On My Way

This past week has been busy getting ready for the end of our first two classes of the semester – Social Context for Community Development and Thai Cultural Arts. We have been writing papers, making presentations, and creating our final art projects. We have learned how to do traditional Thai batik from a famous Thai artist from Bangkok, learned how to cook deliciously savory Thai dishes from a restaurant owner down the street, learned how to roast coffee beans, and have learned how to make our own soap and ginger beer (non – alcoholic, don’t worry mom!) from Adele, the wife of the director of our program.

I have been writing a paper for my Thai Cultural Arts class based on the internship I will have this summer at Journeys of Hope: an organization based in Salem, MA that serves homeless and at risk youth between the ages of 18-23 in and around the North Shore. Journeys of Hope is an incredible grassroots organization that is serving people in our own back yards. We don’t have to go across the world to serve, to places we are ignorant of. We can and should be influencing the people in close proximity to us, being aware and caring for those in our own communities, because needs are all around us. Journeys of Hope is the only organization on the North Shore to address the needs of young adults who are homeless. They truly understand holistic development work in the communities they know best. This is the JOH website if you want to learn more or donate to their amazing organization: http://johma.org/

 On Saturday we will be on our way to our practicum sites. Christine and I will be headed just north of Thailand to the country of Laos to intern with a foundation called ARDA Skills. ARDA Skills was started by the Anglican Church of Singapore and is primarily an education center, teaching language skills in Lao and English, as well as vocational training for students to be trained in community jobs. The students are mainly from the Hmong hill tribe who cannot afford to go to high school and further their education. The Hmong are a minority group in Thailand as well as Laos. The skills center addresses business development and other skills that would make one employable to the community. One of the projects we will work with is teaching women how to run and operate a coffee shop to make a living.

 I will not be posting on my blog while I’m there because Laos is a very isolated communist country that monitors the kind of things like blogs, letters, emails, etc..

 In order to just play it safe, I will post about my time there as well as email friends and family when I’m back here in Thailand March 23^rd. Don’t worry though, Laos will be a safe place for us to be for that month and we are in very good hands - more importantly, in God's hands. 

PS- This is an awesome blog about elephant advocacy in Thailand made by one of our friends here in Thailand. You need to read it, it is awesome.  http://theelephantquestion.wordpress.com/

also we found kittens in our rice shed! 

Peace!