Today is Karen Revolution Day.
On January 31st, 1951 the Karen military stood against the Burmese military in Karen State, Burma to fight for the lives of the Karen people, as men were imprisoned against their will and made to fight alongside their enemies; women and children raped and killed with their husbands, brothers, and sons made to watch.
Sixty years of war has ravaged this nation. Sixty years of war with no end in sight. Sixty years with the potential of freedom and democracy stolen from just beyond the fingertips of the citizens of Burma.
Sixty years.
In refugee camps there are celebrations today celebrating the courage of so many Karen soldiers. They celebrate the option given to stand against oppression that was given to many this day sixty years ago.
But some do not think this day a celebration. Some believe that any war - any amount of violence - is nothing less than a tragedy.
On January 31st, 1951 the lives of millions were changed forever, as this day is looked to as one that began the fleeing of the 500,000 people (if not more) who have become refugees in Thailand.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
I pray that they would know You, Lord
Sometimes I need to be reminded that I am not only passionate about community development; not only do I want to see systemic change and justice brought to the world.
There are so many good organizations and NGOs that are working so hard at changing our world for the better, and I do want to be a part of this, don't get me wrong. But the real reason that I am drawn to live missionally is Jesus. The most foundational justification for my temporary living in Thailand is to be a light in the darkness, to love people like Christ loves, and to introduce people to the living God.
If my ultimate motivation is anything other than the salvation of the unsaved, it is not enough.
Pray that I would be aware of this at every second - that I would know that without preaching the Gospel, my life is fruitless.
There are so many good organizations and NGOs that are working so hard at changing our world for the better, and I do want to be a part of this, don't get me wrong. But the real reason that I am drawn to live missionally is Jesus. The most foundational justification for my temporary living in Thailand is to be a light in the darkness, to love people like Christ loves, and to introduce people to the living God.
If my ultimate motivation is anything other than the salvation of the unsaved, it is not enough.
Pray that I would be aware of this at every second - that I would know that without preaching the Gospel, my life is fruitless.
Friday, January 28, 2011
A More Personal Burma
Yesterday afternoon we had the Discovery Tour over to the Hanson's for khao mu daang... red pork with rice, for all those who do not speak Thai.
Oh, wait - let me give you some context here.
For the last 2 days the Imagine Thailand Mae Sot team has been host to a donor tour group from Canada. These are people who are, either personally or corporately as a church body, investing in this organization and the minsitry here, and were interested in actually seeing those ministries up close and personal. They spent time in Bangkok, Mae Sot and are headed to Phuket & Takua Pa in the South next. It's less than a STM, but more than a group of tourists.
Through this group we were able to install a new water system (provided by Point Gray Community Church in Vancouver) and connect a Christian school in Saskatoon with a school in dire need of clean water in Mae Ramat. God is so good!
So anyway... We went to the Hanson's yesterday for lunch. Immediately following the meal, Dave & Lorelie had asked our Burmese/Karen staff to share a couple minutes about their stories. Now, understand that 2/3 are not yet saved, they do not know Jesus - but they are responding to God's leading and pursuit of their hearts. They each stood up and talked about their personal experiences with the situation in Burma.
Htwe Htwe spoke first. She is 27, has lived in Thailand for 6 years, was lucky enough to obtain a Burmese passport, studied science & nursing at a university in Bangkok, and was granted a Thai visa through Imagine Thailand. Her entire family still lives in Burma.
Day Mu is Thai-Karen and is 21. Her parents travelled across the border together, were married in Thailand and had all their children in this country. Day Mu does not have any documentation; she was raised in one of the poorest refugee camps on the border. She grew up without electricity and didn't use a computer until she was 18 (2007). She escaped refugee life through education. Her family will probably always be trapped with refugee status, none of them ever obtaining official identification, and therefore never being recognized by either the Burmese or Thai governments. Day Mu had to travel back to her camp last weekend to attend her grandmother's funeral. She was also back home over Christmas to be baptized.
