It seemed like just yesterday

Sang Awi, Chan Cung Thang, Lai Thang Pui (wife), Zai Rem Sangi

Last March I had the privilege of picking up Sang Awi [Song Oye] and his family at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.  They had just completed a long journey from their rural village in the Chin state of Burma, to Malaysia and then finally to High Point, North Carolina.  I can remember the trip home from the airport, our inability to communicate, the newness of the experience for them.  We went to their assigned house where they found furniture, beds, food, running water, and warmth.  In my first visit to his house I found his Chin Bible on the chair beside him so that he could study and read God’s word.

Sang Awi does a great job with basic carpentry and his adept at utilizing power tools.  He got a steady job at the Purdue Farms chicken processing plant in Rockingham (commuting 1.5 hours nightly) and began to build their family life.   Their two children attend an immursion ESL school provided by the Guilford County school department.  Sang Awi and Lai Thang Pui actively participate in an all Burmese worship service, they frequently host a weekly care group, he bought a computer to get online with his friends and this week he bought his first vehicle, a Nissan Quest.  Pray for this family.

I Remember You

Several times now my English speaking Karen friends, who I haven’t seen for a long time, have greeted me on the phone saying “I remember you”.   It seems to be a Karen expression they have carried over to English.  I brings into recollection our common history and times we have been together visiting.  It is a good greeting.

I was reading this morning from Job and realized that even in times of discouragement  God’ remembers us:  (Job 7:17-21 NIV)  “What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention,  that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?   Will you never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant?  If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O watcher of men?  Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to you?)  Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? For I will soon lie down in the dust; you will search for me, but I will be no more.”

 

Eh Htoo Got His License

We have been all praying and hoping that Eh Htoo would get his drivers license so that he can assist his large family (or origin) with their transportation.   Sunday I heard some call across the room that he had gotten his license.  Thank the Lord.

Eh Htoo has been here in the U.S. for over two years and has struggled with this process. He had to take the written test numerous times before passing.  And although he used to clear cars for a living, learning to drive has been a long process.  He has been assisted by Awngah wh9 took time each day to teach him and went with him to the drivers license office.

A family in our church donated a van for the family to use.  It was only about a year ago that Eh Htoo’s parents and siblings arrived in the United States.    Eh Htoo’s father Pa Kler lost his legs in a military mishap and so they can make good use of the van to also transport his wheel chair as well.

Eh Htoo got a steady job cutting chicken in Rockingham, his parents are both going to school at GTCC and his siblings are in the public school system.

Sonagram

Yesterday I visited with an extended family that is anticipating the arrival of their first grandchild.   The grandmother-to-be and daughter had returned from the doctor who had administered a pre-natal checkup.   The showed me a “picture” of the baby and said they had learned it was to be a girl.

It is both a technological and cultural leap for this Burmese family to have such pre-natal care, let alone the sonagram and early gender identification.   They are able to anticipate and plan for this new arrival with more information at an earlier stage of the pregnancy/birth process.

Cyber Hymnal

Many of my Christian Burmese friends are familiar with the historical hymns of  the Christian faith.  Missionaries who came to their country translated the hymns into Burmese and even published hymnals over the 300 years since Adinoram Judson’s time.

I have found a link to a website the will play this music on the computer.  I trust it will be a blessing to the new arrivals in America as it was to me to revisit the music of my childhood.   Click here to open a new opportunity to worship God and minister with your Burmese friends.

Here is also the written URL:

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/index.htm

For three years our Burmese arrivals have visted the American adult Sunday school classes to sing Christmas Carols together.   This can be a source to identify tunes which are common to both American and Burmese Christians.

Three tips for personal Worship

Listen for the song. Take a few moments of quiet time and see if God brings the words of a spiritual song to your heart.  Listen to it, play it in your mind.  Cultivate “hearing” the songs of Jesus on a regular basis.  We as Christians are uniquely fitted to sing the song of redemption.

