This morning the village and worksite were humming with excitement and activity. Today is our last day working in Bann Fai and we began by finishing a few jobs and cleaning all three homesites. The large task for today was to paint the new house (thanks to Gary for donating the paint!) By mid morning we all joined together and scraped, cleaned and painted two coats on the exterior and most of the inside. Wow what a difference.
After lunch we were shoo-ed away by Pug and Malai for 'top secret'. The team (and most of the children) strolled over to the community centre for some reflection and sharing. The bus came to take us the short distance back to the home site, all the kids running and laughing behind. As we rounded the corner we were delighted to see plants out front, a ribbon across the front porch and a gathering of locals and Habitat staff. We were all very moved by the words from each family as they expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the team. Once the speeches were over we were invited into the home (first removing shoes of course!) How lovely it was with mats on the floor, a temporary tarp overhead and children leaning in every window. It felt like a home already full of love and joy. Next, our team was invited to participate in a traditional Thai ceremony of welcome and blessing to guests. The oldest member of the village blessed Emma, the youngest on our team, by rubbing a string over her hand and then tying it on her wrist while whispering a blessing. This continued with most of the locals blessing each member of the team. Needless to say this was a special moment of our time in Thailand.
Together with the family representatives, and Habitat staff we have worked hard to change the lives of three families. We have been treated royally by everyone we have encountered during our time in Thailand and we know they will be in our hearts always.
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