Winding down in Trang

Less than a week left in Trang with Cross Cultural Solutions! I can’t believe it. I’m not looking forward to saying goodbye, especially to the CCS Trang staff – Khem, Jack, On, Mama T, Cha . They have created my impression of Thai people. They’ve freely given me their time, their help with the culture, re-pronounced the same basic words and answered my never-ending list of questions. Sight-seeing is so different than partnering with people in another country to accomplish a shared goal. Serving together raises questions and situations that allow you to see and experience the norms of another culture while having someone available to help you understand it from their perspective. I’m so grateful for how they’ve come alongside me these last 5 weeks…

For different reasons I feel a connection with each of them: I love Khem’s wisdom in leading the staff and the volunteers as our Program Director. She’s a single woman balancing her career, responsibilities to her parents, she’s active with her friends and she looks toward the future with hopes for that special someone. Jack, our Assistant Director, has planned our cultural activities & group outings. He’s also spent lots of extra time with us in the evenings – going into Trang town & sharing his favorite hang-outs. I think Jesus shines out of him so much – he always has a smile on his face, a laugh and he continually seeks to serve us. It’s the time that Jack spends with us volunteers that makes me feel like we’re not work to him – “his job” – rather, he wants to be with us and he looks forward it. On, our Admin Asst, also loves kitties and cute things. I’ve shown her photos of the miscellaneous kitties I’ve met around Thailand. The day I walked around Trang town I ran into her downtown. As a stranger in town, it was so fun to have her call out my name as I strolled down the unfamiliar sidewalks. Mama T is normally the first person to the Homebase each morning and she greets me with a huge smile while I’m eating breakfast. Because of her I know many more useful Thai sayings. Cha drives me to my placement each day. We know about the same amount of English & Thai comparatively but that hasn’t stopped us from trying to communicate. He’s willingly quizzed me on the Thai names for fruits and colors and instructions that I can use at the Daycare. He’s one of many examples to me that language can be overcome as a barrier.
I’ve really come to love these new friends and I will miss them very much. I picture it like I arrived in Trang with my heart on a platter – ready to dive in and give it all I’ve got. I did & as I prepare to go, some of me will be left behind. I decided to stay in Trang for an extra day so I’ll have a little more time with the staff before I head off to Pattaya.



FUN LITTLE FACES
Here’s some photos of the cute kiddos I enjoy teaching and playing with each day. Heather, a new volunteer, has joined me at the Daycare so last week I started helping Khruu (Teacher) Ja with her group of children. Ja doesn’t speak much English but I have loved working with her because she finds ways to incorporate me into whatever she’s doing. To help her, I bring simple games & activities with written instructions that my CCS staff has translated into Thai. The kids are precious - among my favorites are Kong (cute smile) & Mo (with me).





A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

I have loved having new volunteers join us at the Homebase! Our house is more full & there’s always something happening to be a part of or a conversation going on. It was a blast to head to Koh Lanta this past weekend with four of them – Matt (New York), Evan, Tomas (Argentina) & Heather (Canada).






ANSWERED PRAYERS

I felt some personal breakthroughs lately as I’ve experienced new ways that the Lord is restoring and refreshing my heart and soul. It boils down to some basic things: I’m different because I know Jesus Christ. He’s transformed my heart and what comes out of it. Like 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There will always be an element of ‘fitting in” to the world that doesn’t happen once we put our faith in Christ’s death on the cross for salvation because He has so deeply changed our hearts. At the same time, though, because Christ was so sacrificial in what He did for me, my heart has become more fully given to the people around me – friends that I want to know Jesus. I want them to have what I have. I long for Him to be glorified and for empty ways to be exposed because they fall so short of all the perks that can only be found in Him. These truths aren’t new to me but the renewal of them has felt critical in the steps that I’m taking forward in life. THANK YOU for your prayers for me!!

Miss you! Love, Becky