Learning Thai

On Friday, Eve and Eric, Claire and Candice enjoyed a little trip to the Gulf of Thailand to feed the seagulls and eat some seafood. Sadly, Eliza got Claire's bug and stayed home sick with Daddy. We had fun throwing bread to the hundreds of screaming birds.....

Claire's reaction when one swooped a little too close to her head.

Pretty sunset and seagulls.

Today Eric and Eve headed to Cambodia and will be back for a few days at the end of the week before returning home to Ohio.

Today (Sunday) we split up. Candice and Eliza (along with Eve & Eric) met the rest of our team for a worship service in a nearby park. Tom and Claire went to Pooh's (one of his students and Claire's schoolmates) birthday party. As a team we've been challenging ourselves to reevaluate our definition of "church" and to think about ways in which a variety of interactions with other people can meet our (and their) spiritual needs. (We've looked at Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well as a model.) So, although we didn't enter a church building today (and, in fact, rarely do) we were both encouraged and blessed.

The birthday party was a great chance to learn more about Thai culture and religion and to relate to some new people. The family had invited a group of monks to participate - as a way of making merit on Pooh's birthday. Later they also performed a ceremonial first haircut on a one-month old baby. Claire had fun playing with the other kids there and I enjoyed talking with an interesting mixture of people at my table - including a Swiss man, his Thai wife, and a Mexican lady who has lived here for 15 years. This is the kind of interaction that I was hoping could come from teaching English. I definitely feel like I know this family better now and am looking forward to more opportunities for interacting with them.

The birthday boy blows out his candles.

Claire and Pooh- they also go to school together and Claire saw some of her teachers at the party.

-Tom and Candice