Saturday- We spent the morning unpacking and then observed Sally teach her afternoon class. That evening we painted the playground equipment. Most of the equipment was rusty and the paint was chipped so we gave it a fresh coat of blue and orange (Go Gators!!). The kids all joined in to help and we spent the rest of the evening playing with them and enjoying the beautiful sunsets Chaing Mai offers. It was a very fun first night here.
Sunday- Church at Abundant Grace where the service was in Thai and English. After we went to lunch with some very sweet and fascinating missionaries we went to The Walking Street. Walking Street is a huge bizarre with multiple streets filled with clothes, shoes, paintings, food, and all the trinkets you can imagine! We have found many gifts for people back home that will bring a piece of this Thai culture back to the USA.
Monday- Painting the boys classrooms a light green and light blue. The smell of the paint drying was awful, but the finished project looks awesome! Next week we plan to paint the girls classrooms and the church building. That night we had our first adventure to the Night Bizarre. This is very similar to Walking Street but there are a lot more people and you have to barter all the prices. We are still learning the ways to get a good bargain but after looking not interested in the item, saying we have seen it for much cheaper, arguing a little and walking away we are eventually chased down and given the price we want. The whole experience is pretty thrilling and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment with the item you purchased :)
Tuesday- We went to the Elephant camp and the Tiger Kingdom. At the Elephant Camp we saw the elephants take a bath in the river and then saw them perform by playing soccer, doing obstacle courses and painting! It was such a neat experience! And we even went on an Elephant Trek around the camp through the jungle where we were sitting on top of the elephant! Then we headed to Tiger Kingdom. Jessica saw the newborn (1 month old tiger) and got some very cute pictures. Then all three of us saw the smallest tigers (3-6 months old) and the biggest tigers (2 years old). The size difference in the two was astounding! The smallest tigers were like large cats that were playful and cuddly, while the biggest ones could take you out with one wrong move! Jessica has done both of these things on previous trips to Thailand, but she still enjoyed them. And I thought it was a once in a lifetime experience and really enjoyed both adventures!
Wednesday- Today we did something all three of us have never done before... ZIPLINING!!! We spent three hours in the jungle ziplining from platform to platform, spinning in circles through the air, free-falling and propelling down trees! The whole experience was exhilarating and so much fun!!!! We took some amazing pictures and videos and can't wait to post them and show people when we are back. The tour also included a hike to a waterfall which was beautiful and the perfect day for hiking through the jungle. We were blessed today with an amazing opportunity and beautiful weather to enjoy God's creation of the Thailand Jungle! After resting and showering we headed back the night bizarre for Sally's last night in Chiang Mai.
Teaching English at the Hostel- While Sally has been here the past 3 weeks she set up 4 classes of different age groups and learning levels and has been diligently teaching English. The kids at the Hostel are all tribal kids that live here during the week. And at school they learn English but it is very outdated (ex. A sentence in one of their textbooks was that 'The approaching foreboding ships could be seen from the shore) and difficult to learn with a Thai accent from a teacher. This week we have been splitting up the classes and learning from Sally and the students. Jessica and I take over the classes tomorrow and we plan to keep the same structure for the most part. But next week we would like to focus more on the younger kids learning their ABCs and how to write each letter. Also next week we are going to try to have a Bible Study/ small group for some of the older girls. Please pray that girls will want to come to the Bible Study and God will use us to answer their questions and show them His love.
Thanks for checking in with us!
Abby and Jessica
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