Ley Sheh is 23, from Karen State in Burma, and speaks 4 languages - Karen, Burmese, Thai and English. He is the master interpreter. He came over with his family when he was just a year old and lived in a refugee camp where his family still lives. When he was 8 he left the camp (illegally) and was sent to live with priests who began teaching him the Bible in Thai. When he was 10 he started attending Thai school which is how he learned to speak the language. He lived outside of the camp for years (illegally, and without his family as a child) and moved back home to be with his family as a teenager. He learned Burmese in the camp schools when he was 16. Ley Sheh talked about living in a camp as a young child, watching the cold winters atop the mountains kill many, dysentary and sickness killing many more. He talked about his village being burned down when he was an infant, and about the first camp his family lived in also being burned down by Karen military.
He also talked about the Imagine Thailand team becoming his family here in Mae Sot.
And all the while I sat listening to these stories from the mouths of people I love - from the mouths of people I would call my friends - my heart broke and my mind heard the words in disbelief. These are people my age. While I was enjoying safety, and toys, and birthday parties these people were living as refugees in Thailand, without papers, illegally, because their own people have disowned them.
I took in every image they described. I digested each word from their mouths. And I could feel my heart swelling for each of them. I know that I love them more today than I did yesterday morning.
Pray for my new friends... For these people who are so quickly becoming my family.
Oh, wait - let me give you some context here.
For the last 2 days the Imagine Thailand Mae Sot team has been host to a donor tour group from Canada. These are people who are, either personally or corporately as a church body, investing in this organization and the minsitry here, and were interested in actually seeing those ministries up close and personal. They spent time in Bangkok, Mae Sot and are headed to Phuket & Takua Pa in the South next. It's less than a STM, but more than a group of tourists.
Through this group we were able to install a new water system (provided by Point Gray Community Church in Vancouver) and connect a Christian school in Saskatoon with a school in dire need of clean water in Mae Ramat. God is so good!
So anyway... We went to the Hanson's yesterday for lunch. Immediately following the meal, Dave & Lorelie had asked our Burmese/Karen staff to share a couple minutes about their stories. Now, understand that 2/3 are not yet saved, they do not know Jesus - but they are responding to God's leading and pursuit of their hearts. They each stood up and talked about their personal experiences with the situation in Burma.
Htwe Htwe spoke first. She is 27, has lived in Thailand for 6 years, was lucky enough to obtain a Burmese passport, studied science & nursing at a university in Bangkok, and was granted a Thai visa through Imagine Thailand. Her entire family still lives in Burma.
Day Mu is Thai-Karen and is 21. Her parents travelled across the border together, were married in Thailand and had all their children in this country. Day Mu does not have any documentation; she was raised in one of the poorest refugee camps on the border. She grew up without electricity and didn't use a computer until she was 18 (2007). She escaped refugee life through education. Her family will probably always be trapped with refugee status, none of them ever obtaining official identification, and therefore never being recognized by either the Burmese or Thai governments. Day Mu had to travel back to her camp last weekend to attend her grandmother's funeral. She was also back home over Christmas to be baptized.
Ley Sheh is 23, from Karen State in Burma, and speaks 4 languages - Karen, Burmese, Thai and English. He is the master interpreter. He came over with his family when he was just a year old and lived in a refugee camp where his family still lives. When he was 8 he left the camp (illegally) and was sent to live with priests who began teaching him the Bible in Thai. When he was 10 he started attending Thai school which is how he learned to speak the language. He lived outside of the camp for years (illegally, and without his family as a child) and moved back home to be with his family as a teenager. He learned Burmese in the camp schools when he was 16. Ley Sheh talked about living in a camp as a young child, watching the cold winters atop the mountains kill many, dysentary and sickness killing many more. He talked about his village being burned down when he was an infant, and about the first camp his family lived in also being burned down by Karen military.
He also talked about the Imagine Thailand team becoming his family here in Mae Sot.
And all the while I sat listening to these stories from the mouths of people I love - from the mouths of people I would call my friends - my heart broke and my mind heard the words in disbelief. These are people my age. While I was enjoying safety, and toys, and birthday parties these people were living as refugees in Thailand, without papers, illegally, because their own people have disowned them.
I took in every image they described. I digested each word from their mouths. And I could feel my heart swelling for each of them. I know that I love them more today than I did yesterday morning.
Pray for my new friends... For these people who are so quickly becoming my family.
What I do know is...
I am a lover of Jesus. I am the Beloved of my Father, the apple of His eye, and I will forever worship my God.
I am a cross-cultural global worker (some might say missionary) interested in the pursuit of bringing God's kingdom come to the earth. I am for justice - not the kind of justice that is perpetuated through the injustice the judicial system brings, but real justice, true reconciliation, and a love that is transformative in every sense. I believe that idealism is necessary; those who choose to live in the bleak shadows of what is the present reality are truly foolish. I choose to dream. I choose hope. I choose the will of God over my own human logic and finite reasoning.
I am an introvert at heart, but an extrovert needing a little extra alone time at best. I love people, time spent with people, time given to people. Time is the most precious of gifts, and so I am learning to give this gift wisely, to cherish the time that I have and spend it in significant ways. Significance cannot be measured in grandeur or any quantitative quality, but is measured, rather, with heart and soul. I may, at times, give too freely of my time, of myself, and perhaps I have given freely to the wrong people, but I know that when the time comes to recount my experiences I will most regret the moments I did not give. I will value the moments I did.
I truly believe that as a believer I am not of this world, I simply live in it. I don't feel pulled to live for material things, or worldly experiences (though my lifestyle has not always reflected this value). I don't spend my money frivolously, not because I am a great steward with what I've been given, but because I no longer find joy in things or objects obtained in this life. God has granted me a gift of voluntary poverty that stems from my belief in the incarnation of Christ and my responsibility to also live incarnationally; to live like the people I have been called to.
My heart aches and beats, just as surely as the sun heats my skin, for marginalized communities. I am pulled to the slums of India, the inner city of Edmonton, the refugee camps in Thailand (and subsequently Burma), to the small and forgotten communities of the Northwest Territories. This is more than a calling... This is a responsibility that characterizes who I am and who I will choose to be.
Ultimately, I will always choose to be who I am.
I am a cross-cultural global worker (some might say missionary) interested in the pursuit of bringing God's kingdom come to the earth. I am for justice - not the kind of justice that is perpetuated through the injustice the judicial system brings, but real justice, true reconciliation, and a love that is transformative in every sense. I believe that idealism is necessary; those who choose to live in the bleak shadows of what is the present reality are truly foolish. I choose to dream. I choose hope. I choose the will of God over my own human logic and finite reasoning.
I am an introvert at heart, but an extrovert needing a little extra alone time at best. I love people, time spent with people, time given to people. Time is the most precious of gifts, and so I am learning to give this gift wisely, to cherish the time that I have and spend it in significant ways. Significance cannot be measured in grandeur or any quantitative quality, but is measured, rather, with heart and soul. I may, at times, give too freely of my time, of myself, and perhaps I have given freely to the wrong people, but I know that when the time comes to recount my experiences I will most regret the moments I did not give. I will value the moments I did.
I truly believe that as a believer I am not of this world, I simply live in it. I don't feel pulled to live for material things, or worldly experiences (though my lifestyle has not always reflected this value). I don't spend my money frivolously, not because I am a great steward with what I've been given, but because I no longer find joy in things or objects obtained in this life. God has granted me a gift of voluntary poverty that stems from my belief in the incarnation of Christ and my responsibility to also live incarnationally; to live like the people I have been called to.
My heart aches and beats, just as surely as the sun heats my skin, for marginalized communities. I am pulled to the slums of India, the inner city of Edmonton, the refugee camps in Thailand (and subsequently Burma), to the small and forgotten communities of the Northwest Territories. This is more than a calling... This is a responsibility that characterizes who I am and who I will choose to be.
Ultimately, I will always choose to be who I am.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Brought to My Knees; Brought to Tears.
I went to the Hanson's place to do homeschooling with the girls this afternoon, a time with them that I am so thankful to have been given. The hours spent over grade 5 language arts and painful science lessons (a subject that is dreaded by all three) are worth the laughs, the moments that things once unknown come to light, and the encounters with God that are inevitable. I am falling in love with these girls so quickly.
