I feel like so much has happened since I last updated. Yesterday we went carolling while giving out tracts and invites to the Christmas party – a job for me and someone else in the team who are a little musically challenged! In the afternoon we joined a couple English classes to perform a skit about Jesus’ birth and to teach English by playing Christmas games.

The second class I went to was small – only six students until two turned up extremely late. It reminded me of a high school with the roll taken, lots of teacher-student interaction, students in uniform, but with nose piercings, non-regulation shoes, huge earrings etc. Surprising considering they get grades for presentation. The students were cheeky and loud. In a sense, that kind of class is a lot easier to teach than shy or awkward students because at least they’ll speak up.

In the evening we went to the night markets in lieu of karaoke, the original plan – praise the Lord for the change of plans! Dinner was at an open air “restaurant,” sitting on metal stools on the road. No, not on the roadside. On the road. They’d set up their moveable restaurant on the same road the cars, songtheows, motorbikes and various other vehicles were driving along a metre or so away. Nice scenery.

But I think this kind of ruggedness may be one of the things I miss most about Thailand when I move on to more “developed” places in Europe or the US. Just shows how little we need.

Finally tried a caterpillar – or whatever those white, wormy things are [see photo] – like the ones some students had brought me in Phitsanulok but I had been reluctant to try due to an upset tummy. It was surprisingly tasteless, mostly just salty.

This morning we began the de-brief, thinking and praying about how we’ll apply what we’ve learnt as we move on to our respective countries. In the afternoon we went to the university English club’s Christmas party where we ran games, taught the “12 Days of Christmas” lyrics and actions, performed a skit, watched the singing contest which a couple of our friends performed in, and hung out with the students, inviting them to tomorrow night’s Christmas party. Yeah, there’s been a few of those.

In the evening I met up with a couple of girls for bible study, which turned into a larger one than expected due as people hanging out in the Youth House’s common area joined in. Turned into a phenomenal bi-lingual study.

Exciting stuff has been happening here.