Swatdee Kaa

The first week of teaching is over, I have 8 classes! I teach 2 classes a night from 5-7:30. At first I was really nervous, I felt like I was rambling on about nothing. They listened to everything I said.  The first class the cd player wasnt working so I had them teach me some Thai. The second class went better and I got the hang of it through out the week!! There are roughly 20 students in each class, ages ranging from 16-40's. On Wednesday I visited an Immigration Detention Center. This is the place where people who have violated their visas are put. They have stayed longer then was alloted, but most of them are running from their country and have no where to go and so they get caught and thrown in here and cant get out bc there is a $2,000 fine and dont have family outside of there so they are stuck. The main purpose of visiting them is so they can see eachother they are seperated men and woman so the families cant see eachother unless there is someone who visits them and we bring them clothes and food and necessities or books, stuff they ask for, they are treated worse than people in prisons. It is so sad and if my visit can bring them joy for just a second then I want to bring as much joy as I can! In order to visit you need your passport and visa to prove you are supossed to be here. I was not told this and so I thought I was not going to be able to go in. As we were approaching the building I felt God say "look in your bag", I ignored it because I knew there was nothing in it i needed, but the voice said it again "look!" so I unzipped my bag and there was my passport with my visa in it!!! Praise God! He had a plan! The lady I visited has a daughter and someone else visited her husband so the family could be together. Her name is Sopitha, she is Sri Lankan. They have been in there for 3 years and had not seen eachother in over a month. It was her birthday, her husband asked us to get her a card and a gift. It was pure joy to see them together. The father held his daughter the entire time as I got to speak to Sopitha the best I could, over the noise and language barrier. When you enter the center you are patted down thoroughly and the items you bring in are checked. All the detainees are behind a chained gate and there is a walkway separating us, for a guard to pass through, and then another gate which we stand behind. We visit for a while and then let the families reunite as we take a step back and try and grasp how awful this is. When the bell rings we leave and the gates are opened for the people to get the things that have been brought for them. They are so thankful! Hopefully they will see God in our face.

My prayer is that whatever the path that God has set for me I am sensitive to His voice. I want to be less so that He is more. I want to build relationships with His children and lead them back to Him. Church was amazing on Sunday and I truly felt God's presence! It was much needed and tears of anxiety, joy, worthlessness, hope, and love came pouring out while I sang praises to my God! He is so good and I will always praise His name! I am ready to conquer this week in His name! Amen