walk from the bus-full of stories and greetings and news from their day. Then it is off to put away their shoes, book bags and assorted belongings, and up to the big assembly room on the second floor of the Agape school building to check-in and have a snack. Like any big family-you have to touch base, get your plan for the evening, and make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be! The kids take a seat on the floor, and the one who is quietest gets to go forward first (and so on...) to sign the book and let the nannies on duty know if they have homework or not. Then they get their treat--"Khanom"---and off they go to the next thing-homework, or playtime, or just simply hanging out with their friend Patty visiting from America!

I Missed You Too!!!

A Brief Winter Respite

This has already been a long hard winter-bitter cold, snow, unseasonably "warm" followed by rain and sleet, followed by ice everywhere, followed by more bitter cold and snow.....and on it goes. If Puxatawny Phil the famous groundhog is to be believed (anyone reading this from Gobbler's Creek, PA?), we have another 6 weeks (or more) of this nonsense as the little furry beast emerged on Monday to see his shadow. But, me, I get a brief respite from this starting tomorrow---9 days in sunny, warm, not-so-humid-yet Northern Thailand---Yippee!!! I am going to let that hot sun drenched air soak into my frozen joints and try not to complain even once that it is "too hot"! Hope you will join me for the trip...I'll do my best to bring you up to date on all the happenings at the Agape Home...and who knows, maybe this will be the trip that I hear the longed-for phrase of the coach-class passenger on a long haul flight..."Why Miss Franklin, we have an opening in World Business Class---would you like an upgrade!?" :-)

Prunee Wan Gert Khon Khray!?!?!?

It has became a familiar refrain each day this visit---"whose birthday is it going to be...next week, in 8 days, in 5 days...and finally...TOMORROW"!!! And each day he hurled himself at me as fast as his little legs could carry him, leaping up at the last for a big hug!! YOURS, I would say as we laughed!!! I don't think I have ever known ANYONE as excited about their birthday as this precious boy...and everyday this exchange has been the highlight of my day. Well, yesterday the big day came, and as the cakes came out and the singing started and the presents were unwrapped, it was clear that the day had lived up to his expectations and more!! From the moment he hit the ground off the school bus, the refrain of "happy birthday...happy birthday" sung over and over in a not too bad voice, but sounding a bit like "Happy Birday" ----rang out across the property. He giggled with glee at the sight of his cake, and each present elicited an exuberant WOW...Dii, Kap!! (wow, that's good!!). At the end of it all, he shared and compared his presents with all the other late-Sept/Early Oct birthday boys (4 in all ranging age from 9-13), and I am pretty sure has already started the countdown to next year---his 10th!

But it was that evening before that I think I will hold in my heart forever. After our hug, and our shared anticipation of what "tomorrow" would bring, I said, hey, let's stop for a moment and pray with thanksgiving for your birthday and your life. "Okay, Kop!!" And we did---me with a hand on either side of his upturned face---thank you Lord so much for this boy, for his life, for the joy that you put deep within him and that bubbles out at every turn... I began, and as we prayed together, I realized again how life often gets boiled down to these kind of moments when all else strips away---all the cares and hurdles and bumps in life that seem so insurmountable and are in fact temporal---and we take a moment to simply say thanks for a most precious gift. As we finished, I opened up my eyes to look into those radiantly happy brown eyes---and felt again that peace that passes all human understanding. Happy Birthday dear boy---happy birthday!