A chat with Thavin.
Before the performance at Macgregor, I sat down with Thavin to conduct an interview. As a formal, transcript oriented format is beyond the scope of this blog, Thavin consented to me summarizing/paraphrasing her words.
Interview. Adam: How old are you, Thavin?
Thavin: I am 24 years old. I was born on February 1, 2000.
A: When did you come to Rescue?
T: I arrived at Rescue on November 24, 2009.
A: That explains why I didn't remember you from when I went in July 2009.
T: I saw the photos of you! You were a teenager wearing the same blue Rescue shirts we have now.
A: How did you end up on this trip?
T: I am part of a messenger-group made up of Rescue alumni. The Rescue employee Tont reached out and asked us if anyone was interested in coming to Canada and giving their testimony. I messaged him privately to tell him that I wanted to go.
A: Is this your first time in Canada?
T: Yes.
A: What do you think of Canada so far?
T: I like it here. I like the weather, since it is not too cold or too hot. I really like talking with Canadians. Everyone is so friendly and nice, and they make me feel special. They are easy to love, which I do. I also like how easy it is to sleep here, so I often feel rested.
Thavin giggles.
A: Do you have a favorite memory of the trip so far?
T: I'm not sure. Let me think... Probably when we went swimming. I don't know how to swim, so I have to stay where my feet can touch, but I like being in the water. It is very relaxing and helps with stress. Plus, it gives me time to play with the kids.
A: I assume you liked the water slides at the Medicine Hat Lodge.
T: Yes! I remember you going down the slide with me and making us go really fast.
A: Has anything surprised you about Canada?
T: You surprise me...laughs. Just kidding. No, I can't say there is anything that has surprised me.
A: Is there anything you find tough about the trip?
T: I love Canada, so I have no problems with culture shock. I do find the bus rides to be very long though. I get bored easily and I have trouble sleeping on a bus.
A: Did you know any of the kids before this trip?
T: Yes, I knew Moses, Joshua (Yusvae), Leah, Chanti and Chanta. I remember them when they were babies at Rescue. I was actually neighbors with a lot of them, as my dorm house was beside theirs. I know Moses very well since I played with him a lot when he was younger.
A: Do the girls on this trip remind you of yourself when you were younger?
T: Yes, they do. Especially with how they eat. They love their salt, just like I did.
A: I see that you and Sarah get along very well. Did you know her before this trip?
T: No, I only met her when she showed up on this tour. I told her that I initially just wanted to observe her at first, because I wanted to see what she was like. Since she is very friendly and kind, I have been able to become friends with her easily.
A: Would you want to come to Canada again?
T: Of course! I don't expect Rescue to give me free trips though. Maybe if I save some money I can tag along with the next tour. Can I say something without a question?
A: Go ahead.
T: With this tour, I have been trying very hard to make sure all of the kids feel loved. Because I am not living at Rescue, I don't know if they are getting enough love or feeling loved. I want them to know that I care for them and can be there for them. The girls can be a handful, but I still love them greatly.
A: That's very touching. Was there a specific location on the tour that has stuck out to you?
T: I think the first location, Maple Ridge. We stayed there for three days, so I got to see more of their love and support than the other places we visited. It was our first stop, and everyone made me feel warm and said nice things to me. I also like the locations where we got to be part of a Sunday church service, because we got to worship God together. It made me feel connected. It made me miss my home church.
A: You are very good at speaking English. How long did it take you to learn it?
T: I am still learning! At Rescue, I didn't study as hard as I should have. I have been taking online classes for a very long time, although it is currently rather hard to take them while trying to work. It has become rather stressful, so I would appreciate it if people prayed for me. Councillor work is hard enough already!
A: Is there anything that you would like to say to people who read the blog?
T: Thank you for reading! I know you love us, which is why you keep up with the reading, and look at the photos. I really want to say a big thank you to the billets who sent us messages after. Thank you for your prayers and questions about us. May Jesus bless you!
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Our visit to Russell Alliance Church was special for Andet, as it was the church that sponsored him during his time at Rescue! Apparently the Sunday service before our arrival had his presence specifically mentioned. It was cool to see him as the celebrity for the evening, as he is often content to let others be in the spotlight. It was certainly a well-deserved night of recognition for him.
The kids were rather hyper, and they frequently tried to get access into the different rooms around the church. They also were very into the chaperones' clothes, as they were often putting on the clothes that the adults changed out of. Yusvae got a big laugh by trying to fit into Blaine's pants in between dances, while Veasna was trying to wear Thavin's heels. Neither could properly make it work.
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When we arrived in Brandon, we stopped by the Riverbank Discovery Center. We had lunch at the impressive playground outside the building, which had some very interesting features. The kids had to dragged away from playing at points so that they could get food in their bellies. Once we got everyone fed, we went inside the Discovery Center.
The kids found all of the animals on display to be very fascinating. It was properly explained to them not to play with any of the taxidermied animals, so they lightly petted the fur of the different animals. I wish I videotaped their reactions to the black bear, as a few of them were somewhat startled by it.
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Our arrival at McDiarmid Drive Alliance Church saw the kids immediately start exploring the church. They quickly discovered that floor levels are a bit of a maze, causing them to play wild games of tag. I had to block them from the room I was working in, which did not deter the girls. So cruel.
The flooring at McDiarmid is somewhat slanted, which led to the boys lying down and rolling down the aisles. Once they got settled down the library became their base of operations, as it was directly behind the stage. While they did that, Shelly got burgers for Blaine and I, as we were craving western food.
The funniest moment of the night was before the performance began. I looked outside to see the girls trying to pick crab apples off the outside tree while in their outfits for the first dance. Sarah ran outside to get them back inside, which led to some very humorous photos. The motion blur on the girls as they run away hides the fact that they were cackling as they retreated with their gains.
God bless and Jesus saves.
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Note about future posts:
The blog has been very difficult to work on lately, as there is very little downtime for me to work. The post schedule will be very unpredictable moving forward, but I can guarantee that every day will be covered. Once the tour is finished, I plan to have a final blog post that covers a bunch of stuff that I missed writing about during the tour.
Thanks for you patience!
Loved reading the interview with Thavin and also the stories of the different antics of the kids. 😍