2019 Youthlinc Real Life Refugee Scholarship Winners Youthlinc is pleased to announce a new…
Thailand Team Weekend Retreat
Hello again humanitarian adventurers! Thailand team reporting in full force, and this time it’s all about our first time together overnight during our Thailand Weekend Retreat. Thanks to our fearless leaders Bobby and Carson for lending their awesome humble abode for us to “camp” out, our team learned from first-hand experience how we were going to get involved overseas.
Miriam Kramer had recently come back from scouting our area where we’ll be serving in Thailand and had so much to report, such as what to eat (as well as what to avoid…), the playful kids, boat trips that await us and the ever-so-grateful community of people who are already aware of who and what Youthlinc is – it was very assuring to know that we were already a part of something so incredible in our service site.
This was not only our first night as a group together, but also our first immersion lesson in Thai culture. Thanks to Brian, we feasted on delicious Thai food including chicken, beef, rice, and noodle dishes. But the best was yet to come. For dessert we shared sticky rice, coconut sauce, and mangoes – perfection.
We were even fortunate enough to receive a lesson on the dishes made with a mortar and pestle in Thailand. And then we found out who was the toughest with the hot pepper eating contest…well, tough if you mean downing milk to qualm our dragon breaths… Everyone then got active with an impromptu Thai kick-ball game, some mock kickboxing routines and dancing to some Thai music. According to Marlee Hatch, “The best part was looking at the pictures.”
As we prepare to embark on the journey, as we begin to immerse ourselves in and learn about the Thai culture, we all think the pictures are really what cemented the concept that this trip is actually happening, they brought the idea to life, and when our time comes we’ll too be able to share our experiences with family and friends.
After a long night of quiet dozing, as well as welcomed snoring, what better way to start the next morning with a service project? After breakfast yards and yards of fabric covered the floor as members traced out patterns for reusable menstrual pads that will later benefit women who have no access to feminine hygiene products.
Many of us were glad to realize that our skills in the menstrual pad making business actually wasn’t half bad and ecstatic to clock in a couple service hours before the morning was over. Members were asked to bring two yards of cotton fabric, one yard of waterproof fabric, another yard of flannel and finally an old towel that needed to be put to good use.
While tracing patterns onto the fabric Diana Thai said, “I’m looking forward to experiencing a different culture and traveling out of the country.” Maddie exclaimed, “I was really excited to see the pictures the photographs from the service site and to hang out with team members.”
One overnight of Thailand Team experiences down and only so many more to go, and to think it will be in only a few more months! Is anyone else excited as we are? Well, you should be! Get ready for us. Thailand Team Bloggers, over-and-out~
Emily Kwok, Eleanor Johnston & Itzak Lefler
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