2007 Graduation Gallery
This has certainly been an exciting month for us. Between visa problems, guests, graduations and a new computer (hurray!) we have put a lot of miles on poor little Suzi with three trips each to Mae Salong, Mae Sai and Chiang Mai this month. It's our belief that God wanted us to have these 33 hours of driving together as a lasting memory of "how things were" before we have kids.
I had promised some pictures of the ABI graduation and have also added some pictures of the graduation of our pastor from Phayao Bible College.
As you can see below, Dr. Paul Lewis was in Chiang Rai for the graduation. As the original transcriber of the Akha language and the original translator of the Akha Bible, he receives and incredible outpouring of love and respect from the Akha people. What was most incredible to us, however, was his flawless Akha. His accent is flawless, he truly speaks like a native Akha, as we are so often reminded by our Akha friends. Oh well, maybe in 50 years we'll speak that well too.
As we have come to expect, the graduation at House of Joy was a spectacular event. Approximately 1,000 Akha from all over the region came down and enjoyed hearing from Dr. Lewis and Dean Fraise, watching choreographed dances, and listening to the spectacular choir led by Salama Bu-Zi. The graduation in Phayao was also a lot of fun for us, especially because six of our friends from our village came down to celebrate the graduation of the Mae Salong pastor.
The celebrations continue as this month three pastors will be sent out as missionaries to reach the Akha who have never heard the gospel. Please hold these men up in prayer as they represent the beginning of an exciting new era in the Akha Church.