A report of a visit to home- boring for some readers

By God's grace, shortly after 3:00 P.M. today, Will and I safely arrived to our home in Seabrook. We went to my original home in Myanmar on Jan.13th. Are you wondering what I will write as a report? The trip was very good, busy, healing and even happy. We visited my mother's grave twice, had a great thanksgiving to God/memorial service for both of my parents ending it with a great feast on the church lawn for all 300+ who came to the service. The food was catered chicken, rice, veggies, chutney and soup. It was served in my mothers' style - on china. The service was very much focused on God and our gratitude to him. Dad's best friend since in his teen age years until his death spoke of why he is thankful to God for my parents' lives. One of mom's friends for the last 50 years spoke also. We laughed and shed a few tears, listened to Will's sermon (interpreted in Myanmar by my cousin Bishop Mawia), the youth choir and the old ladies (mom's close friends) choir- it was a full circle of God's love surrounding us in many different ways. Even some of mom's Buddhist neighbors/friends came to the event. In the middle of the trip was Will's saga with Kidney and Gall stones. He ended up in emergency room twice. Thank God for Caroline, wife of our cousin Mawia, who - being a doctor - took care of Will. This changed the focus of grieving to the living. God does work in mysterious ways. However we wasted 6 days of our trip. We visited all the oldies (mom's close friends). One day we visited 11 people in 11 homes. We were as good as vegetables at the end of that day. The weather was hot and electricity was not regular. Thank God for the generator! My home church had grown bigger. One Saturday, we visited and had lunch with the orphants at the Church's Childrens' Home. My very wise sister had asked the children what they like to eat most - the answer was chicken biriani. So, that's what we brought in with us and ate with them. Mom was a big supporter of the mission and we will continue her support of the Childrens' Home. One Saturday, we took the whole family to an all day picnic. The children were really happy to be the focus of the day without having to behave. We went paddling boats and canoes on a lake competing with each other (Teruati and I won), playing all sorts of games at the amusement park, taking turns carrying Samuel who is all of 5 months old, eating at a fine restaurant overlooking the lake, singing Kareoki and dancing, and stopping at the cold drink etc. place - (my favorite spot in the city always). That was a real great day. Did I mention that there are 6 children in my family there- the nieces are 15 years old twins, a 12 years old, a 5 years old and a 4 years old. And there was one nephew Samuel 5 months old. They had a blast that day. I got to play the role of the matriach as I have become one. Not much time to get out of the house for shopping so the fabric vendor of my choice came to the house with her beautiful fabrics. I picked some and send them to the tailor who then sent her husband to deliver my clothes. Life was very different this time. This time I did not have my mother to call me "her child at home on holiday to play." Yes, I did come out of my bedroom all dressed like a lady and stay at it all day each day. It was not fun but I made it the whole way. It was not as painful as I thought it would be. Being formal and receiving all visitors all day was not my favorite thing ever but I began on this holiday what this will always be my role in the family. I must have passed the test no one made a comment on my childish attire as they had eveytime I went home before. All through our visit women came to sell us vegetables and snacks and other things. I got to buy something from every one. I had seen my mother do this all my life and I did not know that I would naturally do it as well. I remember thingking why did she buy that staff when we don't even like eating it. Now, I know why. All you have to do is looking at the face of the poor woman and you know you have to buy what she is selling because that's how she is feeding her children. One of those ladies came with a basket full of Mozo Chhang made of sticky rice and I don't even like the taste of it. She came from a along way and was very tired. I told her that I was buying all that she had in her basket and I would like her to stay and rest in our home for a time. She did. She was given tea and snacks and time to rest. I remember mom buying things from those women and having tea with them as though they were the most important visitors to her. I did the same on this trip. Funny how I am turning out to be my mother. I never know who and how many people will be eating lunch and or dinner with us each day. Nor did I know how many or who will be sleeping in our home each night. The very things I hated as a child growing up in that home of mom and dad's. Now that I am the matriach and have no one to complain to - I went along. That's what it takes to be a faithful Christian family in that culture. Your home is open to all who would come in - you re privileged to offer them hospitality and kindness. Whoeeey....my life have been changed by my mother's death. I don't really have a choice but I do have time to learn to do my part right. And I will. P.S. Will preached three times. I did once against my will. Interestingly the pastor at the Yangon church is a former student of mine from the time I taught at Tahan Theological Seminary. On the Sunday Will preached the church had a surprise visit from a Scottish theologian (teaching at a seminary in Southern Germany) who was with a team of theologians visiting Myanmar to talk with Myanmar theologians and express solidarity with them. He spoke no Mizo or Myanmar and after several halting attempts by other church leaders to interpret his English, I was drafted into the job. Poor man, he came all that way and had to listen to a sermon by an American and have his words translated by a new American. He seemed quite nice and caring.