I have been quite busy since I sent the last journal.  Sharing the house with Sandy Michael ( another Baptist volunteer teacher) has been fun, and then Ruth Fox ( the Baptist missionary that has been on home leave and came back for the grand opening of the school) was here for a week.

Grand opening of the Chiang Rai International Christian School The Thai people love celebrations so since the officials from the government were coming to the official opening of the school we put on a great celebration.  Lots of flowers, long speeches, and reception with great fruits.

We went to a wedding in an Akha village.  It was in the village and table was set up in the middle of the road for the meal afterward.  During the wedding the kids are climbing rocks, dogs were running around, and the bride and groom were getting married. We were treated like celebrities. Tables up front, seating in the shade.  I was honored to be allowed to participate but the bride and groom said they were honored that we came. 

Another day at an Akha Village.  We had dinner at Ahpa’s home .  Ahpa works at the school and can fix almost anything.  He just left here after fixing our kitchen light and the gas hose for the shower.  Now we just need to get another tank of gas and we can have hot water.

Sandy (Michael) and a group of us went to Doitung. The Queen mother began this project  to help the villages get away from growing opium, which is virtually no longer grown in Thailand.

Next installment will be Mai Sai, the National Park and something else interesting.  Maybe the ants.