Good Night Gorilla

Evening worship is done and I’m putting away the night’s lesson materials on Abraham, our first Bible Hero in a unit of nine.  I’m in my ‘office’ at Hot Springs, a desk-table arrangement in the corner of a room in one of the extra buildings here.   Simple, but cool, and a good place to organize all the lesson materials, craft supplies, sermon manuscripts, and, now, all the binders and documents for the New Family Foundation.

Praweet stands at the edge of the porch and calls my name.  That’s how you ‘knock’ around here.  The children do the same over at Suradet and Yupa’s house if they need a bandage or some toothpaste or more cleaner when it’s their time to do the bathrooms.   Praweet’s little gravelly voice, and that he’s approaching me like this, and that I know what he’s doing makes me pause for a small swell of happy.  These are the intangible moments that anchor me here; that say I belong.

He’s come by to see if I would listen to him read.  We started our Reading Record cards today, but he was away at a Saturday cricket match all day.  Not to be outdone by the girls who seem to him to have had a significant advantage, he’s asking if he could please choose four books – the daily limit.

I’ve mentioned this before, but having a good understanding of English is a significant advantage in Thailand.  It is taught as a core subject in the government run schools starting in grade three.  But mastering Thai itself is quite a challenge with its 44 consonants and 21 vowels, and plethora of permutations on pronunciation.   Most of our children are from the Karen tribe and Thai is already a second language.   As it should be everywhere, doing well in school is both highly regarded and individually nuanced.  I’ve been impressed by Suradet and Yupa’s commitment to helping each child find what they love and are good at, and providing whatever they can to help them excel.

Praweet excels at cricket, not reading, but he’s not dissuaded from participating due to a lack of skill.  I love that about him.  He’s the smallest by far, and small for his nine years, but spunky and expressive and most of the time cheerful to the point of mischief.  He wants to be able to choose one of the prizes that will be his prerogative once twenty four books have been read and all the squares on his Reading Record are filled in.  Four books per day. 

May, Any and Eak

He selects four of the simpler reads and we tuck into the wicker chair outside.  He’s the only one small enough to do this.  We read about farm animals, and little bug’s house.  We try to find the right snow man, and say goodnight to the gorilla in the zoo who somehow sneaks in with a mouse to join the zookeeper and his wife in their big comfy bed.   With that last book Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann,  I pause to show him my grandson Zachary’s quick message inside the front cover.  Written in his own hand, it says, “To my brothers and sisters at Hot Springs.  Love, Zach.”  Yes.  Another small swell of happy, and marvelling again at our connections.

When we’re done reading and Praweet has made certain I’ve filled in the squares properly, he says “Good night” in English, and heads over to the campfire.  Normally I would join him where the others are also lingering for a few minutes before bedtime.  But I’m more inclined to take my slightly spinny head to bed early instead.

It’s taking a little longer to feel physically all here this time. 

I blame the ice storm and all the delays and the crazy forty-five minute dash that replaced a reasonable three hour layover and the ridiculously long, hour and a half line up at Thai customs that made this one of the more difficult trips here, hands down.   My personal blog Bread and Honey (link) tells that story, so I’ll the leave the details there.  But, no, I’m not all turned around to Thai time, diet and climate quite yet.

I’ll get there.  Life here will make sure of it.  The easy rhythms of waking and worship, eating and resting, worship again, then ending the day around the campfire, provide the healing balance to whatever stresses my body still needs to shake off, and the work I’ve come here to do.  The work that, if I’m honest, isn’t really so much about all the lesson plans and sermons or even the meetings that are now required to ensure our Foundation is following every stipulation down to the finest details.  Yes, all of that is very important and does receive a good portion of my attention, both here and when I’m at home.

But what just happened here on the porch with Praweet....that’s really the most important work.  To be here and quietly available, partnering in what Suradet and Yupa have established in their own way with the gifting and ability God has given them.   To be here contributing to the children’s well being in whatever ways I can and am invited.   This is a deeply needed reminder to reorient me in the midst of a what has at times been a psychologically disruptive change of status.  But that’s another blog post I think.

So here comes Sunday and I didn’t sleep well at all last night.

Glad for the cooler, refreshing mornings.

Glad for the anticipation of worshiping together with my Thai beloveds.