Country school at Khao Koh

this will probably be the highlight of the whole trip. we have been in the village of khao koh for four days and haven't seen another white person the whole time we've been here.. they have treated us like rockstars. too many experiences to relate. playing gmes with the kids in the rustic classrooms with the pouring rain outside is one of my favorite memories. the temple in the mountins is another. sticky rice with coconut milk and mangoes is delicious. and there is nothing like eating not one, but six thai chili peppers and getting cheered on by a bunch of teenagers... :) sara simpson




So far the last couple of days here have been my favorite. We have delicious gourmet food for every meal and usually stop for a magnum bar at least twice a day (: On Tuesday Mona, Niki, David and I were in the back of the truck and while me and Mona were serenading David and Niki... it started pouring down rain! It was super fun but i think we had welts from being pelted by rain while driving down the highway. The school has been both amazing and exhausting! The kids won't let you sit down and rest! It was so sad today when we had to say good bye. Everyone has gotten so attached to the kids, and they are all so sweet. I have to say I'm pretty excited for the 7 hour bus ride we have in a couple of hours... hopefully we all sleep! Blogging off!
-Shelby (:


Oh my goodness where do I even begin?! Ever since we have been in Khao Koh, so many amazing things have happened! Working at the school has been one of the most amazing and touching experiences I think I have ever had. The Thai people are so amazing and hospitable I often feel like they are the ones serving me. Of course I have my favorite little children, one of them is an boy who I am pretty sure is autistic. It is so amazing that he is even at this public school because almost no schools take any kids with disabilities, so they are left with no educations, but this amazing school took this precious little boy in and he is doing so, so well. It was such a sad day when we had to leave today, and I hope that I can come back soon to see all of the amazing people here in the mountains! Over and out... Ramona.





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Country School at Khao Kho

Hey its Kyle! Today we got to go to the school and play with all of the kids there. All of the kids were very shy at first. But after a while they couldn't get enough of us. It was super amazing to be able to connect with all of the kids even though we spoke different languages. I'm super excited to go back tomorrow!

David here! Getting to go to the school today was really amazing. It was a little awkward at first since the kids weren't too sure about us, but pretty soon they had really broken out of their shells. I had a great time playing with the kids and getting beaten by them at soccer. And I really loved it when one of the boys took me into a classroom to play Chutes and Ladders and Candyland with him. Very cute kid! The teachers and director are very friendly and appreciate us coming. It's definitely going to be a fun few days!


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Bike tour through Bangkok

Father Ray Foundation and Day in Bangkok

Our first full day in Thailand was spent at Father Ray's Foundation in Pattaya. In the morning we went to the school for disabled students and spent time learning about the different programs Father Ray's provides. They offer a two year program in areas such as electronics, machine repair, and working in a call center. All things that persons with disabilities are capable of doing. In Thailand people with disabilities are often overlooked because there are are no special schools for them. If they come from poor families, they often earn wages by begging in the street.

In the evening, we boarded a bus to Bangkok and arrived late and spent the night in our youth hostel there.

Saturday was a full day. In the morning we went on a walking food tour. Our guide took us to four different eating establishments including open air food stands, a bakery, and a sit-down restaurant. We also sampled foods and fresh fruits from food stalls along the way. Everyone did a good job of trying new things. We have an adventurous group!

In the afternoon, we took a bike tour of Bangkok. We cycled down alleyways, past residential areas, through china town, through the flower market, ferried across the river, saw temples, etc. It was a great way to see a part of Thailand that most visitors never see.



These last couple of days have been so fun! On the food tour we tried lots of new foods that I probably never would have tried in America. Squid was surprisingly not very gross. I'm getting better at eating spicy food! I loved the bike tour! It was such a great way to see the city. It was cool to ride through the back allies and all of the little food markets. After our 4 hour bike ride we went back to the compound and had some really yummy pad thai and then... we got a fish spa massage! I feel like I need some of those little fish at my house, it feels so good! It's definitely a weird feeling. That whole day was great and the city is so exciting! I'm definitely going to miss Bangkok but I'm so excited to go up North! I love and miss my family and I'm so proud of my brother and excited that he will be serving a mission in Peru!!! Love you all! (:
- Shelby <3

