OmKoi on Tuesday

OmKoi Thoughts by Lauren and Lindsey
This morning we left the Eco hotel, got in vans and drove 4 hours to the gorgeous Karen village of OmKoi. When we arrived at our new homes, we were pleasantly surprised to find beds, fans, and windows with screens. After settling in and enjoying some tasty pad see yew for lunch, we headed to our building site. In these next four days we will be building a four stalled bathroom for a children's hostel. These kids are at this hostel because there is not school past 6th grade in their own villages, so they stay here in order to attend the school here. There are 42 kids ranging in age from 10 to 19, and they are cared for by a pair of hostel parents. The current bathroom is bamboo propping up sheet metal siding, there are two tiny stalls, and this is where all the kids shower, go to the bathroom, and do laundry. A group last week built the boys' bathroom, and we will be working on the girls'. Today we mixed cement and laid the floor of the bathroom. This evening we went back to meet the children at the hostel. We got to know them and asked each other questions. They were all so welcoming and interested in talking with us and practicing their English. Plans for tomorrow consist of laying the brick for the outside walls of the bathroom, which will take some precision and patience. Please pray for our time here, that we would be full of energy for working and spending time with the kids.