Travelling Around

Hi to our precious family and friends.....We are still travelling around Thailand and loving the time spent getting 'used' to Thailand and being just our family. We travelled today on the back of a truck (ute) for 6 and a half hours from Mae Sot to Mae Siriang (North Thailand). We are meeting the 'cook' from Bamboo School here (she is on holidays) and she is going to take us to visit her home village in the hills. It is supposed to be a very healthy Karen village and we want to see and understand better the Karen heritage and way of life so we can assist Momo Cat implement a 'healthier' emotional way for the children at Bamboo School. So much of their childhoods have been full of physical and sexual abuse, and so much education is needed to ensure they live healthy futures. It is so important also that they are introduced to a God who loves them and created them intentionally.

We will continue to travell up North and will spend some time in Chiang Mai before heading back to the school. We are well.....a few tummy cramps and so on....but nothing to drastic. Kenzie has decided she would rather the squat toilets to the ones in Australia...she is on her own there however...! Today we watched many of the Hilltribe villages get on and off the truck. It is their public transport system. The driver blows the horn so they know he is coming and they come out of the villages. We would smile as they got on and they would smile back revealing rows of rotten teeth attained from beetlenut. The Thai are such beautiful people, very excited to get their photos taken and very smitten with the girls. They cuddle and touch the girls arms and faces and little Kenz is getting passed regularly from one to the other. She takes it all in her stride.

We discover the different towns mostly by foot and stop often to buy a Cornetto for each of the children....a treat they rarely get in Australia...but here they cost 70cents. Colin and I find ourselves reaching for the chilli...we can't do our food as hot as the Thais do....but we are getting there. We are loving just stopping at a little Thai stall for our dinner at night. May explain some of the cramping...but hey!!!

We have a mobile....we can't be reached when out at the village....but it was cheap enough to have to call family when we head to the larger village every couple of weeks. For the next week or so we will be contactable though. Our number is 08921 007 48 (you will need the Thailand Code...which i think is 66 then 2 and drop the 0... i think!)

We will write again soon. We love you.
Ruth for the Harrison Village Tribe.

THAILAND

WOW......let's never think that following Jesus is dull.
We have been in Thailand for a week....we think....we have lost track of days. We headed straight out to Sai Yok, near Kanchanaburi (4 hours west of Bangkok) to drop off luggage at our new home and to introduce ourselves to Momo Cat and the children. The first night at Bamboo School (which is situted in the village of Bong Ti) was exhilerating and terrifying all in one. We taught our first English class that first night to 28 children (without any prep) for two hours. We bathed under a bowl of water and used the squat toilet. We ate vegan and Casey narrowly missed getting bitten by a Scorpion while Kenz got her first bee sting. Zach saw a snake and Jord began digging a well and toilet hole. Colin and I did our first load of washing in the river and we all travelled on one motor bike with a side carriage (including the driver). We drove a lady from the very very poor village near the school to hospital (2 hours one way) and travelled 100kph in the back of a ute. We found a huge goanna in our hut and were offered a little three year old to adopt. ALL IN ONE and a HALF DAYS!!!!! We love the school, love Momo Cat and feel very at peace. Our faith is needing to go to new levels, much deeper than ever before. The children are amazing, they have warmed to us quickly and we are trying to learn names. We rise at 6am and go to bed around 10pm. We have left the school for a couple of weeks and are already beginning to look forward to our return.

Currently we are staying on an island called Koh Tao (Southern Thailand) it is very beautiful and we have just stopped to update the blog. We are riding around on two motorbikes (three on each). We are happy and safe and enjoying some time as a family. We miss you all at home and hope that many of you will come visit. There are children here that need sponsoring...about $30 a month along with you sending letters and photos, please consider it. There is also a year twelve girl who needs sponsoring so she can go to university. Email me if you are interested.

Love to each of you
Ruth....for the family.