"Disguises" is a short story by Jean Kwok. Mrs. Chen - we are told right at the beginning of the story - is wearing an amulet on the night she gets lost. We are also told two things about the amulet: that it is worn for protection and it is the only part of Mrs. Chen's mother she was able to bring with her from China. Even though the narrator mentions a goddess who (the shaolin monks believe) lives in the amulet as if it were her temple, there is no mention to humans only kneeling before the gods. Thus, the affirmation in the question is false.
Mother tounge is basically just the language from your culture.
Explanation:
When somebody says something is in their "mother tounge" it means it is in their native language. For example, "The Sioux man recited a poem in his mother tounge, his face alight with passion."
A very crude signing system. It combines elements of BSL and spoken English to allow communication between hearing people and deaf who only know the strict confines of sign language. It is not recommended but can be used when needed