Obstacle course!

One of the big projects that we are working on here is building an obstacle course with a local village! It is kind of cool how this all came about. Over a month ago our team was visiting this village assessing the needs of the people there and were shown three big pictures that the children of the village had recently drawn of an obstacle course. It was there dream to have something to play on in their village. The people in this village never leave their village because of fears of being harassed by the local police. They are all refugees and if they leave their village they will deported from the country. So they never have the chance to go any where and the children don't have anyplace for them to play and enjoy life!
After our team saw the pictures and realized the need that is there for an obstacle course they went quickly to work! They had already started when I got here so it has been fun to see the progress. A few weeks ago we spent the whole day, and when I say whole day I am being serious we were there the whole day, digging holes for the main beams. A few days later people went there and finished that step and started putting the whole structure together. We went back a few days ago and started doing all the fun things like painting! Here are some pictures of our day!

One of the projects that we are working on is building this tire steps. The goal is that they are going to look like a snake after they are painted! this is before picture of it!

 

 

We are also building a balance beam! I feel like we were having more fun then the little kids in the village that day! (or at least I was!)

I helped dig some holes to put in some monkey bars! I will be an expert hole digger when I get back! Or at least I will be an expert at using a pointy object to make a hole and digging out the extra dirt with coconut shells. I was looking forward to enhancing my resume while I was here :)

Two of my friends here mixing cement! We will also become expert cement mixers!

This is the main structure that is being built. We are going to make a learning center and there will be a bridge on this. The local contractors are doing most of the work on this structure. 

 

 

 One of the other volunteers here speaks Thai and made this little sign for the locals. It says "Wet Paint"

 

Here are those tires in progress! It's coming together!! I felt like this day wasn't the most physical exhausting day, but we were all still sweating so much! I think it was because we were just standing there in the sun working on black tires! Whatever the reason it was one hot day!!

This is one of the most random sun burns that I have ever had. See the random streaks on my leg? I guess I had cement on my leg or something so when I got burned it burned around that. I am still sporting this beautiful tan and might be for awhile :)

This is one of my dear friends I have made here sporting our painted glove hands!

This is one of tree stumps that I had the chance of painting!



 

 

All of the painted tree stumps!

 

 

Ta da!!! Here is where we left off that day with the tires! I think it is looking so fun!! We just need to finish painting on a snake face and finish the back of the snake! I am so happy with how it is turning out! 

 

There is still so much that needs to be on the obstacle course, but we have officially entered the rainy season here in Thailand and so we have had to halt painting for the time being until the rain stops. The locals are still working on the main structure and we are working on finishing the monkey bars and a tunnel. I am excited to see this finally done! It is has been so fun to see and hear how excited the local people are to have this for their children!