Chiang Saen

My time in Chiang Saen was oh so short and sweet. I loved every minute of it! I absolutely adored all the little ones at the Babies’ Home. I especially love the leader, Marge, and really got some amazing one on one time with her. There’s a beautiful lake nearby and we got to take a bike ride around it one morning. The air was crisp and the fog was just lifting off the water. The freshness and chill was something that hadn’t been felt in a while. Everything about that bike ride was exactly what I needed at the time; good conversation, a quiet, peaceful, and serene awakening to the day. This was really the first time I had gotten out and done something physical in a while, which felt amazing as well as getting the opportunity to see more of Thailand. My time in Chiang Saen was a couple of days that I found very nourishing and left me feeling completely refreshed. I loved spending every minute I got with Marge, she’s so wise and had such awesome advice. I really enjoyed getting to know her better and just chatting with her. I got to spend time with the two Canadian girls as well. It was so great to have “friends” again and people to just chat with. I think I’ve been missing those casual conversations or “girl chat” with friends from home. It’s those simple talks with friends and family that give comfort on a day-to-day basis. It was also a first in what felt like a very long time that I got to have a “real” conversation in English. There’s been a lot of “broken English” conversations and you usually can’t get too deep in those talks, so it really meant the world even to have a short time of companionship with the two girls and Marge. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that after my time in Poipet I’ll be able to volunteer for a few months up at the Babies’ Home.

And I haven’t even begun to mention the kiddos. Gosh the kids were unbelievably adorable. There were 11 kids total and I’ve heard through the grapevine that they just recently got a new baby! Most of the kids have come to the home as infants, so many of them have names from the Bible like, Luke, Anna : ), and Leah. The kids usually stay until around age five or six and then they head off to another Happy Home in Thailand. It just seemed so special to be with these little ones and care for them all. I can’t even imagine how wonderful it would be to stay for a while and be apart of their world as they grow up. It makes me smile even thinking about the Babies’ Home and how precious they all were to me. While they were quite a handful at times, as you can imagine eleven kids can be, they were so loveable and endearing. I can really see myself getting a long very well at the Babies’ Home.

cutie patooties

You're looking at the Golden Triangle! Laos is off to the right and Burma to the left

Typically, they only take two volunteers at a time and they’re usually scheduled pretty far in advance. I was a little bummed to find out that they already had two new volunteers coming in the month of January, but recently came to find out that one of the girls had a change of plans and won’t be able to volunteer anymore. This leaves a spot open in perfect timing with the home’s need as well as my time in Cambodia coming to an end. Marge said I was welcomed at the Babies’ Home anytime and it truly just seems like a perfect fit. Chiang Saen is only about a 45-minute drive from Chiang Rai, home base, so if I was ever needed there it’s an easy trip! I’m really hoping and praying that it works out for me to spend some time at the Babies’ Home : )