We worked for a few hours, and we worked hard. The overall goal, besides the ultimate goal of them having learned something, is to finish classes before March, or at least the majority of the work. March through April are the months of constant short term team hosting, June not offering much time for school work either. And so, we work hard for the few hours we have in a week.
The girls had finished their work for the day, the house now quiet as I began to read, Courtney lounged with her iPod in tow. The sun was starting to set, but slowly, as it lingers in this country more apparently than at home... Or perhaps now I just take time to savour these slow moments. Anyway, the sun was still warming the floors of the house through the maroon curtains, light glinting off the pavement of the driveway, and I heard the calming sound of children laughing outside. I went 10 minutes trying to ignore it, but curiosity moved my feet towards the noise. Meghan and Cami had invited Niao Mai, the toddler from across the street, to play in the hose with them. The days are getting hotter, I'm certain they all loved the cool water on their skin. When I stepped outside I found a naked two year old holding the garden hose upright, spraying the girls and laughing hysterically at their shrill screams and laughter. I loved this moment.
In this moment I saw God moving. I saw love, and compassion, and community at work in a tangible way in my own neighbourhood. I saw that ethnicity, race, language barriers - none of these things played a part in the joy that was so obvious I was nearly brought to tears.
Here's something else that nearly brought me to tears today, in not quite the same way...
There's an NGO across the street from our office called Compasio. They are also working with the Burmese and Karen people in Thailand, with a heart for orphaned and abandoned children. They have 3 orphanage houses, the newest being an infant house that is currently home to 3 babies. The restaurant that often brings Westerners together in Mae Sot is called Casa Mia, which just happens to be right next to the Compasio office.
We all ate at Casa Mia, as we so often do, and in walked the Sustar family, Kelly carrying a 3-month old Burmese baby boy... And one of the cutest babies I had ever seen, mind you. This family has had this baby, Dune, since he was 5 days old. The mother, young and single, was having trouble caring for the child despite Kelly's involvement. Her new plan was to go to Bangkok to sell him. Obviously, they had no other choice but to take him in until the infant house was ready to take another one in.
We asked if after 3 months of welcoming this new life into their family if they had any plans of adoption. Their answer: they've been praying about it, and would love to, but the people they've consulted who have experience in adoptions have told them that without proper identification (which most Burmese refugees do not have) a legal adoption is basically impossible.
I don't understand how a government can allow babies to be sold into slavery, sold into sex trades, and human trafficking, but not allow loving and capable people to care and save children from what seems like the inevitable.
My heart breaks for these nations, these families, these injustices, the systems that keep people enslaved... And the list goes on, and on, and on.
Please pray for governmental identification to be given, somehow, to Burmese and Karen refugees...
Pray that the Sustars will find a way to adopt Dune legally.
Pray against child slavery, human trafficking, and the sex trade that welcome too many every day.
We worked for a few hours, and we worked hard. The overall goal, besides the ultimate goal of them having learned something, is to finish classes before March, or at least the majority of the work. March through April are the months of constant short term team hosting, June not offering much time for school work either. And so, we work hard for the few hours we have in a week.
The girls had finished their work for the day, the house now quiet as I began to read, Courtney lounged with her iPod in tow. The sun was starting to set, but slowly, as it lingers in this country more apparently than at home... Or perhaps now I just take time to savour these slow moments. Anyway, the sun was still warming the floors of the house through the maroon curtains, light glinting off the pavement of the driveway, and I heard the calming sound of children laughing outside. I went 10 minutes trying to ignore it, but curiosity moved my feet towards the noise. Meghan and Cami had invited Niao Mai, the toddler from across the street, to play in the hose with them. The days are getting hotter, I'm certain they all loved the cool water on their skin. When I stepped outside I found a naked two year old holding the garden hose upright, spraying the girls and laughing hysterically at their shrill screams and laughter. I loved this moment.
In this moment I saw God moving. I saw love, and compassion, and community at work in a tangible way in my own neighbourhood. I saw that ethnicity, race, language barriers - none of these things played a part in the joy that was so obvious I was nearly brought to tears.
