Above the mountain
jungles of northern Thailand,
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the clouds swirl and
dance in impossible patterns
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and drift down between bamboo
houses and along mud streets.
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Up on these ridges, it is
easy to feel as if you are
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on an island a thousand
years from anywhere else.
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Here a small minority tribe,
called the Mien, clear their
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land and build their houses.
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Their tidy little villages
seem as if they might have stood
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on these mountaintops
since the beginning of time.
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but, in truth, the Mien
people of northern Thailand
00:02:22.81\00:02:26.56
are far from home.
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The Mien people carry with
them copies of an ancient scroll
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lettered in Chinese characters.
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The scroll tells the legend
of Pan Hu, the Dragon Dog.
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The legend begins in the
13th century on the southeastern
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coast of imperial China
at a time of fighting and
00:02:47.76\00:02:51.37
unrest in the empire.
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In the emperor's
court, a mysterious foreigner
00:02:54.02\00:02:57.09
by the name of Pan Hu
stepped out of obscurity
00:02:57.12\00:03:00.12
and volunteered for an
impossible mission: to travel
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in disguise into the lands
of a powerful opposing warlord
00:03:04.20\00:03:08.10
and
singlehandedly assassinate him.
00:03:08.14\00:03:11.80
The details of Pan Hu's
great act of bravery and daring
00:03:12.79\00:03:16.93
are lost to time, but we do
know he eventually returned to
00:03:16.96\00:03:21.14
the emperor, having carried out
his mission against all odds.
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The emperor was so grateful
to Pan Hu that he gave him the
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title of "Dragon Dog" and
presented a princess to him
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to be his wife.
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Pan Hu and the
princess settled in the southern
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mountains of China.
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Their twelve
children became twelve clans.
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When Pan Hu died, the emperor
honored him by issuing an
00:03:47.19\00:03:51.65
imperial edict, granting his
descendants freedom from taxes,
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exemption from military service,
and possession of the southern
00:03:56.10\00:03:59.82
mountains of China forever.
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The Mien have copied and
preserved this edict down
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through the centuries and still
carry it with them as a reminder
00:04:07.19\00:04:11.02
of their high past.
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The old days of honor
and glory in the courts
00:04:15.46\00:04:18.10
of imperial China
are long past for the
00:04:18.13\00:04:20.74
descendants of the great Pan Hu.
00:04:20.78\00:04:22.97
Over the ensuing centuries,
they have become wanderers
00:04:24.31\00:04:27.30
on the earth, spreading out
from southern China through the
00:04:27.33\00:04:31.16
northern parts of Vietnam, Laos
and, most recently, Thailand.
00:04:31.20\00:04:34.99
In all their migrations,
the Mien people have stubbornly
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maintained their own
culture and way of life.
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Mien villages are very distinct
from their Thai counterparts.
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Harking back to their origins
in the mountains of China,
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the Mien prefer to build their
villages in the rugged ranges
00:04:53.36\00:04:56.73
of northern Thailand.
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On these mountainsides, the Mien
cultivate a special variety of
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rice that grows
well on the steep slopes.
00:05:04.40\00:05:08.65
Thai villages, on the other
hand, are usually situated in
00:05:09.48\00:05:13.75
the lowlands. Thais grow rice in
flooded rice paddies which they
00:05:13.78\00:05:19.43
cultivate with modern machinery.
00:05:19.46\00:05:21.48
Though most of them speak Thai,
Mien people prefer to speak
00:05:25.19\00:05:29.38
their traditional Mien
language among themselves.
00:05:29.41\00:05:32.05
Mien people have also preserved
the reading and writing of
00:05:34.59\00:05:37.96
Chinese characters.
00:05:38.00\00:05:40.98
In fact, the Mien people
are much more Chinese than Thai
00:05:41.74\00:05:45.64
in their
customs and way of life.
00:05:45.68\00:05:48.73
The mien also
preserve their unique heritage
00:05:50.51\00:05:53.28
through their crafts.
00:05:53.32\00:05:54.60
Needlepoint is a
cultural pastime for Mien women.
00:05:54.63\00:05:58.34
The delicate, precise
stitches preserve ancient
00:06:00.64\00:06:03.52
memories of the
mountains of southern China.
00:06:03.56\00:06:06.41
To these old forms,
the women add new designs
00:06:08.15\00:06:12.07
limited only by imagination.
