summer work or something like it...

So this summer has turned out to be a very short and sweet couple of weeks. Every year, I try and figure a plan out to stay busy. I hate when I have nothing to do and I'm just home wasting time. Now if I can find a way to spend my time and make money that's even better! Some call that a job, but this summer's work is far from a regular nine to five ;]

I have been extremely lucky and have acquired several baby sitting jobs with regular hours and good pay. Besides all of that, the kids I work with are mostly joy to look after. There are two boys, Keanu and Jack. Sometimes we hang out together, but mostly it's individual kid job. They have two very different personalities and always make me laugh with their kid humor. It has been a great experience and eye opening into the life of caring for a child.

it's official

This summer has had a slow start. I'm not sure if adjusting back to home life has something do with that, but it's given me a lot of time to think and come to miss my home in Ubon. This last week I printed a bunch of pictures, and looking through them made me sad. Seeing Thailand and the people in those pictures made me want to be there again. And that thought came with the harsh reality: I can't.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a program on TV about Thailand. It was mostly in Thai and hearing the language again sparked up memories. I know with time, it'll all get easier. But that doesn't erase the fact that I miss it. Seeing my printed photos, made it official; that time is now and forever a memory, but one that I will cherish always and forever ;]

the whirlwind

So presently, I am sitting in the comfort of my own home. My dogs sitting next to me sleeping the day away. Outside is the sunny Cali weather surrounds all, the day is in full swing. The truth is, I miss Thailand. For many reasons I wish I could be back, even for just a second. It ended too fast, and the sad part is I was looking forward to the end. It was such a whirlwind, I didn't quite really feel the weight of leaving. At this moment I don't feel at home, I feel unsettled. It's feeling I can't quite explain and I'm quite sure how to deal. This didn't really hit me until Erin left my house yesterday. It's really over, and we're the only ones that understand. 

hello PHUKET.

I have been anticipating this vacation since the day I arrived in Thailand, and it's finally here! Beautiful Phuket. It took a overnight bus to get here, but it's worth a night of uncomfortable sleep. Erin and I are staying at the Marriot Beach Club Resort on Mai Khao beach. It's a little out of the ways, but it's so nice here.

This blog entry is going to be a little different in the sense that it'll be mostly comprised of photos. Enjoy ;]

Erin and I in Patong Beach.

A day by the pool ;]

Beautiful Mai Khao Beach

It was amazing!

James Bond Rock

Our date ;] Indian food buffet!

Breath-taking Phi Phi Islands.

The view from breakfast ;]

hello chinatown.

So we left Ubon today. Our departure isn't for another week or so, and now I'm staying in Bangkok for a night and tomorrow Erin and I's Phuket adventure begins!! We traveled here with friends of ours. They are one of the nicest Thai families, they offered to bring us to Bangkok. We're staying in the heart of Chinatown and i LOVE it. I had a chance to experience Chinatown a little bit during x-mas break and it was so great. There's a different atmosphere here. 

The goal of this quick trip to the city was to do some last minute shopping. So Erin, Mike and I hit up Pratunam (a huge shopping area.) While we were down there we decided to splurge and eat at the buffet at the top of the Baiyote Tower; the tallest building in Bangkok. It was really nice and we had a great time at the chinese buffet. We left with full tummies and headed back to Chinatown to call it a night. 

Farewell Ubon

It's bright and early, I'm on my way out. But this time it's for good. I headed to Bangkok and then Phuket. This leg of my journey concludes my missionary year. I have said good bye to all and I can only hope that we will meet again. Ubon has been a great place with some many amazing experiences. I am so lucky to have been sent here, God had a plan all along. I will never forget this place ;]

goodbye Tan

So the day has finally arrived; my last day. I have thought about this day repeatedly, wondering if it would ever come and now that it has I wish time would slow down for just a second. Erin and I had a small party with our students in the afternoon. It was really nice to see them one last time and just enjoy their company. There has been one student that has always stood out from all the rest, his name is Tan. Academically and socially, he's very capable. He probably speaks the best English out of all my students. It was especially sad to say good bye to him. 

