Breakin the Ice
Last week, before leaving for Indiana, Amy Duncan and I went
to visit our Burmese family. It was our third visit with them and normally we
would have called, but seeing as they wouldn’t understand us…we just decided to
chance it.
After spending the morning volunteering with Friends of
Refugees (helping with the Mommy and Me Literacy program), we headed over to
our family’s little apartment. Luckily the family was at home along with the
young man’s brother who speaks a little English.
When we walked in the brother greeted us and we peeked
around into the kitchen to see the family sitting on the floor eating bowls of
soup. There was a table in the corner of the other room with a few things
scattered across it, but left unused. The three year old girl was home, but she
was so shy, she wouldn’t come near us and stayed close to her parents.
After a little while, we all gathered in the living room and
sat around a bit “awkwardly”. Fortunately after the World Race, situations like
this are not even awkward anymore (the silence is no longer deafening….somehow
more amusing). I talked with the brother for a little while asking questions
about how the family was settling and asking him to translate certain things.
The little girl was sitting with her father and after a while I reached out and
tickled her foot a little bit. She pulled it away, but a few minutes later I
did it again. When I stopped, she started deliberately putting her foot near me
so that I would tickle it. It was so funny! The whole family started giggling
and watching animatedly. A few minutes later, she got close enough so I could
tickle her sides. She started cracking up and thus began a silly tickling game
between us. I would chase her around the house while the whole family laughed
and she giggled. I’m sure they were a little confused by the crazy American’s
antics, but they went with it. It was like the ice had suddenly broken.
Everyone was getting into the game. I have no idea what they were saying in
their language, but I got the feeling that they were giving her “strategic”
advice. She tried tickling me back and tried hiding in a variety of places to
get away. Eventually I was holding her in my arms and spinning her around the
room. Every time I put her down she would just run back over to me with her
arms held up.
This whole thing brought me so much joy! I loved spending
time with the family and communicating love in a way they could understand. It
was like they finally got that we are going to be their friends and we are
going to keep coming back! Amy and I want to show them love and support; to
play with their kids and get to know them! From our first visit, the little
girl was scared of us and wouldn’t come near us or even speak around us. By the
time we were ready to leave this time, she ran out of the door and followed us
to the car crying.
It was such a special experience and I am so anxious to go
back and hang out with them again. I am even more excited because while we have
been in Indiana, Amy and I were able to collect all kinds of items for the
family from churches and individuals. We have a rocking chair, infant diapers
and bottles (the mom is pregnant!), clothes, shoes, tons of toys, and other
things. I can’t wait to go visit again so that we can take them these things
that they need and show them that the Lord is providing!!
Thank you for all of your prayers for this family, from
before they even arrived until now! I am hoping to share some photos with you
some time, but I don’t feel it is appropriate quite yet and I need to make sure
it will not endanger them at all or make them feel uncomfortable by posting
them. God bless!!
