Learning Thai

This is a post just to say, hey, we're still here! Life goes on as usual! It's strange to hear people in the States talking about summer and being out of school for the summer- when we just ended our hottest part of the year (still hot though!) and are getting back into the school routine. The school break here is April/May and October. Our whole family life seems to be arranged around school and English teaching right now. Claire is flourishing in homeschool- enjoying learning about houses around the world, memorizing Genesis 1, reading Homer Price, taking painting lessons from Reacher Dani, etc, learning to tell time, etc, etc. I'm really enjoying teaching her and learning a lot myself!

Eliza continues to do well in her three days a week school. She's settled into the routine and seems to enjoy her days at school. Two days a week she's home with me, learning to read and do math.

Silas got a haircut. His favorite words are: taxi, airplane, som (orange), fruit, I want, tiger, ouch (he says "ouch" when he's annoyed).

Tom is back to teaching his kindergartners and is looking at some other teaching possibilities- please pray that he can find the right fit. I'm still really enjoying my English students and feel like they are turning into friends.

Things in the city are peaceful and safe again although the curfew goes on for another week (it's much later now though).
-Candice

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday the police and armed forces finally moved in decisively to clear out the redshirt protesters. Most of the core leaders of the movement surrendered to the police, and many of the protesters agreed to go home, but many others decided to riot. We were shocked and saddened to hear about the destruction of property and the loss of life that followed. Roughly 30 buildings were set on fire and some of them were completely destroyed - including a major shopping mall, one of the largest in Asia.

A curfew was imposed for Bangkok and many other provinces (including ours) and will be in effect for the next three nights. All banks in the area are closed.

The good news is that, as of this afternoon, the situation seems to be calming down. There are still some protesters out, but I have not heard of any new fires recently. Of course it will take a long time to recover from the damage that has been done.

For the most part our neighborhood seems normal today. Eliza went to school and I had my first day of teaching the kindergartners. (The older two classes actually seemed to have remembered some of what I taught them last year!)

We are planning to stay close to home for the next few days and keep a very close eye on the news. We have come up with an emergency evacuation plan for our team - but are trusting that it will not be used! Thanks for remembering us and this country in your prayers.

-Tom

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eliza’s first day of school report:
This morning when I left for school, I felt kind of nervous. I got on my backpack and things (with milk boxes and my new pencil case) and I ate with Daddy at the Noodle Shop (I had eggs and water and Daddy had coffee and fried rice. He gave me some cucumbers and some of his coffee). When I got to school, I sat down and saw my picture was on the door with all the other kids! I traced Thai letters. My teacher’s name is Kruu Nouwen. She shouts but she is nice! A girl named Dang Gwa didn’t have colored pencils so I shared my pencils with her. I colored a picture and I drank milk and played on the playground. For lunch I had noodles. And then I had naps in the baby class. Then Daddy came and I got bubble tea and then I told Mommy and Claire about my day. It was a good day!! Thank you for praying for my first day! I thought about Jesus being with me today. Also, Claire wrote me a note and put it in my pencil case for a surprise!
Love, Eliza!

P.S. So far so good. In spite of some crying this morning prior to her second day, she recovered well and had a good second day too. Thanks for praying for our brave girl! It's not easy going to school in a second language!

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We are feeling the need for prayers right now. As you may have heard, the demonstrations in Bangkok are becoming increasingly violent. To learn more about the situation, check out the Bangkok Post . Our hearts are extremely saddened by the loss of life. We are just outside of the city, so for now, we are feeling far enough away from the action in the city center to be safe. We are staying away from the city and following the situation closely. We are asking for prayer for the protection of our whole team and for peace in the city.

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our family got to spend part of this week at the beach for some rest prior to the start of the school year as well as to celebrate Tom's 35th birthday. Here some pictures of our fun times....

View of the beach from our room. We enjoyed a desserted beach because it's not an area for many tourists and Thai people stay away from the beach in the blazing heat of morning! The beach and the water were very, very hot.

Silas loved the beach!! He begged to go into the water and loved charging up and down on the sand. He discovered a newfound love of boats and was constantly pointing out over the water yelling "boat!!"

Claire and Eliza had a delightful three days of swimming, digging up sand crabs, making holes, getting buried, and making sand cakes.

Pommelo salad with shrimp- sweet, salty, citrusy, zingy, yum! We had some wonderful meals of Thai seafood on the beach. Our favorites: garlic fried whole fish, clams with basil, and shrimp cakes.

What a great time of relaxing and getting away. Now we're thinking about school. Please pray for Eliza and she begins Thai school tomorrow!
-C

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It seems like it's been awhile since we've introduced you to our whole team. Here we all are at a recent retreat.
Back row (l-r) Colleen, Candice, Silas, Tom, Danielle, Jacquie, Richard, Nathanael, Samantha. Front row (l-r): Dan, Claire, Eliza, Nixson, Elisha, Efrain. We are so happy for a big team right now and love our Reachers who will be with us for a few months yet.

Now, it's off to the beach for our family. We are taking some vacation time and will be back home on Friday. After that, it's back to school for all of us (except Mr. Silas). See you later!!

-Candice

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today we were delighted to get our first heavy rain of the rainy season. Hurray!! After months of extreme heat and dryness, rain is a complete joy! Even our trees looked happy! As always, when the rainy season begins, our whole family heads outdoors to play in the rain with boots and umbrellas....

Happy plants

Licking raindrops

Eliza stomps some puddles

Big sister tries to provide some shelter.

Banana trees getting drowned in the downpour.

Pretty girl

We're so thankful for the start of the rains and hope they continue!! The temps are still hot, but the rain is a welcome, welcome relief. Upcoming plans....next week we will be on vacation at the beach and the following week, the school holiday is over. Eliza will be heading to Thai school, Tom to teaching kindergarten English and Claire and I back to homeschool.

Candice

P.S. I have to show you what Tom made for dinner one night this week. A fantastic feast of chicken three ways (garlic, curried, and basil). It lasted three meals!

YUM!

Posted by Tom & Candice Mast at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)