Yesterday after our last day of actual class he told me, 'Leah, your eyes look so sad.' I didn't even realize, but it was true; I was a bit sad to be done with teaching. Saying good bye today was really hard, he looked so sad. What he told me touched me so much, I will never forget it. He said, 'thank you so much for being my teaching, you're the best teacher.' To tell you the truth I was a little shocked, and so flattered. This is the same student who asked me about my beliefs in Jesus. And ever since then, I have felt that we connected. I feel so blessed to have been his teacher and him my student. I leave here knowing that I did something good for at least one person and that makes it all worth it. 

My Favorites

This entry is dedicated to all the random and unforgettable memories that I have encountered in Ubon. (No particular order.)

1. All the English camps.  Thanks to Esther (our agent), we had so many opportunities to teach outside of our small school. 

2. Wat Nong Bua. On a random exploration day, Erin and I visited Wat Nong Bua; a very beautiful temple in Ubon. 

3. Song Tao rides to the supermarket. Before we got a motorbike, grocery shopping was done via song tao. The sip baht (10) ride got us from A to B and back ;]

4. Exploring the moon river neighborhood. On a random afternoon, Erin and I took a walk down my the moon river and walked through the 'slums' of Ubon. 

5. Hanging out with the 'nurses'. During a Thai festival, a group of female nurses befriended Erin and I. They showed us around the moon river and told us about the festival. 

6. Loy Kratong. In November, the festival called Loy Kratong filled the moon river with floating candles. During this, Erin and I both had a chance to raise our own fire lantern into the sky. 

7. Belgium backpackers. Long story, but the night ended with Erin and I escaping an awkward situation with the two guys from Belgium. 

8. Exercising/Smoothies. After exercising in the park, we'd visit our smoothie lady and enjoy a orange/lemon smoothie. 

9. Hanging out with Charles. One of our Thai friends, and one of the few not awkward situations. 

10. Hair Salon. Amanda introduced us to this hair salon. The best hair washing I've ever had. 

11. Riding the motorbike w/ Amanda. Never thought it could happen, but yes we fit, all three of us on the motorbike. 

12. Eating out w/ Amanda. There wasn't much to do in Ubon, so our hang outs always ended with us eating out. lol. 

13. Learning to drive. Amanda taught Erin and I to drive the motorbike before she left. 

14. Eating Italian. The best non-Thai food in Ubon. I'm pretty sure we were their best customers ;]

15. Watching movies in Thai. Ubon's lack of English, forced us to oblige and watch a few films in Thai. Some not worth it, but one was actually good. 

16. Songkran. One of the most fun holidays I have ever experienced. Literally a giant water fight. So much fun!

17. Cruising town. Post getting the motorbike, our trips to town were a little more free. We mapped out our own route to the supermarket and Starbucks, which involved the back roads; always an interesting experience. 

18. Sun-baking. A day dedicated to getting dark, or sometimes very very sun burn. lol. 

19. Getting coffee by the park. Two very nice ladies used to serve us at this coffee shop, they make a very good iced mocha. 

20. Living off of 7-eleven. When there's no where to go and nothing to do, 7-eleven was always there. lol. 

Here we go...

It's official, I have now began my last week of teaching at the Ubon SDA language school. It feels like yesterday that I came here; everything was new and fresh. And now that's not the case anymore. I have grown used to the way of life here, it's no longer foreign. 

A long time ago I stopped considering myself as a tourist here. For the past eight months I have been living and working in Thailand. I have come to know Ubon, it has become my home throughout this time. I have made friends, some I know that I will never be able to forget. 

 And then there are my favorite acquaintances; the cha-yen lady, the fried rice lady, the barista at Starbucks, the ladies with the smoothie stand, the pad thai couple, everyone at 'Italian' and the sticky rice and mango lady, (yes they are all connected with food, lol.) These people have befriended Erin and I while we have lived here, and it's a little sad to think I'll never see them again. 

It's really weird to think that everything I have come to know for the past eight months is going to end. I'm going back to reality and that's a little scary. As exciting as it is to be going home, I am going to truly miss this place and all the memories that it holds. Life is always moving forward, there's no point in trying to slow it down...here we go, the start of something new. 

