Naomi

December 5, 2006

Well, hello friends and loved ones.

Alas, This is the last update I will be writing you from Thailand. :( Very sad day. I am in a Hotel right now with Jenn, and we will be leaving around 4:30am to get to the Bangkok air port. We will leave Taipei, Taiwan at 4:40pm on Wed, and arriving in LA around 1:30pm on Wed afternoon. That’s kind of odd. Anyway, I hope you will keep us in your prayers as we travel FOREVER. :)

Our last couple weeks in the village were very good, but very sad. We had a lot of really good good-byes, but good-byes are never fun. The first official farewell was at the anomai. We had dinner with everyone there and just talked and laughed. It was fun. THEN they turned to us and were basically like, “now tell us why you like us and being here.” haha. Nothing like being put on the spot. I cried. I really love those people.

Goon came over after school the other day and was super pumped. She was like “PI MUAN! PI MUAN! GUESS WHAT?!” well she proceeded to tell me about how she was taking a test at school and her mind went totally blank. She prayed and “Dad helped!” It was really cool to see one of our girls put what we’ve been telling them all along in action.

The next sad good-bye was for the people in the Kuhn han body. We went out to one of the members’ chicken farm property. They are building an amazing house. We ate tons of food and had a whole lot of fun. They had Thai Suits made for us, and they gave them to us. They also stood up and told us why they appreciated us. Once again many tears ensued.

On Friday we were invited to dinner at Mayta and Suan’s house in Sisaket. They wanted to have a goodbye dinner for us and some of their Australian friends who were also headed home. It ended up being a whole lot of fun. David and Debby came with their family, and the Bowles also came. Mayta has an incredible house and Suan taught us how to make spring rolls.

On Saturday morning we went to Kuhnhan to say good-bye to the compassion kids and a final goodbye to the brothers and sisters in the body. We showed up and walked into the room and the kids were sitting there all holding single red roses. The tears started flowing and didn’t stop. They blind folded us and brought kids up for us to “feel” and we had to guess who they were. Haha. They gathered in a circle around us and sang “we love you with the love of Dad.” The leaders said sweet goodbyes. It was so hard to leave those brothers and sisters. I feel such a bond with them in spirit. *still crying*

Later that day we took the girls and Woot to Sisaket to get new school uniforms because theirs were either falling apart or non-existent. We got them their uniforms, and they looked so cute. Then we went to KFC in the department store. It was the first time they had eaten at a commercial food place and they were wide eyed and gasping. They had so much fun. We also got ice cream and they rode the escalators for the first time. Haha, they looked at that thing like it was gonna eat them. Haha Aeo had a hold of my arm with both of her hands the entire day. Haha. They had so much fun. Shoot, so did I!

Sunday we had one last time of wrshp at the Bowles. It was sad. That was truly one of my favorite things in the last six months. I really enjoy Mike's teaching and wrshp with Amy. But it was a very bittersweet time. I realized just how close I had gotten to their family and how much I would miss them.

The rest of our Sunday was filled with packing and cleaning and just hanging out with the family and the girls. OH, and we got a final de-licing, so we should be good to go! The girls stayed the night, and we had a lot of fun with them. We gave them the Word and practiced finding things, and gave them a few verses to start with. Pa got home late from a 3 day conference and we ended up crying with him for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Sad day.

Monday was our last day. It was really sad. My goodbye with Kong was super hard. I really love her, and it kills me to think about being gone. Even now. I also had a very sad goodbye with Ann. We ended up talking and she told me some things that really broke my heart. it was so hard to leave her like that.

Then we bid the Bowles' boys farewell, and headed off for the airport. After paying for our over weight suitcases we sat and waited. Well, next thing I know, Ajan Som Jai, Duan, and Pi Nong were there. They skipped a Christmas celebration and surprised us! It was so sweet of them! Pa and Mae came too, and there were many tears flowing. Then we had to walk away.

I’m not sure how one just walks away from six months of life, but we had to. I’ll never forget that feeling of walking into the gate and turning to wave one last time to the people that hold my heart. Ouch. I felt like I was walking away from my heart.
Now that I’ve had a day in Bangkok, my emotions have settled a little. But really only to be replaced by new fears and hopes concerning my return. And my heart still lives in a tiny little village in Sirattana.

I wouldn’t trade a second of my semester here. Thank you so much for your yarpers! It means so much. And please continue to lift up the Kui.

 
Love always,
“muan”

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