Here's something else that nearly brought me to tears today, in not quite the same way...
There's an NGO across the street from our office called Compasio. They are also working with the Burmese and Karen people in Thailand, with a heart for orphaned and abandoned children. They have 3 orphanage houses, the newest being an infant house that is currently home to 3 babies. The restaurant that often brings Westerners together in Mae Sot is called Casa Mia, which just happens to be right next to the Compasio office.
We all ate at Casa Mia, as we so often do, and in walked the Sustar family, Kelly carrying a 3-month old Burmese baby boy... And one of the cutest babies I had ever seen, mind you. This family has had this baby, Dune, since he was 5 days old. The mother, young and single, was having trouble caring for the child despite Kelly's involvement. Her new plan was to go to Bangkok to sell him. Obviously, they had no other choice but to take him in until the infant house was ready to take another one in.
We asked if after 3 months of welcoming this new life into their family if they had any plans of adoption. Their answer: they've been praying about it, and would love to, but the people they've consulted who have experience in adoptions have told them that without proper identification (which most Burmese refugees do not have) a legal adoption is basically impossible.
I don't understand how a government can allow babies to be sold into slavery, sold into sex trades, and human trafficking, but not allow loving and capable people to care and save children from what seems like the inevitable.
My heart breaks for these nations, these families, these injustices, the systems that keep people enslaved... And the list goes on, and on, and on.
Please pray for governmental identification to be given, somehow, to Burmese and Karen refugees...
Pray that the Sustars will find a way to adopt Dune legally.
Pray against child slavery, human trafficking, and the sex trade that welcome too many every day.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Well, it's Friday!
Today we (and by we I mean the amazing Imagine Thailand team...) are installing a brand new water filtration system at SAW boarding school here in Mae Sot. Though I am not currently present at the installation, we are going to have a celebration later on this afternoon when everything is finished. I'm pretty excited about seeing how all this goes down for two main reasons: #1. This is the main ministry that Imagine Thailand has their hand in as far as Mae Sot goes, and #2. Where there was previously an algae filled basin, there will now be clean drinking water! Yay!
In other news... Tonight is the first night of the international youth group I'm starting. It sounds like this is creating some buzz among MKs (missionary kids) in the area, so I'm looking forward to see who shows up tonight. And I'll be honest, I'm a little nervous to see who shows up too...! I just really want this to be a place the kids look forward to coming, a place of honesty and openness, a place of encouragement and challenge, a place of growth, a place that fights the apathy in the busy lives of MKs. Please please please pray for this!
If you could also pray for Dave & Courtney also... They've been sick for the last few weeks so they both went to the doctor this afternoon, and it turns out Dave has bronchitis. Things are insanely busy here with the installation today, and we also have a team from Canada (Discovery Tour = donors and supporters interested in seeing exactly what they are supporting in Thailand) coming next week. Pray for a speedy recovery, for time that is restful, and that they would both be absolutely renewed... Stat!
Thanks so much, family. Love you all!
OH... I forgot to mention in my last post that last weekend my roommate, Jee (a young Thai-Karen woman) was married! We all went to attend the wedding celebration! It was super interesting being at a Karen wedding - I loved it! I think I want to have a Karen wedding now...
In other news... Tonight is the first night of the international youth group I'm starting. It sounds like this is creating some buzz among MKs (missionary kids) in the area, so I'm looking forward to see who shows up tonight. And I'll be honest, I'm a little nervous to see who shows up too...! I just really want this to be a place the kids look forward to coming, a place of honesty and openness, a place of encouragement and challenge, a place of growth, a place that fights the apathy in the busy lives of MKs. Please please please pray for this!
If you could also pray for Dave & Courtney also... They've been sick for the last few weeks so they both went to the doctor this afternoon, and it turns out Dave has bronchitis. Things are insanely busy here with the installation today, and we also have a team from Canada (Discovery Tour = donors and supporters interested in seeing exactly what they are supporting in Thailand) coming next week. Pray for a speedy recovery, for time that is restful, and that they would both be absolutely renewed... Stat!
Thanks so much, family. Love you all!