00:06:12.10\00:06:15.13
In fact, a Mien bride's value
is determined in part by the
00:06:16.88\00:06:20.76
quality of her needlepoint,
the creativity of her designs,
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and her artistry
in choosing colors.
00:06:24.68\00:06:28.26
Another Mien
heritage is silversmithing.
00:06:29.79\00:06:33.17
On any given day, you can find
small groups of Mien artisans
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gathered in
front of their houses.
00:06:37.77\00:06:41.04
As they chat with their friends,
each individual performs
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his or her step of the process
with practiced skill and speed.
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Gradually, spools of silver wire
become long intricate chains.
00:06:52.34\00:06:58.21
Raw silver sheets become
intricately figured purses
00:07:01.06\00:07:05.92
And business card holders.
00:07:05.95\00:07:08.49
The Mien use only simple
hand tools and gasoline powered
00:07:11.69\00:07:15.51
torches in their work.
00:07:15.54\00:07:17.48
Though their silver work sells
for good money, the skill and
00:07:18.99\00:07:23.25
time the Mien invest
into each piece keeps their
00:07:23.28\00:07:26.44
profits quite modest.
00:07:26.48\00:07:29.21
Perhaps the most fundamental
thing that sets the Mien apart
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is their spirituality.
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The Mien practice a complex
system of auspicious days,
00:07:38.18\00:07:41.86
taboos, and appeasements
based on thirteenth century
00:07:41.89\00:07:45.53
Chinese Taoism.
00:07:45.57\00:07:47.73
They worship a
hierarchy of deities, all ruled
00:07:49.29\00:07:52.62
by the Jade Emperor.
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For high level spirit
ceremonies, the Mien display
00:07:56.32\00:07:59.77
sacred paintings of the deities.
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They dance before
these paintings and
00:08:02.71\00:08:06.28
chant their petitions.
00:08:06.32\00:08:08.64
In addition to the Taoist
deities, the Mien also worship
00:08:12.37\00:08:16.62
the spirits of their ancestors.
00:08:16.65\00:08:18.85
They believe that they
must feed their ancestors with
00:08:19.81\00:08:23.28
frequent sacrifices of chicken
and whiskey to keep them from
00:08:23.31\00:08:26.60
going hungry in
the spirit world.
00:08:26.63\00:08:29.03
They build tiny spirit
houses and lavish gifts on them
00:08:30.29\00:08:34.40
for their departed ancestors.
00:08:34.43\00:08:37.40
The Mien look to the spirits
for material blessings and
00:08:37.43\00:08:42.05
for healing.
00:08:42.08\00:08:43.81
This woman suffers from
diabetes and has lost feeling
00:08:45.28\00:08:48.43
in her hand.
00:08:48.46\00:08:50.08
While her
granddaughter massages her hand,
00:08:51.21\00:08:54.48
a local spirit doctor conducts
a ceremony to appease the
00:08:54.51\00:08:58.17
spirits and drive away
the numbness from her hand.
00:08:58.21\00:09:01.91
It is Mien custom to pay off
the spirits with spirit money
00:09:04.27\00:09:08.80
which they cut from
special paper and emboss for
00:09:08.83\00:09:11.95
the purpose.
00:09:11.99\00:09:14.01
The spirit doctor counts
out piles of this money for the
00:09:16.48\00:09:19.67
spirits and casts lots
to see if it is enough.
00:09:19.70\00:09:23.90
When he has finished
negotiating, he burns
00:09:25.78\00:09:29.01
the money to send
it to the spirit world.
00:09:29.04\00:09:32.24
In all their hundreds of years
of wandering, the Mien people
00:09:36.34\00:09:40.49
have endeavored to maintain
their distinct cultural identity
00:09:40.52\00:09:44.00
and preserve their family
structure and way of life.
00:09:44.03\00:09:47.03
The small Mien village of
Nam Khong, just a few miles
00:09:48.27\00:09:52.87
from the Thai city of Nan,
and the even smaller village
00:09:52.90\00:09:56.47
of Bang Korn 120 miles northwest
in the mountains near Chiang Rai
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are representative of
most Mien settlements today.
00:10:01.17\00:10:05.13
Each family scratches a
livelihood from the mountain
00:10:05.96\00:10:09.45
fields during the
day, and in the evenings
00:10:09.49\00:10:12.80
they gather to sing
the songs of their history.
