Laine@johnsonfamilies.us
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (NIV)
Hwca Hwca! (Hello!) from Lisuland:
[Laine]
A few nights ago, I woke in the middle of the night, and stared up at
the darkness. I strained my ears to listen, and then I heard it- a rustling
sound in the night. “Christy, are you awake?” I whispered.
She was. “Do you hear that noise?” She told me she did. My
heart started beating faster, and my mind raced back to all the missionary
stories we read where non-Christians attack a lonely bamboo and thatch
shack in the middle of the jungle. Well, our home is concrete, and we
live surrounded by Christians on a college campus where the gates are
locked and guarded at night. But our drop ceiling is made out of bamboo
paneling, so part of the story fit. And the noise was getting louder and
Louder and LOUDER! There was rustling, and crackling and scratching and
tearing! I was trembling in bed, paralyzed by fear. Was a tiger coming
out of the jungle and breaking into our home? Was it a Burmese python,
which can travel (30 miles per hour!), equipped with teeth and the ability
to devour a full-grown pig? Was it an elephant? Whatever it was, it had
definitely made it past whatever barrier first obstructed it, and we could
hear it traveling on top of the bamboo ceiling, and under the exterior
roof. Mah Pah Paul had told us that he was afraid of geckos, and we smiled
until he told us that “geckos” are called “house lizards”
in Thailand, and what the Lisu call something like “Tuket”
are much bigger. Was this to be our “Night of the Gecko?”
“Eeeahooooorwwwa!” The wailing tones echoed off the concrete
walls. If you have seen the older version of “The Fly” (starring
Vincent Price), you might remember an unfortunate cat named “Dondelay,”
who was transported into thin air, and wailed piteously at the chagrined
scientist who was responsible. The cat that broke into our house that
night was doing a pretty good imitation of Dondelay, and he knew where
we where, because he maneuvered himself directly over our bed and meowed
his displeasure at us for locking him out of the house earlier. After
a while he stopped meowing (eaten by a python, perhaps?), and we went
to sleep.
(Click the cat!)
[Christy]
The third day of being here in Thailand, one of the Lisu Mah Pahs (male
teachers) came to us with about 12 students who stayed at LBI for the
break between the semesters. They were first year students. They wanted
to learn computers and English conversation, and they wanted to start
the very next day. So for the next two weeks, they came over to our house
for lessons during their afternoon break time and at night. Even some
staff, staff wives and older children joined the lessons.
On Tuesday night when the students returned from break, Laine and I gave
a welcome back party for them.
We thought it would be a perfect time to wear the tie-dyed paints that
I made. I thought we looked pretty cute together. Jesse wanted to introduce
us to the students, and wanted Laine to give them an encouraging speech.
Mah Mah (Lisu female teacher) Chwa-See-Me came to me and said that the
students had already heard from Laine, and they wanted me to speak that
night also. I was not willing at first, but Laine said I had better do
it or I might hurt their feelings. I was inside showing someone how to
use the camera while Laine was outside. Mah Pah Paul came up to Laine
and said,”Please excuse.” Laine knew something was up. “You
need to look nicer”. “You need to change”. So Laine
came in and told me. Chwa-See-Me heard Laine talking to me and she told
me I needed to change also since I was speaking. God laid it on my heart
to speak about my cerebral palsy, and I mentioned some of the teasing
that I experienced from classmates while I was growing up.
At this point, I should thank my friends Shelly Turner and Marla Riley
for being brave enough to tell me to put ending consonants on my words.
I am also thankful that the late Barbara Brink spent so much time giving
me pronunciation lessons. Although I was almost in tears from frustration
sometimes, we kept at it, and made progress. All this, and the many years
of speech lessons in grade school have helped me to pay attention to how
I hold my mouth and move my tongue when I speak. Even though I have not
achieved perfection in this, God is using me at LBI to teach the third
year students … PRONUNCIATION! After my speech, many students said
that they related to my experiences.
[Laine]: They also said that they needed
to be brave like Christy, and tell their stories.]
[Christy]:
Jesse took us shopping when we first arrived at LBI. He took us to a 7-11
store, since we have them in America, and he wanted us to feel at home.
I was disappointed. I wanted to shop in the open markets. Later, at our
house, Yohanna (a faculty wife) entered my kitchen, looked around, and
said, “Tsza?” Then she remembered I do not speak Lisu, so
she translated, “Rice?” I showed her the rice I bought at
7-11. She wrinkled her nose, and said, “Me give Lisu rice!”
Through a translator, she invited me to her house. I was surprised when
she gave me a big bag of Lisu rice. I guess she doesn’t approve
of 7-11 rice, either!
The Lisu people are so hospitable here. We will be in no danger of starving,
unless the whole campus endures famine. When we first arrived, Jesse and
Camille had important responsibilities elsewhere, so they entrusted us
to the care of the Lisu people here. They take very good care of us, and
the transition to working here was remarkably easy. We told Mah Mah Chwa
See Mee that we felt like the Lisu were our family, and they did not seem
very foreign at all after we had known them only a short time.
The college students have choir practice at three o’clock. As I
walked on a path above the pond, I heard incredibly beautiful (Ah-Kooo-Bya)
Lisu singing in four part harmony of the hymn: “Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord! Praise
the Lord! Let the people rejoice!” Even though I did not understand
the words, I knew what song they were singing. God is really blessing
our time here in Thailand.
That’s all for now,
Love,
Christy and Laine