April Updates!

Now that I've been here for a little while, I've started to get myself adjusted to what the schedule and life style here in Chiang Mai. Things are usually pretty laid back and there are lots of things to do both inside the city and outside! Between work, meeting new people, making time for friends, the markets, and staying on top of keeping everyone back at home updated, it's easy to stay busy. 

This past month I did start to get a little homesick, but the friends I've made here have made it very easy to get myself adjusted and even celebrated my birthday with me. Even little gestures make a big difference when you're this far away from home! Two of my friends took me out to dinner a few nights before my birthday to help me celebrate, and we got to eat all sorts of local favorites like lime chicken, stir fried morning glory of course, and what the Thais like to call "Dancing Shrimp" which is actually live shrimp served in a super spicy broth. I'm pretty sure I won't be forgetting that experience any time soon!

The kids are wonderful and I'm really starting to enjoy working so closely with them! Now that I've learned enough Thai to hold a real conversation, it makes it so much easier and the kids love to tell me all sorts of interesting things. Although there are usually only myself and a volunteer supervisor on shift, I feel privileged to get the chance to work with the kids in a more one-on-one type setting and it makes it easier for them to remember my name. For a while, some of the kids had taken to calling me Mae Ar Sa (pronounced may aah saw) which means Miss volunteer in Thai. The kids can say Alissa, but sometimes when you say it too fast it sounds like Ar Sa to the kids so they got a little confused!

We had about 8 kids in isolation with the chicken pox at one point this past month and have finally gotten all of the kids healthy and chicken pox free! It sounds like it wouldn't be too bad to work in isolation, but it can be tricky since the kids are generally confined to a room and can't play with the other kid's toys in case they get anyone else sick. We had to be a little creative and plan some activities for the kids to do just to keep them from going crazy with seeing so much of each other all the time! None of the volunteers got sick and we're all taking the right precautions against both getting sick and getting HIV. This past month has been a little bit of a trial with more than one child getting cuts and scraps, but everyone has remembered their safety precautions and we are of course being very very careful when any blood is involved! So don't worry, we're all using our heads over here.

Other than that, I feel that the kids are really warming up to me especially since I've been here for 2 months. Time has gone by so quickly and I still can't believe that I've been here for two full months and only have 5 more months left! There are so many things that I still want to do and I have guitar and piano lessons with the older kids planned for June when the kids are on summer break and might even start some cooking lessons with a few of the nannies and kids as well. Either way, I'm sure I'll stay busy! 

My work schedule has me working for 5 days in a row and then I get two days off so if anyone would like to talk with me through Skype or just chat online, let me know so we can set up a time! Remember, I'm about 12 hours ahead of you all so when it's the morning for you, It's about bedtime for me.

  Getting To Know The Kids

(Due to privacy laws in Thailand, I won't be able to post any pictures of the kids with names attached but please feel free to e-mail me if you'd like to know who is who in the pictures!)

Each of the kids at Agape has their own personal story. Some are more elaborate than others, but I’d like to dedicate a portion of my newsletter each month to some of the kids and their stories. I feel that by getting to know the kids on an individual basis will help both myself, and my readers, to understand and connect with each child personally.

Jarupon (pronounced Jah-rue-pong) is in the four-five year old group that I work with at Agape and is about 5 years old. He first came to Agape just a little over a year ago with his older brother after their family could no longer care for them. Jarupon is HIV negative, but his brother is HIV positive. These two boys have been through a lot in the past year having lost both of their parents, moved to Agape, and having had to learn a different language.

Both of these young boys have been through so much, and it's very understandable that Jarupon is one of our most difficult children to work with. As a young adult, I haven't had to go through nearly half the trials that they have and I know most of my friends can say the same thing. When I first came to Agape Jarupon practically refused to listen to me or respect the fact that I was a volunteer. He's made such wonderful progress as he has learned to trust more and more people in his life.

There used to be days that he would just terrorize the other kids and just behave horribly in general but by remembering to be patient and always rewarding good behavior, it has really paid off for all of us. He loves to hear that he has been a wonderful helper and likes to help us with the younger kids too. For some reason, he has gotten it into his head that if something is broken, I can fix it so I'm usually greeted with a broken toy and a hug. He is a wonderful little boy, and I pray that we can help him through the trials that he will continue to struggle through.

Prayer Requests

- Please continue to keep my safety in your prayers. We have had a few issues with political riots recently and although none of them have been directed at foreigners, you can never pray enough for safe travels!

- Also, I would like to request prayers for the kids at Agape. The ARV drugs are doing wonders for their well-being and immune system but there are still a lot of kids who get sick very easily and have trouble getting rid of even the common cold quickly.

- I am currently the only volunteer working at Agape besides the two volunteer supervisors (technically full time volunteers, a little different than what I am) and although it hasn't been too difficult to adjust to working shifts being the only English speaker, pray that I have patience and can learn to speak Thai better!

- We will be getting new volunteers in June and I ask that you keep their travels in your prayers as well.  Pray that I will be an encouragement to them when they arrive and be the best host I can be.