00:10:12.83\00:10:15.89
But despite their generations
of resolve to preserve the old
00:10:18.30\00:10:22.26
ways, to stay cohesive, and
to remain separate from the rest
00:10:22.29\00:10:26.22
of the world, the Mien
people of northern Thailand
00:10:26.26\00:10:29.58
are at a crossroads.
00:10:29.62\00:10:32.26
By the thousands, young
Mien are leaving their peaceful
00:10:33.86\00:10:37.58
mountain villages to answer
the siren's song of materialism
00:10:37.62\00:10:41.31
and western lifestyle ideals.
00:10:41.34\00:10:44.18
In pursuing these externals,
they are setting aside
00:10:44.22\00:10:47.66
their Mien identity and
merging with a society that
00:10:47.70\00:10:51.17
values neither their
unique history nor their
00:10:51.20\00:10:54.19
distinctive way of life.
00:10:54.22\00:10:56.19
Modern western values
threaten to undo seven centuries
00:10:57.08\00:11:01.28
of Mien cultural
identity in one generation.
00:11:01.31\00:11:05.33
For the Mien people of
northern Thailand, the world
00:11:07.21\00:11:11.02
has become too small.
There is nowhere for them
00:11:11.05\00:11:14.78
to hide from the forces
that threaten their identity
00:11:14.82\00:11:17.65
as a people.
00:11:17.68\00:11:19.15
Down through the centuries,
with grit and determination,
00:11:19.60\00:11:23.12
they have held tightly to their
high past, for it gives them
00:11:23.16\00:11:26.93
pride and a sense of belonging
to a time that was kinder to
00:11:26.96\00:11:30.70
them than these new days.
00:11:30.73\00:11:33.62
What will be the
fate of the Mien people?
00:11:33.66\00:11:38.40
Their past is slipping through
their fingers and the future
00:11:39.20\00:11:43.02
is uncertain.
00:11:43.05\00:11:45.62
It is morning in the villages
of Bang Korn and Nam Khong.
00:11:48.36\00:11:52.07
Duang Wilson and Jennifer
Dill are preparing breakfast.
00:11:54.06\00:11:58.02
The Wilsons and the
Dills are missionaries with
00:11:58.05\00:12:01.51
Adventist Frontier Missions.
00:12:01.54\00:12:04.93
The message these two families
bring to the Mien people
00:12:06.24\00:12:10.24
is unique in this day and
age. It is a message of hope.
00:12:10.28\00:12:14.57
The God of all creation is
offering the Mien something
00:12:14.61\00:12:18.87
even better than a noble
past - A glorious future.
00:12:18.91\00:12:23.55
David and Jennifer
Dill with their daughters
00:12:25.38\00:12:27.82
Jessica and Juliana
moved into the mountain village
00:12:27.86\00:12:31.23
of Bang Korn in May of 1996.
00:12:31.26\00:12:34.86
This village is home to
both Mien and Ahka people.
00:12:35.63\00:12:39.90
The road leading to this
little village is quite an
00:12:41.35\00:12:44.99
adventure. During
very wet times of the year,
00:12:45.03\00:12:48.39
it is completely impassable.
00:12:48.43\00:12:51.05
Before the Dills came to
Bang Korn, they heard that the
00:12:53.18\00:12:57.16
village chief, or gamnon,
was actively opposed to any type
00:12:57.19\00:13:01.14
of Christian
influence in the village.
00:13:01.17\00:13:03.53
Hoping to make peace, the
Dills went to visit the gamnon.
00:13:03.57\00:13:08.62
Amazingly, the gamnon took a
liking to the Dills and invited
00:13:10.03\00:13:13.23
them to come and live on
a piece of his land in the
00:13:13.26\00:13:16.01
middle of the village.
00:13:16.04\00:13:17.69
Their friendship grew.
Then one day the gamnon
00:13:17.72\00:13:23.12
did something truly
unprecedented. He adopted
00:13:23.15\00:13:26.71
David unofficially as his
son and named him Pae Won Hin,
00:13:26.74\00:13:32.15
the gamon's own family name.
00:13:32.19\00:13:35.43
The Dills praised God for
the friendship of this very
00:13:36.34\00:13:40.11
influential man.
00:13:40.14\00:13:42.13
The Dills ministry in
Bang Korn is very simple.
00:13:44.27\00:13:47.37
They spend each day polishing
their Mien language abilities
00:13:47.40\00:13:50.94
and building friendships
with their neighbors.
