If I thought the pace at ISM was intense and a little bit mental, it was nothing compared to the fast pace and even more intense work constantly being done at Place of Grace. I have been involved with almost everything happening at Place of Grace, from babysitting two little girls who were being cared for at POG, to assisting John whilst he teaches English classes, to helping out in the food bank, to making kanom's for each group and session. I have also played with kids in their sessions, I've assisted in craft making, mainly making sure the kids don't paint themselves or glue themselves to something. It has been hard, I'm not going to lie, it is exhausting work. The hours are long, and sweltering heat and clouds of mosquitos constantly plague you. I can only imagine how John and Gillian haven't been hospitalised with exhaustion so far to be honest! You think you can imagine what it must be like for them, but until you are actually here and witnessing what has to be done every single day, day in and day out, you really have no idea. I am very impressed by what they do, and by the fact that despite all the challenges they face in running what I would consider to be a successful ministry, they still show unfailing love and grace to the children and teenagers that attend Place of Grace. They know every single kid by name, know all of their stories and they also know how to handle and show love to each kid, in the way that will mean the most to them individually. They also know how to show grace to their staff. Not going to lie, I have messed up a couple of times. I've screwed up snacks and I posted something on social media about our weekend away with the kids that I now know I shouldn't have. However, they haven't yelled, they just highlight the mistake and we move on. It might take me a bit longer to move on because lets face it I am a sensitive little bean but hey that's just what I am like. Despite the hard times and challenges I have faced in these three weeks, I have definitely enjoyed it. It has been one heck of an experience. Getting used to another culture that is extremely different from my own has been a tad challenging, but is surprisingly fun, and I am gradually knowing where I need to go to do things, I'm learning how to get myself around without ending up in a completely different section of the city, and I am learning (with some firm guidance from my mentors) what is culturally appropriate and what is not. I am also enjoying being able to learn some more Thai phrases - they are definitely coming in handy! I can now direct my taxi drivers as to where to go, which is very useful and I have had to do on several occasions. I know the odd random phrase that is useful for interacting with the kids, so I know roughly what they are asking when they talk to me at the speed of light - I can sometimes differentiate between them asking for water, saying they are hungry and want a snack, to asking me to play with them and all sorts of other phrases. This past weekend was kind of like language immersion in a way. Going away to Hua Hin with the teenagers meant that I was living in the same chalet as some of them. I was almost constantly around kids who were speaking to me in Thai, so with some gesturing and use of random Thai words we were able to communicate. It was great, I really felt that I connected a little better with some of the kids. We painted nails together, I corralled a few kids back into the chalets when I caught them sneaking out of windows (I think they used the windows more than the doors to be honest), I swam with them which I loved being a water kid. I taught some of the staff and teens how to dive, and in return some of them tried to teach me how to backflip into the pool, which I failed at. We walked together on the beach and I learnt how to say "NO! I don't want a jellyfish I don't like!" - I never thought that would be a phrase I would have to use. It was really a fun experience for me, and it was great to see these teenagers be able to take a little bit of time away from the busy Bangkok pace of life and connect with God. Sometimes the little moments like that make the harder times worth it. This week Josie and I, as well as the other Place of Grace staff, have the week off to recuperate and rest. We are also prepping for three other volunteers that are arriving within the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to meeting them, during the more stressful times I am sure more hands will be a blessing.
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10/1/2017 0 Comments My last day at ismThe last two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind to be honest. A lot has been thrown at me, some good, some bad. Distractions have been popping up left right and centre, which let's face it is a smidge problematic considering my rather short attention span anyway, and considering the fact that the course material really does require your full attention.