Hey guys it's Ramona!! I am straight up exhausted, but the past couple of days have been an absolute blast! I feel like I have been gone for two weeks already, but it has only been a few days. The food tour was incredible! I really surprised myself with all of the food that I was willing to try because usually I am not a very adventurous eater! I tried squid, and other weird, sour, and spicy foods! The bike tour was super cool, but it was just sooooo hot! Whenever we were riding the wind was blowing so it wasn't too bad, but whenever we had to stop for water or traffic the heat just killed me! We went back to the compound and stuck our feet in tanks of fish that eat off your dead skin, and it felt SO weird, but really good! I am super excited for the next few days to go and teach at the school, and I cannot wait to see what kind of people I can serve! Today I also really liked going to the english branch for sacrament, there were so many different people from all over the world! We also visited the grand palace, which was spectacular! I am dead tired, so I will write more later!! Blogging off:)






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hey its kyle!!!!!! this trip has been absolutely amazing! the food tour that we went on was spectacular. I tried so many different foods that i normally would not have. I really enjoyed most of it too.
we also took a bike tour and got to see the real bangkok which i loved. i really had no idea how much i have been blessed with. We saw what poverty really was and it was an amazing eye opener. When got to go to the grand palace in bangkok which was one of the most amazing things i have ever seen. i am super excited for all that we have left on this trip !
-kyle

Hey its Cami! The food tour that we went on was so cool! I loved getting the chance to try all kinds of new, delicious food! The bike ride was cool because we got to go on the backstreets and see the non tourist parts of Bangkok. Then we got to go back and do a fish foot massage! It was definitely one of the weirdest feelings ever! We got to go to an English speaking branch for church today and I thought it was really cool. Then we got to go to the Grand Palace. Everything there was covered in gold and jewels and was just gorgeous! I cant wait for the rest of this trip!

hello its brianna! The food tour was so delicious! Before i came i was nervous to try the food but i love it as long as it isn't too spicy. The bike tour was super fun! It was cool to see all the sites that they took us to. Also our tour guides were awesome! The international ward that we went to was so cool. It was awesome to see people from all over the world and of different cultures gather together. I can't wait to go work with the kids up at the school up in northern Thailand!

Lauren
so this has been kinda amazing! walking down the streets was a little surreal because thereis an unending amount of food and items lining the streets. Justwalking oneblock there would be five or six shoe stores and each would have at least a thousand pairs in each store. Then outside of eachstore there is fruit andfood lining every street making it hard to walk on the sidewalk. i have never seen so much stuff in my life. it was ridiculous but so cool. all of the food tastes really good and none of it is processed so it tastes a lot more natural and healthier. their junk food is not as good though because its not really junk food. it tastes less unhealthy so that might be the only disappointment. that is all.

Well I have learned I am horrible at using a wheelchair. When we were at Father Rays doing the wheelchair obstacle course Sara and I came in last place! I blame the wheelchair it was like high centered the whole time! Anyways it was really fun to play with all the blind kids at father rays school for the blind.... when we went to the beach we learned how to guide them... my little boy was adorable! he knew a little english and would say funny things all the time! He sang songs and was a crazy active little boy! (I only accidentally made him trip once... I told him step over the rope but guess his english was not that good.)

In San Francisco walking to the pier we listened to this guy!


Four girls one bed.


Four girls other bed!!!



Boys on the floor....


Learning how to use a wheel chair!


Battle wounds...


It was very hot.


We got to talk to the kids in the English program so they could practice!


They were very good!

Location:สุรศักดิ์,Silom,Thailand

Slow Start

We got to a slow start to our journey to Thailand by sitting in the Boise airport for 2 hours while waiting for clouds to clear at the San Francisco airport. Unfortunately, we missed our connection to Tokyo. so we had the privilege of spending the day and night in San Francisco.

After an hour on the phone with customer service, we arranged flights for the next day, today. Because the delay was weather related, United would not cover meal and hotel expenses and San Francisco is not known for inexpensive hotel rooms! In our trip budget, I did budget an extra $100 for unforseen expenses, but didn't want to spend it all on the first day of our trip! After a meal at the airport, We needed a plan and came up with quite a few options.

Plan A: Kyle suggested we save money by sleeping in the airport. It would be fun! The downside, we would not be able to go into the city unless we took our bags with us. We could go outside the ariport to store our bags at $20 a pop.