00:13:50.98\00:13:53.51
As AFM missionaries,
their goal is to raise up a
00:13:54.19\00:13:58.58
congregation of
believers in Bang Korn.
00:13:58.62\00:14:01.41
But first, they must lay
the groundwork, a foundation of
00:14:02.16\00:14:05.93
genuine trust and
friendship with the Mien people.
00:14:05.97\00:14:09.33
As the Dills learn the
heart language of the Mien,
00:14:11.61\00:14:15.36
and absorb Mien culture,
they are finding culturally
00:14:15.39\00:14:18.94
relevant ways to touch
Mien hearts with the gospel
00:14:18.98\00:14:22.50
of Jesus Christ.
00:14:22.53\00:14:24.78
The Dills invest each day
in helping their community.
00:14:25.99\00:14:29.26
This often means taking part
in routine maintenance of the
00:14:30.26\00:14:33.64
village water system.
00:14:33.68\00:14:36.03
Water for all the homes in the
village comes from a mountain
00:14:36.99\00:14:40.38
stream some distance away.
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.89
Pipes carry the
water to the village tanks.
00:14:44.50\00:14:47.49
During the rainy
season, floods and landslides
00:14:48.30\00:14:52.15
frequently disrupt the stream
and cut off the water supply.
00:14:52.18\00:14:55.92
As a member of the community,
David takes his turn hiking out
00:14:56.73\00:15:01.01
to the stream and fixing the
small dam to restore the water.
00:15:01.05\00:15:05.20
Jennifer Dill, a registered
nurse, uses her medical
00:15:07.00\00:15:11.88
training to reach
out to the community.
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.24
She runs an impromptu medical
clinic on the front porch.
00:15:14.27\00:15:18.59
In addition to all the
other ways the Dills have helped
00:15:20.64\00:15:23.69
the village of Bang Korn, they
also have found a way to assist
00:15:23.73\00:15:27.60
the young people
with their schooling.
00:15:27.63\00:15:29.82
About two hours from Bang Korn
is Chiangmai Adventist Academy.
00:15:30.43\00:15:35.76
The Dills have raised funds
to sponsor several children from
00:15:36.75\00:15:41.14
the village to board at
this school and study in a
00:15:41.18\00:15:44.24
Christian environment.
00:15:44.27\00:15:45.84
David drives a truckload
of students to the academy
00:15:47.33\00:15:50.14
each term and then
home again for break.
00:15:50.17\00:15:53.56
The families of these students
are amazed at the difference
00:15:55.28\00:15:58.22
this school is making.
00:15:58.25\00:16:00.50
Their parents and
friends find them kinder, more
00:16:00.53\00:16:04.98
respectful and more helpful
than they ever were before.
00:16:05.02\00:16:08.94
The Dills' next major goal
is to develop a complete set
00:16:11.23\00:16:14.61
of Bible studies in the
language and cultural context
00:16:14.65\00:16:18.00
of the Mien.
00:16:18.03\00:16:19.50
The Dills pray that these
lessons will someday spread
00:16:19.53\00:16:23.01
among the Mien people
and with the inworking of the
00:16:23.05\00:16:26.46
Holy Spirit, open their hearts
to the God who longs for them
00:16:26.49\00:16:30.29
to know Him and return His love.
00:16:30.32\00:16:33.19
Roughly 120 miles southeast
of Bang Korn, in the Mien
00:16:36.64\00:16:40.95
village of Nam Khong,
Brian and Duang Wilson are
00:16:40.98\00:16:45.28
praying a similar prayer.
00:16:45.32\00:16:47.22
The Wilsons came to live
in Nam Khong in June of 1995.
00:16:48.16\00:16:52.78
Just like the Dills, the
Wilsons' work consists mostly
00:16:54.37\00:16:57.87
of friendship evangelism,
building relationships with
00:16:57.91\00:17:01.38
their neighbors.
00:17:01.41\00:17:02.93
It is really a very
simple formula for ministry.
00:17:04.64\00:17:08.21
They live among the Mien,
intertwining their daily lives
00:17:08.25\00:17:11.93
with their neighbors
and demonstrating the
00:17:11.96\00:17:14.58
Christian life.
00:17:14.62\00:17:15.78
They keep a watchful eye
for anyone showing interest in
00:17:17.03\00:17:20.25
spiritual things, ever
prepared to share the gospel
00:17:20.28\00:17:23.47
with them and
point them to the truth.
