A Book Drive

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In honor of my dear friend Heather in Brazil, I wanted to participate in a birthday book drive she is conducting in honor of her beloved (step)mom-Kelly who died in September, 2008-after a long battle with MS. I love books and reading and was excited about this project. Heather has been my friend for over 20 years now and has always been there praying for us and encouraging us on through some of our darkest moments AND she is one of the few that comments on my blog-LOL!!

Since returning to Thailand in August I have been reading once a week at a new Thai school in my neighborhood. I had watched as this beautiful, most colorful, elementary school was being built last year, wondering how I might be involved there once it was completed, it's walking distance from our house. After it opened I just walked into the administrator's office and offered to come and read to some of the children once a week for some exposure to English, an enhancement for their school. (Of course I had Nok with me to translate! I keep encouraging her because her English is better than anyone who works at this school, but sadly she doesn't have the "paper". She left school after Jr.High to begin working which is not that uncommon here but she is one smart cookie! and such a hard worker!)

So every Tuesday I go and read 2-3 books to 8 classes of 3-5 year children. After a couple of months the principal asked if I could come everyday!!! No! but I have recruited my friend Kelly from TX to join me and she now reads to the children every Thursday. We do meet and do some minimal planning, trying to coordinate the things that we cover each week-colors, numbers...

Yesterday I took the boys with me to read to the children and to help me donate the books in honor of Heather's Kelly. I had found 8 bilingual books to donate, one for each class. The new school is impressive but they have few books, in fact I have contacted Esso's Country Manager in hopes that Esso can help fill their library with many books in the future. They have an empty room designated as a future library that I want to see filled-that's one of my goals before we leave Thailand. Each class was so excited about their new book and it was extra special to me knowing that I was doing it as an extension of my love for my friend Heather because of her love for her Kelly.....