However, the course material has been really interesting (the good kind of interesting). Personal week and Ministry week are now also completed. Personal week was a very revealing week. We did all sorts of personality tests, learning about our personality types, conflict resolution styles and spiritual temperaments. To be honest I could have predicted the results (that I am a hyper organised, goal oriented person who likes to find compromises until pushed when I become quite direct) so that was not at all surprising. However the surprise came from the fact that three out of four members of the group shared much of the same results. Jenna and I were almost creepily similar in our results - maybe that would be why we get on so well. I particularly enjoyed the talk on the Father Heart of God by John Robinson (although lets be honest I am a tad biased given he is my awesome big bro). It was weirdly nice to hear a familiar English accent! The day after his talk, the ISM team headed off to do some prison ministry in partnership with Life Centre Church. To say I enjoyed it would be the wrong phrase, but it was definitely an experience that I won't be forgetting any time soon. After signing a lot of forms and other documents we were allowed through the initial gate into the holding centre where the refugees are held (sorry to disappoint but I wasn't visiting any hardened criminals). Then before we could actually go to the visiting area, I got a very friendly pat down from the female guard, which definitely took me by surprise; I mean I cannot possibly fathom what on earth she thought I would be smuggling there. Anyway after the search we went through to actually visit some refugees. The refugees I visited were all Pakistani refugees who fled to Thailand in search of better opportunities for Thailand, but instead they were caught for overstaying their visas and put into the prison. One lady had been there for two years, and has been separated from her husband ever since. Seeing the sadness in their eyes was just overwhelming. But they also displayed overwhelming love and kindness. These people have barely anything and are surviving on very little, yet they were so grateful for a visitor that the one couple I visited first gave me a hand made bracelet. The husband made it himself, and gave it to me with blessings. I put in on in front of them and have not taken it off since, nor do I plan to take it off. On Saturday we all spent the day at the beach of Koh Samet. It was an absolutely stunning beach, and not bad weather either. It was overcast, but it was still warm and not raining so that's always a good thing. During our time on the island I went parasailing! It was so much fun. I have to say there were times at which I thought, ok well this is how I die. But I survived and even enjoyed the experience overall so I count it as a successful experience. The rest of the day was spent swimming in the crystal blue seas and laying on the white sands. I helped Jenna get some good pictures of her in her mermaid tale, and then it was time to go back to base sadly. We all left with a sense of happiness, but also a killer sunburn. We all look still a little like lobsters, as if we didn't stand out enough already in an Asian country haha. For a couple of days Nathan was so sore he couldn't even put his backpack on without a nasty grimace on his face resembling that of someone being tortured. Ministry week has been riveting. It has focused on some of the issues that I will run into during my time in Thailand. We have discussed aspects of Buddhism, human trafficking and prostitution, the demonic and even gender confusion (lady boys). Tomorrow is the day that I leave ISM to go to help John and Gillian in their ministry at Place of Grace. I am looking forward to moving into a flat and meeting my new room mate. I am especially looking forward to having a nice flushing toilet, and only three people using the wifi at one time as apposed to at one point 30 people using it. Most of all though I am looking forward to jumping in to helping out with the kids' ministry clubs. It is what I came here to do, so I am glad the wait is over and I can actually get to it! 9/24/2017 0 Comments Meet the ism 0917 class...On the left of the photograph is Nathan Kirkegaard. He is from Vancouver, Canada, and is here is Thailand to work with Imagine Thailand as an English teacher. As you could probably guess by the guitar hanging on his back, he is a pretty talented musician, so I am sure will use that as an effective teaching method at some point.
Skipping our lovely tour guide, the next person in the photograph is Shari Johnson. She is from Colorado (which is exciting because one of my best friends lives there, and we support the same baseball team) and is in Thailand to work with Samaritan Creations who we visited the other day. She is going to be working with women coming out of sex trafficking. Skip me, and there is Jenna Forstrom. She is from Portland, Oregon, and has travelled to Thailand specifically for ISM. After ISM finishes, she will be flying off once again, to go to Cambodia. There she will be working for Daughters of Cambodia working with victims of sex trafficking. Her dog Bullet will be flying out to go live with her. I am super excited about that because on one of my border runs I will go visit them! Jenna runs a pretty awesome blog so go check it out http://phnomenaladventures.com. We then have Bev Laing. She is the director of ISM. She and her husband Gary are from Canada, but actually have lived and worked in Cambodia for nearing 8 years I believe. She is a great person to have around, not only is she a valuable teacher, but has good practical advice as well as some incredible stories to share. Nicole Stockley is not pictured above, but she is ISMs internship co-ordinator. She is from Canada, and she, her husband Andrew and their daughter Paige all live in Bangkok full time. They are expecting baby girl number two. Nicole is definitely the person to go to if you need something sorted out. As well as speaking pretty good Thai, they can sort out your problems lickety split. Andrew is the worship director at ISM. Their daughter Paige is very cute, and a little bundle of energy; she without a doubt stands out among the crowd in Asia given her white blonde curly hair and pale complexion. 9/23/2017 0 Comments Two weeks down...So I have survived my first two weeks of living in Bangkok, Thailand. A city with over twenty million inhabitants, a never ending supply of taxi drivers and some of the most vivid smells my nose has ever smelt.
It has been a busy two weeks! Classes have taken up most of my time, we have been learning about Thai (and other South-East Asian) culture. That was an eye opening week; a very helpful week too though, because now when I am in a situation I remember what would be appropriate to Thai people. For example, when you point, you do so with your whole hand, as pointing with only one finger would be rude. When one is in a frustrating situation (which you can believe does happen in Bangkok), it would be highly inappropriate to raise your voice or show any visible signs of anger. That would cause the Thai person to lose face. Thailand is called the 'Land of Smiles' which explains fully why everything here is done with a smile. When you have lived here long enough, you can begin to tell the difference between them, you can tell whether a smile means "That's hilarious" or "You stupid farang I want to kill you right now". As a definite newbie to Thailand, I cannot tell between these smiles, an educated guess maybe though. This second week we have learnt about the Bible, and later focusing on the Holy Spirit and it's gifts. In a lot of respects it was kind of like a refresher course, as growing up in the Church I was already quite familiar with the topics covered. It was interesting to see the other people's perspectives; different denominations within the Church definitely have different ways of dealing with things. Every school day (Monday through Friday) I have been buying some coconut tea with tapioca bubbles in it, and it is the most delicious drink I have ever had - it without a doubt helps me power through the rest of the day. Food has been a wonderful and peculiar experience all in one. There has been many good meals. Some of my favourite meals include cashew chicken with rice, pad thai, fresh spring rolls and mango with sticky rice. My team and I have found a little street food stand in the night market near our accommodation, who do the best cashew chicken with rice for relatively cheap - about only 145 baht, so about £3.50. Not too bad for a meal out. We have also been trying some international meals - so we have tried sushi (which if I am being honest was not my favourite meal) and tacos (all you can eat - not too bad, would visit again). We have had some delicious homemade meals made by our session leaders Bev and Nicole. Nicole's husband Andrew definitely can cook a good chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables with gravy! It was spectacular, and reminded me so much of home. We have been spending our remaining free time in the YWAM base. Jenna, Shari and I all share a room, along with my new pet fish Khing ขิง. The air con is a welcomed blessing. The never ending heat means walking back into a nice air conned room is one of the best feeling ever - believe me. Jenna and I have been sharing a double bed which is cosy, but it is definitely better than our previous situation of the bunk bed - a little rickety old thing, every time Jenna moved I thought, ok this is how i die. The situation has provided numerous jokes as well. We have fashioned an improvised washing line going across our room, as we realised that whilst there is something to wash our clothes with, there is nothing to dry them on. It is a very effective method, but you do have to be vigilante when walking across the room otherwise you could have your head taken off by the line, or left with some pants on your head. Poor Nathan isn't used to this in his room and nearly decapitated himself yesterday. He's fine now. The floor of the room is a little grimy, but that is to be expected when a lot of people walk around either without shoes on, or in flip flops which seem to gather every little spec of dirt and attach it to your foot. The team and I have been doing other things like ice skating (which was good fun, a little odd to be doing in a tropical climate though), going to the world famous Chatuchak markets, peddling our way down river in Swan Boats (and encountering a few Monitor lizards along the way), leading kids ministry and participating in the Silom Cooking school. It has been an adventure so far! Only two and a half weeks left of ISM (Impact School of Missions), then I move into the flat and begin to intern with John and Gillian. |
AuthorChloe. 19. Novice blog poster so bare with me as I detail my experiences on the other side of the world. |