Warm Welcomes, Bittersweet Goodbyes, and All That Comes in Between
22.05.2012
As always, it felt so good to be back in Thailand…. We arrived to the village to hugs and shouts of joy from familiar faces. In many ways, it was just the sweet familiar greeting we have grown accustomed to over the past 3 years, but there is definitely something to be said for warm welcomes. It can fill one’s heart in just an instant to be back in the presence of those that you love as they wrap their arms around you in excitement. It is an amazing feeling.
We hit the ground running from day one, another “familiar” of ours when we are here (especially when the children are on their summer break!!) Days were packed full with all different kinds of fun… Sometimes it’s just the simple holding hands and chewing Bubble Yum, other times it’s bamboo pole vaulting or going on outings to the beach…
Our first two weeks however, were definitely highlighted by one common thing: WATER! I can say with certainty that for our first 14 days here, there wasn’t a day that passed where we didn’t play in or with water in some shape or form. Songkran, or what is known as the Thai New Year, took place our first week. It is a time time for Thais to pay homage to Buddha, and sprinkle water on their elders in a show of respect.
Now, by “homage and respect” I essentially mean a dousing or drenching of anyone who crosses your path. In essence, it is a GIANT glorified water fight that goes on… and on.. and on. Only the Thais get away with celebrating New Year for a whole week!! While in many ways it seems like such a crazy way to celebrate a holiday, I must say that seeing an ENTIRE culture come together to celebrate the passing of a year is really quite a site to see. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, whether you grew up with or without education or money or any of the other various “commodities” we emphasize as important in life.. For Songkran, EVERYONE shows up to “len nam” or “play water”. It’s as simple as that and downright fun for all!
As the Songkran festivities were drawing to a close, we decided it was a good idea to have the kids over for swim day(s)… We might have neglected to recognize that with over 40 kids, this would take MANY days to accomplish and would involve many variations of “swim lessons”, canon balls, and water logged heads. Regardless, it was a week of sweet joyful fun with our kids and we have them to thank for the fact that we are much better swimmers and life guards.
This trip we were lucky enough to be here for not one, but two holidays! It might not be officially recognized in the kingdom of Thailand as a national holiday, but for the children of our village, Pam’s birthday is just as important as Songkran. Similar to the feeling of being warmly welcomed, celebrating this day of importance with some of those who love her most (I know there are many of you out there:) was heart-fillingly spectacular!!
We spent the day at the beach and the evening was affair to be remembered for sure.
Costumes, singing, dancing, a giant mickey mouse birthday cake, and about as much love and laughter as you can imagine, all to celebrate the beloved “P’Pam”. It was another fabulous “holiday” here in Thailand.
During our absence the former director moved on to his own project and a new director and assistant have been hired. This changing of the guard has brought a welcome calm to the village that is felt by all.
The 3L Dining Sala is in good working order. We will do some minor painting,repairs and equipment cleaning while we are here.
Our outreach work in the slum continues to be and interesting and challenging undertaking.. The heat, humidity, and garbage continue to pile up. As we often try to make light of the situation, “it’s certainly not a walk in the park”, but we love the children and know that our presence there on regular basis is a good thing for everyone.
Last week marked the beginning of the new school year for our children of the village. The end of summer is always such a bittersweet time. It’s so exciting to be back in the class room, filling your mind with new facts and ideas; Back in the company of friends and teachers you’ve missed over the break. This also comes with a sense of longing to continue those long lazy days that pass from one to the next without notice. As the trip draws to a close, the feeling is bittersweet as well. Certainly sweet in all the love and joy we’ve shared with those who have crossed our path on this journey. The sense of longing for it to continue can’t be denied, but it’s with this reality that we remind the children we will be back, and most importantly, how very very much they are loved.
A special thank you to all the supporters of 3L who believe in what we are doing and continue to help us along the way. We couldn’t do it without you!
Happy New Year! Songkran is such an amazing festival, I bet you guys had a blast! And Happy Birthday to Pam…I can’t believe that it was 2 years ago that I was there celebrating with you guys. Time sure flies!
Thank you, P Ashley, for the wonderful words describing the love, joy and accomplishments of your work with 3L.
I can feel the love. Seeing the children with big smiles and clean faces is so inspiring. May your work continue to help heal our world. Blessings.