00:17:23.51\00:17:26.42
Women and girls from the
village regularly come to the
00:17:28.90\00:17:32.13
house to visit Duang, to
play with three-year-old Benya,
00:17:32.16\00:17:35.36
or to hold Baby Eliyja.
00:17:35.39\00:17:37.84
Duang has made her
home into quite a ministry.
00:17:38.88\00:17:42.05
She has had many heart to heart
conversations about spiritual
00:17:42.08\00:17:46.30
things with her friends.
00:17:46.33\00:17:48.43
The Holy Spirit has
blessed their time together.
00:17:48.46\00:17:52.19
With Duang's gentle guidance,
several women and girls have
00:17:52.95\00:17:57.42
begun to open their minds
and hearts to God's Spirit.
00:17:57.46\00:18:00.94
While Duang ministers at
home, Brian walks the streets of
00:18:02.66\00:18:06.75
Nam Khong, visiting with people
and keeping up friendships.
00:18:06.79\00:18:10.85
Brian has invested a
great deal of time and energy in
00:18:11.82\00:18:15.08
learning the Mien
language and culture.
00:18:15.11\00:18:17.72
This preparation allows
him to reach the Mien with
00:18:17.75\00:18:20.65
approaches that
fit their own culture.
00:18:20.68\00:18:23.67
Brian has developed some key
friendships with spirit doctors
00:18:23.70\00:18:28.38
and spirit
mediums in the village.
00:18:28.41\00:18:30.15
He has found these men to
be some of the most open to
00:18:31.27\00:18:34.17
discussions of spiritual things.
00:18:34.20\00:18:37.03
Because of their beliefs
in the deities, it is very
00:18:37.79\00:18:41.59
difficult for the Mien to
grasp the Christian concept of a
00:18:41.62\00:18:45.03
single, all powerful God.
00:18:45.07\00:18:47.43
These spirit doctors
are interested to hear the
00:18:49.63\00:18:52.52
story of Jesus.
00:18:52.56\00:18:53.92
However, since they
misunderstand the state of
00:18:54.71\00:18:57.92
the dead, they ask, "Who
will feed my dead parents
00:18:57.95\00:19:01.10
and grandparents if I
become a Christian? How can I be
00:19:01.13\00:19:04.46
disloyal to my parents and
not feed them by performing
00:19:04.50\00:19:07.79
spirit ceremonies?"
00:19:07.82\00:19:09.61
They also fear that, if they
become Christians, they will
00:19:09.64\00:19:13.77
starve in the spirit
world after they die.
00:19:13.80\00:19:16.65
Most are unwilling to
even listen to Bible truths
00:19:16.69\00:19:19.79
that contradict what
they believe to be true about
00:19:19.83\00:19:22.89
life after death.
00:19:22.93\00:19:24.90
In his talks with
these influential men, Brian
00:19:24.93\00:19:29.68
claims God's promise
that His Word will not return
00:19:29.71\00:19:33.00
to Him without effect.
00:19:33.03\00:19:34.96
The Wilsons are not entirely
alone in their ministry. A young
00:19:37.19\00:19:41.59
Mien man named Punn
lives in the Wilsons' home.
00:19:41.62\00:19:46.59
Punn's mother
died six years ago.
00:19:46.62\00:19:49.56
Several years later, the
Wilsons treated Punn's father
00:19:50.26\00:19:53.62
for Opium addiction.
00:19:53.65\00:19:55.90
The Wilsons decided to
sponsor Punn to attend Chiangmai
00:19:55.93\00:20:00.01
Adventist Academy. Punn is a
bright and very helpful young
00:20:00.04\00:20:05.55
man, who has been a
real blessing to the Wilsons
00:20:05.58\00:20:08.34
ministry.
00:20:08.37\00:20:10.25
Dimitry Lossev, a student
missionary with Adventist
00:20:11.95\00:20:15.49
Frontier Missions,
also lives with the Wilsons.
00:20:15.53\00:20:19.04
Dimitry conducts his
own friendship evangelism in
00:20:21.59\00:20:24.24
the village.
00:20:24.27\00:20:26.06
With his outgoing personality
and his picture album to break
00:20:27.21\00:20:30.82
the ice, Dimitry has
made many Mien friends.
00:20:30.85\00:20:34.79
Brian has put a great deal
of thought into how best to
00:20:37.51\00:20:41.17
reach the Mien
people with the word of God.
