Tuesday, March 08, 2011

And It Ends as It Started -- unpredictably!

Here I am on my last full night here in SE Asia and it is not the way I had planned it. I am sitting at the lobby of a hotel I had never stayed in, thinking about the events of the last few days. After the team left I made a visit to Faa's village and the town closest to it, where her dad had been hospitalized. I was supposed to go to a couple of other villages but it was not meant to be. Faa's dad passed away today and she, her sister Ning and several other family members (7 people and two dogs!) are already in the village for all the preparations for funeral and calling hours. This will be a whole community affair and the family looks up to these two young women, and especially to Faa, for guidance, decision making, and comfort.             

I met Faa's dad last year in his humble house. He served me a wonderful Akha meal of vegetables, rice, and some some chicken. I had a marvelous conversation with him, through Faa and her brother. We talked about Faa, how she was like when she was younger, and what she has been allowed to do. He told me one story that not even Faa knew in detail, a story about how God miraculously saved her from certain death (indeed, technically, it would have been a case of infanticide but I don't have time to go into that now).

When I asked Faa's dad whether he ever imagined she would travel the world one day, he said "no," and added that he was surprised at the very fact that she was alive, considering what almost happened to her. I will remember this man a lot, even though I only met him once.

Please pray for Faa and Ning as they minister to family members in the next days ahead.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

No comments: