26,000 Baht and a Whole Lotta Excitement!

Last night it rained so hard that the road to the children’s home was too muddy to get down and had a truck stuck in the middle of it. So, we declared today to be a day of shopping for our party this upcoming week with the kids.  I never thought I would feel so fulfilled from a day of shopping! (Well, truth be told, yesterday’s clothes shopping with the girls was great, too!). Team work and 26,000 baht (about $800) was all it took to fill 80 backpacks for 80 very deserving kids! We filled their backpacks with everything from teddy bears to school supplies to toothbrushes, depending on their age and sex, and I’m so excited for them to get them! I’m glad that we went shopping on a rainy day so we don’t waste any time that we could be spending with the kids.

Yesterday, as part of our project, we worked on the art work on the side of the new library that they are building for the children. The entire building is made out of a rice and clay mixture and we have named it “guck”. We are responsible for doing the art on the outside of the building and we are all becoming very great “guck artists”.

And, in case you are wondering, the food has been amazing! The staff at the children’s home have been cooking special lunches for us every day and we’ve been getting so spoiled!  We sit cross legged on the dining room floor with all the kids. They sing a little thank you song before each meal thanking the farmers for the rice and promising to not waste any. It is quite convicting when you are eating –  you want to make sure you clean your plate every time!

These children continue to amaze each of us. Despite what they have been through and the pain that many of them have endured, they are so helpful, caring and happy! Each day with them is a new adventure and we are grateful for the chance to be a part of their lives. 

I can’t wait to see what the rest of this awesome experience has in store for us!