Village Language School

Today I had the chance to do yet another English camp in the Ubon area. This time it wasn't with a big school or anything. It was about 40 kilometers from town and it was very small, private language school. The school was located in a shop space, consisting of three very small rooms. It definitely had a different feel, compared to what English camps in the past were like. 

About forty students participated, and when I think about the English camps that were comprised of five hundred students, today was a piece of cake. Teaching was a little tight because of the space issue, but other than that it was fine. The students were very nice and energetic. And on top of that their English was not bad, it was a lot of fun to interact with them. 

In the morning, Erin, Esther, and I were separated; each of us teaching a different level and then rotating in shifts. It seemed to work out well. At lunch time we broke to eat and the English camp's hosts took us out to eat. All the food was really good, especially the sumtum (papaya salad.) I usually don't really enjoy this because often it's very spicy, but this dish was a different kind and it was more sweet than spicy. I really enjoyed it and I'm kind of bummed that I just discovered it.

After lunch, the three of us brought the groups together outside and played English games for the last two hours. It was pretty chill English camp and another great experience outside of my school. I was especially happy to see this language school in the midst of the country. Without it, many of these kids would not have the chance to learn English. The people in charge were also really nice and I could tell that they truly enjoy teaching the kids. It's exciting and comforting to see other teachers love what they do and even more so to see kids that love to learn ;] 

One week from today...

will be my last day in Ubon. It's crazy. I guess it's about time to say good-bye ;] 

Mission College: Muak Lek, Thailand

Through out this year I've been curious about visiting the SDA college here in Thailand. Finally this last school break, Erin and I had opportunity to travel two hours north of Bangkok to the city of Muak Lek. 

On the way there, after driving for awhile and the bustle of Bangkok was long behind us, it felt has if we had driven to another world. Lush, green, rolling mountains were in the distance; the sky was a perfect blue, dotted with mountainous clouds. It was a beautiful sight, one that I was glad I didn't miss. 

After exiting the main highway, we drove through the heart of Muak Lek. From what I could tell, it's fairly small, simply town; where the nearest big supermarket is thirty minutes away. After passing through 'downtown' I realized we were getting close to Mission college; as various road signs indicated. The college is definitely off the beaten path, surrounded by a deep green country fenced by breath taking mountains. I couldn't believe the natural beauty that surrounded me and yet I wasn't so far from the overly polluted city. 

Erin and I were so lucky, because just a week before at the camp in Korat; we might the Ashlock family. During that, we made connections and were invited to visited them at Mission college. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them and the food, well it would be an understatement to describe it as amazing! I almost felt as if I was already back home, it was a strange feeling. 

We stayed a total of two days there. The Ashlock's showed us around Muak Lek, taking us to this giant white Buddha on a mountain. It really was an amazing sight. The only catch to this monument was to get to it involved a six hundred something stair climb. But we all made it and the view was enough to make the climb worth it. After we went to a waterfall, where we all went swimming. There were a lot of other families there, picnicking and enjoying the refreshing water. Over one of the small waterfalls was a rope swing. Erin and I took turns jumping off from it, something I have never tried; it was a lot of fun! 

Sabbath morning, we went to church at Mission College's SDA church. That morning we had the chance to walk around campus and really see it. It's such a beautiful campus. It reminds me a lot of Andrews, with all the trees and green grass. Erin and I had so much fun just walking around taking pictures and enjoying an absolute beautiful day. 

Sometimes when I'm in places where the beauty is just astounding, all I can think about is God. Something so magnificent cannot be from anyone else. Being in Muak Lek, encompassed by all of God's gifts was comforting; especially in these last few weeks, where time is just a blur. I don't want it to pass too quickly, allowing me to rush through it all. I want to savor how blessed I have been this year; all the spectacular adventures and sights, the people and their unique culture; I owe it all to Him ;] 

bagels.taxis.FRIENDS.books.falafels

...these things made my spontaneous trip to Bangkok worth every moment traveled and baht spent. 