Use a spoon not a shovel. It’s time to preach to yourself.  Don’t read the Bible in preparation for a “talk”, don’t read it thinking about how you might use the word to help others, don’t read the Bible as just good literature; but read it to preach and teach for an audience of one, you. Don’t mince any words, look at the full counsel of God it will be a life saver for you.

Read/hear the Bible out loud. The word of God is powerful.  We need to do great sweeping surveys of it.  Try reading chapters of the Word outloud to yourself.  Get a copy of the Bible in audio format and listen to it.  Listen to it in your car, listen to it while you are exercising, listen to it while you are doing chores,  let the Bible, heard aloud, transform the core of your being.  Let it be a purifying agent that sanctifies your thoughts, an exhilarating high that quickens your imagination, a savory salt that brings new life to your soul and/or a fomenting yeast that transforms your  subconscious mind.

CW had no food

I went to visit my friend CW yesterday after work and upon checking his refrigerator I found he had no food.   We went and bought food with funds from the Refugee Welcome Network.  This is a group that accepts donations to assist new arrivals in the Triad region.

CW lost two fingers on his right hand before coming to America and so he has not been able to land a good job.  His handicap does not stop him from working had and he has done well at several odd jobs offered to him.  He is a good guy and needs our encouragement and prayers.  Today I plan to get him a bag of rice from the FWC First Rice drive. – John

Read Right away

I don’t know how long this link will stay valid but this is a well written story in the Greensboro News and Record.  about the plight of the Burmse refugee in the Triad area.  Click here to view the link.

Zau Lawt

Late this summer Zau Lawt and his wife “Lu Lu” arrived from the Kachin state of northern Burma.   They are refugees who fled their country migrating by way of New Delhi, India.   “Lu Lu” has a degree from a Bible college in Burma and Zau Lawt was a university student studying geology.  Both of them have a good command of the English language and were able to land jobs at High Point University.  We want to join together in saying “Welcome to America”.

Just Passing Through

We had a new Hahka Chin couple arrive in High Point two weeks ago.   Sometimes a newly arrived family gets in immediate contact with family in other parts of the US.   The couple pictured here called relatives in Dallas and were sent airline tickets by these relatives to fly out within the week to Dallas.  Our state department policy does not allow the refugee to officially designate their arrival point in the United States.  This is to keep from overwhelming any particular community and perhaps to foster the enculturation process into American life.

Hymns

Many of our Christian friends arriving from Burma have sung translations of our grand old hymns for years.   Missionaries who worked with the people over the years translated and published hymnals into Karen, Kachin, Chin and other languages of Burma.   So when I attend a Burmese led service I find myself humming the tunes.  The other day I pulled out an old hymnal to carry with me when I attend their cell group meetings.

Updates

We are closing in on 6,000 views of the blog since we went online in May of 2008.   Should reach it in the next couple of days.

We had a new Hahka Chin family arrive this week.  The husband was quite conversant in broken English.  They have a 10 month old son, met them this morning.

I have visited with Khual, another new arrival, a couple of times this month.

Khual and Naum

He arrived in Greensboro about four months ago.  He had been living with relatives.  Now he and his wife just got their own apartment.  House to House ministries helped to set them up with furniture.  Khual has a call to preach.  At our first home visit he said he just wants to find a place where he can preach every Sunday.  Pray for God’s direction in his life.  He has his Bible college training from a school in the Philippines.

Kachin Province Happening

Shen Malay Bo Ram Sing Nam, nicknamed (Es Lu Lu), told me a story that is unbelievable.   When I said I wanted to write the story down she said, it is not a story it is what really happened.  So here goes.

“Es Lu Lu” is a Bible college graduate, her father, Sing Nan Awng Te is a preacher born to a godly mother named Thu Raw (who lived over 75 years).  Es Lu Lu arrived in America about 5 months ago.  She speaks fluent English and is a frequent preacher for our Chin congregation.  Before fleeing her country she was an itinerant missionary preacher who backpacked through the villages of the Kachin Province of  Burma (Myanmar).   The Kachin Province is in the northern part of Burma sandwiched between China and India.  Her parents and brother are all ardent Christian believers.

