Last week was both rewarding and challenging. We have settled into our teaching roles at the school and we are enjoying teaching English to the students. Most of the students are eager to learn but of course like any class there are also some disruptive kids and one of our classes is a bit of a challenge. We are starting to get into a routine with the kids in the classes and that is helping also. The kids all stand up and greet us at the start of the lesson and thank us at the end and we are then able to start and finish with a prayer. As well as teaching English we are able to teach bible stories and talk to them about us and share our own testimonies and stories.
The kids in the classes are mostly from the different hill tribes around the area and some speak Thai at home while others Chinese. When we came here in January we provided relief teaching for the teachers to have a break as they are very understaffed as well as just trying to increase the kids interest in English. When we were here last time a lot of the kids were shocked that we did not speak Chinese as everyone they knew and the previous missionaries spoke either Thai or Chinese, and therefore they had not seen any point in learning English. As we got to know them last time, and this time as well, they start to try to speak to us in English as well as help us to speak to them in Thai. Most nights we share dinner together with the boarding kids and then we have a chance to hang around with them before they have to do homework. Last night Ben spent some time learning Thai songs with one of the boys and I sat with one of the girls both of us with our language books open trying to have a conversation. In the evening the kids come together to sing worship songs, pray and read the bible. This is our favourite time of the day as we find it truly beautiful how hope and faith can cross culture and language to enable you to unite together in spirit.