Winter Break Has Arrived!!

Hey Everyone!!

Winter break is here! We get 3 weeks off from classes. I am really, really excited. There is much to do over the break. I am in hopes of seeing my two friends who are in Chiang Mai serving at the orphanage where I did on my last trip to Thailand. I am hoping to get my curriculum binders up to date as well. Erika and I were thinking about going to the beach over our break, however we have concluded that it will be best to wait until next year. So the next beach I will see is the good ol' Pacific, which makes me happy. Resting is also on the agenda for the break. I think there are some Bible studies that will be going on, which I plan on attending. I may be going on my visa run during the break to get my passport stamped so I can remain in Thailand until I fly home. I'll probably just go up to the border and cross over to Burma and back. Erika and I will go for a couple of days. Nothing too exotic this trip. I'll save my extravagant adventures for the time when I'm off crutches! :)

This week has been a tough one for various reasons. My students have been lacking motivation, which is hard to deal with at times.  A big factor probably comes from winter break. Maybe for some senioritis is kicking in, and the other contributing reason is probably because it's Asia and I am at times looking at things with my Americanisms and that mind set. This week has also been tough because I have just been exhausted. I slept for nearly 14 hours last night. My leg has been hurting off and on as well. So, I am definitely looking forward to some much needed rest over this break. Then it's back to the grind for 5 1/2 weeks and then I'm a comin' home! :)

This week we had the opportunity to take my first field trip with the school. :) It made me feel a little like I was back teaching elementary students. Ahh!! Good times and memories! (Miss Kathy, my last field trip before this was with you and the kiddos to the farm! :)) We went to see a showing of the King's projects' best organic vegetables and flowers. According to the Sextons, this has been a huge project and has developed quite a bit over the past several years. The King has given tribes opportunities that they might not otherwise have. It was interesting. Flowers, some benches and cameras with Thais = TONS of photos. Great entertainment for a good 20 minutes or so at least. :) We ended our time at the showing watching some of the different tribes sing and dance cultural dances. It was interesting. So I have some photos...

It was all organic.

These were pretty (they are RED!) I'm not sure what they were, but they looked really neat.

Some peppers for Mom, Grammer and Aunt Cathy.

You can't see the sign very well, but it says USA mint! A little bit of home pride! :)

Aj. Erika and me. We were posing with the flowers. They were so pretty! I especially like the gerbers! They were selling flowers, but no gerbers... Sad Day! 

Norah, one of my students, wanted to jump in. 

(Umm, I am so white!) 

Most of the gang!

They were Karen. They were singing and playing. Their voices blended very nicely. They sang some upbeat songs to. It was fun to watch them they looked like they were enjoying it. I like his instrument. I never found out what it was. It was similar to a guitar. She also played recorder type instrument.

This is a Kachin group. They were doing some sort of play.

That is where we ended the field trip. We then piled in the pick up trucks and came back to school. Some of the boys played football. The teachers took it easy the rest of the day.

For those of you who might not believe me, I am Jai Thai. (Thai at heart.) This is a photo of me in a Lahu skirt that one of my students gave me as a gift. She is so sweet. I'll have you notice in photo behind my head is the King's flag as well. 

Jai Thai

EXCITING! Something else I'll have you notice in the photo. I am wearing real shoes... not flip flops!! Today was the first day that I was able to wear my heels since the accident. It's faster improvement since I started wearing my flip flop on my right foot after we returned from Singapore. I was really ecstatic! The heels were very small, don't worry they were the shoes I would teach in everyday. They may be 1/2 inch if that. YAY! for shoes. I am amazed at how God is healing me. Sometimes it seems like recovery is taking forever and then other times I simply sit in amazement. God is good. 

Mr. Drawbaugh gave a Bible study on setting goals last night and followed it up today with a more in depth sermon on how to take action. It was quite good. He talked about God being a planner and it's good to have a plan. I think the students got a lot out of it. I can only hope at their teacher that some of it sunk in. I tend to be a planner by nature, but it was a really good review to think about the future and think about planning for it. I have to remember not to get so caught up in planning for the future that I get lost and forget about the here and now. I absolutely want to here and present not dreaming somewhere far off in the future. I want to live in the moment so that I can be effective and appreciate where God has me in my life right now. Anyway there was a quote that he shared with us that I want to share with you. It kind of hit me today. It is something that I feel like many people struggle with, including myself. 

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." -Leonardo da Vinci  

We may have talents, or skills giving us the knowledge, but are we applying it in some way? We may be willing to do something, are we doing it? Or are we sitting there saying I am willing and letting others be the doers; leaving us to be the watchers? I want to challenge you to use your talents or skills and instead of sitting there saying I am willing, see what you can do. I am challenging you as well as myself. Plan to do something. :-)

I think that's all I have for you this time. I hope you're all doing well as always. I miss everyone and am looking forward to my time at home. It'll be here before I know it! Time is flying by quickly.

Lots of Love and Hugs,

Lainy

 

This is a verse that came to mind in thinking about planning and that God makes plans. This one has always been a favorite in which I take comfort.

Jeremiah 29:11 -- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."