After three months of waiting Kara finally arrived this week! It has been really fun to show her around and try to get her acquainted with everyone and everything. She has been amazed at how much we can function here and how many friends we have and looking back on it we have learned so much in the last three months. Our Thai is coming along nicely, we have lots of Thai friends from church and students at Payap that we are trying to connect, and we just feel very at home. God has really blessed us during our time here and I know that he will do amazing things through Kara as well. Amanda just got back from the States yesterday night and had an amazing time there at her sister's wedding and hanging out with her fiancee. We are all glad to have her back.
Kara arriving at the airport!
This weekend is Loi Krathong here in Thailand. Right now it sounds like a war outside because of all of the fireworks. My favorite part is the release of lanterns into the sky at night and you can just see hundreds of them all at one time floating away on the wind. Its so cool! They also float (or loi) krathongs down the river as a thank you to the river and it is very beautiful. The streets are crazy and there are people just everywhere. We had a girl's weekend last weekend when the boys were all gone on men's retreat and we took pictures on a famous bridge in the city. Already, the streets were extra crowded and there were fireworks zooming over our heads.
Kohm fai (lanterns) and Thai outifts
Girls night at the bridge
We were all invited to a special Loi Krathong party at the Chief Justice's house. We all bought traditional Thai skirts and shirts and tried our best not to stick out like crazy. There were 600 people there and we only saw 2 other farangs. There were crazy dancers and singers and everyone was really dressed up and there was amazing food everywhere. We got to hang out with P Rung who is a church member here and a judge at the courthouse and his nephew Onglee. All of us sat with the P Pat the Chief Justice's wife and our friend Ba Tick most of the time. It was so fun and really a once in a lifetime experience. We also invited all of them to our Christmas party and I hope they will come.
About to loi krathong with Onglee
Our hosts the Chief Justice and his wife P Pat
YAY!!! Love seeing Kara in pics with you gals and seeing the name of the blog change to include her name. Can't wait to read one of her posts as well. And I'm so incredibly jealous that that experienced Loi Krathong...so fun!! I just saw the new Disney movie 'Tangled' this past weekend and they had floating lanterns too!!! Miss y'all!
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