So Much, So Little

I have so much to tell you! But I have so little time! I had intended to have Jade update the blog while I was away in Mae Wong...but she ran into some technical difficulties beyond her control and was not able to update. Therefore...there is much to catch you up on. However...it is after midnight...and i have to be up at 8 to go ride elephants and to bamboo raft down a river in the mountains. I know, I know...boo-hoo. Either way I need to get to sleep pretty quickly. Let's see how briefly I can tell you about our time in Mae Wong. We went to Mae Wong Tuesday morning. Tim, Melodie, Madison, Caprice, and I all stayed there all week until this afternoon. Tim and I stayed with a lady named Julie...she spoke some English...which was nice. Melodie and Caprice stayed with the Poo Yai Bahn...or leader of the village in Mae Wong. It was at his house that we ate breakfast and dinner everyday. Madison stayed with an older Thai woman...by herself...and the woman spoke no English...good times. We spent most of Tuesday settling in out there...and we got to play with some kids at Trimitt school too. The kids are so freaking adorable! Wednesday we painted an older lady's house that another team had built for her several months ago. We did an at least mediocre job...and we had fun too! Rob and Jordan are going to be living in Mae Wong for a month, we hung out with them a lot while we were there. They helped us paint the house. We all sang and laughed a lot while we painted. After painting we had to clean up some of the paint (dried) from the concrete floor. This required a pail of water and a ripped up t-shirt for rags. The combination of dirty concrete floor, water, and paint ends up being a slimy...yet gritty...mess. It was one of the sickest feelings I've ever felt on my hands...ew.... Wednesday the children had a New Year's party at the school...and we hung out with them and played games. Thursday was an interesting day. We had intended to paint a clinic that had just been built...however...the concrete was not dry enough...so we didn't get to paint. Instead the girls spent most of the day chopping vegetables while Tim and I spent most of the day following the Poo Yai Bahn around and drinking water. We did rake some leaves...for about 20 minutes. The reason that Thursday was so chill was because of the funeral. Evidently 2 people from the village died on Tuesday or Wednesday...and so they began funeral preparations. Buddhist funerals take 3 to 4 days and culminate with the burning of the bodies in their large casket house contraptions. While we didn't see the actual funeral, we did see many of the preparations. The girls were chopping vegetables for all of the food that was being prepared for all the people that were coming in for the funeral. Tim and I raked leaves at the place that the bodies were to be burnt. Also, what little time we weren't raking we spent watching the men of the village build the casket housing. Buddhist caskets (in my experience) have large temple-like structures built around them. They are then carried around in these large structures to the place that they are burnt. All in all, Thursday was interesting. Today was Children's Day. We had planned to hold a sports camp from 9 to 12 for the children from the 2 area schools in Mae Wong. However, that didn't happen. We met the rest of the team from Chiang Mai at a government building where the day's activities were to be held (in Mae Wong) ...and we watched several traditional Thai dances from the 2 schools. Then some groups of kids sang. Finally, around 10:40am we were given the reigns to hold a mini sports camp for an hour or so. So we did. We set up 5 stations and rotated the kids through them in 10 minute intervals. It was all very simple, but it went very well and the kids seemed to love it. After we finished, more children sang, and then we had a snack and some tea...stuff. The tea stuff was awesome...it tastes exactly like the milk left in a your bowl after you eat some fruit loops...but in a watery, not milky, form. It was very tasty. After that deliciousness we headed into the government building for lunch with the big-wigs of the community. That was nice. Then we all came back to Chiang Mai. That was nice...showers were nice. At 5 we all met at Baan Kanoon to head to the Hillsong concert. We left Baan Kanoon at about 5:45pm and headed to National Stadium. The concert began at 6. Christian Thai bands (I didn't even know there was such a thing until tonight) played until 8, when Hillsong came on. They were awesome. It was so surreal to be at a concert with probably 10-15,000 people on a soccer field in a country where 98% of people are Buddhist and to be singing praise songs in English...with an Australian band...in Thailand...weird. It was a very cool experience. Afterward, we all went to the Night Bazaar and ate at Burger King...as the team from the village (including myself) was about riced out. We were ready for some greasy beef...and we got some. We spent some time walking around at the Night Bazaar and then we headed back to the hotel...which is where I am sitting now. Well there...that wasn't too bad. At least now you can have some concept of what this week looked like. I think Jade had typed up some stuff about the other team that stayed in Chiang Mai. I'll see if I can get that from her tomorrow. Also, I am going to try to get everyone's pictures from the trip thus far and put them on my computer tomorrow. Then I can upload some more here for your enjoyment. 3 fun facts about our time in Mae Wong that I didn't mention: 1. We rode bicycles all over, loaned to us by our house-parents. 2. We were in bed before 9:00pm every night. 3. I basically adopted a child named Ot. I will miss him. He cried when I left. He is 7. Please pray that our team will enjoy the opportunity to rest and to play tomorrow. Pray that we will all get along and enjoy each other's company. Pray that this weekend will rejuvenate us for this next (and last) week of work with the Thai people. Thanks for all of your support!