Gleanings ( Apr, 5,,79 W]

ASIA

Walt Prevost, P.O. Box 59

Chiengmai, Thailand reported that

the 1979 Asian Leadership Seminars

now completed were a great blessing

to the Burmese brethern.

Forty-four

Burmese attended, the largest number

yet to attend AI*d.

They traveled

by airplane, train, bus, car, boat

and feet to get to Rangoon.

One

man traveled 1050 miles in nine days

and a Lisu-Rawang man traveled

1150 miles in thirteen days.

There

were preachers, elders, deacons and

workers in the churches in ALS.

They

already have the plans underway for

the next ALS.

Walt*s forwarding

JUL

iLfil

1979

RAMBLINGS of WALT
Mews Letter of W^aJi Prevosi
SOUTH EAST ASIA EVANGELIZING MISSION

BOX 59 CHIANGMAI, THAILAND

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 4400 42NO. AVE. S.W. SEATTLE. WASH. 98116. c/o DOROTHY WEBER, FWDG. AGENT

Volume

June 1979

Visits to Mae Tae, a Lisu Village

After having no occasion to visit a village during my first year in Thailand, I suddenly
found myself in a Lisu village three times in about as many months. Early in December, I
participated with Peter Sutjaibun and several members of the Morse family in the Thanksgiving

celebration in Huey Luke, a village near the town of Prao, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) north
of Chiangmai. Peter and I were asked to be "ah-jons" (teachers) at tlie Christmas Convention in
Mae Tae; this time I was the only farong (westerner). My third occasion in a Lisu village was a
second trip to Mae Tae in March for the wedding of Suriya, a former student of mine at Chiang
mai Bible Institute. In this issue of Ramblings of Walt, I will tell you about my visits to Mae
Tae.

Mae Tae is located North-Northwest of Chiangmai near the border with Burma. We first
drove north from Chiangmai on good, paved highway to the town of Chiangdao, about 65
kilometers (40 miles). A few kilometers north of Chiangdao we left the paved highway to begin
44 miles of rougli dirt road, crossing some very rugged mountain country. Villages are scattered
all through the mountains; this road is the main access to them; hence, there is a fair amount of
traffic. The village shown in the picture is one in which Suriya's family once lived. At one road
side village we watched the Lisu ladies in a "sewing bee," making the very colorful dresses
wliich they wear. At many places, Opium Poppy fields could be seen, including this one adja
cent to the road.

The Christian community in Mae Tae results from work done over a period of many years
by Peter Sutjaibun and the Morse family.

Mae Tae is a village of about a dozen houses. Most

of the houses are constructed entirely of locally-obtained materials; thatched grass roof, woven wall panels,
split-bamboo floors. Water is brought to the village via

an "aqueduct" made of bamboo. Families carry the

water from the end of the adqueduct to their houses.
Baths are accomplished in the nearby river. For the
convention, cooking was done by the community, using
outdoor wood fires. Usually, each family cooks indoors
using wood fires built on a fire pit consisting of a bed of
dirt in a box on the floor of the house. (The January

ROW had a picture of the fire pit in a house in Huey Luke.) Food consisted of pork and vegeta
bles boiled together and served on rice.

The convention meetings were held in "Convention Center"-specially built for the occa
sion. The programs were similar to church meetings in America, with singing, prayer, Bible read
ing, preaching, etc. The Lisu hymns are mostly translations of English-language hymns, so that
I was able to sing along with some of them. I was intrigued by the method used for Scripture
reading. Since many Lisu people do not read, the leader reads a few words and then the people
repeat the words read; this is much as we do with responsive readings, except that the words by
the leader are repeated. I was pleased that several CBI students participated in the meetings.
Here we see Philip preaching in a meeting where James was in charge. I was asked to speak
twice, Peter also spoke, and there were messages by Philip and James. At the Thanksgiving
meeting in Huey Luke and at this Christmas Convention, the Lisu young men performed in
skits. Some were humorous; some were enactments of Bible stories; some were Bible-related

dramas. They are very good at making use of limited resources available for props. I could often
figure what was going on, without understanding the Lisu language. Those readers who are
acquainted with the Kiamichi Clinic will appreciate my joy in recognizing the melody of "I'll
Fly Away" as Philip sang this song with other songs before one of the sessions. Joni Morse
translated the words into Lisu some years earlier. One word was not translatedHallelujah!
wliich needs no translation.

