Teaching English

We traveled about 1 1/2 hours today toward what the missionaries call the "slums". It's a very poor section of Thailand where most people do one of three things- Factories, Food, or Fish. We saw many rice fields and fish ponds. But interestingly enough, beside them were many factories. I talked with one of the missionaries in the area and he told me that the factories moved there because of cheap labor. Most workers make less than a $1 an hour. It was muddy from all the rain as we pulled into the school. The school was state run and consisted of mostly elementary age kids. The Thai government is anxious to have their kids learn English (they feel it gives them a shot at getting a better job and moving up the social classes). Ashlyn, Payton, and Bradyn all helped in acting out the story of Cain and Abel. Carmen Owen used the story to help teach the kids English phrases and I followed up the story with an illustration (using a shook-up Coke) of what anger can do if kept bottled up within us. Building off the relationships formed from the English classes, the missionaries have started a kid's club that meets twice a week in a nearby home.