Burmese Soup for the Soul

"You need, I give. Burmese food, very good, you strong. Many vitamin, beef, chicken. I get, Ciin make, you eat." Understand? :)

Last week, Meng Pu came to my house early for his English lesson, and was very concerned when he found me laying on my bed asleep. "Sick?" he asked, and I explained that no, I wasn't sick, I just need to rest more because I am weak and need to regain my strength. Since then, he has made it part of his ministry to me to feed me well and nurse me back to health.

He gave detailed instructions to Ciin, his sister and my upstairs housemate, and for the past few days she has brought me a big bowl of homemade Burmese soup to eat. It's the consistency of oatmeal, but with rice, broth, herbs, and finely shredded chicken or beef. She says, "This Samuel eat every day; that's why he big and strong. You need to get big and strong like Samuel!" I look at eight-month-old Baby Samuel, with his pudgy cheeks, pudgy hands, and sweet grin of two tiny teeth... I think, I'm eating baby food, and I am going to gain ten pounds. But they all keep talking about vitamins, so I obediently eat every bite, simultaneously regaining protein and remastering a spoon. And it tastes good too!

Today Meng Pu was back - I thought it was for an ESL lesson, but it was really for a check-up. He wanted to know how I liked my soup, and assured me he would bring more tomorrow for Ciin to cook for me. He told me that Burmese people don't take pills because their food is full of vitamins and makes them very strong. He read to me from the Bible about the power of God, and then laid his hand on mine and prayed for me. Then he told me to go to bed and sleep, and eat Burmese soup later!

It is a good thing to be loved and taken care of...