Over these past few days we have been remembering the reason for Christmas.....the birth of Jesus......as Oswald Chambers says, "He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it". We are staying in Soyo, Angola, this Christmas....far from our children, grand child and other family members....and altho this is difficult for me even tho we can chat on the phone or on Skype, it has given me a chance to reflect on some of the other Christmas' I have spent away from family. The one that comes most quickly to mind is the first and only one I spent in Pleiku, VietNam.
Remember I went to work in Pleiku with the Christian and Missionary Alliance....in their Leprosy Center. I arrived there just after Christmas in 1973 and so had my first experience of how the Jarai hill tribe Christians celebrated. The staff at the Leprosy Center had a tradition of putting on a play to tell the story of the birth of Christ Jesus. They were amazing the amount of work learning their parts and getting the costumes just right. I remember the one young man.....sadly I have forgotten his name...who was the angel. He was the tallest and wore a white gown with the most magnificent and enormous wings I had ever seen....how I wish I had a photo but those are in storage.....someday I will put them on this blog....anyway, the wings were made of paper and each feather was of a separate small piece glued onto the frame. You must realize that this young man had leprosy and therefore difficulty feeling his fingers. King Herod was played by the delightful young man who called me Amai Sucret or Amai Goliath....and he had a beautiful shiny robe, crown and a knife for effect... He used this knife to slash through the air when in the story he realized the kings were not going to come back and tell him where the young child was and he says, "I will kill him". And finally there were two new characters in the story who were created by the story tellers.....Jessica and Matias....the innkeeper and his wife.....actually the wife had more of a part than the innkeeper, Matias.....but this tribe was a matriarchal society. So the story began with the angel coming to Mary and Joseph to prepare them for the coming of Jesus....their traveling to Bethlehem and the kings meeting with Herod. The tension of the story is building and Herod is enraged when he knows the kings from the east have outwitted him and he takes his knife, slashes the air and as he shouts his line, the blade of the knife comes off the handle and flies out into the audience. Thankfully they had also created this as part of the costume so no one was injured and no one stepped out of character thus the play continued. It was wonderful.....one of the women who had delivered a baby a few months earlier was Mary and had her baby as Jesus.
Why is this the memory that comes to mind year after year when we celebrate Christmas? I believe it is because these wonderful people.....all leprosy patients themselves.....loved the Lord so much....loved to tell others about Him....and to be part of the story telling of His birth.....these people who by the worlds standards were disadvantaged, disabled, poorest of the poor....yet they were so happy and loved the Lord so much and it touched my heart then and still does 38 years later. And I wonder if there is any moment in my interactions with others that is ever recalled as something that pointed to my love for God and as a witness of His love for me. I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to have that Christmas in Pleiku......
Remember I went to work in Pleiku with the Christian and Missionary Alliance....in their Leprosy Center. I arrived there just after Christmas in 1973 and so had my first experience of how the Jarai hill tribe Christians celebrated. The staff at the Leprosy Center had a tradition of putting on a play to tell the story of the birth of Christ Jesus. They were amazing the amount of work learning their parts and getting the costumes just right. I remember the one young man.....sadly I have forgotten his name...who was the angel. He was the tallest and wore a white gown with the most magnificent and enormous wings I had ever seen....how I wish I had a photo but those are in storage.....someday I will put them on this blog....anyway, the wings were made of paper and each feather was of a separate small piece glued onto the frame. You must realize that this young man had leprosy and therefore difficulty feeling his fingers. King Herod was played by the delightful young man who called me Amai Sucret or Amai Goliath....and he had a beautiful shiny robe, crown and a knife for effect... He used this knife to slash through the air when in the story he realized the kings were not going to come back and tell him where the young child was and he says, "I will kill him". And finally there were two new characters in the story who were created by the story tellers.....Jessica and Matias....the innkeeper and his wife.....actually the wife had more of a part than the innkeeper, Matias.....but this tribe was a matriarchal society. So the story began with the angel coming to Mary and Joseph to prepare them for the coming of Jesus....their traveling to Bethlehem and the kings meeting with Herod. The tension of the story is building and Herod is enraged when he knows the kings from the east have outwitted him and he takes his knife, slashes the air and as he shouts his line, the blade of the knife comes off the handle and flies out into the audience. Thankfully they had also created this as part of the costume so no one was injured and no one stepped out of character thus the play continued. It was wonderful.....one of the women who had delivered a baby a few months earlier was Mary and had her baby as Jesus.
Why is this the memory that comes to mind year after year when we celebrate Christmas? I believe it is because these wonderful people.....all leprosy patients themselves.....loved the Lord so much....loved to tell others about Him....and to be part of the story telling of His birth.....these people who by the worlds standards were disadvantaged, disabled, poorest of the poor....yet they were so happy and loved the Lord so much and it touched my heart then and still does 38 years later. And I wonder if there is any moment in my interactions with others that is ever recalled as something that pointed to my love for God and as a witness of His love for me. I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to have that Christmas in Pleiku......
Just read your article. My sister and I were wondering if you knew of our father, Chaplain Charles Pratt, Jr., U.S. Army. He served in Pleiku in 1966 and was involved in the opening of a leprosy clinic during that time.
ReplyDeleteWe appreciate any information or referrals that you might provide to us.
Thank you- S Pratt and G Pratt
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DeleteHi,
DeleteI was in Pleiku during 1973 until 1975.....long after your father was there. I'm sorry that I didn't know him.
I do know several missionaries that I worked with there but don't know if any of them were in the area during your time. If you would like, I will forward your email to them and have them contact you if they knew him. Is this ok with you?
I know that one of the missionaries, Grady Mangham, who was there for many years, died recently but I think his wife might be alive.....also the Flemings, D. Deets, O. Kingsbury, and J & P Hall....but I don't know when they first came there. D. Deets and O. Kingsbury were nurses in Pleiku while I was there but also were in Banmethout and might know about your dad.
Let me know if it is ok to get hold of them on your behalf.