Hello everyone,
I guess this is my last blog from Thailand, today has been our last day as we fly out tonight at midnight! I’m sorry I haven’t blogged for so long, but my last few weeks were so crazily busy and emotional so I didn’t get a chance to write anything. I had my last couple of days at work a couple of weeks ago. The Thursday was my last day with all the children because on the Friday we took only a couple of children on a boat trip around Koh Kret. The Thursday was a very very emotional day, I don’t think I have had to try and stop myself from crying so much in one day, it was horrible (but a really really lovely day). It was just a normal day at work but a very special one for me. The Thai staff made me a very special meal for lunch. I helped make Somtam which is spicy papaya salad, and we also had lots of other yummy foods, I think I have eaten most of my most delicious Thai food at work with all the staff. I really enjoy the time spent with them, sitting on the floor and sharing all the plates of food. The goodbye to all the children was so difficult, I started crying a lot, and gave all the children a lovely hug and a kiss. It was a really lovely goodbye to them all, one of the little girls was really confused by the fact that I was crying, she gave me a look as if to say “why are you crying, it’s meant to be me who cries”, so that made me laugh in the middle of all the crying. Then after that, I headed to Rainbow house for our leaving party. CCD have a party for all the volunteers who leave and it was our turn. It was a very strange feeling knowing that it was us that were leaving!! Very surreal. But I managed to hold it together for that and we were given lots of souvenir pictures and stuff from CCD.
It has been really great having the support from the other girls, we are all feeling the same, all very upset to be leaving and it is fantastic how much we are able to support each other and be a comfort to each other. If I didn’t have them I think I could well be in a worse state than I am :)
Then on the Friday I was preparing myself for another emotional day of saying bye to a few more of the children and all the staff. The boat trip was good and I think all the children really enjoyed themselves, but I felt in quite a surreal state knowing that I was ACTUALLY leaving. So it was another tearful goodbye to the children we had taken out at lunch time. Then I headed back to the CCD centre with all the staff and spent the afternoon with them, helping them make stuff and generally just chatting to them. It was funny, every time one of them came over to me and said “Oh I don’t want you to leave” it set me off with the tears again, they kept telling me to stop or they would start. So eventually I had to do the inevitable, say goodbye to them all. It was the hardest thing I have had to do. The staff have really been like a family to me whilst I have been here, making me feel at home and looking after me. I found it harder leaving them than I ever thought I would, harder than I found leaving Scotland when I came out here. They had made me a beautiful poster of all the photos they have of me at work, really thoughtful of them! I am going to miss them all so so much, I already am, and I’m still in Thailand.
I have made a vow to myself though that I WILL be back, I don’t think I could leave here without the knowledge that one day I will be back! It breaks my heart to leave all these fantastic children here but I just have to keep remembering that there are all the staff and volunteers when they come that these children will have.
Thank you so much to all of you who have supported me, through prayer, thoughts and everything else. You have been amazing and this experience has really just been such a blessing so thank you so so much.
Well I guess that is it, I will try and upload some more of my photos when I get home, I have hundreds so they won’t all go on. But I hope you don’t mind hearing all about all they children and looking through endless photos, I certainly have so many stories to tell you all.
Khopkhun mat mat kha lak sawasdee kha. Mai ow bai baan, chop Thailand mat mat!Kid tung kha.
Rachel xxx
On my last day at work the Thai staff and I cooked a delicious meal for my going away. Here we are making Somtam which is a spicy papaya salad.
Tui in the sensory room
The ball pit!
