Many gifts...

It's hard to believe that I've been in Thailand for over a month now!  The days are flying by and I have to remind myself to be still, to find the quiet places in Him to rejuvenate. I have to say that the Thai's slower-paced way of life and their mai pen rai ("don't worry about it") attitude is rather appealing. :)

Inspired by 1,000 Gifts, I've been making a list of moments for which I'm grateful, moments in time that have the Lord's fingerprints all over them and are wrapped in His love. Gifts for His child. Drawing us into His presence.  Some are more serious, some may seem insignificant to others, and some are just funny, but all are from Him. Since being here, I've listed over 100 such specific moments and know that I could include many, many more. How loving, creative, and joyous is our God!

Here's a few from my list: 

-worshipping at a bilingual church, hearing His name praised in Thai and being awed by the fact that His love and truth aren't limited by language or culture

-hiking through the Chiang Mai mountains and all it's vibrant beauty, exploring a whole different part of His incredible creation 

This beautiful waterfall was well worth the sweaty hike.

-laughing with new friends until my stomach hurts

-the privilege of getting to pray with my students as a class!

-hearing my students talk about how the Lord communicates with them and how they've experienced Him in the past

-watching the sun set behind the mountains and reflecting in the flooded rice fields

-recognizing the many talents of the GIS staff and knowing He has brought us all here for such a time as this

Decorating our principal's office for her birthday!

 -enjoying homemade guacamole for the first time since my last Chipotle in the States :) 

-having community-style dinner AT HOME with friends and laughing over language faux pas

-honest conversations about our pasts and how God has brought beauty from ashes

-getting car rides to school instead of riding my bike and arriving with sweat and makeup dripping down my face. haha

Some of my students' self portraits :) 

School is in full swing now as we just finished our second week!  What a joy my students have already been.  I have 11 precious 5^th graders in my homeroom class and I see Anna’s (my teaching partner) 10 students for math, science, and Bible throughout the week.  Among the 21, there are 5 different passport-cultures represented: Thai, Korean, American, British, and Australian.  What a beautiful tapestry of cultures!  It’s been amazing to hear about the different ministries their parents are involved with – each using their gifts and specialties in various ways further His Kingdom.  And 5th graders are definitely inquisitive – there are constantly hands in the air, representing minds full of great questions.  I definitely can’t answer them all, so I’m starting a “What We Wonder” bulletin board that kids can post sticky notes on throughout the day. Thank God for Google! J  

Some of the elementary staff - unplanned purple power the first day!

I absolutely LOVE the staff here at GIS!  I’m humbled to be working with such an incredible group of people.  We in the elementary have been accused of having “too much fun,” but I love that there’s always laughter and an encouraging word around.  It’s been great to enjoy the new experiences of Thailand with this group!

I’ve had a few “I’m-definitely-teaching-in-Thailand” moments this last week:

-As I left to pick up my students from PE (across the bridge on the secondary side), the rain began to pour and the walkway coverings were no match for the wind.  I literally ran through the rain for almost 10 minutes as I searched for my students who had been playing outside and were taken elsewhere when the storm arrived.  As I crossed back over the bridge, I looked up to see an entire 2^nd grade class pressing their noses against the window, watching the storm, pointing at the crazy teacher running through the rain.  After I finally rounded my students up in the class again, the rain was so loud that I could barely hear myself talk…free reading time! J

-Thai culture is very communal.  This apparently even applies to snack time.  It’s inevitable that the Thai students will get out of their seats to walk around the room and share their snack with anyone else who wants some. Very unlike the “MY potato chip bag!” mentality in America.

-At recess the other day, I was approached by a student who wanted to show off his new friend: a gigantic toad!! (picture to come) He caught it in his backyard and wanted to share the excitement with others, so he transported it to school in a bucket.   After making sure he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this wasn’t a poisonous toad, I petted it and thought it was cool… until it almost peed on me.

-On our nature walk during science class yesterday, we were on a hunt for different kinds of leaves.  Students were told they could pick anything off the ground.  Well, I should have been more specific because I was surprised when 3 boys came running towards me shouting excitedly, “Ms. Will, we found one!”…that “one” was a gigantic palm tree branch, taller than the students themselves. (picture to come)

A women we met on one of our hikes. 

            While life in Thailand has been blessed and joyous, there have also been difficulties along the way.  One of the hardest things is definitely the language barrier.  Faith, a new friend and the elementary art teacher, and I will begin tutoring with a native Thai next week!  I’m excited to learn more…in order to communicate with the locals, get to know my maeban better, feel more comfortable at the market, etc. Learning a new language is HARD, and I have a renewed appreciation for what my ESL (English as a Second Language) students are experiencing. 

Miss you, CO!

            I’ve also had moments of homesickness; at times I just want to go to Panera with my family for a strawberry poppyseed chicken salad and then hop over to Starbucks with friends for a Pumpkin Spice latte (the Starbucks here is very expensive and they don’t have the same seasonal drinks!!)…or walk over to my favorite quiet spot at the pond near my parent’s house….or share all the details of the day with people back home (the time difference makes it SO hard to connect with State-side people!)…or be a part of things like Anna, my sister, leaving for her Sr year of college in Chicago (SO PROUD OF YOU, SIS!!!)…or be at HOPE’s first day of school, just to say hi to everyone that became so dear to me and to catch up on summers.  I brought this up in my Bible class last week and was surprised by the strong response I received from students – we bonded over being homesick! J

Through a note from my mom, I was encouraged by the reminder that the Lord is my intimate Guide through this foreign land.  (*Sidenote, I LOVE that our chapel theme for the year is “Following the Good Shepherd”!) And what a steady, caring Guide He has been. What He wants to do in me and through me during this time in Thailand is far greater than I can imagine, far more eternal than momentary homesickness.  And yet, He cares about the homesickness, too, and is there to comfort as only He can.