Ban Bokaeo English Camp

Sawatdeeka! We are busy busy busy here in Chiangmai. Yesterday we got back from teaching an English camp up at Ban Bokaeo school in the mountain villages. It was a lot of fun, but completely exhausting. I was paired with P'Poi to teach a class of 38 7th graders. They have English lessons once a week for an hour, so I'm not sure if they really understood anything I said. P'Poi and I taught them the parts of the body, shapes, colors, and feelings. The kids had a lot of fun singing the "hokey pokey" and the "head, shoulders, knees and toes" song- especially when it got faster and faster each time. We also played a few other games and divided them boys against girls. The girls won overall, so the boys had to sing to them- everyone was giggling of course!

While we were up there we stayed with some of the Christians who lived in the mountains. I was blown away at how giving the family was when they had so little. We were blessed to have the chance to worship with the village church that evening and shared some fruit with them. I imagine their worship was very similar to early Christian worship- it was very communal and simple. I realize of course that I have only an outsiders perspective and the worship was completely in Thai. One thing that has been prevalent in the Thai Christians we have met here is joy in the Lord. On Sunday a girl from a nearby church came to Payap to be baptized. I was moved to tears by all the excitement and joy shared by the Chiangmai churches.

The picture above is a game we played with the entire school. I am not sure I understood the rules, but the gist was a number was called in baht (such as 1 baht 75) and everyone had to find a group that added up to that number. Boys were worth 50 and girls 25. I'm pretty sure I may have accidentally cheated a few times. Whoops ;)