After spending a few days in Ubon for Songkran, we packed up the van and hit the road for the city. Erin and I figured we would hang out with our friends for a couple of days before heading to Mission College in Muak Lek. Every time we go to Bangkok, we have the chance to enjoy the 'luxuries' that Ubon lacks. For example, the movie theater that plays films in English and the wide variety of food. We did not hold back; we had one full day to spend there so we took advantage of that. 

Our trip consisted of breakfast at Au Bon Pain and Sometimes. Both now are favorites of mine. It felt really good to finally have a simple bagel with cream cheese, something I haven't encounter very much in Thailand. 

We hit up a couple of book stores; one of them full of used books, screaming to be brought home ;] I'll admit I left the city with four more books than I had come with. I couldn't help myself, I love to read. 

Dinner that night was exceptionally special and beyond delicious. We ate at a Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant. This meant: pita bread and hummus, Greek salad and falafels! So yummy. I haven't had anything like that since I was back in the States, it was definitely long over due. 

Through out all of this running around town (which at one point did involve a little of running; people throwing water in the spirit of Songkran) we had the 'luxury' of taking metered taxis. Something that in Ubon does not exist. It's nice to have the convenience of travel in Bangkok. 

But at the core of it all; I had could spend this trip with friends that I barely get to see. And since it was a random, not planned trip that made it even more exciting. We are all finishing up this year relatively at the same time; it's just insane that these nine months of our lives are over. It's been an amazing journey and I am so lucky to have shared it with such exceptional people. Although our time in Thailand will end in the next couple of weeks, we are walking away with new friendships. It's priceless ;]

Unrest

So I have been in Thailand for about almost nine months and within those months I have witnessed the country's deep rooted unrest. Throughout the time that I have been here, there have been several different headlines concerning Thailand's political problems. Some so bad that, traveling in Bangkok mainly was not advised. 

Just recently during this vacation, another breakout of violence and protesting erupted in Thailand's capital. Luckily I live no where close to Bangkok. This all was happening during the Songkran holiday, fortunately all of us SM's even the ones from Bangkok were celebrating in Ubon. But with still a couple of days left in the break, Erin and I decided that it would a great chance to visit Mission College. We were a little apprehensive at first because of the problems happening in Bangkok. The protesting was at it's worst yet; we just didn't know if we should be around that. 

But God is so good. The day we were suppose to leave for Bangkok, the protesters surrendered and were pushed out of public areas. I was so thankful, because I really wanted to spend some more time with the other SM's. Our time here is quickly concluding and it's a little bit sad that it's time to say our good-byes. 

I hope and pray that this unsettling problem between the people of Thailand will work out. From what I've seen, it's tearing this country apart and that's no way to live.  

yum yum

The second day of Songkran was not spent soaking wet in the back of pick up truck, hurling water to the masses of people in the street. I spent today with my friends learning to cook Thai food. It was a lot of fun. Thai food is relatively easy to make, it's just a lot of preparation before the actually cooking. 

What was on the menu? A ton of dishes, but I'm not that great at remembering them all ;] There was one dish that we all got to make for ourselves and that was: Pad Thai. So I'm somewhat confident saying that I could recreate what I made today. I guess I'll have to see if that true when I get back in the states. 

After cooking a feast, we left to go pack up. Shortly after we all piled into the van and drove to Bangkok. After much discussion and debating Erin and I decided to go along even with the recent protesting issues. We always wanted to visit Mission College and traveling this direction would allow us to do that...and plus a little trip to Bangkok is always fun ;] 

Songkran Madness

Today was officially the first day of the Songkran holiday. My day started with a coffee/chai yen run on the motorbike. Mike came along with me, and after getting the drinks we made our way back to the school. But we didn't make back dry. A group outside the gate had started Songkran already and were merciless to us. They threw a bucket of ice water on us; thankfully I didn't crash. From then on in the day, I felt bad for all of the motorbike drivers out there, as I didn't enjoy the splash of water while I was driving. 

After breakfast we took a walk into the neighborhood. By that time, there were many people out in the street waiting for motorists/pedestrians to pass by. We made it pass them without suffering the wet consequences, well at least for awhile. We walked through the park, where if you were dry; you were out of place. Part of Songkran is getting others wet and applying powder to others faces. At first a few people asked to put powder on my face and I politely declined. But that didn't last long, shortly people just started running up to us and spreading powder on our cheeks. 