OH... I forgot to mention in my last post that last weekend my roommate, Jee (a young Thai-Karen woman) was married! We all went to attend the wedding celebration! It was super interesting being at a Karen wedding - I loved it! I think I want to have a Karen wedding now...
Thursday, January 20, 2011
My New (Temporary) Home!
I've been in Mae Sot now for over a week, and I must say, this place feels more like home than Bangkok. I'm not sure if it's the feeling of family that is encouraged and sustained among the Imagine Thailand team, or the quiet stillness of the city in the evening, or the familiar smells and places, but since the moment I set foot here last Tuesday I have felt a peace about transplanting my life here.
I've been working with my supervisors, Dave & Lorelie Hanson and Li-Mei, on getting a more concrete weekly schedule. Here is a quick glimpse into an average week: teaching English at Thai, Karen & Burmese schools (3 schools, 7 classes, and more to come), develop a year's Sunday School curriculum to be implemented immediately, start up an international youth group available for the missionary kids in the area, homeschool/tutor the lovely Hanson girls, Courtney (15), Meghan (13), and Cami (10), work on prep projects for the short term teams coming in March, and accompany the team on random migrant school assessments and water filtration installation/maintenance... And any other intern worthy task that needs to be done at the office! I am kept busy, that's for sure.
During "off" hours (though the staff here barely take any time off) I spend a lot of time at the Imagine Thailand Mission House, the house where the Hanson's currently reside. We eat together, watch movies, dream together,have church, talk about work, share life and hang out at this house quite often.
Beside this house there is a rice field. The land there is dry now, burned for the season. On the other side of this rice field there is a small barn and a couple of wooden cubicle type enclosures raised about two feet off the ground. Along with a few goats, a couple cows, a bull and a calf there are two families currently residing in this mudded area; they are without electricity, without water.
I went a few days ago with Dave & Cami to visit this family, a visit that is starting to become routine. We trekked across the dry ground to the barn, through the mud, past the three day old goats, past the man praying the evening namaz, and walked into the raw and uncensored lives of our new friends. The wife drags her right foot around with crutches, a paralysis that she has lived with since contracting polio at age 5. The husband works a few days a week welding to support his two sons and young niece. They are refugees from Burma, new to Thailand in the last 4 months. She has a university degree in Mathematics, grew up in a Christian family. He is uneducated, a labourer, a Muslim background. They named their sons James and Chris after James Bond and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is with great pain behind her eyes that comes from the depths of her soul that this woman expresses her wish to give her kids a life of education, a life with stability and security, a life in an English speaking country... And it is through the pain of this conversation with awkward laughter to lighten the mood that she explains that her family has "no chance."
This family lives a 90 second walk from the Imagine Thailand Mission House; a 10 minute walk from the office where I live. Their story is not an unlikely or uncommon one.
Thankfully, through Imagine Thailand and the compassion and love of Christ with which my supervisors live, we have been working to improve our relationship with this family; working to provide for the basic needs that seem extraordinary in their eyes. It is through these moments, these personal conversations, that I am reminded about the basest reasons my heart has led me to this missional life - love God, and love people. I am enthralled at the simplicity of this; the simplicity of providing shoes for someone, the simplicity of sharing a water filtration system, the simplicity of raising money to give adequate healthcare needs, like providing a deaf child with a hearing aid, or an operation that costs $400 CAD to heal a paralyzed leg.
Love God, and love people. It's that simple.
Here are some pics of my time here so far - Bangkok, New Blood Karen school, and Hlee Bee nursery class, a Burmese school I teach at. More to come...!
What to pray for...
Pray for a Thai language teacher to come into my life!
Pray that I will give teaching the time I should to plan, prepare, and better show God's love.
Pray that the Imagine Thailand staff who do not yet know Christ will continue to respond to God's pursuit.
Pray for the refugees and displaced people groups of Burma, both internally and externally.
Pray for peace and freedom in Burma.
Thank you for your commitment and faithfulness to my life, to this ministry, and to our Father.
