In northern Myanmar, where the mountains touch the jungle and the fields touch the sky, the great snakes roam free - the "dragons" make their homes. Maeram (Rawang) reflects fondly on this land she knows well. Come along as she recounts the bold story of her father's Rameti adventure - the meeting of a river dragon - and his powerful conversion. Step inside the "real Burma"...
"Oh! A deer! A deer is swimming after us!" Rawang Bezideu quickened to his uncle's shout. Bezideu surveyed the great Rameti river as they navigated their raft to the other side.
"A deer could not swim in this big river," Bezideu replied. "It must be something else..."
Looking closely, the form of a large snake became clear. A river dragon. Eyes pelted, head raised, the snake swam swiftly towards Bezideu and the raft. Quickly, he raised his gun and pointed it at the strong creature.
"Bang!" The first bullet flew above the snake. "Bang!" The second shot skimmed the top of its head. Bezideu lowered the gun and refocused. Carefully, his grip steadied, he pointed again. "Bang!" Finally, the snake was punctured and broke into two parts. Both sections of the large body continued to writhe in the water, filling the river with blood. The powerful dragon was dying, yet not without leaving its mark.
The bright and brilliant sun immediately darkened. Rain poured from the sky without clouds. While Bezideu and his uncle labored to pull both parts of the snake's heavy and leathery body unto shore, the villagers back at home stared up at the dark sky, wondering what had happened to upset the spirits.
With the success of any great killing of a snake or large jungle animal, a traditional celebration ensued. Bezideu invited everyone - relatives, friends, and those of neighboring villages to join the party. According to early Rawang tradition, dragons contain one of two items that deliver valuable luck to the one with possession. Either a round, stone-like object or a flat, cloth-like object will be found inside the snake's body. As rightful conqueror, Bezideu was quick to claim his lucky stone, and clung to it, carrying it with him wherever he went.
He kept his stone in a bamboo container for safe-keeping and put his trust in this new object. However, Bezideu had a brother who was a Christian, who knew these actions to be wrong. Secretly, this brother removed Bezideu's stone from the container and threw it into the jungle, where it would not be found. He did not want his family involved in the superstitions surrounding the stone.
Much to his surprise, the stone reappeared in the bamboo container the very next day. So, again, the brother took the stone and threw it deep into the foliage of the jungle. But, again, the spirit-filled stone reappeared... The brother then knew what he needed to do. With God's power, he prayed over the stone. He prayed for it to be removed from their village, and a third time he chucked it out. The power of God prevailed over the evil spirits, and the stone never returned.
Years later, Bezideu's village powerfully received the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a whole. They were drawn to a God who did not require animal sacrifices, who would freely heal them of their infirmities, and who would protect them from the evil spirits they knew all too well. Bezideu was the only villager who refused to accept the new religion. He was determined to keep their old traditions alive, and felt that in accepting Christ he could not do so.
But God did not forget about Bezideu. In great mercy, God was not done with him yet. During his adult years, Bezideu travelled far south from his village, to the region of the Maru people. During his visit, Bezideu became deathly ill, and a word was sent by other Rawangs to inform his parents. His mother and two younger brothers swiftly began the long journey to search for him in the lower region, arriving in the dark of the night to the feared confirmation of Bezideu's passing.
His mother grieved all night, crying over his body. After midnight, she placed her hand upon his heart and felt a curious warmth residing. The rest of his body was hard and cold, but this small patch of warmth gave her hope. She began praying for God to revive his spirit and body. She prayed relentlessly, fighting for her son. Before dawn, she touched his heart again and felt slight movement beginning. The heartbeat increased as others joined the mother in praying over him while singing hymns.
Laying on the floor in his near-death state, Bezideu saw a tiny bit of light on the roof. He gazed at it. Slowly, the circle of light increased... he saw the patch of light getting bigger and bigger. He saw figures resembling soldiers that were trying to cover the light, and he shouted.
"Don't cover the light! Move away! Move away!" Bezideu flailed his arms in protest, as his family witnessed Bezideu awake again to life. It was just after dawn.
In joy, Bezideu's brother explained of their prayers on his behalf, and Bezideu had no doubt that God had delivered his life from death. The Lord powerfully brought Bezideu to His great light that day, and not only restored his physical life, but had given Bezideu the regeneration of spirit unto new life in Christ.
Just as Bezideu conquered a serpent of this world, his Savior Jesus Christ defeated Satan, broke the power of sin, and conquered death for all time. Because of this, Bezideu's soul lives on, in paradise with many of his Rawang brothers and sisters.
Today, Bezideu's children are faithful servants of the Lord in Yangon, Putao, and elsewhere. It has been a great privilege to spend time with his daughter, Maeram, and granddaughter, Angela, who inspire me through their faith and selfless ministry to others.
*Bezideu never told of the stone to his children or his wife. He did not want them to be influenced away from Christianity. Maeram's uncle disclosed the full details of the story shortly before his death.