Tripple Missions

  Mae Sot, Thailand
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Ben & Keith on Construction Site

Today our team split for the second time to perform separate tasks. All the guys worked with Matt on a building project for Partners while the ladies traveled to Mae La Refugee camp (about an hour drive away from our hotel).

Kameron & Ken on Construction Site

For the guys, it was quite hot, and a bit frustrating, as they spent a lot of time rounding-up the necessary materials. They purchased a small size (though quite heavy) cement mixer to pour the foundation the next day.

Pouring Cement

 

Pastor Arthur & Family with AKTeam

The ladies found the temperature quite hot, also, as they climbed the steep hills in the camp to visit Pastor Arthur and his wife, Clasper. We enjoyed a visit with the pastor and his family, and then were treated to a walk around the camp.

Highschool Visit

We stopped at a high-school (while classes were in session), and felt very intimidated as we listened to the lessons.

Classroom

We heard English lessons being taught by conversation, saw math problems written on a chalkboard, and were amazed by the lesson on "the properties of hydrocarbens" that we saw written on a chalk board. (We don't even remember learning THAT ourselves!)

Challenging Lessons!

Clasper treated us to lunch, and then we had the opportunity to offer a program to her Bible School students (about 103 of them). We used our 'sticker stories' to tell the story of Jonah and the Big Fish, and showed them how to re-tell the story themselves while using the sticker stories. Then we split the group into two smaller groups, and had a fun time of play.

Parachute Game

One group went outside to play with the beach-balls and parachute, while the second group played a relay game of 'egg & spoon' (where two team race in a quick-walk while balancing a plastic egg on a plastic spoon).

Egg Relay Game

It was all great fun, and all too soon time for us to leave. They sang us a song in their language, and walked us down the hill to our van. Upon our return to Mae Sot, we stopped by the Partners office, and received our instructions for the next day of ministry. It appears that we will be teaching English all day to Bible School tomorrow. We then returned to the hotel, and found that the guys had also returned. We also discovered that our laundry had been returned to us --- clean and pressed. We now appreciate clean laundry and hot showers in a whole new light!

Our team was invited to dinner at the home of Matt & Liz, so that was our destination after the shower. They have a beautiful home, and we met many of the people of Partners staff. The meal was increadibly delicious, as Matt had made pork and chicken BBQ (on a home-made barrel grill), and Liz had added fresh salad, mashed potatoes, and a yummy apple-crisp dessert. We were all ready for some genuine American food! Then it was back to the hotel where the ladies stayed-up late to prepare English lessons for the following day.

Everyone is well. Jocelyn still has difficulty with an annoying lump under her arm (probably a swollen lymph-node), and hopes to have a doctor examine it soon. An Italian doctor who works with Partners has been contacted to perform the exam, and will do so probably tomorrow afternoon. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks, and we'll talk to you soon.
The Alaska Team 2008