Plan B: We rent a car (a big one...there`s 10 of us), drive into the city and lock the bags in the car while we did some sightseeing. Then drive back to the airport and sleep there. The downside, a rental car that size would be expensive and also quite a temptation for theft and we wanted our bags to be more secure.

Plan C: We rent a discount airport hotel room, lock our bags there, take the train into the city and back. Downside, there were no discount rooms to be had, what was available was $200 and then Bart train tickets would cost at least $20 round trip.

Plan D: Try to find a cheaper hotel away from the airport, take the airport shuttle there, store our bags in the room, then take the city bus the rest of the way to Fisherman`s Wharf and back. Jenna found a room for $94 at the Travelodge, which was a real bargain.



What actually happened: We took the airport shuttle to our room and realized it wasn't such a bargain after all. It did have two queen beds, hardly any floor space, a bathroom door that didn`t close properly and didn`t lock,and a bathroom with excessive amounts of caulk to kinda hold everything together.

We took the city bus to downtown (an hour ride) and at the end of the line got off and asked our bus driver the best way to get to Pier 39. He said it was only about 10 blocks and it would probably be easier to walk. Well, let me just say that he was a tad bit off in his reckoning. After around 30 minutes we were only to pier 15! But it was a beautiful day. Carpe Diem, right? We arrived to Pier 39 around 8 pm and split up into two groups in search of food (Boudin`s for my group, crepes for the other.....yum). By then it was pretty chilly down by the beach, an a few sweatshirts were purchased.

During this time, we received a call from Brian Hanson, offering to help pay for hotels rooms, so after consulting with the group we (especially the boys) decided that it might be a bit more comfortable for everyone if the boys had their own room. When we got back to the hotel, however, it was fully booked. thanks for thinking of us, though, Hanson's

At 9:30, we met up to start the trip home. No one was enthusiastic about making that long walk back to the bus station. We could hire 3 cabs at a cost of $45 to the bus station and then pay another $4 per person for the bus ride home. I could see our "slush fund" slipping quickly through my fingers. I then spotted an airport shuttle type van and approached the driver. I thought hiring him for all of us would be cheaper than taking 3 seperate taxis. Besides, although the risk was low of anything happening, I wasn't crazy about letting any of those kids drive away in a vehicle without me also in it.

I ended up negotiating the driver to take us directly to our hotel. He started at $170 and I got him to do it for $100 instead. A bit more than the taxi/bus combintion, but about an hour quicker!

Back at our Travelodge, we looked at our space and decided it would be best to change the bedding so that we slept with head and feet on the sides of the beds, that way we could fit 4 girls per bed, and then the two guys would sleep on mats on the floor. The coveted location in this scheme was back to the head board. The least desirable was clutching to the end of the bed. Even sleeping on the floor was better then that! Sorry, Lauren and Brianna!

After a late night visit to IHOP and then much maneuvering of 10 suitcases, 10 backpacks, and ten people in a very small place, we settled in for the night. We turned off the air because it was blowing directly on the heads of the 4 girls next to the machine. As the night progressed, it got increasingly hot and humid in the room until I couldn't take it, so I got up from my middle of the bed position, and tried to make it across the dark room without stepping on anyone. First I noticed a body on the floor in between beds (Danni). I avoided stepping on her by stepping across her to stand on the other bed. Wait, Lauren should be where I was stepping. Where's Lauren? As I looked around the room, I felt myself slipping off the end of the bed. I knew Kyle was on the floor right at the foot of the bed, so a took a little hop across him to the area next to the door....and landed on a body, Lauren's body curled up in that pitiful little space. She screamed, I screamed and scrambled off her right onto Kyle who added to the mayhem by yelling. By now everyone was sitting up in bed wondering what the heck was going on. Then I got the extreme giggles as I tried to pry open a sealed window without success, and then fumbled in the dark to try to figure out how to turn on the A/C. On my way back to my bed, I stepped on Danni, who didn't make a peep and indeed seemed to be the only one who slept through the confusion.

When I woke up in the morning, Danni was back on my bed, and Lauren was literally clinging to the edge of hers, poor girl. But I think we all got some sleep or at least more than we would have in the airport, as well as a little bonding time.



