Knaw Bawh and Roi Ji are Here

Sunday I was blessed by the arrival of K’naw Bawh [kay nah bawh]  (father) and Roi Ji [Reggie] (mother), who just moved to High Point from the Bronx, NY.   This family from Burma secondarily migrated to North Carolina.  They decided the Triad region was more like their home state, Kachin, Myanmar,  so they moved here.   They participated in our Sunday school class and were engaged in our current Bible study in the book of Acts.  They have one son, Samuel.   Flash forward eight months.

Knaw Bawk, Roi Ji and son are welcomed by Pastor Inthava

Hello Joseph Bawi Lian (pictured with his parents)

Last Sunday Sang Awi had me take a couple of pictures of their young baby:

Sang Awi and Joseph

Sang Awi, Lai Thang Pui and baby Joseph

Flash Forward to Joseph’s one year birthday party.

New Years Eve

Part of the 30 people at Chin/Kachin New Years Party

Last night I stopped by two New Years Eve parties.  The First Wesleyan Chin/Kachin fellowship had a party at Sai Puh’s home.  They killed and cooked two chickens, made a big pot of rice and had lots of fun.

The other party was the single and young adults who attend the class of Andy Inthisane.  They met at Pastor I.I.’s house for food, fellowship, a Bruce Lee movie and to await the new year.   I found Pastor I.I. and Pat at the far end of the house in a quiet room talking with a few of the visiting friends.

The balance of New Years Eve I spent with my wife Kay and visiting grandson, Josiah.  We watched the ball drop at mid-night in NY.  Today (1/1/10) we will have all the grandchildren over for a specially cooked New Years meal.  Menu personally selected by grandchildren Gideon and Daevis.

Karen Youth watching a Movie on New Years Eve

Pastor Inthava and friends visting on New Years Eve

Rev. Prasert Duangmala

Last Friday I met Prasert Duangmala.  Almost immediately our souls were knit together as happens among believers.   Years ago he came from Laos to Kentucky, as a refugee from a war torn country.  His father was a Christian Missionary and Alliance (CMA) pastor in Laos and then also in Stockton, California.  Brother Dunagmala told me his story of being a Jonah, running away from doing God’s will for his life. After a military career in Laos he worked for  a county government in California.   While he lived on the West Coast, he was frequently consulted by a new believer, Inthava Inthisane.  One year they both attended an international Laotian Christian leaders conference in British Columbia.   Pastor Duangmala listened to the testimony of Inthava and his calling to become a minister and found his heart and soul moved to tears.  He came away from that conference a changed man and began studying for the ministry.   He had been merely an active layman in his father’s Stockton church but now he was responding to God’s leading to become a minister.   Soon his father had him preach his first sermon and then to frequently share the pulpit.  This preacher’s son, who had risen to captain as a soldier in Laos, then had a long career as a civil service worker in San Juaquin County, California, put aside his earthly ambitions and was named the successor pastor for his aging father.   Today he leads one of 6 ethnic congregations in the Stockton CMA church and has opportunity to minister to the thousands of Laotians in the Stockton area.  I count it a privilege to have met this man, shared lunch with him and learn how he mentored our Pastor Inthava while being called to ministry by Inthava’s testimony.

Spent the afternoon at the DMV

It was like grand central station with all the Burmese coming and going.  Zau Lawt, his wife Lu Lu and Shar Ne Paw were all there to take the written test.   Kap Ceu, Sai Pui and Sang Awi were waiting to provide transportation for Shar Ne Paw.  Christina went there for her driving test and passed and Eh Htoo tried to pass the driving test again.

The learners permit and drivers license are milestones for the new refugee arrival.  It demonstrates a command of English and American culture.  It affords a freedom of expression and choice.  It represents opportunity on a whole new level in America.

When a person gets a license we see some “that just drive away” as Nyein would say.  Others begin to help and aid their fellow refugees on a whole new level.  Some quit coming to church (because we discontinue Sunday transportation for licensed drivers).   Pastor I. I. and I believe that the first year or so,  from arrival until licensing is a critical window for ministry by our church.  Our timely friendship makes all the difference in the world.

They came among us

One of the pastors of FWC, Inthava Inthisane, was part of our care group when Kay and I joined it.   We got to know him over the months and I remember him saying he wanted to do mission work when he retired in the future.  About six years ago during our regular prayer time, he asked the group to pray for him in his ministry to the Lao.  He said “Pray for me as we seek to reach the Lao (and southeast Asian)  they seem to be either in the temple or the bar and have no interest in God or the church.  We had a season of pray for Inthava and Pat.

