the 4th in Laos

JULY 5TH, 2009


DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS,



I HOPE YOU HAD AN ENJOYABLE 4TH OF JULY. WE DID. I WISH I COULD VIDEO TAPE MY MIND AND PLAY IT BACK TO YOU OVER THE INTERNET. WE STARTED THE DAY BY GOING OUT TO OUR FRIEND TEH’S HOUSE. TEH IS OUR FRIEND AT AAR. THEY MAKE WHEELCHAIRS. WHEN I CALLED HIM, HE TOLD ME HE HAD A SURPRISE FOR ME. HE WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE TO US HIS WIFE AND THREE MONTH OLD BABY GIRL. IT TOOK A FEW EXTRA CELL PHONE CALLS TO FIND HIS HOUSE, BUT FINALLY WE SAW HIM. HE HAD QUICKLY LEFT HIS HOUSE AND COME ALONG A MUDDY ROADWAY TO THE SMALL INTERSECTION WHERE WE COULD SEE HIM. TEH IS A POLIO VICTIM, HAS A SMALL WITHERED LEFT LEG AND GOES EVERYWHERE WITH A WOODEN CRUTCH. WE PICKED HIM UP AND WENT TO HIS HOUSE WHERE WE MET HIS WIFE AND LITTLE GIRL. WE REALIZED THEN THAT HIS WIFE HAD A CRIPPLED LEG ALSO BUT SHE CAN WALK ON BOTH LEGS. THE BABY IS NORMAL AND BEAUTIFUL. THEY CLIMBED IN, AND OFF WE WENT TO VISIT HIS FAMILY AND SOME SCHOOLS IN HIS AREA TO SEE IF WE COULD HELP HIS VILLAGE WITH SOME WELLS.

HIS PARENTS’ HOME WAS A TYPICAL LAO FARMER’S DWELLIN, NOT AS NICE AS TEH’S PRESENT HOME. I HOPE SOME OF THE PICTURES WE SEND WILL HELP YOU FEEL THE AWE I FELT. AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE I THOUGHT OF WHAT JESUS MIGHT HAVE MEANT WHEN HE REFERRED TO THE “SALT OF THE EARTH” HUMBLE, HARD WORKING PEOPLE, DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY HAVE. WE VISITED AWHILE, SEEING THEIR RICE FIELD AND HOW THE WHOLE PROCESS OF GROWING RICE IS DONE, MOSTLY BY HAND. WE SAW THE WELL, HOME, HAY LOFT, FISH POND, AND REALIZED HOW DIFFERENT IT WAS FOR THEM TO RAISE A FAMILY AS BIG AS OURS. (ONLY FOUR CHILDREN AT HOME NOW)

WE SAID OUR GOOD BYES AND OFF WE WENT TO SEE TWO SCHOOLS. TEH SAID HE AND HIS WIFE TRY TO GO TO SEE THEIR FAMILY ONCE A MONTH, RIDING IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK BOTH WAYS. TEH’S FATHER HAD MADE THEM A SWINGING BABY BED AND WE BROUGHT IT HOME FOR THEM. I WISH YOU COULD FEEL WHAT I AM FEELING. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE SO MUCH, AND HAVE SO LITTLE REALIZATION OF WHAT WE HAVE AND SO LITTLE GRATITUDE IN PROPORTION TO WHAT WE HAVE.

THE SECOND PART OF THE DAY WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD. WE WENT TO THE VIENTIANE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOR THE AMERICAN 4TH OF JULY PICNIC. THE SCHOOL HAS THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. WE STARTED SELLING TICKETS AROUND 3:15 AND WENT TO ABOUT 6:00 BEFORE WE TRADED OFF WITH SOME OTHER PEOPLE. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE SEEING THE PEOPLE COME. TRULY A MELTING POT OF AMERICANS COMING TO CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY. AS I WATCHED AND EXPERIENCED ALL OF THIS I COULDN’T HELP REALIZE THAT MOST OF THEM, LIVING HERE, DIDN’T REALIZE WHAT THEY HAVE. AMERICANS, LIVING AN AMERICAN LIFE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. I BELIEVE SISTER RISER AND I ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WAY. ANYWAY, WE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE. HOPEFULLY MADE SOME GOOD FRIENDS.

DOWN STAIRS IN THE LIBRARY-OFFICE AREA THERE ARE SOME OLD MOVIE-VIDEOS. WE HAVE WATCHED A FEW OF THEM DURING THIS PAST YEAR. SINCE I LIKE HISTORY, TWO OF THEM WERE ABOUT WORLD WAR II. ONE WAS ON THE ATTACK OF PEARL HARBOR AND THE OTHER ONE WAS ON THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, SIX MONTHS AFTER PEARL HARBOR. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THOSE TWO BATTLES. THERE WERE A LOT OF MISTAKES AND ERRORS ON BOTH SIDES, BUT I HAD WITNESSED TO ME THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN WAS DIRECTING, IN HIS WAY, WHAT THE FINAL OUTCOME WAS GOING TO BE. WE HAVE OUR AGENCY, BUT IF WE ARE WILLING TO BE LED, AND TRYING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, HE WILL, IN HIS WAY, DIRECT THE FINAL OUTCOME OF WHAT HE WHATS US TO BECOME AND WHAT HE WANTS US TO DO. TRYING TO GET OUR VISA’S HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING. COPING WITH OTHER THINGS HERE AND AT HOME, AS WELL AS WATCHING YOU DEAL WITH YOUR PROBLEMS FROM ACROSS THE MILES HAS BEEN SOMETIMES DIFFICULT. BUT, I AM SURE THAT IF WE ARE WILLING TO BE LED AND ARE TRYING OUR BEST, THINGS WILL WORK OUT THE WAY THE LORD WANTS THEM TO WORK OUT.

TEH REALIZED EARLY IN LIFE THAT WITH A WITHERED LEG HE WASN’T GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL PLANTING RICE IN A MUDDY FIELD. THERE IS QUITE A STIGMA ABOUT CRIPPLED PEOPLE HERE. HIS OWN GRANDFATHER WON’T LET TEH EAT IN THE SAME ROOM AS HE DOES. TEH SEEMS TO MEET CHALLENGE AFTER CHALLENGE AND HE WON’T GIVE UP.

I FOUND OUT TODAY IN FAST AND TESTIMONY MEETING THAT BOUMA, THE 2ND COUNCILOR IN THE BRANCH PRESIDENCY WAS AN ORPHAN AND HAD A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD. REMEMBER, WHAT THIS PLACE WAS LIKE 35 TO 100 YEARS AGO. NONE OF US HAS FACED THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. WE DO HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS, EACH OF US, AND THEY CAN BE OVERCOME THE SAME WAY--- BY BEING STEADFAST AND IMMOVEABLE IN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT. HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

LOVE,

DAD AND MOM, ELDER AND SISTER Riser