Island of Ra Retreat

Super-giant jellyfish, big spiky pufferfish, a poisonous sea-snake...wow! We saw all these wild things our first day at the nearly deserted (except for us and a few cabin caretakers) Island of Ra. We stayed 2 nights and 3 days; mainly to get our Thai co-workers out of their working environment for a bit and do a simple debrief of the past 10 months of working here in the South. We played together, ate together, and fished together. By the end of our time we were all dirty, smelly and all our clothes were damp and stinky. They say the family that camps together stays together...so maybe the team that camps together stays together too! It was a good time and we feel closer to each other. Our western co-worker Dean and his interns went, too. Dean made us a yummy breakfast. It was hilarious to watch Trevor and Kory, the interns, have fun. It has also been a blessing to watch them bond with our Thai co-workers, and start using some of the Thai Ning has been teaching them!
We also saw Oriental Pied Hornbill birds with their giant bills, gliding geckos, White-bellied Sea-eagles, Black-naped orioles, and other birds and animals. We saw lots of sea-creatures, and plenty of fish. What a treat!
Our last evening together we sang praise songs, both Thai and English, sometimes at the same time, and then prayed for one another.