Packing bags.........

The large gun metal grey Samsonite suitcase I bought at a 2nd hand store for $5.00 is packed full of books and school supplies. Also included are almost 50 letters from Noble Academy 50th graders. I'll leave the suitcase and supplies there.
Those letters and the replies will be the focus of much of English Teaching. I'll invite the Thai students to include their mailing addresses on the letters I carry back. Perhaps it will initiate a pen pal relationship. Kathy W. also gave me cassette tape recorder that I can use as a tool to help the students as they learn to speak English. Trial and error with some good coaching from people like Kathy are helping me to gradually figure out how to help the students with their English.
A brief email from the English teacher at 'my' school said that they're all fine. I do wonder if some students will have left during the flood, or.....?

Letters to Thailand.

The fifth grade students at Noble School, with whom I volunteer, are busy writing letters to my students in Thailand. I'll bring the letters with me. They letters are a good educational tool. The Noble teachers used them as a learning exercise in letter writing. They will also be a good learning tool in Thailand giving the Thai students practice in reading English. I will also have them write back to the students at Noble. The letters from Noble are quite long...they'll be challenge for the Thai students. If it wasn't for the 12 hour time difference we could Skype between schools, but.....

Thailand trip plans.

Perhaps I was asleep at the switch, but, whatever, I was late making my frequent flier reservations for my trip to Thailand. Coming back was not problem but to find a free flight out I have to leave on Christmas Day...very early! Flight time is 6:00am via United to Chicago to catch an Aisiana Airlines plane to Bangkok via Seoul Korea. This will be the first time that I'm not flying either Northwest or Delta through Tokyo. I think of it as another adventure.
This flight schedule will get me to Thailand several days before I can begin teaching on January 3. What to do? Unless another more creative thought strikes me I'll probably hang out at Christian Guesthouse in Bangkok. The wonderful tropical heat and humidity will allow my shoulders to un-cramp after hunching against the December cold in Minnesota.
The big question, 'what will I find after the flood?' will not really get answered until I get to Ayutthaya on January 1. Central Bangkok, in which the Christian Guesthouse is located, was not flooded. While in Thailand I'll update this blog regularly.

Thank you received from Thailand.

This is the family described below.

This is their house.

This is the verbatim thank you email I received for the money I sent via Western Union.
"Our families. Thank you so much that you have a good spirit so send money to us is 7400 Baht ($250.) if you want to help us help you. If you come to Ayutthaya to tell us. We will await you. Or send a message to us. They are not computer at home."
I'm pleased that I was able to get the money to them before I arrived. I will make clear to the families that I help that the money is not all from me. I'll tell them that churches and friends in America provided much of it.

Auction Pictures

Relief For Flooded Thailand

Three years ago when I was teaching in Ayutthaya, Thailand, I lived in a house with other volunteer teachers. A Thai woman, Gai, was hired to provide us with food and language instruction. Gai and her husband, Mai, have three children at home. The children became special to the volunteer teachers. I have stayed in contact with the family via email and visiting them when I've been in Ayutthaya.
During the recent flood I received an email from Gai which said in effect; 'house flooded, no money no food.' Their income source is a Tuk-Tuk, a small three wheeled taxi they use to transport tourists. Obviously not usable during a severe flood.
Now they are home but do not have enough money to replace the school clothes their children need or to fix damage to their house. However, today I was able to wire them some money via Western Union so they do not need to wait for my arrival in two weeks to get some help.

Auction

In 1885 my grandfather, Lars Negstad, bought the rights to a homestead in SDak. and three years later completed the requirements to receive the 160 acres from the U.S.government. Since that time the land has been farmed by Negstads. After Lars came my father, Albert. Albert was followed by his son and my brother, David. After David came his son, Wayne who has farmed until now.
This summer Wayne decided to quit farming and concentrate his efforts on his tax and accounting business. He is in the process of buying the H & R Block business in Brookings, where he has worked winters for a number of years. He will continue to live on the farm.
Yesterday he auctioned his farm machinery and he has rented his land for next year. The auction was cold but sunny, the high temperature reached 12 degrees. Grandpa Lars planted trees around the farmstead and those trees have been maintained by his successors. They provided welcome protection from the wind for the auction. It appeared to this bystander that the auction was a success.
The oldest item sold was an antique road grader that belonged to my uncle, Henry. In the early part of the 20th century he had a road building business building some of the first roads in Brookings County. He pulled the grader with his huge 40-80 Avery tractor.
Wayne's brother, Neil, is interested in history so his plan was to buy the grader and give it to the Brookings Co. museum, located in Volga. (Parenthetically, the museum was begun by Neil's great uncle on his grandmother's side, John Bergh.) We all thought that the grader would sell for $50 or $100. Give Neil credit, he stuck with the bidding until he prevailed...at $950. So the museum will get the grader.