00:20:41.21\00:20:43.78
He has decided on a
multifaceted approach
00:20:44.85\00:20:47.55
that goes beyond simple sharing.
00:20:47.59\00:20:50.06
With Punn's help, Brian records
audio tapes of scripture in
00:20:53.46\00:20:57.83
the Mien language. Hearing
an audio recording in their
00:20:57.87\00:21:02.20
own language is very
exciting for the villagers.
00:21:02.24\00:21:05.18
In the future, Brian hopes
to create animated Bible stories
00:21:06.32\00:21:10.64
on video which the
Mien people could watch on
00:21:10.67\00:21:13.64
their televisions at home.
00:21:13.67\00:21:15.81
One prevalent and insidious
ill in Mien society is Opium
00:21:16.99\00:21:22.48
addiction.
00:21:22.51\00:21:23.71
Though it is illegal,
Opium is readily available in
00:21:23.74\00:21:27.71
Thailand and has
destroyed millions of lives.
00:21:27.74\00:21:31.58
The Wilsons do what they
can to educate people about
00:21:32.36\00:21:35.49
the dangers of Opium and
help those who wish to break
00:21:35.52\00:21:38.61
their addiction.
00:21:38.65\00:21:40.46
They have opened their
home to several opium addicts.
00:21:40.49\00:21:44.13
The Wilsons take care of these
people while they go through
00:21:44.17\00:21:48.28
the arduous withdrawal
symptoms of the detoxification
00:21:48.31\00:21:52.16
process. Though some of the
people have returned to their
00:21:52.19\00:21:56.06
old habits, others have left
the Wilsons' home with renewed
00:21:56.09\00:21:59.92
determination to live a
better life free of addiction.
00:21:59.96\00:22:04.37
Though neither Brian
nor Duang have much medical
00:22:05.70\00:22:09.11
training, they have found
ways to bring medical relief
00:22:09.14\00:22:12.23
to the Mien people.
00:22:12.26\00:22:13.96
Their truck
frequently serves as the local
00:22:13.99\00:22:17.24
ambulance, taking emergency
cases to the hospital in
00:22:17.28\00:22:20.86
Nan. Brian also makes frequent
trips to the hospital to fill
00:22:20.89\00:22:26.26
prescriptions for
people who are housebound or
00:22:26.29\00:22:28.98
otherwise unable to
get medicine on their own.
00:22:29.02\00:22:31.67
He delivers medicines
wherever they are needed
00:22:33.29\00:22:36.14
even out to remote
villages on difficult roads.
00:22:36.17\00:22:38.99
This young wife and
mother was recently paralyzed
00:22:40.23\00:22:44.23
in an automobile accident.
Lying on her bed all day,
00:22:44.27\00:22:48.23
she has fallen
into a deep depression.
00:22:48.26\00:22:51.19
She told Brian that
she wishes she could die.
00:22:51.23\00:22:55.39
Brian and Punn drive many
miles to bring her medicine.
00:22:56.28\00:23:00.32
But Brian and Punn
bring her more than just
00:23:00.36\00:23:04.01
medicine. They bring
word of the great physician
00:23:04.04\00:23:07.37
who longs to be her friend.
00:23:07.40\00:23:09.92
In this woman's bleak
existence, this is something
00:23:11.93\00:23:15.63
she can hold on to,
something worth living for.
00:23:15.66\00:23:19.32
The Wilsons' medical
assistance doesn't all
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.55
happen far from home. A
third person lives with them.
00:23:23.58\00:23:27.44
Her name is Faam Sin.
00:23:27.48\00:23:29.65
A few years ago,
Faam Sin contracted AIDS.
00:23:29.68\00:23:34.33
Her family was unable
to take care of her or
00:23:35.18\00:23:38.38
pay the medical bills,
so Brian and Duang took
00:23:38.41\00:23:42.23
her in. Everybody in
the Wilsons' household
00:23:42.26\00:23:45.36
took turns caring for
Faam Sin and making her
00:23:45.39\00:23:48.42
comfortable. Frequent
back massages helped soothe her
00:23:48.45\00:23:53.19
coughing fits. Though
Faam Sin was not a Christian,
00:23:53.23\00:23:57.14
over the following
months as the Wilsons and their
00:23:57.18\00:24:00.29
student missionaries
shared the gospel with her
00:24:00.33\00:24:03.41
she came to accept
Christ as her Savior.