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Seven hours on the plane to tokyo so far. They have given us a ton of food which is nice and they have played oz, house, beautiful creatures, and sky fall. I am sitting in the middle of the middle row so it's hard to fall asleep without leaning on someone and the people around me don't speak much English but they are friendly so it's all good!!! Only three hours left until we land and then get on a plane for eight hours to Bangkok. Apparently it is seven at night in Boise but in tokyo its eleven am so I am not really sure if I should be tired or not but oh well. - Lauren

Yesterday in San Fran was fun but I'm so ready to finally get to Bangkok! This flight seems so long and we still have 3 hours! At least the little meals are pretty good. This day feels so long and we still have a three hour lay over and another flight! Good thing we all love traveling, right? We have been holding the cutest little Asian baby and now we all want one... Hope all is well in Boise! Bloggin off!
-Shelby

Hey it's Ramona! I am absolutely drained, but so incredibly excited!! I really just want to get to Bangkok at this point, but so far the adventure has been fun. My first time to San Francisco was a blast and sleeping 10 people to one hotel room was definitely another first for me. I cannot wait to serve the people of Thailand!! I am nervous about the differences in culture, but I cannot wait for the experience. Like Shelby said, Susie got a hold of the cutest, chunkiest little baby! She definitely has a gift when it comes to scouting out babies! I could use a solid nights sleep at this point, but I guess it is all part of the adventure!




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So... We missed our flight due to weather from San Fran to Tokyo so staying the night in San Francisco! Because it was delays related to weather united doesn't cover room vouchers or food! Needles to say ten people two queen beds! :D golden! Oh the adventures continue!! :)


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Why we are going to Thailand...

Its Ramona! I am so glad I had the amazing opportunity to go on this trip! I first wanted to go because of the experience I had last year in the Dominican Republic, I had such a great time getting to know another culture and serving the Haitian people there,I can only imagine what amazing experiences I am going to have in the next two weeks in Thailand! I am beyond excited and I can already tell the hard work I put into earning the money for this trip will be well worth it!

I wanted to come because I think it would be a fun opportunity to get to serve people from another country who don't have the opportunities we do. Soooooo excited!!--Lauren

It's Kyle!!! I'm super excited to go on this trip because I have always wanted to travel around the world. I'm super excited to be able to serve people who are less fortunate than I am. Gonna have a blast!

It's Brianna! I am so excited to spend the next two weeks in Thailand. It will be a great experience to serve the people in another country. I can already tell that this is going to be so fun and I'm excited for this opportunity!

It's Cami! I am so excited for this opportunity to travel and serve other people! I am so excited to get to go and help others who are less fortunate than me. This is a once in a lifetime experience that I am so happy to be a part of!

David here. As soon as I heard word of riding elephants I knew I had to come. Of course I also really like these out of country humanitarian trips and I get a lot out of serving. I am very excited to get into Thailand and start!

It's Shelby!!! (: I'm so excited to see new places and to have the opportunity to serve the people in Thailand. I love all of these humanitarian trips and I'm so excited to finally me on our way!

Hey there! It's Danni. It's still completely surreal to me that I'm going to Thailand! I hope I'll be able to walk away from this experience a more humble and enlightened person. I've been told that seeing places like thailand in person does more for the heart than merely watching it on tv. I hope that to be true and the trip will be an enjoyable experience, as I'm sure it will be! Glad I finally learned how to say "not spicy" in Thai. I have a feeling that's the most important phrase I'm going to learn :) ya.....I'm a wimp.

It is Jenna... So we are on our way!! Kind of... Thailand here we come! It has always been on my go to place but I never expected it to be made into a ward trip! I am so excited to share these adventures with these wonderful kiddos! I am excited to learn more about where I come from and the different cultures... Can't wait for all the adventures to come!!

Emergency Phone Numbers:
These are numbers we can be reached at while out of the country. It DOES cost extra money so please for emergencies only!! (Texts are only five cents to receive, so non important message can be texted!)

Jenna's: (208)407-9491
Susie's: (208)407-9404
Sara's: (208)230-0048

Thanks! And see you all tomorrow morning!

ONE DAY 

TEN HOURS 

FIFTY FOUR MINUTES 

FIFTY FIVE... FIFTY FOUR.... FIFTY THREE... SECONDS

UNTIL WE ARE OFF FOR THE BEST ADVENTURE YET! 

--Hope you all are packed and ready!

See you at the Boise airport around 9:50!!!