Our first two weeks here we had orientation. During this time we covered a lot of information on logistical things but we also had a lot of fun. One of my favorite days of orientation involved splitting into groups of 2 or 3 and doing an Amazing Race all over Chiang Mai. It was super fun to explore the city and get more comfortable in our new home. We also got to try bubble tea, visit a waterfall, and eat some bugs (gross!). It was a great time!
Once orientation finished, we started our Thai class. Learning Thai is HARD! Thai is a tonal language which is completely different than English. A word can be pronounced with 5 different tones and each one means something totally different. For example, if you say the word for sorry with the wrong tone, you might accidentally say please fart. As you can tell, this can lead to some awkward situations.
Thai is also hard because we have to learn an entirely new alphabet. Thai vowels can be above, below, before, or after the consonant. It's so confusing! But, as challenging as it is, I am learning a lot. Considering we've only had 3 weeks of class so far, I think I'm doing pretty well! And thankfully, we have an excellent teacher who is very patient with us as we struggle. She's also hilarious which helps to lighten the mood when we're feeling overwhelmed or frustrated (which is often).
This past week we took a little break from language school and did a tour of all the ministries we'll have the chance to work with. We looked at 8 ministries that were all fantastic and very different. After seeing my options, I'm hoping to work with a ministry that helps single moms and their children. The idea behind the ministry is to reduce the number of orphaned children by supporting the moms. They teach parenting and life skills in addition to having childcare for the young kids. So I'd have the chance to disciple women while also hanging out with cute babies. It's perfect for me! We should start ministry in January, once we have a better grasp on the language.
Other than that, internship is going well! I'm learning to drive my motorbike and training myself to like the spicy Thai food. I'm beginning to make some friends at the restaurants we visit a lot and I'm getting used to ants and geckos being everywhere. Life here is challenging for me, but it's also very good, and I'm learning to like it more and more every day.
Thank you for your support and your prayers!
~Emily
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| My wonderful team! |
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