Please continue to pray...

Again it has been too long between blogs. I am sorry. A few weeks ago there was an attempted rape in the house (hut) next to us...just down the path a little. Since then there has been a number of sightings of a couple of men, one stabbing and more attempted rapes. This has meant that the village has been on alert. Each night for the past three weeks there have been two villagers roaming the village throughout the entire night with guns and knives-for security. The older boys from Bamboo school have had to patrol our grounds and have at times been carrying a knive. There is a bit of anger and Col and I have had talks with the older boys about killing, hatred and peace for the Karen people. These have been amazing conversations brought about only because relationship has been established. It seems there is a feeling of confidence to speak freely and honestly about feelings. One night Col was ask if he would shoot someone if he was given a gun. Col said that he would not and had to explain that an Australian shooting a Thai would mean deportation of his family!!! Col has been sleeping next to our girls and both he and I have had some sleepless nights. The last couple of nights have been prowler free....so maybe he has given up????

On a more positive note...or maybe not so positive ....Col got his ear pierced. I had suggested that he get one of the older boys (Kum or Lukai 18years) to do it for him...Kum had just pierced his own ear with a needle and string. Col declined and said he wanted to wait till we went to a larger centre where he could get it done with the piercing gun. I understood and so when I walked past a little booth in Kanchanaburi the other day and saw a young girl getting her ear pierced - I called Col to come back and get his ear done. He checked with me that the shop was piercing with the gun and I said 'yeah...pretty sure they are!" So Col sat on the chair (after choosing the earring he wanted) and waited for the lady to begin the procedure.... The next thing we all saw was the lady with a file - filing the end of the earring to a point....hmmm maybe no gun? Then she placed the sharpened end to Col's ear and pushed it through! Done! Col looked at me, I looked at him and knew I was in trouble! Not really - Col was gracious and we all laughed about the experience.

This week we begin house sitting for a lady in Sai Yok. This means a break away from life at Bamboo School (Sleep ins, our own cooking, videos, ect). It also means skyp. Skyp (for those that don't know) is a phone service through the internet. It allows us to call a home line anywhere in the world...for free! So I am looking forward to some long chats with you - our precious family and friends.

I will go now...I have just taught the holiday English program at the local school and need to get back to Bamboo School to keep levelling extremely rocky ground for a new toilet block that we are building.

love to you all.