I've been working with my supervisors, Dave & Lorelie Hanson and Li-Mei, on getting a more concrete weekly schedule. Here is a quick glimpse into an average week: teaching English at Thai, Karen & Burmese schools (3 schools, 7 classes, and more to come), develop a year's Sunday School curriculum to be implemented immediately, start up an international youth group available for the missionary kids in the area, homeschool/tutor the lovely Hanson girls, Courtney (15), Meghan (13), and Cami (10), work on prep projects for the short term teams coming in March, and accompany the team on random migrant school assessments and water filtration installation/maintenance... And any other intern worthy task that needs to be done at the office! I am kept busy, that's for sure.
During "off" hours (though the staff here barely take any time off) I spend a lot of time at the Imagine Thailand Mission House, the house where the Hanson's currently reside. We eat together, watch movies, dream together,have church, talk about work, share life and hang out at this house quite often.
Beside this house there is a rice field. The land there is dry now, burned for the season. On the other side of this rice field there is a small barn and a couple of wooden cubicle type enclosures raised about two feet off the ground. Along with a few goats, a couple cows, a bull and a calf there are two families currently residing in this mudded area; they are without electricity, without water.
I went a few days ago with Dave & Cami to visit this family, a visit that is starting to become routine. We trekked across the dry ground to the barn, through the mud, past the three day old goats, past the man praying the evening namaz, and walked into the raw and uncensored lives of our new friends. The wife drags her right foot around with crutches, a paralysis that she has lived with since contracting polio at age 5. The husband works a few days a week welding to support his two sons and young niece. They are refugees from Burma, new to Thailand in the last 4 months. She has a university degree in Mathematics, grew up in a Christian family. He is uneducated, a labourer, a Muslim background. They named their sons James and Chris after James Bond and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is with great pain behind her eyes that comes from the depths of her soul that this woman expresses her wish to give her kids a life of education, a life with stability and security, a life in an English speaking country... And it is through the pain of this conversation with awkward laughter to lighten the mood that she explains that her family has "no chance."
This family lives a 90 second walk from the Imagine Thailand Mission House; a 10 minute walk from the office where I live. Their story is not an unlikely or uncommon one.
Thankfully, through Imagine Thailand and the compassion and love of Christ with which my supervisors live, we have been working to improve our relationship with this family; working to provide for the basic needs that seem extraordinary in their eyes. It is through these moments, these personal conversations, that I am reminded about the basest reasons my heart has led me to this missional life - love God, and love people. I am enthralled at the simplicity of this; the simplicity of providing shoes for someone, the simplicity of sharing a water filtration system, the simplicity of raising money to give adequate healthcare needs, like providing a deaf child with a hearing aid, or an operation that costs $400 CAD to heal a paralyzed leg.
Love God, and love people. It's that simple.
Here are some pics of my time here so far - Bangkok, New Blood Karen school, and Hlee Bee nursery class, a Burmese school I teach at. More to come...!
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| Lumphini Park in BKK |
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| Down the street from the IT office in BKK |
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| Courtney, Cami & Meghan with our new friends at New Blood |
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| Hwo Hwo Mee |
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| Chin Chin |
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| Day 1 of teaching at Hlee Bee |
Pray for a Thai language teacher to come into my life!
Pray that I will give teaching the time I should to plan, prepare, and better show God's love.
Pray that the Imagine Thailand staff who do not yet know Christ will continue to respond to God's pursuit.
Pray for the refugees and displaced people groups of Burma, both internally and externally.
Pray for peace and freedom in Burma.
Thank you for your commitment and faithfulness to my life, to this ministry, and to our Father.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
BKK, baby!
Well, yesterday was my first full day in Thailand, and I actually can't believe how I could have forgotten that I love this place. For reasons partially unknown to me still, Southeast Asia has captured parts of my heart that are awakened only when I am here. God is apparent to me here; His love is tangible to me here.
I spent yesterday sleeping in, attempting to allow my body to adjust to this time zone, and this heat, followed by time with Peter & Cavelle and the Hanson clan. After hearing the vision and heartbeat of Imagine Thailand I am convinced that this internship is exactly right for me. Peter explained some on how the background of IT is rooted deeply in social justice and loving marginalized communities. He also elaborated on how each area of ministry is connected back to the ultimate goal of learning to see Thailand through the same lens that the Father sees it - in it's full potential as a nation. This is something I can learn from, something I can be completely on board with!
