August 2006

Dear Folks,

“It was a dark and stormy night” certainly describes the weather conditions the night before I was to return to Thailand from a month visit with my son, Andy, in Alton, Illinois. Storms in Chicago the morning of travel also caused delays in and out of that airport. Due to a five-hour delay in leaving Chicago, I missed a connecting flight in Tokyo that was to get me to Bangkok. United Airlines placed all of us missing connections in various hotels and provided food vouchers and service from and to the airport. Many of us had been together in long lines from Chicago and a few from St. Louis. We became a caring group. A young mother traveling by herself with a one-year-old was given a front position in lines and helped when a form needed to be filled out. A woman traveling alone for the first time, going to meet her husband in Singapore, was given lots of reassurance by fellow travelers. Many of us got to know each other on a first name basis and started looking out for each other. It took an extra day but left me with a hopeful feeling.

I had a good visit with my son in Alton. Andy has just graduated with a double degree in computer graphics and web design. He plans to be teaching a computer course for one of his professors this fall and is doing some web designing for the radio station at Lewis and Clark Community College. I also spent two days with my two sisters in Yellow Springs, Ohio. We laughed a lot. It was good. My oldest sister is to retire there with her husband in August. It is the home of Antioch College and a wonderful community.

A few days after I arrived in Alton, First Presbyterian celebrated 175 years of existence with a grand service of music, liturgy, and a dinner afterwards. It was good to have that opportunity to visit with people who were back for the occasion as well as the congregation there now. I enjoyed the opportunity to be part of the celebration.

I have now been through one year of teaching all-day kindergarten. I am grateful to our administrator, Acharn Supaporn, for letting me develop the program and set up the extras that go with a longer day. We made it work. It was a good year even though a bit exhausting. I had nineteen students - twelve girls and seven boys. Most of them knew some English and five of them spoke English as their first language. My granddaughter was in the class and fortunately that worked just fine. She called me Mrs. Dobson during the day and Grandma after school.

As I settle back in here I have been told I will have 21 students this coming year. The limit is 20. School begins in ten days so I soon need to locate a new table and some chairs. Hopefully this year floods will not delay our start. I am thankful I have a wonderful helper, Miss Lek. She is great with the children, has good English and keeps me on track. My daughter Julie will again be teaching third grade just upstairs from my room. Some of her students will have previously been in my class. Her husband, Andrew, is again teaching and Nakorn Payap International School. This will be my last full year of teaching at CMIS with the support of the Presbyterians, Disciples, and UCC churches. I continue to be most grateful for that support and hope to make it my best year yet.

Before I left for the States, the king of Thailand celebrated 60 years of reign. Royalty from twenty-five countries joined in. There were formal greetings at the airport for each of these visitors by the royal family, formal meals, fireworks, music written especially for the king and one evening the royal barge ceremony on the Chao Phraya River that included fifty-two barges in five columns and a forty-five minute piece of music written for the occasion. Most of these events were televised so that all the people of Thailand could share in the celebration. A five-day holiday was declared and every Thai who could wore yellow, the color worn on Mondays, the day the king was born. The king is loved and respected by everyone here. He has worked hard to care for this country with integrity and humility. Although he is Buddhist, one of his roles is to be the protector of all religions. He has therefore made it possible for missionaries to be here. Long live the king!

Thanks to all of you for reading through these letters and for your continued support and prayers. I hope your next year goes well for you whenever it begins.

My best to you,

Michal

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 122