Last week I finished my TEFL course in Chiang Mai, spent the weekend with friends I planted trees with in Ontario whom are making their way through SE Asia, and took the bus up to Mae Sie, a border town to Myanmar. I was picked up by a staff member from DEPDC (Development Education Program for Daughter’s and Communities). The NGO centred in Mae Sie works to prevent human trafficking, and has invited me, as a new and completely inexperienced English-teaching volunteer, on a five-day planning retreat. I was only at the centre for twenty minutes before we packed laptops, printers, spreadsheets and luggage into the truck and headed for Chiang Khong; a town bordering Laos to the East.
About a month before I flew here, I had a dream about the DEPDC centre. I hadn’t seen a picture of it, yet as I walked through the grounds and in the main building, what I saw was almost the spitting image of my dream two months ago. I dreamt of the wooden railings around the meeting area, the rounded arches and the white-washed stairs. I even dreamt of the material draped across the hall’s view of the third floor. Coupled with Sompop Jantraka’s comment about knowing intuitively that I was on the centre grounds and that he had known we were going to pop through the door any moment, the visit left me feeling quite unsure of what I had gotten myself into.
The planning retreat was great; I was completely in over my head, drinking in every story and every bit of information that I possibly could, and loving it. I helped finish a grant proposal to a charity provider in Switzerland, and am now working on the English ‘Master Proposal’ with the three other foreign volunteers. Needless to say, I am learning a lot. I also saw my friends from Canada again! Completely random, I had no idea they were in Chiang Khong, and we bumped into each other at a little Thai restaurant near Laos. I wonder how often chance meetings in Thailand happen? At the end of the retreat Khun Sompop (Thai for ‘Honourable/I respect you Sompop’... or something to that extent) invited me to stay at his house on Sunday night to meet his family. He had told me about his swimming pool he had built himself beside his house, and thought I might like to see it. This man had built an Olympic sized swimming pool for his kids and the team they coach: fourth place in Thailand (or Northern Thailand? I forget.), the team is entirely comprised of youth rehabilitating from trafficking situations who live at the DEPDC home in Mae Chan, where he lives. Khun Sompop had found that aqua-therapy had incredible results, but constantly transporting all the kids to swimming pools was so hectic, so he decided to learn how to build one in his back yard to save money. I slept in the guest house overlooking the pool. I can’t wait to show you pictures. His daughter showed me around her University on Monday morning and Khun Sompop brought me to the bus station in Chiang Rai so I could be with my Thai family for the festival, Loy Kratung.
Loy Kratung is a new-moon festival... ‘Loy’ means to float and ‘Kratung’ means a vessel of troubles/cares/worries/bad luck, etc. On the first week of November on the full moon you can float away your troubles in to the air with a floating lantern or down the river in a small bamboo craft decorated with folded banana leaves, flowers, incense sticks and candles – a gift to the river goddess. The sky is filled with large floating lanterns, and constant fireworks.
“Loy Loy Krathong, Loy Loy Krathong, Loy Krathong Gan Laew Koh Shern Nong Kaew Ook Ma Ram Wong...” is part of the chanting song, meaning, ‘Loy Kratung is here, everyone is happy, come and dance with me...” (or something like that).
So. I am encouraged. When Khun Sompop brought me to the bus station he treated me to some lunch; “while I am eating Khun Sompop, you can tell me another story!” while eating Kao Gai (rice and chicken) he recounted tales of government frustration with his NGO, and the difficulty in fulfilling their mission while at the same time trying to fit into all the standardized boxes charity funders and the government are trying to squeeze them into. Khun Sompop is... determined, welcoming, straightforward, and passionate about human rights, explaining charts and budgets in one moment, and fishing with tofu on a bamboo pole with me in the next moment. When I got on the bus, he grasped my hands, saying, ‘Nicci!’ (in Thailand I am ‘Nicci’, for ease of pronunciation), ‘I have a hundred more stories to tell you!’. Ah! I have a hundred ears to listen.
Mae Sai is surrounded by the highest mountains I have seen yet in Thailand. I rode on the luggage in the covered back of the truck on the 3 hour ride back from Chiang Khong and I couldn’t take my eyes off the scenery... it is so beautiful.
Mmm... please pray that I can find a Christian Community in Mae Sai. Though I felt somewhat that I should stay in Chiang Mai when I first arrived, I feel at peace about going to Mae Sai. Maybe at peace? More like... this is what I need to do right now. This is where I will learn the most. Hopefully. But... it’s not healthy to completely rely on my cyber community for prayer support and for Christian Community. I think there might be churches there, but none English. Hm. Church is important to me.
As I open my prayer book, this next month focuses on Solitude. The author writes, “Bonhoeffer and Vanier (two authors on intentional Christian Community) see solitude as something that works best when it is contrasted by intentional community because without togetherness, our solitude quickly becomes loneliness issuing into despair.” When asking of God, he always gives something we could never have imagined for ourselves. When we ask and surrender the outcome to God, it’s like saying, ‘Lord... please breathe your presence into this, and I’ll look forward to seeing the unique God-twist you put on the outcome’. Because... maybe he can see behind the plea and answer a deeper need, or just grasp the opportunity of your vulnerability to emphasize how much he loves you. So, we both must keep our eyes open to the ways that God blesses us, surprises us, and takes care of us... because he does and he will. Chai mai? (it’s true, yes?)
Blessings. You encourage me so much, in your being, in your intentional living, and in your faith. Thanks friends. :)
n.
man, I'm so grateful for your writing! O Nicola, what am I doing in St. Stephen! Your ride to the Laos border and back sounds stunning for the eyes and the spirit. God has a place for you there, and a place for us here in St. Stephen. Chai Mai?
ReplyDeleteIt's true Nicola.