July game activities in Thai Home and Farewell Party for Maria

Qianzi Celestial

On the 10th of July, everyone dresses in white to celebrate the Abbot‘s birthday. The temple is filled with various food stalls offering snacks, desserts, ice cream,noodles, and more. Anyone attending the festival can freely enjoy these treats. We spent the morning at the temple, eating, playing, and occasionally helping out. In the afternoon, we sang the birthday song in English for Abbot, which brought tears of joy to his eyes.

Following the successful gaming event in Thai Home last June, the July gaming activities were hosted by Yang Le. This time, besides us eight members and our friends， the monk Anan, the Chilean girl, Maria, also participated. Together, we played games such as "Snatch the Shoe," "Throwing Sandbags," "Find the Leader," "Unlock the knot," "Number Bomb," "Badminton," "Balloon of Luck," and "Eating Cucumbers." During the games, Maria also led us in spontaneous and lively Latin dance. Under the blue sky, white clouds, and on the green grass, with horses leisurely accompanying us, a group of children played joyfully and happily. Thanks to Yang Le's creative ideas and the well-organized games, the advantages of the Thai Home community model became even more apparent, spreading the joy of community life to more friends who came to experience it.

While the British boy had to extend his visa in the neighboring country, Maria joined us in planting passion fruit, weeding, and nurturing seedlings in Thai Home. The night before her departure, we organized a small and impromptu song and dance party. Yu Lin cooked a delicious big meal, and Yang Le helped make pizzas. After dinner, each of us sang beautiful songs, and in the end, we all danced together. The warm and charming night made it hard to say goodbye. Maria had been living in Thai Home for two weeks and wrote a long and touching review and reflections on her experience in Thai Home on the HelpX website, expressing her appreciation and deep emotions for the experience. Before her departure, we all hugged and wished her well. Please enjoy the photos.

2023-7-16