Massage versus Message

So I am grading some last papers for my year 4 students. THere final is Wednesday and Friday we have a party. I will be teaching year 1 until the day before I leave then I'll hand it off to another teacher. As you can see it is a busy time of year. Well, my students were writing suggestions for me. They had to write out a question from a phrase on a worksheet and answer it. Well, one of them was "Do you know where I can get a massage?" I got lots of "Sure you can get it from Lao Telecom/Tigo?" and "Sure, you can get it from the post office. " It took me awhile before I realized that massage=message in their minds. Oh sweet students I'll miss them and how much they have helped me to anticipate future cultural problems that never entered my mind.

Faithfulness

I feel that I often gravel and complain on this blog, so today I want to talk about the fathers goodness. If there is one thing I have learned it is how powerful it is when people talk to the father. This year he has answered so many requests that I could not have done without others. In March I posted about loneliness and 3 hours later a friend called me and invited me over to play volleyball. Another friend often cheers me up when I am down because she has such a joyful heart. I have been blessed with two good Lao friends and 2 Americain friends. As the year comes to a close I am sad but look forward to next year. I will attempt to post some pictures though my computer is a little messed up. Can't wait to see you all this summer!

My Lao teacher and I. They are all so sweet. One of many funny billboards. One of

my favorite pictures- Donna, me, Kaitlyn and Lisa baking cookies.

My roommates at the Boat Racing Festival and Marie's birthday party one of my teacher friends childrem

Workshop fun!

Ahh...so it has been awhile since I posted. It is amazing to think I have survived 10 months overseas. The father has been good even though it has been tuff. The day I wrote my last post someone called me up and invited me out. It is so neat how little things can change your mood. I cannot post pictures because my computer is a little whacked out but I will tell you a few things.

First, I will be home at the end of June and am looking forward to processing all I have and am learning

Second, I will be returning in October

Thirdly, I cannot wait to hear about yalls year.

Fourth , my day at the workshop.

First, V shows me a tiny picture of a butt with a small part of a hand and says "Kat what is this?" I look at her and laugh and say "a butt." Then she says "No, a ring and points to a fraction of a ring in the corner. Then she continues to cut out the bottom in the shape with the butt crack showing. She hands it to me " I say your naughty" but the side facing me is a girl and her dad so she tells me "Your the one with a naughty mind!" Next, I jokingly moon her with the photo a few times. V tells me "I am naughtier than her." She is so funny and so enthusiastic about everything!

We were doing a lesson on Martin Luther King and his speech. How it made you feel? What are your dreams? Me " Do you know who Martin Luther King was?" V "Of course, he was a King!" Awh there innocence in all areas is so precious I love the Lao. Living here can be a love/hate relationship but the people make it worthwhile.