Surprisingly, we made it out of the park area dry, but since it was really hot I was wishing for someone to pour water on me. We walked a few blocks more down to the Moon river. One of the stray city dogs followed us and somehow ended up leading us. It was really random, but he seemed to know where we wanted to go. lol. While we were down there, some ladies greeted us and very politely initiated us into Songkran. The gently poured a bucket of water on us, it was nice way to start our experience of the famous holiday. 

After lunch, we had the chance to drive around in the back of pick up truck and participate in the water fun. We had two big buckets in the back and about eight people in the truck bed. I have never seen anything like this before; the streets were packed with cars, just like ours throwing water at each other. There were also a ton of people just on the street tossing water at the cars. Some of the water was room temperature but some had ice water in their buckets; that was a little shocking. Not only did people come up to us with water, they also brought us that powder. I wasn't a big fan of the powder and I didn't like strangers touching me. This was only the first day of the three days of celebrating; it scared me a little because people were already so drunk. 

A couple of times we had to stop and 'refuel' so to speak. After filling up the buckets we hit the streets again and rejoined the giant water fight. The clouds began not to work in our favor and hid the sun, which made being soaking wet a little uncomfortable. But overall it was an enjoyable experience. I have never seen a holiday like this one. It was lot of fun and I am so happy to have had the chance to be a part of it. HAPPY Songkran! 

It's Songkran!

So here in Thailand right now is a holiday called 'Songkran.' It's actually the Thai new year and is traditionally celebrated by throwing water. Yes...it's one big country-wide water fight. Since I arrived in Thailand, people had been telling me all about this celebration and now that it is in full swing; I realize they weren't exaggerating. 

I have yet to participate in the water fun, but I have definitely witnessed it. Ubon's local park is a huge meeting point in this city but now it's even more of a popular place. One side of the park is one big fountain, it's so crazy. People are obsessed with being wet and getting others wet as well. 

Today as we were driving outside of town, we encountered Songkran festivities. People of all ages stood at the side of the road and waited for cars to pass their way and then at the right moment they would throw water. We were in an enclosed van so the water didn't effect us, but it was still a surprise. I can't wait to get involved in the water fun...it should be a blast!

"Go Forth and Serve"

The past few days, I have been out of town. I went to a youth/family camp in the Thai province of Korat. A group from the church here in Ubon made the trip there. I really didn't know what to expect. And to be completely honest, I wasn't all that excited. I knew that mostly likely everything would in Thai and not translated. It really isn't a fun feeling when you don't understand ANYTHING! But I went knowing this and determined to think of the trip with a positive attitude.

It was hard to stay positive when I couldn't really participate in the programs. I especially didn't like that I couldn't worship and sing praises, because the songs were all Thai. I caught a break when the speaker turned out to be an American pastor. Finally, I could understand. Through out the day I helped out with the kindergarten class. It was so much fun to interact with the kids.  

Even though I couldn't really understand all that was happening, I did see something amazing. Here I am in a country where 95% of the people are Buddhist. In a place like this it is very difficult to share Christianity; it's understatement to say we are the minority. But here I was at this camp, surrounding by Thai Christians. Some baptized already and some not yet. But still the fact that they were there, learning about God's love is awesome. There were a lot of young people there and that is so exciting to me; we are the future, it is our responsibility to 'go forth and serve'. 

On the second day of the camp, a baptism was held in the camp swimming pool. A fairly large group was baptized. It was especially a blessing for Erin and I, because a student and friend was baptized that day. It was really cool to see these people commit their lives to Christ. Afterwards, we got the chance to greet them and their expressions were priceless. Such a joy in their smiles, it was absolutely wonderful to experience. 

I felt that the theme 'Go Forth and Serve' was an appropriate theme and one that is relevant in my life. The last two speakers touched on two different aspects of service. Do what you can and DO IT NOW! A missionary from Mission College gave a message with that exclamation as her basis. She told us that it didn't matter who we were and even if we didn't think we had any serviceable talents; God would use each of us. 

