We have a new and exciting development at our Training Center. Last week, we were asked if we could accept two more students. Roy and I looked at each other….new students? Where would they sleep???? But, then we got more information, and it didn’t help our attitude any!

The first boy, who’s name is Seh Doe Too, is our caretakers wife’s son. We have met him before, and he has a very interesting history. When he was young, he was sent to the Bamboo School. He did not do well there, and ended up running away several times. The last time he ran away, he became a monk, and was a monk for three years. ( don’t ask me why an Adventist boy would become a monk, I really have not figured that one out yet) Anyway, he got tired of being a monk, so he came home to his parents place at our training center, which is where I first met him. He came to our evening English classes for a while, and then he ran away from home again. He came back last week with an interesting color of hair, and many new tattoos. That is why when they asked us to take him I was adamantly against it! I feel overwhelmed with Meme and her problems, and I didn’t think that I needed another one. But, one morning shortly after worship, Roy told me that he was feeling like maybe we should not say no yet. I had the same conviction during my worship time also, so we talked about it and decided to have a meeting with the boys and the parents and explain to them just what kind of a Training Center this is, and tell them all the rules and see if they even really wanted to come. Seh Doe Too is 16 years old.  The other boy’s name is Thah Me,(age 17)  and he is a cousin of Seh Doe Too, so he was naturally suspect as well.

So, we went and set up an appointment with the caretaker and his wife, along with Pastor Dang, to talk to and interview these two potential students. Then, Roy and I watched their behavior from a distance, and wrote rules for each thing that we saw that we didn’t like! Our students were equally suspicious and told us that they did not want to accept these boys.

Sabbath evening was the big event. We sat down with everyone, and started by asking each boy what they planned to do with their lives. Seh Doe Too did not know, but his cousin gave us the first surprise by telling us that if he can learn enough, he would like to be a missionary. OK, so we liked that answer! Then, we very carefully explained to them that this is not just a school, it is a place where we train young people to have a walk with God, and train them to become leaders and missionaries for their own people. Both boys still looked interested…so we started in on the rules. The rules that we had written down were very pointed. When we got to the one about no satanic T-shirts, they both looked down at what they were wearing to see if they were OK. Neither one of them was OK! But, after we had gone through the extensive list of rules, point by point, they still said that they wanted to come to school! Well, how many missionaries could turn them away then? Even our students had to admit that we should probably accept them. So, we have two new students.

One of the interesting things that came out of our meeting was that we found out that our caretaker cannot do his job any more because of health issues, and that Thah Me needed a job so that he could help support his mother and siblings. Well, we sure need a caretaker! Since our caretaker was not doing his job any more, we were having a really hard time keeping our Training Center looking nice. Somehow the weeds just grow faster over here! So, we offered Thah Me a job, and now he is our new grounds keeper. Since he is young and strong, I think that it might actually work out. The very first thing that Thah Me wanted to do on Sunday morning was to go to town to get his hair cut, and buy new shirts!

I have no idea of how this will all turn out, but both Roy and I felt really impressed not to turn these two away, even though we don’t really have room for them, and even though Seh Doe Too does not look like he will fit in at all. God’s ways are not our ways, and we are just anxious to see what God has in mind now. Pray for not only these new students, but also our old students, that the transition into the family will be a smooth one.