Philip Saw

About 3 months later he said that he had a new man attending his church.  Mr. “C”‘s family had met this man, Philip, and discovered he was Burmese.   Pastor I. I. said I couldn’t speak Burmese and Philip couldn’t speak Lao.   But we each could speak Thai.   The Lao part of First Wesleyan Church welcomed Philip’s family of six with open arms.   Soon Pastor I. I. adapted his preaching from Lao to a Lao/Thai mixture in order to minister to Philip’s family.

Then a Thai family began commuting from Salisbury, NC in order to attend the church.  Another Thai family came from Charlotte.  Pastor Inthava came to our care group on another night in 2007 and shared that a couple of additional new families from Burma were attending his church.  It turned out these families spoke the same language as Philip.  After that more southeastern Asian families came to First Wesleyan and we found a full fledged mission among us.  Kay and I did not get involved until the fall of 2007, God had been working on this mission since before eternity.  We praise God for the opportunity He gives to serve in this kind of ministry right here in the Triad.

>>Flash forward Secondary migration of his parents to High Point.

>>Flash forward Update on oldest children of Philip

It Feels Like our Chin State of Burma

Deborah caught a Ride up Hanging Rock

We were hiking up  a mountain ridge and my cell phone rang.   I answered the phone and was talking to Biak Cin Thang in High Point.  So I said, here you talk to Mr. Thakbal.  Peng Len talked to Biak and the translation came back,  that the mountain terrain made Peng Len Thakbal feel like he was in Burma.

Counterpoint that thought with a conversation I had with Peng Len’s son, Joshua.  I asked him if the waterfalls reminded him of those in his home Chin state.   He said he had never seen Chin waterfalls.  Kay and I later realized he had left his homeland when he was age 3 to 4 years.

While we were all catching our breath from exertion, Nyein told me when he was young, they were building on the top of a 2700 foot high Karen mountain and he would carry 100 pound packs straight up the side of the mountain.

Shen Malay Bo Ram Sing Nan, nicknamed Es Lu Lu, was also on this hike and she fell right into the jaunt having hiked, over the years,  into remote Kachin villages to preach the word to her countrymen.

Hand Shake

The other day I asked Nyein about the Burmese handshake and he told me that people do it because they consider it more polite.  Some of the Burmese arrivals will shake my hand but will place their left hand under the elbow or forearm of their right while shaking.  So I began trying it out on Sunday and have gotten mixed responses.   Some consider it normal others don’t even notice and some smile.

Later I was talking to Peng Len about this and he said that to be really polite you not only shake hands as described but you keep your head bowed low and don’t make eye contact.  He laughed as he demonstrated such, in an exagerrated way.  His daughter, Bibi said they were trained in Asia, that when they got to America, they needed to shake hands firmly while making eye contact.  I was talking to Eh Le Say and he said he quit doing the old way of shaking hands at the refugee camp.  It is great that many of the Burmese desire to move toward American culture and language.  They have had to leave their home and learn to do things in a new way.

I commend Pastor Inthava because he knows many of the Southeast Asian customs and is also trying to learning basic words and greetings in the Burmese languages.  And of course a hug is a great greeting in American and the Burmese culture.  Whatever we can do to ease this transition for these people is an important gesture of kindness for the people of Burma living in High Point.

Mu Yah Pel and Khu Lay

Welcome to this world June Say Too

June Say Too is 2 days old!!

Just a week ago a new eternal creature was born at High Point Regional Hospital.  Her name is June Say Htoo.   Her parents just arrived in America from a Thailand refugee camp a couple of months ago.  We can praise the Lord because her father, Wah Sher has a steady job at Purdue Farms and she has a big sister going to school, but who will also be a help to the family as a translator in a few short months.  God bless you June, we are happy you are here.  May you grow up to have a strong faith in God.

High Point Relatives in New York

Last week I met the Cung Hlo family, who have settled in Syracuse, New York.  This father was a farmer in the upstate Chin region of Burma (see map) prior to fleeing his home after persecution by the ruling military junta.   His family was resettled by a secular relief agency in Syracuse (upstate, New York).   They attend the Lyncourt Wesleyan Church.