00:24:03.44\00:24:06.69
Sometimes I thank God
for my disease, she says,
00:24:08.50\00:24:12.52
since it has led me to know Him.
00:24:12.55\00:24:15.37
A few weeks after this
video was shot, Faam Sin passed
00:24:17.95\00:24:22.17
to her rest.
00:24:22.20\00:24:23.88
As all Mien before her,
Faam Sin died a stranger
00:24:26.09\00:24:29.64
in the land. However,
she also died anticipating
00:24:29.78\00:24:33.70
her first glimpse someday
of the eternal home Christ
00:24:33.74\00:24:37.63
has prepared for her.
00:24:37.66\00:24:40.13
It is Sabbath in Bang Korn.
00:24:44.13\00:24:46.24
On the Dills' front porch,
students and young neighbors
00:24:47.76\00:24:51.33
have gathered for
morning Sabbath school.
00:24:51.36\00:24:53.61
The sound of singing
brings even more children from
00:24:54.96\00:24:58.68
the nearby homes.
00:24:58.72\00:24:59.97
David and Jennifer
speak of the God who is so
00:25:02.27\00:25:05.49
different from the spirits
and deities the Mien worship.
00:25:05.52\00:25:08.82
They tell about the
life of Jesus and how he
00:25:10.32\00:25:13.11
saved all people
from death in sin.
00:25:13.14\00:25:15.85
These young people
are excited to be learning
00:25:18.18\00:25:21.05
about Jesus. One
girl, named Yien Tzo,
00:25:21.09\00:25:25.30
plans someday to
become a preacher.
00:25:25.33\00:25:29.50
Just outside the tight circle,
one or two adults sit and
00:25:31.92\00:25:36.76
listen intently.
00:25:36.80\00:25:38.80
At this same moment, Brian
Wilsons little four wheel drive
00:25:41.72\00:25:45.31
truck is slipping and
sliding its way toward
00:25:45.35\00:25:48.08
a tiny village deep in the
mountains, called Huey Fey.
00:25:48.12\00:25:51.74
A small hut in this
village is filling with people
00:25:54.12\00:25:57.52
awaiting his arrival.
00:25:57.56\00:25:59.43
Some spots on this
road can mire a truck for
00:26:01.62\00:26:06.21
hours. Yet somehow
Brian manages to get through
00:26:06.24\00:26:10.79
with a quick
prayer and a helpful tug.
00:26:10.83\00:26:14.53
After a simple, tasty
lunch, Brian opens God's word
00:26:25.66\00:26:29.68
to the ears of
these Mien interests.
00:26:29.71\00:26:32.51
Punn adds his own
insights and explanations.
00:26:34.02\00:26:38.13
Both meetings close with prayer.
00:26:41.70\00:26:44.31
The missionaries and
their Mien brothers and sisters
00:26:45.78\00:26:48.29
are praying for the
Spirit of God to fall
00:26:48.33\00:26:50.74
on the Mien people
before their society
00:26:50.77\00:26:53.40
fragments and they
melt into anonymity in
00:26:53.43\00:26:57.01
the modern world.
They are praying for
00:26:57.05\00:27:00.55
workers to help ignite
a spiritual firestorm that
00:27:00.59\00:27:03.98
will jump from
village to village all over
00:27:04.02\00:27:06.45
northern Thailand.
00:27:06.49\00:27:08.40
They are praying for the
day when all people of the
00:27:10.50\00:27:13.31
world will cease
their wandering and say
00:27:13.35\00:27:15.75
Strangers in the
Land was produced by
00:27:56.79\00:27:58.95
Adventist Frontier Missions,
reaching the unreached by
00:27:58.98\00:28:02.03
establishing vibrant Adventist
churches trained to raise
00:28:02.07\00:28:05.09
up new believers
and churches among their
00:28:05.12\00:28:06.90
people groups.
00:28:06.93\00:28:08.45
For the latest information
on on the Mien mission project
00:28:08.48\00:28:11.25
Adventist Frontier
Missions or to order a copy of
00:28:11.28\00:28:14.10
Strangers in the
Land, visit amfonline. org
00:28:14.14\00:28:17.66
or call...
00:28:17.69\00:28:19.07
When you call, please be
sure to mention where you
00:28:26.22\00:28:28.18
saw this program.
00:28:28.21\00:28:29.57