The Picture of Jesus

I hear His voice on the porch.  I know it is MooWah the 50 year old man who makes the 2 hour walk from MeDeLeeGwee quite often looking for medicine or anything else he can find!  Often he seems to come while BletJaw is not with me.  This makes it hard because this dear man likes to try to get everything he sees, from medicine to spoons, onions, garlic, yellow beans, machete, salt, candles – you name it!  The Karen people are usually not like this, but MooWah is different.  Today when I see him I feel deep pity for him.  I look at him and can tell that his teeth are very painful.  Upon inspection I see infected gums.  Two teeth may need to be pulled, they are loose and very painful to him, but no tooth can be extracted while infection present.  I put oil of cloves on the two teeth.  I take care of his many health needs and then he wanders into our living room.  You see, we do not keep our house closed up.  The front door and the inside door separating the treatment room from our house is always open.The oil of cloves has taken affect on his aching teeth and now he is feeling no pain.  He walks through to our living room and clicks his teeth together sharply, stating, “I can chew beetle nut now!” He is happy and no matter how we try to tell him that the pain will return and he must use the things we have given him to keep his teeth very clean and perhaps save his teeth from needing to be pulled, he can only think about this moment and his freedom from pain.MooWah has now wandered over to the bookcase and stares at the awe inspiring picture of Jesus by Nathan Green that my Mother bought for us.  It commands reverence and fills the room with a presence of Jesus!  BletJaw follows MooWah towards the lovely picture, points to it and says:“Do you know who He is?”“No.” came the answer.“That is my Father - not my Father here on earth, He is my Father who lives up in heaven.  He is your Father too.  He is the only One who can give you peace and happiness.”MooWa stood and looked at the picture for some time, and then he went outside and sat on the bench on the front porch.  I followed him out there and stood looking at a little square pouch that was tied around his neck with string.  The man fingered the square and told BletJaw that it was rice and salt.  He said that it keeps him well.  A black string was also tied around his neck.  He told us that this string is there to keep his own spirit with him.  He believes that if his spirit leaves him, he will be sick or some terrible calamity will come upon him.“No,”  BletJaw told the man.  “That square of rice and salt, and that black string cannot do anything for you whatsoever.  Only Jesus can do these things.At this moment MooWa, with a determined, firm grip, ripped both the strings off his neck!  Suddenly a big grin crossed his face! “These things are nothing,” he whispered.MooWah told us that he has terrible dreams at night.  He sees people who have died and they scare him terribly.  He cannot sleep.  Also he is sick a lot and has pain.  BletJaw told him to pray to God about these things.  He said, “I know you do not know how to pray, but you only need to say:  "Help me God, Help me," when the scary dreams come.  And when you have pain, just ask God for health and strength.  He will hear you and help you. I watched him begin his difficult hike home - long bamboo walking stick in hand.  A seed had been planted.  Another precious soul has heard about Jesus for the first time!