Worth a Thousand Words - Part 2

A highlight for me on this missions trip thus far is seeing our teens engage with the children (most of them as orphans) during the Life Camps. Some of the pics bELOW are from our last day with the children. It was difficult to say goodbye because of the relationships made... you can be proud of them.

Final goodbyes at the Life Camps 

LifeBook Ceremony at Hsa Mu Taw Migrant School

RIGHT - the school, with the little that they have, prepared for us a dinner theatre to thank Imagine Thailand and the West Kelowna team for the LifeBooks that were presented to three children.

One of the children who recieved a life book that night was rescued two months earlier from Burma. She was kidnapped by her aunt from the school to work in Burma. The headmasters didnt know where she went. She made a secret phone call to be rescued by the school... they did rescue her by smuggling her through the night. Her first comments were: "where is my lifebook?" as that book was the ONLY identification she had as an orphan. It was a powerful ceremony. 

LEFT - children presenting a traditional Burmese dance for the West Kelowna Team and Imagine Thailand.

 The children had presentations from traditional, to hip hop, to ancient love stories all in the hope to teach us about Burma culture.

It was a highlight for the team.

BELOW - is a presentation to the school from the West Kelowna team. The teens bought a computer for the school. This picture is with some of the children in the performances throughout the night. The response from the headmaster was well worth the purchase.

Caving with the Elevate Team 

RIGHT - at the entrance of a HUGE cave that was formed from waterflow over thousands of years. It was an AWESOME experience.

BELOW - a team picture at the end of the cave. As you can see, it has a lake... it wasnt clean enough to swim :)

Field Trip for Kwa Ka Baung Migrant School

Field trips for the children are far and few in between. The Migrant schools are venues where the children learn in classrooms, eat, and sleep ALL in the same place... So, ANY field trip is welcomed. This school has been waiting since October 2010 for a field trip that the West Kelowna team hosted. It was a great time for the children; in fact, some of them couldn`t sleep the night before because of the excitment.

 

About 150 people in 5 vehicles as well :) This is how they do it in Thailand.