We Miss YOU!

It has been a while since our last blog-we have not been able to get into Sai Yok…(a little town about 20 minutes away) to get internet. There have been times when we have got into the Sai Yok only to find that the internet café owner was closing for the day (at 2pm) or the internet was down. OH WELL! I am writing this blog in the room where we teach English to about 34 children and where our children are currently doing their schooling. I will then cut and paste it into our blog – hopefully tomorrow!

The political scene over the last couple of weeks has meant that we have had to increase ‘security’ at the school. We are not sure if there is increased tension at the Burma/Thai boarder (only a couple of kilometers away) or if there is another reason but for the last couple of weeks the Thai government has sent many extra police (boarder police) to this boarder. The other night Colin saw flashes of light from over the hill (possibly mortar fire). For the last week we have had police standing at the corner (of the road that enters our school) day and night. We were warned to expect raids on the school at any time of the day or night. We have not had any trouble but have had to make sure that everyone on campus has Thai ID cards and that no visitors (without Thai ID cards) are on campus after sundown. One Karen man (from a neighboring village) who has an ID card rode his motorbike home from church with a passenger (a friend who did not have a ID card). They were stopped by the police and the driver immediately put in prison for helping someone without an ID card. The man put in prison is the father of one of the children that live and learn at Bamboo School. We went out singing to the surrounding villages the other night, in the Karen, Thai and English languages. We went to the man’s village and with his son gave the family food and some treats. The son (Chargegerh) came and hugged one of the other leaders and said ‘Thank you for helping my mum’. One the way home, with 25 of us crowded into the back of the ute we stopped at the Dochidore (boarder police) and sang English songs. They stood and listened with smiles and then clapped at the end. We gave them Kanoum (Lollies) and went on our way with the police a little more on our side. It was surreal. Colin and I imagined later what reaction we would get from Australian police if we pulled up alongside their road block with 25 children and adults in the back of a ute and began singing to them! We doubted the reaction would be clapping and smiles!

Another day this week we had a medical clinic (with a team of doctors from Hong Kong) for the surrounding village people to bring themselves and/or children to. We had a room for the initial consultation and then the patients would move to another room to see the doctor. We set up our children with their schoolwork in the ‘initial consultation’ room and Colin and I weighed people, counted and labeled bags with medicine and help take blood sugar levels. The children’s schooling soon fell by the way side as they were needed to wash the thermometer after use or count tablets or label bags. I figured, at least they were learning to count, nurse and spell ‘paracetamol’!

We received letters this week from family and Lifegate…it was such a treat. Colin had gone into Sai Yok and brought the mail into our school room….it was such an amazing gift to have words of affirmation and promises of prayer and words that sparked laughter…and PHOTOS! Thank you so very much.

We wake every morning to roosters and cow bells and often see a pig walking past our hut. It is now commonplace to bath with the pig down river....and commonplace to always hear the Bamboo School children singing and playing the guitar.

Please be praying for us over the next month. The principal is away and Col and I have leadership. Last night 4 children were missing and away 'possibly' stealing from a nearby hut. We had to wake at 5am to walk them through punishment....I think it was more of a punishment for Colin and I!!!! We are finding this task a little daunting and would appreciate your prayers.

Tomorrow we are taking a patient to hospital (about an hour away) in the city of Kanchanaburi. We will go as a family and plan to visit the icecream shop – Swensens. The children are looking forward to this trip and this morning Zach wrote on the blackboard ‘Today is Wednesday and tomorrow is a trip to SWENSENABURI!’

We are now on our way home to the school. Today we were stopped by boarder police - checking to see it we had any Karen people with us without papers. It was just us...and so all was well.

We think of you all often and pray for you often. We are so thankful for family and friends like you all.

Love
Harrisons.