"This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about." ~R. Kipling
Mingalaba!
Greetings from the golden country of Myanmar! Bold colors and patterns flash brightly from the longyis worn about the streets, thanaka-streaked cheeks frame friendly smiles and dark eyes, a clatter of Burmese is heard above the Buddhist chants...barking...and morning roosters, and a mix of 135 ethnic groups creates an atmosphere of constant curiosity.
At one week in, I am only beginning to explore the beauty, depth, and mystery of this land and these people. Not only do I feel extremely blessed to have been entrusted with these 10 weeks of discovery and growth, but I also feel the Lord's favor and provision so strongly at each step. I am utterly thankful for the many faithful prayers of friends and family on my behalf, and I cannot thank you enough.
Well, this has been quite the journey thus far. I have become acquainted with those who run MGL studios in Yangon and have been enthralled by the plethora of projects that are underway. It is a gift to have the privilege of hearing firsthand of *local bib. translation efforts and scripture use projects underway - the types of projects which I recently learned about during my first semester at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL). My friends at MGL have been busy producing videos, CDs, and print materials for various aspects of evangelism, literacy, and church growth. Just the other day my in-country mentor pulled out a draft of a creation story book that she is translating for her Rawang people in the North, and I smiled. I smiled because little surprises like this are abundant - never a dull moment.
(*I have permission to post)
Studio mornings begin with a short Burmese devotional, followed by a 45-minute English conversation lesson that I facilitate. There is much laughter as we all learn together. The other morning we were roleplaying ordering food at a restaurant, and I cracked up as one of the boys threw in a bonus phrase during his turn as the waiter, "I want many tips..." Of course, I had to correct his English after appreciating his clever joke.
For the remainder of the workday I have a short list of projects to tackle at the studio if time allows. For example, one such project involves recording native Rawang stories and cultural information shared by my mentor, in hopes of helping her create a print or online version for her to have access to. The impetus for this project came about last week as lunch stretched into two hours as she began to tell me adventurous tales and accounts passed down to her from her grandparents. Needless to say, I could listen to her stories for hours.
Besides life at the studio, I was blessed with a visit to Hope Children's Home to meet the children and director, then travelled to a nearby village to have a look at the building site for a future community center and clinic. This Saturday I will be boarding the train to Mandalay to visit preschools and churches, then flying up to Kachin state to visit Loving Fountain orphanage with the director of Asian Children's Mission.
I feel very privileged for all that I get to see and be a small part of. Though my adventure has only begun, I look forward to each part of the journey- both the blessings and the challenges. I know that my brief time here is a true gift, and that each experience and observation will equip me well to serve in whatever capacity The Lord has for me after my studies at CanIL.
Mingalaba!
Greetings from the golden country of Myanmar! Bold colors and patterns flash brightly from the longyis worn about the streets, thanaka-streaked cheeks frame friendly smiles and dark eyes, a clatter of Burmese is heard above the Buddhist chants...barking...and morning roosters, and a mix of 135 ethnic groups creates an atmosphere of constant curiosity.
At one week in, I am only beginning to explore the beauty, depth, and mystery of this land and these people. Not only do I feel extremely blessed to have been entrusted with these 10 weeks of discovery and growth, but I also feel the Lord's favor and provision so strongly at each step. I am utterly thankful for the many faithful prayers of friends and family on my behalf, and I cannot thank you enough.
Well, this has been quite the journey thus far. I have become acquainted with those who run MGL studios in Yangon and have been enthralled by the plethora of projects that are underway. It is a gift to have the privilege of hearing firsthand of *local bib. translation efforts and scripture use projects underway - the types of projects which I recently learned about during my first semester at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL). My friends at MGL have been busy producing videos, CDs, and print materials for various aspects of evangelism, literacy, and church growth. Just the other day my in-country mentor pulled out a draft of a creation story book that she is translating for her Rawang people in the North, and I smiled. I smiled because little surprises like this are abundant - never a dull moment.
(*I have permission to post)
Studio mornings begin with a short Burmese devotional, followed by a 45-minute English conversation lesson that I facilitate. There is much laughter as we all learn together. The other morning we were roleplaying ordering food at a restaurant, and I cracked up as one of the boys threw in a bonus phrase during his turn as the waiter, "I want many tips..." Of course, I had to correct his English after appreciating his clever joke.
For the remainder of the workday I have a short list of projects to tackle at the studio if time allows. For example, one such project involves recording native Rawang stories and cultural information shared by my mentor, in hopes of helping her create a print or online version for her to have access to. The impetus for this project came about last week as lunch stretched into two hours as she began to tell me adventurous tales and accounts passed down to her from her grandparents. Needless to say, I could listen to her stories for hours.
Besides life at the studio, I was blessed with a visit to Hope Children's Home to meet the children and director, then travelled to a nearby village to have a look at the building site for a future community center and clinic. This Saturday I will be boarding the train to Mandalay to visit preschools and churches, then flying up to Kachin state to visit Loving Fountain orphanage with the director of Asian Children's Mission.
I feel very privileged for all that I get to see and be a small part of. Though my adventure has only begun, I look forward to each part of the journey- both the blessings and the challenges. I know that my brief time here is a true gift, and that each experience and observation will equip me well to serve in whatever capacity The Lord has for me after my studies at CanIL.