Hello everyone...
Well, I’m headed
back to the farm this weekend. I liked
it so much that now that Curtis and Jess (two visiting exchangers from another
city) are leaving, I decided to go back for another week. I'll be there for a week, and then be home
for a couple days and then off to my first tour "Puhkideng"
which is a five day hike thru a wildlife sanctuary on a mountain. I’m really excited... then as soon as we get
back, I’ll be packing for my new host family.
We move into our new host family's houses the first week of December...
so... I’ll email when I can... but who knows when that will be... Well, I love
you all!
As always, thanks
for the cards, gifts, prayers, and words of encouragement!
Love,
Kati
11-23
Hey everyone!
Sorry for not writing...but like
I said... we went back to the farm from Sunday to Friday... Except
this time was quite different.
Most of the rice was already picked because we'd done such a good job,
so we only had to pick rice one day... The other days we beat rice... you hit a
bundle of stalks against wooden board and the rice falls of the stalks... then
you chuck the stalks in this big pile and use it to feed the animals. I actually really enjoyed it... then, after the pile of rice got too big, we
all (foreigners and Thaïs) filled buckets with the rice and put it in a little
house thing so that the rice wouldn't get rained on and ruined... It took
several hours and it was really hard work.
Every night our Thai host mom
would build us a big fire to sit in front of after we were cold and done with
our showers. we had a sister and a
brother on the farm our age... the first farm I stayed at I had two little
sisters that were a little younger than Hannah, but old enough to be in
school... so it was cool to get the experience of living with kids our age and
seeing what they do, and living with younger kids. Those kids worked soooo hard, it was
unbelievable. On our last day at the
farm, they had a huge ceremony for us (some of the girls stayed on this one
farm for 3 weeks straight... so they got pretty attached).... it was so
emotional... the entire village was invited.
It was a really amazing experience.
After the Buddhist prayers and
stuff, they tied these bracelets around your wrist for good luck and pray for
you. Everyone was crying. Afterwards, Thisie
and I sang "When You Believe” accapella (Thisie sang harmony and I sang melody).... it was
amazing. The whole experience was so
awesome... in fact, a little too awesome...
I gained like 5 pounds at the farm because I ate so much... but it's okay,
I know I’ll lose it in a jiffy, and in
the scheme of things gaining five after losing 35 isn't so bad... well, I better let you all go now, this has
become quite the novel, and I’m using a
friend's computer....
I received the card from the
church! Thank you all sooooooo much!!
ChrLOVEist, <-------- (love in
Christ)
Kati
11-23
Hello everyone!
Well, I’m off for Phukradung (a Thai tour that involves hiking up a mountain
for a week) tomorrow morning... therefore you won't be seeing many emails from
me for awhile... just wanted to warn you of that... well, I love and miss you
all bunches-- but I’m living Thailand to the fullest! I got to run! enjoy your week-- I
know I will... It's going to be freezing up there (like 50 degrees!!)
love,
Kati