Wrap Up

The following five posts were all events that occurred during the last week I was in Thailand (Feb 22- March 1), so ignore the post dates. I have been home for over a month, and I am not caught up. My trip was very rewarding. I love teaching, and this experience forced me to concentrate on the basics, and making the basics simple- easy to understand, easy to translate. This was good for me, and good for the educational work I have begun locally. It all works together, which God knew all along!

I am continuing to teach, via Skype, at least until class starts up again, or possibly even beyond. This weekend, the few students who are there in Chiang Mai are going to Mae Sa (a refugee camp near the Burmese border) to keep the Passover and first part of the spring Feast with the 2 families there. We are all one, and it has been my great privilege to teach and work with these fine people.

As my local efforts pick up steam, I will be sharing occasional thoughts and news at my other blog, http://bdrawbaugh.blogspot.com/ Please stop by.

Two Baptisms!

Shortly before I was to return home, Lallian asked to be baptized before I left. While Leon was discussing preparations (how to get in the pond) with Seng Aung, he also said he wanted to be baptized. I talked Ben into letting us use the larger of the 2 ponds stocked with tilapia, and it worked well, especially with the long bamboo pole I could use as a handrail.







Lallian is almost under, as Seng Aung makes sure.


Wet and forgiven!

Seng Aung gets his turn. Leon wanted to be there in the water with us, but we talked him out of it- the bottom and sides are very slippery and Leon is still a bit wobbly after the strokes. He laid hands on them along with me when we all got out of the water.

U Tai gets a wet hug.

Our new brothers. Over 9000 miles away...still the same loaf!

They all wanted to sing a couple hymns, so I brought a guitar along.








The whole gang, except for Hkawn Din, who took the picture.

More Students and Tigers

Later the week after graduation, those of us who were still around went up to see the tigers. Other than me, no one had been there before. I do not think they enforce this rule.

I did not pay to go in with the tigers this time, so I handed my camera to Fon and asked her to take some pictures inside. The whole gruop went in at the same time, so the pictures are not quite as close-up and personal as you have seen before.

Norah and Fon gingerly try to get acquainted with a feline. Norah and Fon are from the same Lahu village. Fon's father is not living, and Norah's mother, by all accounts a sweet and loving lady, helps Fon out with some expenses.

Seng Mai was not thrilled about being in there with the tigers and she did not stay in long, and would not actually touch the tigers. She did get this close, however, so I gave her a copy of this picture and told her to save it to show her chldren and grandchildren that she was in a cage with tigers.

I have no idea what these tigers were doing, but it is a great picture. Rockettes?

Elainea making eye contact.

Hkawn Din and Beka.

David getting some one-on-one time with a tiger that actually looks awake.

People do not usually yawn when they are around Fon...but I suppose we can excuse this guy. (or is that a gal?)

La Nu Nan, Elainea, new friend and handler.

Lallian acts like he does this every day.

Beka cuddles up with an alert one.

Nice couple.

Mahulee and Mayulah. Which one is up to something? They could not go in the cages due to the 10 year old limit in force due to the age of the youngest cubs.

Seng Aung and the Tigers

I had wanted to take Surachai and Ah Moon to see the tigers…but found out that the cubs had grown to the point where children had to be at least 10 to go in the enclosures. So, we took the children to see, but only Seng Aung could go in. He was not sure he was going to do it, but he finally relented. As he was getting used to this first one, I picked up Ah Moon with my left hand, then Surachai with my right, so they could see. I grunted a little while I picked up Surachai, and this tiger jumped to life at the sound. Seng Aung jumped as well! The tiger never did settle down again, so they moved Seng Aung to a different one.


Notice the “tip of the finger” approach to this tiger. Seng Aung was a bit jittery.

Still tentative. In some parts of Myanmar, there are tigers outside the villages.

The cats are half asleep, and Seng Aung is getting a little more comfortable.

He even smiles! When we got back to the farm, I explained to Seng Aung what we mean in English by having a tiger by the tail. I said that one could say that when he got married to Seng Hpa, he had grabbed a tiger by the tail. Seng Hpa laughed, but I am not certain that she was amused. Myo Zaw and Tumar laughed also, because I think they knew. :)

Ah Moon told everyone who would listen that her father laid on the tiger. For those of us that speak English, she demonstrated. I think she was proud of Daddy (Awa).

Looking VERY comfortable!

You gotta wonder how the tigers feel about all this...

Seng Aung seems positively relaxed!

Wian drove us there, and hung around to watch the kids.