It is fast approaching midnight and I should be sleeping but I have to first tell you about the past couple of weeks.
Firstly allow me to fill you in on some background information. We left Australia for the province of Ratchaburi, not really certain of why. We knew only that there was a Baptist church amongst the Karen villages near the border and that apparently there was not much else there in the way of Christian Aid. We thought that maybe we could come alongside and serve them and connect them to people in Australia who wanted to help also.
To remain in Thailand we needed a job and so we took a teaching job in Photharam. Looking at the map we could see that Photharam was about 1 and ½ hours to 2 hours from the border villages and so we thought this was a good place to start.
We started (after only a few weeks of living here) to develop a sense of urgency about beginning what we had come to Thailand to do – to love and serve the displaced Karen people at the Thai/Burma border. To do anything though was near impossible. We didn’t know the way to the villages let alone where the Baptist church at the border was. We didn’t have any way of getting out there to begin searching. We didn’t have contact with anyone who could take us out there or translate who we were and why we had come to their villages with a bag of jumpers, beanies and blankets! The weather was getting colder and our hearts were getting heavier and more agitated as the days passed. So, one night when the children were fast asleep, we made the decision to travel by bus the next morning to a town about 2 hours away, hire a car, and drive toward the border and….well….see what happened!
Once we had the car we then began what would become close to a 5 hour adventure of driving. Along the way we simply prayed. God and his plan were all we had. After five hours, out of necessity, we said to each other that we would try this last road and then if we found nothing we would have to begin the trip home. Our petrol was getting low; we were tired, hungry and a little despondent. Then approaching a village we saw Karen people, we saw a young man with a guitar and then a Ute full of young people and then a church! ‘There’s a church!’ was the unified cry from our exhausted family.
We stopped and walked straight into conversation with a man, who we found out was the Pastor. Through broken Thai we explained we were Christians, that we had gifts for the Karen and would love to come back for church the following day. ‘Dee jai’ was his reply meaning that his heart was happy to hear such news. After an incredible few minutes of introduction we were back in the car, a little shellshocked, with plans in place for the following day. Weeks before I had gone to sleep anxious but God had woken me in the night with the words ‘Trust in the me with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge me and I will make your paths straight.’ I had been comforted by those words then, but now I was living that very promise.
We went back to the village church the following day, were introduced and were welcomed by large smiles and handshakes from the 60 or so people in attendance. Then we headed to the pastor’s home for lunch. There we were able to speak through a young man (Samson) who can speak English fairly well. We were able to explain a little more of our hope to come alongside the Karen, to assist them in any way needed, to connect with them and to hold up their arms as they battled in ministry in this and surrounding villages. We were able to tell them about our many friends in Australia and America who were praying for them, who even though they didn’t know them, love and believed in them.
Three leaders from the church (including the pastor) smiled large smiles and nodded, and at times said they loved us and welcomed us. One very elderly leader gave us bananas as we left, wishing he had more to give. He said that he had never seen English come to his village and was so glad that we were here at last. There really was an eerie (if I can use such a weak word) feeling that they had been waiting for us to come. I chatted to my mum today and she said as she often has in my life ‘Why are we surprised when we see God at work, when we have asked for wisdom and guidance?’ I know I should not be surprised….but I am. God using me and my family…? God directing us…..? God giving us friends who are waiting to hear how they can help….? Truly God is alive and active….? It IS true…we serve a living, personal and powerful God! It is true. Tears are flowing for me now. I must stop for a while.
We went out to the border again this past weekend. We went by sangthew (a ute with 2 bench seats in the back) and buses. This was time consuming and exhausting but it got us out there again. We had another amazing time with the Karen there. Samson has become a dear friend already. He has full Thai ID and has some Bible training. His heart for God and his people is enormous, he is humble and from what we can see an excellent leader and very wise. He shared with us that for four years he has prayed that one day he could build a place where many Karen children from the 30 villages he has contact with could come, live, learn English, learn about the Christian faith, be sponsored for their education and become leaders for their people. We listened periodically glancing sideways at each other and with our mouths agape. We shared with him that we had thought about something similar but that of late were certain we would not begin or lead such a venture. We would come alongside, help fund, help build and help teach and mentor if, and only if, there were Karen in leadership. Finding it hard to speak through the ever widening smile he said ‘this is my plan 100% not 99% but 100%’ he smiled some more and said ‘I have prayed for four years….it seems God is saying ‘yes.’ So…please be praying for wisdom & guidance for us, for Samson, for the church leaders, for your own involvement in all of this.
Our second day out at the border we went to a different village of about 200 people with only 3 Christians amongst them. It was one hill away from the Burma border. Animism mixed with Buddhism was their main religion. Colin and Samson stopped to speak to one man who was carrying a bag (that he was drinking from) full of uncooked blood. Samson (who used to be Animist also) told us that the uncooked blood from the animals is drunk to give them the same strength that had belonged to the animal. As we walked through the village some people yelled out that they did not want Christians in their homes. One family did host us though and cooked us a wonderful lunch. We had gone there with the pastor and Samson. For the past couple of years they had visited the village at Christmas to play games, give gifts and provide special lunch. We were able to add to the gift giving (with our knitted goods) and you will have to wait for a DVD (that we will produce and send to you asap) to gain a deeper understanding of what it was like to be part (as you all are) of God at work on this day.
This is an incredibly long blog …I know and I apologize. However you can talk to God about it if you have a problem with it!!
We love you….thank you for reading, for praying and for really being a part of this with us. There is no way we could do this without you holding up our arms in battle.
