The First Moken Wedding and a Moken Christmas

After a fast October trip to South Africa — and a bout of chickenpox and heat exhaustion on his return — Philip faced a new government school program: six large Samsung plasma screens installed so pupils would receive their lessons by television from 8:30 to 14:30. It simply does not work for the Moken, most of whom are still learning to read, so he now sits with them in front of the screens all day and teaches reading and writing in the afternoons. "I have never been so tired in my life," he wrote.

Two Moken teenagers, both about sixteen, decided to marry. Rather than let them quietly move in together, Philip — at the parents' request — led the first Moken Christian wedding: a church service, a shared meal, and dancing, with a deliberate decision to leave alcohol out because "they now know the Lord." He taught the whole thing in the Moken language so the community could truly understand it and, he hopes, one day carry it out themselves.

Jonathan and Cally Kwok, who had coordinated the front-line work from the beginning, packed up and relocated — first back to Malaysia, then settling in Phuket — a hard but right goodbye after years of learning, laughing, and weeping together. Then, on 5-6 December, on the King's birthday holiday, Philip single-handedly pulled off a big Moken Christmas: sacks of rice and oil for every family, gifts for young and old, food and decorations, all ordered, bought, and carried out to the island in time. "I will not forget those two days."