It turns out that the family is Mateipi and are from the same village as Hlamay who attends the First Wesleyan Church of High Point.  Their oldest daughter married a Mateipi man since arriving in the United States and they have a new baby.  Their second oldest daughter, Nu Nu, has the same name as Peng Len’s wife (also parishioners at our High Point church).  Several of the younger children were at school on the day of this photo.  Pray for the Burmese of New York.

News from High Point Community of Burmese

Gay Hasar, Hla Win Kyi and Poo Moo

Hla Win Kyi’s wife just had a baby a couple of weeks ago.  Here is a holiday picture  that does not include his wife Ken Sen Wai.

Ku Ku’s brother would like to relocate to High Point from the Canton Ohio area.  Mu Nai also has a friend who lives in Canton Ohio.

Savy’s shoulder, injured in a bicycle accident,  is healing well and  he should be able to return to work at Artistree again soon.   Biak Cin Thang, lost his job about three weeks ago but started a new one at Artistree in Kernersville this week.   Andy Inthisane (Pastor I. I. son) was between jobs and just started a new one in Burlington.    The Pa Klay family has relocated to Drew Street here in High Point.    O Nyal Soe, father of four children arrive in America and about 3 weeks later started work at Purdue farms.  Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!!!

Medical Run

Thah Weh and her brother Sar Sar Oo have severely mal-formed limbs.   A preliminary diagnosis was that they were born with brittle bones disease.  Then as they fractured their limbs at various times, the bones were not reset properly contributing to the mal-formation.  She is 17 and her brother is 14.   Thah Weh walks on her knees and her brother is confined to a wheel chair.   They are both going to Newcomers School in Greensboro.

Thah Weh

Yesterday evening, Roger Richardson, Pastor Inthava and Nyein took Thah Weh and her mother, to Greenville, SC for a medical evaluation today.  Please be praying for this young lady that they might be able to treat her and her brother.

Welcome to America

In the last several weeks we have had new arrivals in High Point from Burma.  Most will be able to start working in Rockingham at Purdue Farms as soon as they get here they are processed by World Relief.  Here are some pictures:

Wah Sher He has a wife, Kur Ngwe and 4 children

O Nyal Soe and Htar Nwe, they have four children

Than Htway and family

Live It Out – Burmese Style

Pa Kler and Gree new Garden

“Live it Out” was the theme of our missions weekend at First Wesleyan Church on March 7 & 8, 2009.   On Saturday fifteen teams of people from our church went out into our community to minister in our “Jerusalem”.   Among those teams were two groups that planted gardens for families with physically challenged fathers who had lost their limbs while still in Burma.   Mike Kirby brought a roto-tiller to the yard of Pa Kler and along with some nearby Marlboro Street Burmese neighbors they planted a large garden.  We were able to put in early vegetables like peas and spinach.

Kyaw Wai’s garden was planted by the family of Andy Inthisane (Lao) and Kyaw Eh Su (Burmese).    At the same time three Burmese men, (Maung Ei, Bye Bye and Mya Min) joined Pastor I.I. in work at Home to Home ministries.  This organization supplies most of the furniture for the refugees that resettle in High Point.

The church missions weekend began with a Friday night service  featuring Pastor Rick tracing the history of missions to our present day.  It continued with a commissioning of our work teams.   Then our church went swirling out into the community to serve.  Saturday night after a hearty meal there was a chance to share how God worked and see pictures of “Live It Out”.  The evening was capped with a word from H. C. Wilson about missions around the world.

Check back later to find out about Sunday.

Flash Forward for more about Family.

News from the Community

We had some snow, about an inch.  So the schools closed and some of the businesses closed for the day.   Over the last six months several of the new Burmese arrivals had asked me when it was going to snow.   This morning my friend Biak called and was joyous about this, his first time to see snow.

Several FWC families have donated cars to the church.  Pastor Inthava and I have been helping to place these cars and prepare the families to title, insure and drive the vehicles.   This week the Peng Len Thak Bal family were the recipients of a 1995 Ford Windstar van.  It was a joyous time getting the car insured, titled and tagged.  Driving tests are planned for tomorrow.    Whenever a Burmese person gets in a new car (to them), I like to get together with them and pray a prayer of dedication.  With the Thak Bal’s we had Al Ream lead us in a family prayer of dedication.  God is so good!   His blessings are beyond words.