Last weekend I went to my first ever Thai wedding which was a really interesting experience. It was a Thai woman marrying an American man (family friend) and I was the only white female at the wedding. There were several other white guys there with their Thai wives, but that was about it. I felt a bit out of place, but it was an interesting cultural experience, and I hope the best for the couple that got married. Their names are Richard and Nid.
Then this weekend I got to go to a small village near the Burmese border. I actually got to go right up to the border and into the "noman's land" between Thailand and Burma. I was in no danger at all, but I took a picture pretending that I was doing something edgy and cool.
I really went on this trip in order to meet a kid I sponsor through Vision Trust. (Which, by the way, is a fantastic organization. I highly recommend it, especially after seeing their work in action this weekend.) I got to meet 10-year-old Somchat, a Burmese refugee whose dad was partially paralyzed due to a work accident- he was 2 stories up working with electricity, got shocked, and fell to the ground. Somchat's mom left after her husband was paralyzed. So this kid is now living in a children's home where he can get the care that he needs, and I got to go and meet him! I was a little nervous, as this is kind of a weird situation to meet someone who I've only sent a few letters to, whose language I didn't speak, who is obviously different from me in so many ways- age, culture, income, experience, family. I brought him some presents to break the ice- Lego, construction paper, scissors and glue. I found out when I was there that his favorite subject in school is art! How great is that!! He was really good at playing with the Legos- he seems very quick and strong in spatial orientation and putting things together. I felt so thankful and humbled to get to be a part of this kid's life- to get to pray for him and pay for him to go to school and get to hear about God and life and hope, and to open doors of opportunity for him that would otherwise be closed.
Here is us playing with the Legos I brought to him.
The night before I went to meet him, I was listening to a worship song that talked about seeing God's face, and how it is beautiful. And then that night I got to see beautiful Somchat's face- beautiful brown skin, big black eyes, crew cut hair, bright white smile. I remembered the verse that says whatever we do for the least of people we do for Jesus. And I realized that I was getting to behold a reflection of God's beauty in seeing Somchat's face. Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
While I was in the village I also got to meet the local community of believers there and actually attend a very small and simple wedding in the home of one of the local believers. It was beautiful- just two people who were promising their lives to God and one another surrounded by a group of people who cared for them...as well as weirdos like me who were just along for the ride. :) All had fled Burma due to the miserable life they had there. I saw blind and disabled people sitting around this room who were quiet and subdued. I wondered if Burmese are quiet by nature or if things would have been different for them had they not lived in such a fearful and oppressed country for so long. I don't know. All I know is that they were beautiful, beautiful people. They loved each other well, they prayed with reverence and authenticity. They all loved the little children running around the room and smiled warmly when you would look at them. I am privileged to have encountered this group of Christ followers. This trip really felt like one of the coolest Easter presents God could have given to me. I got to meet this amazing group of people who I couldn't understand and who couldn't understand me, but I got to sit in their presence and hear stories from my friends about how God has worked in the people's lives there. I got to see the beautiful face of God in the Burmese people- these ones who have come to know Christ's fellowship of sufferings in a way that I can't even imagine. What a gift. I'm so thankful to have experienced it. What a great way to spend Easter weekend. And tomorrow I'm going to church with dear friends, the little community to which God has entrusted to me here. I'm excited. Happy Easter, indeed.
