who is your king?

I love going to the movies in Thailand. I just love the comfortable seats, the opera-like setup of the hallways, the funny Thai previews and of course the King's Anthem. Before every movie, they play the King's Anthem, and show pictures of the King. Everyone stands up to show their respect. Just before the song comes on, a sign comes on the screen in English and Thai to let you know that the Anthem is going to start next. It says (in English at least) Please Stand for the King, the Pride and Inspiration of all Thai People.

Last Saturday I went to see a movie with one of my friends. There were only a few other people in the theater (it wasn't a great movie). When it came time for the King's Anthem, the people a couple seats down from us did not stand up! I was mortified! Not standing up can land you in prison! They take the respect to the King very seriously! When the King's Anthem is played, the world stops. No one moves until it is done being played. I could not believe that they did not stand up! It bothered me all week.

But then I started thinking, the Thai king is not my king. I have another. But do I pay him the same honor and respect? Do I say the He is the pride and inspiration of me? Or do I make him worth less than what he is? All those people had to do was stand to show the King respect. It is so simple....but it meant they had to actually stand. I know what I should do for my King, but do I just not do it because of the inconvenience it is to me to "just stand?" Just wanted to share with you some thoughts this morning.

School is going good! Less than 3 weeks until the semester ends and we get 2 weeks off!

 I am having some issues with a student. He is my lowest student, in both English and Thai so I know that means there is something else going on there. His father runs with gangs throughout Nonthaburi (my town) and my student has been bringing in weapons into school (don't worry mom they are just plastic right now) but he draws disturbing pictures on all his papers and he only takes out books about war and weapons (which I will be putting a stop to!). He is also my student who for masquerade day dressed up in a full army and gas mask outfit. He is also disrespectful to the other classmates, lazy, and unmotivated. In other words, he is every teacher's dream! :) I have to have a meeting with him and the headmaster. I have been trying all year to have a meeting with his parents but they have been unresponsive. Please pray for me as I deal with this student, and for my student and his heart as well. His name is Folk.

hudson taylor

This morning I read a story to my student's from Hudson Taylor's life. It started with how Hudson Taylor was discouraged that no one had taken the Gospel seriously. One night he was particularly discouraged when a Buddhist man stood up and said that he wanted to know more. His grandfather and his father had been searching for the truth and he wanted to know more about this truth Hudson Taylor was talking about. The man became a Christian, was baptized, and even took Taylor to a Buddhist meeting where the man shared his testimony with his friend. It was this part of the story that made me stop though. It says, "However, a few nights after the man had accepted Jesus as his Savior, he asked Hudson Taylor a very hard question. "How long have the people in your land known about Jesus?" Hudson Taylor answered, "Oh, hundreds of years." "WHAT?" said the man in amazement. "You knew the truth for hundreds of years and didn't come tell us? My father searched for the truth all his life and died without finding it. Why didn't you come sooner?"
            Just a little something to ponder....:)

Three Cheers!!!!

Today I was so tired! I am always so cold at night with my air-con on so I turned it off. At first it was really nice but then I woke up sweaty so I turned my air-con on again and then I woke up cold so I turned it off, and the cycle kept continuing all night. Needless to say, it was an awful night's sleep and I woke up dead tired this morning. Wednesday is not a hard day for me, but I teach the first 4 hours straight with only a break for lunch which I didn't have today because we had a student's birthday party during lunch (they go all out here...it is pretty much a gourmet feast! BUT it was good because today is nasty soup day in the cafeteria so I never eat a good lunch on Wednesday UNLESS there are birthdays! :)) Anywho, I was tired so I was not exactly my cheery self this morning. But then something absolutely amazing happened that totally redeemed my day and my attitude!
Mos is a student of mine who started at GES this year. He spoke virtually no English at all. It was a challenge trying to pantomime how to do math, science, english, and geography the first few weeks and months. He is so motivated though and driven to learn. He wants so badly to be able to understand. He has come such a long way since the beginning of the year and it has been really fun watching him develop. I remember at the beginning of the year he couldn't even say my name so for the first two weeks my name was "Teacher" until he could figure out how to say "Miss Sarah." But today Mos completely blew me away! We have a verse that we learn for chapel every week and sometimes in the mornings I will ask if any of the students want to say it to the class from memory. Today Mos raised his hand and stood up and said our memory verse! Then we went to flag and when we got back, it was time for math. In math, Mos had his hand raised several times to answer questions. Mos! Mos raised his hand in class. He understood my general instructions to the class. He didn't need any extra hand motions, picture drawing, pointing, or simple instruction. He got it! Then in English AND science Mos answered questions. And he got a B+ on a science quiz that he did ON HIS OWN! I was just so blown away. I am so proud of him! Today was a good day! :)

motley crew

Today I was watching my students as they were reading their Reader's Theater Scripts, and I just thought, "I really love them!" Sure, sometimes they drive me absolutely crazy and I can't wait until 3:40 when I can kick them out of my room, but they make me laugh more often than not! I love this crazy bunch of kids and I feel so lucky that I am able to teach them! I mean how can you not love these kids...

If America and Thailand got together...

So today is Monday, and that means  that it is my LEAST favorite day of the school week. Monday is my busiest day which is not always the best way to ease back in from the weekend. Today when I woke up I thought..hmm...if I were in America teaching, I wouldn't have to go to school today. So I decided that today I would make a list of all the things that I miss from America. Pretty much all the things that if Thailand had, would make it the most perfect country ever! :)
1. Pandora
2. Panera
3. sunroofs
4. fall
5. blueberries and raspberries
6. hot water
7. midnight milky way bars (thank you Sister Sarah for getting me hooked right before I leave!:))
8. an English library
9....and that is all I can think of! Thailand is a pretty wonderful place though even without all those things! Half way through rainy season! :)

We've been to the ocean and back!

We had an amazing field trip to Ocean World yesterday. My students LOVED it and I did too! For it being Thailand, it was such an educational and well-put together field trip! They had to go on a scavenger hunt to find different types of fish, they got to play with penguins, and we saw some amazing looking fish. All of my students kept hugging me throughout the day to let me know how much fun they were having. The sixth grade that came with us didn't enjoy it too much but we sure did! Here is a video below that I took before the tour. I tried to upload a longer video of my kids after the tour was done but blogspot keeps telling me that I can't! :( Enjoy this one though!