The last morning, another missionary from Mission College spoke. This time it was a man with an incredible story. He talked about the benefits of service. The joy it brings and that the one qualification is 'willingness'. He told a story a sixteen year old boy who had committed serveral crimes and was convicted to thirteen years in prison. While he was incarcerated, his mother sent him a Bible and that Bible changed his life. He only served ten years and from the day he was released he has been serving God. The story a took turn of surprise when the man revealed that this boy was actually him. I was shocked and at the same time so blessed by his testimony. He told us that he is living proof that all the benefits of service are true. 

After the message, there was an amazing special music. It consisted of a guitar/violin/singing and the song "As a Deer." First someone was on the guitar and then another man stood behind the guitar player and played on the same guitar. Then a group of foreigners started to sing the words in English and someone shortly started sing it in Thai as well. It was so cool to hear both languages praising God. The song continued and then a violin came into the scene. It was such a beautiful thing to hear and participate in. 

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

You're my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a king
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything

I was so thankful to be there and to hear the wonderful messages about service. Because here I am serving and I pray that my service does not end with Thailand, there's still so much more.

 

No school for awhile

So this last Thursday was my last day of school for two weeks. I have about a month left and two of the weeks I'm not even teaching. Tomorrow I'm headed to a 'family camp' in Korat and then next week is 'Songkran' Thailand's new year celebration. After all this 'resting', it's back to school for just two weeks and then unbelievably it's vacation again and finally HOME! 

"The Yellow Flowers"

Someone told me today that summer has arrived when the yellow flowers bloom. Just recently my home here has been surrounded by beautiful trees that bloom a very vibrant yellow flower. It was just a few weeks ago that these very same trees shed their leaves as if it were fall. I remember thinking that the trees looked ugly and bare, little did I know that they were about to turn into something very bright and pretty. 

I think back to the distant time when I first arrived here. Everything was new and unfamiliar, scary and yet exciting at the same time. It's now eight months later; with a little more than a month left, I see the end approaching. It's funny because there hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about my time here. With every new day, a new experience occurs and again I am one day closer to the end. It's such a bitter sweet feeling. Sometimes all I can imagine is being home, because no matter where I go there will be no place like it. But at the same time, I also can't imagine not being here. Recently Andrews mission department sent me a package and in it was a letter. This letter was full of encouraging words; there was one part that hit me more than all the rest: "I know you may be super excited to come home, but let me encourage you to make the most of your last days there. Soon it will all be a memory, and believe it or not, you'll wishing you could go back!" 

It's already started; the battle. It's a fight against time, part of me wants to fly through this last month with no looking back, but there's another part who wants to savor it forever. When I made this decision to come here, I could have never expected all that has happened. I just want to treasure this simple life a little bit more. Going home is a great thing, but it also means going back to the real world. I've grown accustom to this simple life. But there's a bottom line to all it, just like yellow flowers. They come every year, it's expected. I came here and I embraced the new experience, but now I have to start letting go and accept that eventually it'll be a memory. 

Ashley in Ubon

We have a little more than a month left here in Ubon, but it's never too late for our fellow Bangkok missionaries to make the journey here and visit Erin and I. Just this last Tuesday, Ashley was able to do just that. I was so happy to finally see her after not for so long. It felt great to share our home with her. 

Ubon is nothing like Bangkok, where there's tons of options for food and activity. But still is was fun showing Ashley the simple life we lead here. The first day we took her out on Ubon's Song Tao into town, where we visited the starbucks. It was funny because right outside the door was a photo board and guess who was on it?! Erin and I! haha. That night we showed her the park and the night market. Ashley happened to come on one of the busiest weeks we've ever had, with that being the case we had to teach a lot. Unfortunately that limited our 'hang out' time with her, but we made the best of it. We took her to eat at our favorite Italian restuarant and introduced her to our Cha Yen/Coffee Lady. We all went out and got facials and our hair done, it was so much fun spending time with her again. 

This morning, before we had to take her to the bus station; we made pancakes. It was nice to have some familiar food with good friends. It was our last time seeing Ashley in Thailand, but I look forward to the future and the fun times ahead.