8. Pa-Lian

The DMI blog aims to let people know about the deaf kids, teachers, pastors, schools and churches that DMI supports in developing countries, and encourage support for them by telling their amazing stories. Please share this blog with your friends.

It’s my last day here at the Muir School for the Deaf in Kale, Myanmar. 

The playground is a hive of small but wonderful activities. A game of soccer is going on in the middle of the playground. A young girl is chasing Monday’s giggling son in and out of the players. A young boy comes and sits next to me on the steps of the classroom as I watch them; he opens a glossy ladies’ fashion magazine and seems to be riveted with what he finds in the pages. Some of the older girls are washing their clothes while some younger ones sit near them and braid each others’ hair. Off to the side, some boys are cackling as they work the pump together to bring up water. Who knew pumping water was so much fun?

Across the compound, quietly chatting on the kitchen deck with a couple of the other staff members is a man who has been instrumental in making all this happen. A tireless worker. An undaunted leader. A gentle soul. A father to the kids. An unsung hero.

His name is Pa-lian.

Pa-lian is the head of DMI in Myanmar. He has worked hand-in-hand with Neville to build deaf churches and the school here. He is a big reason why these kids are so healthy and educated and happy. He has been central in establishing communities of faith for the deaf across Myanmar.

Pa-lian is hearing. He was raised a Christian but didn’t give his life to Christ until 1983 when he was baptised and went to seminary. He later also graduated from university in Mandalay (Myanmar) and began working for a company. 

In 1996, however, that all changed when Pa-lian met Neville. Neville was on an investigative trip to Myanmar to see how he could reach the deaf here. Pa-lian was curious and asked Neville why he would bother coming all the way to Myanmar to help deaf kids. Neville took him to the Mary Chapman School for the Deaf in Yangon (where Monday had graduated from) where Pa-lian could see for himself the delight the kids had signing to one another and in learning together in a caring Christian community. Faith in action. He had never seen people pray in sign before and was genuinely intrigued. Neville also explained John 3:16 and that God’s love for the whole world most certainly includes the deaf kids of Myanmar.

Having seen and heard about the deaf, Neville told Pa-lian that he now had a responsibility to the deaf! Pa-lian needed a little time to think about that but a month later he felt God calling him to serve with DMI. He promptly enrolled at the Mary Chapman school to learn how to sign.

In the years since then, two things happened: Pa-lian was faithful to his call, and God moved. 

In 1999 in Yangon, Pa-lian started Myanmar’s first deaf church. It grew. In 2003, thanks to a miraculous mystery gift of $100,000 from a lady, DMI were able to buy a house/church for Pa-lian to serve from and the church to meet in. They never found out who gave the money. God bless her! Up to 80 deaf now meet in that church every week, and Pa-lian and his lovely wife Winnie take hospitality to another level there.

In 2005 the deaf school here in Kale was opened and in 2008, the deaf church in Pindaw began to meet in homes. The church building is just being completed now (see blog #7).

Pa-lian shares with me the challenges of ministering to the deaf. The greatest difficulty in pastoring the deaf church is keeping the gospel simple, but meaningful and true. Sometimes they ask questions which he can’t answer. And sometimes he tries to explain things which they can’t understand. It’s hard to accurately sign abstract terms for feelings or spiritual concepts. There just aren’t signs for all the words that we have. Sometimes the way hearing people feel and understand the world is different so it’s hard to explain things well and sometimes he feels like he’s missing them. Pa-lian spends a lot of time in prayer asking God to show him how to best teach the deaf.

His prayers are effective.

As the school and the churches grow, I see first-hand the faith that is building, the love that is shared. And I see the respect and affection that Pa-lian receives. It is well-earned.

Pa-lian is a very gentle servant-leader. He is wise. He is faithful. He’s a wonderful translator for me! He also has a delightful sense of humour, and is usually to first to lead the chorus of laughter whenever Neville mistranslates.

Before I leave Myanmar, I ask Pa-lian how we can help. What can we do to make his work more fruitful and life for the deaf better? He responds with two things.

The first is a material matter. The school needs a new fence, he says. I can see this. The current fence is dilapidated, leaning almost to the ground in places, and has gaping holes in it. There is little to keep stray dogs, pigs and other vermin out (which the kids can’t hear coming, of course), not to mention predators of the human kind. It also fails to keep the younger kids in where it is safe. I ask Pa-lian for the details which he later sends. A new fence will cost US$5000. (This is a durable chain link fence with a brick base.) I let him know that we will do whatever we can, and now I’m asking you to help us do whatever we can to get this fence built. Let’s get it built. (Please give for this, using the donate button below.*)

Pa-lian’s second response is a matter of understanding. He wants the hearing to truly understand the deaf. Their problem is not, primarily, being deaf. Their problem is how the hearing community treat the deaf. They are often ostracised. Parents wonder what the point of educating them is. They are left to feel there is no hope. When the school first opened it was referred to as the ‘mad school’. The hearing community couldn’t see the deaf as worthy beings. 

This is, of course, so untrue and unjust. Now that the students are matriculating from the school in Kalay, word is spreading that the deaf are capable and have potential that is being fulfilled. He hopes that the day will soon come when the deaf are treated with the same dignity and value as the hearing in all communities across Myanmar.

The church members and the kids at the school know Pa-lian’s heart, and they love him for it.

(The next blog will continue from the Philippines.)

If you would like to help build the fence for the school in Kale, please click on the “Myanmar” donation button below (-> Bank Transfer section-> in the Reference section, please include your name and ‘Myanmar Fence’.

Please subscribe here if you would like to be advised by email when the next blog will be posted. Your email address will be kept private.