Some Photos to Tell the Story...and Some Changes

Saturday May 2nd ~ a 6 1/2 hour walk around Trang!

I opted to stay in Trang rather than to travel this weekend. Dana left Friday and James & Evan went away for the weekend so I had time to explore on my own. I started off at a coffee shop in the morning at one end of town and then ventured down many of the streets - eyeing up souvenir gifts & researching travel info - as I began a long walk back to CCS's homebase.

A photo can tell a thousand words so here goes... (can't resist a few captions, though)

Trang municipality has about 70,000 people with about 600,000 in the surrounding area.

CCS's Homebase is about 1 km from the entrance to the Trang airport - a handy thing for someone looking for her way home.

The Clocktower - I've read its the largest one in all of Thailand. Wonderful landmark for me to keep my barings!

Sign in front of the City Hall Building near the Clocktower.

Center photo shows His Highness the King.

Intricate detailing of an elephant on the sign.

We saw a real elephant being lead down one of the city streets the day before - don't know why? CCS staff said it was really unusual.

Sign post near the City Hall building.

Sawngthaew, small pickup truck with two benches in the back, used as a bus/taxi. I was looking for one of these to catch a ride back to the homebase but none around. Since the homebase is a little outside the city - they're difficult to find. I had figured I'd probably be walking the whole way back (and had 2 offers from the CCS staff for rides, if I got tired of walking). I'm guessing I walked 6 or 7 miles total?

Like other Asian countries, cute things abound - little stuffed animals, cell phone trinkets, shirts with catchy little saying. I love cute things and have a certain weakness for certain ones of these. Needless to say, I spent a few baht here and there...

Are there many other places where you could buy a scooter with Doreman or Ariel on it?





While American car companies continue to struggle, I've seen several advertisements for Chevrolet's truck - the Colorado. I couldn't resist asking the dealership if I could have a photo with one. :) Ahh, I do miss Colorado!

STUFF THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING...

BOYS' HOME to THE DAYCARE

I loved volunteering at the Daycare with Dana last Thursday. There were about 25 kids, ages 2 to 5. The Daycare is part of a Nursing School which provides both reasonably priced daycare for working adults as well as an observation/class requirement aspect for the Nursing Students.

My role is less structured - I helped with teaching the English alphabet, numbers, colors and playing games with them. I quickly had a couple of favorite children from among the group. The children are fed breakfast and lunch, have numerous hand-washings, have meditation time & sing the national anthem (I'm told this - we didn't do these two things on Thursday), play, short teaching time and showers/teeth brushing before their afternoon nap. Extra hands are really helpful!

Well, after a lot of pondering and prayer, I requested that my placement be changed to the Daycare. The Daycare was never offered to me as an option originally. The plan had been for Dana and Holly to go there & CCS typically doesn't send more than 2 volunteers there. With Dana leaving & Holly having cancelled, I decided to ask if it was a possibility for me. Khem made the calls & I'll be going to the Daycare starting tomorrow for atleast the next 2 weeks! I'm very excited. While I value the role I had at the Boys Home, I think this will be a better fit. And, I will return to the Boys Home for either the last week or the last 2 weeks of my time in Trang. (They already have 2 volunteers, who arrive mid-May, scheduled for the Daycare. I'll only continue there if there's enough kids to make it worthwhile.)

For a lot of personal reasons, I think this will be really good for me. Top of my list is my own questions of wanting kids or not, sometime later in life. As I've gotten older and am not married yet, honestly, I've often felt that they would be too much work. Selfish, I know. I've figured maybe I would just skip parenting (that is, if I do get married...) because my time to myself is so highly valuable to me. I've felt like I have this major irony in life - how can I want to give so much in caring for other people but be unwilling to give unconditionally to a child? (I realize that it's partly b/c as a parent you surrender being able to pick & choose when you give - it's pretty much 24/7 for 18 years!) Anyway, I love children and value them so much. I hope to process through some of this through volunteering - that the Lord will expose some lies in my thinking and give me a fresh perspective.

Among my other thoughts - different schedule (start earlier, done earlier) + less stress in terms of planning and language = more time for me to pray & process through the many things I had hoped to accomplish while in Trang. Possibly good for Evan to work on his own - planning wise? The three nursing students on Thursday & I tried communicating in English & Thai - good opportunity to make some Thai girlfriends while I'm here & keep learning the language on a bit slower pace (which I reallly need - I'm sad to admit!).

And, I guess what topped off my decision is the feeling that making the change was acting out a good boundary for me. Historically, I'm not good at choosing when to leave something - almost always, I hang in there, thinking that with more work & perserverance, the task will end in success. So often, though, I go down with the ship. So, I think this decision is progress for me in this area.

So, well see how it goes! And, the reality that I'll probably be back at the Boys' Home before I leave Trang is fine with me. By then there will be a few more new volunteers so Evan & I will have the opportunity to team with them for the lessons.

SOLO TRAVEL

With Dana now gone & James leaving this weekend, it will be just Evan & I for a few weeks. I'm anticipating that any weekend traveling I will do will be alone. So, I've adjusted to this idea and will run with it. While I get recharged alone, what's the fun to go to a beach by myself? So, thanks to ALL of you who I truly feel are along with me on this journey. I'll pull up a towel next to my beach towel just for you :)

CHRISTIAN CHURCH

A total highlight to my time is learning that one of the staff, Jack, is a Christian :) Up until this weekend I hadn't gotten to ask him much about his background and his faith. I asked him if I could go to church with him this morning & he said he was glad to. Jack is from a town about 2 hours away and he normally goes home on weekends so he isn't always in Trang to attend this church. Jack said that very few of his friends are Christians.

It was a large church - typically around 500 people - and there was English translation headsets so I could hear & understand the sermon. The sermon was great - on Acts 1:1-11. The pastor really stressed waiting on God's timing, knowing and having the Word deep in your heart and being a witness through the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the service, two people stood up and said they wanted to accept Jesus into their hearts! So encouraging and empowering as I press on to be a light where I'm at!

After the service, a Thai woman came up & asked me I could help her with English. She has an English exam that she's failed 3x and really needs some help. I hope it works out for me to help her somehow --- she doesn't have good English and my Thai skills, well...

And, a retired man asked me if I would like to have dinner with him and his family tonight. The man spent many years in the US & has wonderful English. He gave Jack & me a ride home & spoke of how he sees everything that's happened to him as a gift from God.

Please continue to ask the Lord to use me as a witness and encouragement to those who I meet and spend time with.

Gotta go for now! Wishing you a wonderful and restful Sunday!

Love, Becky