Today Peter is taking me to Passport Cafe, the university ministry at Chulalongkorn, the most prestigious university in the country. Next stop following this tour is MBK. The goal: get my phone unlocked and acquire a charger.
I have already made a new Thai friend. Her name is Walnut. We stay together at the IT offices here in Bangkok. She has invited me to hear her sing at the opening of a new store tonight, and I can't wait. Ha!
I'm going to be in BKK until Tuesday, but today is basically my last day of meetings. Adventuring is an absolute must before heading to Mae Sot. I will keep you posted on the craziness of this place!
Please pray that God continues to grab my heart in ways I have not yet known. Pray that He opens my eyes to His kingdom among this nation. Pray for passion to overtake the Thai church. Pray against the injustices of this country, one being the difficulty in living to one's potential. Pray for the marginalized and forgotten. Pray that I am changed.
LOVE from BKK!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Let the adventure begin!
It's about 2:30AM in Edmonton, and I am heading to the International Airport in about two and a half hours from this moment. This feels very surreal to me. I shared with some close friends earlier this evening that it normally takes me about a day of actually being there to realize that I am in Asia, and so I don't know that I have fully recognized that I am going to be living in Thailand and China for about a third of 2011.
Perhaps it is all the preparation and hype about going for the last year or so that make it seem so far off still. Or maybe my slight tension regarding the reality that I am going alone rather than meeting up with a short term team. It could also be a coping mechanism I've developed called the art of avoidance.
I think maybe I'm making it sound like I don't want to go. Ha! I am so excited about being on the field in Southeast Asia. There is no other time I feel most alive and most complete than when I am living in a foreign land and culture. There is nothing I would rather be doing this spring. I have no doubts or anxieties about leaving or about going to a place a barely know. The only thing I am semi nervous about is my packing job. But I suppose whatever I have forgotten or missed along the way can always be purchased, right?
I am most excited about having the next 4 months dedicated to me and God. A good friend of mine who went on her missions internship last year referred to this experience as, "a little vacation just for the two of you." My most intimate experiences with Christ have been while I was overseas. He is faithful to continue the work in me, and I am expecting radical change through this experience.
I arrive in Bangkok on Wednesday, January 5th at 8:40PM, which is 6:40AM Edmonton time. My first few days on Thailand will be spent getting an introduction and orientation to Imagine Thailand in Bangkok. From there I will travel with my supervisors to Mae Sot, the border city I will be living in for the majority of my time.
Pray for safe travels, nausea and sickness free, and that God begins to transform my heart, my perspective, my mind and my love.
Perhaps it is all the preparation and hype about going for the last year or so that make it seem so far off still. Or maybe my slight tension regarding the reality that I am going alone rather than meeting up with a short term team. It could also be a coping mechanism I've developed called the art of avoidance.
I think maybe I'm making it sound like I don't want to go. Ha! I am so excited about being on the field in Southeast Asia. There is no other time I feel most alive and most complete than when I am living in a foreign land and culture. There is nothing I would rather be doing this spring. I have no doubts or anxieties about leaving or about going to a place a barely know. The only thing I am semi nervous about is my packing job. But I suppose whatever I have forgotten or missed along the way can always be purchased, right?
I am most excited about having the next 4 months dedicated to me and God. A good friend of mine who went on her missions internship last year referred to this experience as, "a little vacation just for the two of you." My most intimate experiences with Christ have been while I was overseas. He is faithful to continue the work in me, and I am expecting radical change through this experience.
I arrive in Bangkok on Wednesday, January 5th at 8:40PM, which is 6:40AM Edmonton time. My first few days on Thailand will be spent getting an introduction and orientation to Imagine Thailand in Bangkok. From there I will travel with my supervisors to Mae Sot, the border city I will be living in for the majority of my time.
Pray for safe travels, nausea and sickness free, and that God begins to transform my heart, my perspective, my mind and my love.
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