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WSCC, in Cliiangmai, and in Huey Luke and Mae Tae. One of the great
blessings I have experienced in my travels across America, around the
world with the Traveling College, and now as I work here in Thailand, is
the sweet fellowship of Christians. Christian fellowship need not always

Suriya is Tliai-Lisu and Lin is Thai. It was my privilege to be invited alon;;

wilh Suriya, hi.s ne.\t older brother and a brother-in-iaw to make the "pro
tocol" visit to Lin's family, wlicre Suriya met
her parents for the first time, and to make
arrangements for the wedding. Although the
visit was primarily a friendly get-acquainted
visit, it was obvious at certain times that there
were formalities to be observed (such as the
giving of gifts) for which the Lisu men were
not prepared. This was of interest to me, sincc
my life here is a continuous cross-cultural
experience. It was decided that the wedding;
would be in Mae Tae, Suriya's home village,
and that several of Lin's family, including her
parents, would travel to Mae Tae for the oc
casion. For the wedding, botii Suriya and Lin
wore traditional Lisu costume. The upper pan

Christian fellowship is precious wherever you find it-at

The wedding of Suriyaand Linwasa cross-cultural wedding.

include verbal communication; non-verbal communication can and does

express love, joy. peace, . . . , sometimes more explicitely than words.

This is especially true with children of all cultures. In Mac Tac, fellowship
depended on these non-verbal means of expression. The family of God is
to be found in all corners of the globe, in all sliapes of faces, in all colors
of skin, in all manners of dress. Visiting Mac Tae Lisu village has helped me
realize that.

I Remember Ahseupah
In my last ROW, in the WSCC Friendly Visitor of May 2, 1979,1
told of the loss of my friend Ahseupah. I will not retell the story this time;
but I thought you might like to see a picture of him. This picture of CBI
students includes liim-at the extreme left.

of Lin's dress is decorated with money, an

.. .

indication of the wearer's financial condition.

Lin was Immersed into Christ on the

morning of her wedding day. On the same day that
she began a new life with Suriya, she also began a
new life with Ciirist! The rest of her family are still
Buddhist. They are all very fine, gracious Thai
people. 1 pray that the opportunity will soon
coiTif^ fr>r Suriya to tell them ahotit Christ-

The wedding was Lisu, although the short

ceremony was strongly reminiscent of Christian
weddings in other cultures. Peter officiated. Fol
lowing the ceremony, tliere was a Uirge meal during which a dish was
passed for guests to put money into-the Lisu way of giving gifts to the
bride and groom. There was also some horse-play involving making tliem
feed each other certain items of food. After tlie ccremony there was pic
ture-taking, as in other cultures. In the picture are Suriya's parents. Lin.
Suriya, and Lin's parents. All arc dressed appropriately for the occasion in
their own cultures. In the evening there was much singing of traditional
Lisu songs and Lisu dancing.

Manope and Witt Begin Work

Also in the picture are Manope and Witt (Manope is fifth from the
right; Witt is second from the right) who are beginning work in their home
district near Pua in Nan Province. They are from the church in Ban San
Lao. It is their desire to strengthen the churches in the Pua area through
teaching, preaching, and evangelism. Manope will live in Ban San Lao; Witt
will live in Ban Haen. They will work closely together and in cooperation
with other Christian workers in the area. The churches at Ban San Lao and

Ban Haen have agreed to support them with food and housing. We of
SEAEM will also help them in their work whenever we are needed. After
they have worked for three months (considered an internship), they will
return to CBI to receive Two-Year Bible Certificates as the first graduates
ofChiangmai Bible Institute.

Will You Pray With Me?

-That God's blessing and guidance wili he upon Suriya and Lin as
they begin their married life together.
-That Manope and Witt will have the wisdom and the strength to be
effective workers for the Lord Jesus Christ.
- That the Christians in Huey Luke. Mae Tae. and throughout Southcast Asia might remain strong in their commitment to Christ in spile of
political and other pressures.
With love in Christ,