A-Wa and the Deaf School

In Thailand they have a big celebration over the New Year. The schools get a few days off and everyone exchanges gifts. We were told that A-Wa (also named A-Ju) was going to come to Chiang Rai and we were then going to take him up to Mae Salong to see his family during their short break. Well, long story short he didn't get sent up here. We have had a number of communication issues with the school and aren't suprised but are just heartbroken that he didn't get to go see his family.
This is one of the frustrations of not speaking Thai, however, it also helps us to understand much more what it is like to speak a secondary language in a country. We are really learning about prejudices and the struggles that the Akha go through just because theirs is not the primary language in Thailand. These cultural biases exist everywhere in the world, but we are just now getting a taste of what it is like to be on the minority side of them.
We are going to go to Chiang Mai with Dan and Maam and Joe their sister's family in a few days and will go visit A-Wa and the school while there. Please pray for communication, that issues would be worked out for the future, and that A-Wa would continue to adjust and grow in this new environment. Pray for protection over him as there can be many problems in "boarding schools". Pray for his heart that he would know how much his family cares for him.