Earlier this year Es Lu Lu’s brother, Zaw Nau was out clearing brush in preparation for a gold escavation.   This area of Burma is rich in gold and jade.  The nationals have to dig five to six feet and then they often find gold.  As Zaw Nu was clearing an area over a three week period, on two occasions he saw a vision of a tall white man standing near him among the brush.   Then one night when he was sleeping he had a dream of this same man.   The next day he cut away another log and brush and came up0n some remains.   Although there were no bones (probably carried away by wild animals), he found a wedding ring, several coins, a short rifle and the dog tags of an American soldier.   [To protect the family I will obscure the name until a later time.]   The dog tags had the name  “G. Barney James Jr.” written on them and a series of numbers.

Zaw Nau gathered up these effects and carried them home to his village.   Whereupon he became gravely ill.  It got so bad he was hospitalized.    His father, Sing Nan Awng Te, called for pastors, elders of the church, to pray for his son in the hospital and they sought the Lord.    They believe strongly in Jesus and know He has the power to heal.

Zaw Nu was not getting better so the father pulled together an offering equivalent to $100, a tremendous sacrifice, and thinking that “Barney James” might have been Catholic took it to the local priest and asked for prayer for his son.    Zaw Nu still did not get better so Sing Nan Awng Te gathered another offering of $100 and took it to the local Baptist church and asked for prayer.

Not knowing what else to do for his gravely ill son, the father went out to the gold field and prayed to God on behalf of his son.  He was perplexed  regarding his son’s illness and this dead man named “Barney James”.    He called out to God and made a promise that if God would heal his son, he would send the personal effects to America.

Subsequently Zaw Nu recovered, is healthy and they together are making plans to get these things to America.  Es Lu Lu has talked with them and told me this portion of the story.   I have suggested that they dispose of the gun but package the rest of the items and do what it takes to ship them to her house.   I have contacted a reserve military chaplain, Dr. Terry Eddinger, academic dean of CEDS and he is helping me try to get these things to  the right American home.

Here are some clues we are working with.  There was a wedding ring engraved with some initials,  also 18k, and the date 10/12/41.   The last number on the dog tags was ‘44.  We believe that was the enlistment date.   At the end of the dog tag are two letters A and something else.   We think that is the blood type.  The name on the dog tag was usually last name first so this may have been “James Barney, Jr.”   Other numbers on the dog tag back then identified the regiment.   He had a 1921 US Silver Dollar, a 1943 US 1/2 dollar, a 1945 Indian Rubi, and a King George VI coin.   When these items get safely to America we will photograph them and work with some contacts to check their veracity.  Then we will find an agency that may be able to help us find the family of this World War II soldier.     Stay tuned for more details.

Karenni Bible

I want to recommend a trusted web address for you to get connected with progress on the release of a new Karenni Bible.  Just click on this link to check it out.

Or here is the URL for those who want to write it down or copy and paste to your browser

http://karennibible.weebly.com/

- John

Fall Harvest and Heartache

This week, the Chin fellowship of FWC had two memorial services.   Van Zel, whose baby we dedicated a couple of weeks ago lost his mother.  She had suffered a prolonged illness in her Chin village and then passed away early this week.  She is survived by her husband who still remains in Chin, Burma and several children around the world (Germanany, High Point, Rangoon and other parts of the Chin state).

Also Hlamay’s brother who had traveled to India to get into a hospital for treatment of a stomach condition, passed away.  We memoralized him at a Saturday night fellowship meeting.  We certainly share the grief of these families so many miles from their close relatives.  Pray for God to comfort them.  Although it brings heartache to lose loved ones it is a blessing to report that both of these individuals were believers in Christ.

Harvest – We planted Ceyenne peppers to share with our Burmese friends.  We have had an abundant harvest, so we are picking a good portion every few days.   They tell me that the good ones are really red, so I have been waiting to pick them in the red stage.  The other day I saw a Burmese young man take a pepper and eat it like I might eat a carrot.