Construction Brings Exhaustion

Things are in full swing here in Bangkok...Teaching English classes, Hanging out with the children in the slums, Rebuilding the home of an elderly woman, Preparing to work in Pattaya!!! The rain has been pouring almost continuously and with such has come numerous mosquitos and flooding! There is an elderly woman in the slums, named Ye Noit who is quite frail, but full of fire and laughter. Her home is located between two canals; therefore, the rain and flooding has created numerous issues, causing the floor of her home to cave in and the much of the framing to collapse. I have been working with a team from Canada to rebuild her home this week, though little work is actually accomplished most days as she loves to take us on silent walks with the occasional misunderstood outbursts of laughter! She is a dear soul in the community and would like to open her home for childrens bible studies once it has been completed. After working construction in the mornings, I teach English classes at the university in the afternoons...My students do not believe that I am from America and tell me that I must either be English or French, still not exactly sure why that is. I will be going to Pattaya (The Prostitute Capital of the World) on Sunday for 4 days to teach English and Jewelry Making at a Prostitute Rehabilitation Center. I am eager to begin working with the young women, as that is where my passion is found, but I am finding purpose and blessings in my work in the meantime. I have had many meaningful conversations with both students and foreigners throughout the past week and am excited to see where such interactions will lead. Thank you all for the many encouraging emails this week...your words always seem to arrive at the moment they are most needed.