Mark Caruana - Reflection On The Journey

Since returning from Thailand a few days ago, I have been sorting through more than 1200 photographs I took to document my experiences. (You can view many of the photographs online at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22991234@N03/sets/72157603977867721/) As I have reviewed those images, I have also reflected on the meaning of this journey for me, for our congregation, and for the individuals who arrive in our midst as refugees and strangers and quickly become friends and neighbors.

The first photograph on my hard drive is of the Thai Air Airbus Jet that carried me from New York’s aging JFK airport to Bangkok’s recently opened Suvarnanhumi International Airport. This was my first international flight. It was a long one – sixteen and a half hours. My journey from Utica to Bangkok took over 24 hours. I arrived halfway around the world knowing that I would encounter a different culture, be exposed to new traditions, experience new ways of living, and function in a world in which my language was not the tongue of most people around me. But, I also knew that after two weeks I would board another Thai Air jet and within a day be returned to my familiar and comfortable world.

It is a similar, yet different, experience for the refugees from Burma who board a passenger jet in Bangkok destined for Utica, New York, or a host of other cities across the United States. The trip is just as long. But, for most, it is not only their first international flight, it is their first time aboard an airplane. They make the trip knowing that they will probably never again see the place of their birth or friends and family members left behind. They will travel half-way around the world to enter a strange new culture with different traditions, a foreign language, and new ways of living not for a mere week or two, but for the rest of their lives. Unlike me, they make the trip knowing that they will not return. They come in hope of peace and security and a brighter future for their children.

Among my many photographs are pictures of the Baptist missionaries we met in Thailand. Annie Dieselberg introduced us to the ministry of Nightlight that provides hope and new life to exploited young women trapped in the sex industry in Bangkok. At the New Life Center, near Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, we saw firsthand the life-changing ministry the New Life Center, and missionaries Kit Ripley and Karen Smith, provide to tribal young women in danger of exploitation. We also met Kim Brown and toured two of her ministries: the House of Love (a home for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS) and the House of Blessing (a daycare center for children from some of Chiang Mai’s most impoverished neighborhoods). LaMon and Pat Brown, who serve in theological education at Payap University in Chiang Mai, welcomed our group into their home for pizza – a familiar meal for travelers far from home. I have never been more proud to be an American Baptist than I was in meeting our missionaries and seeing the compassionate, creative, and Christ-like ways in which they are responding to pain and brokenness of our world.

My favorite photographs from Thailand are portraits of individuals who are the friends and family of members of our church. For almost nine years, Tabernacle Baptist Church has been welcoming Karen brothers and sisters being resettled from Thailand. Today, our extended church family reaches all the way to the Mae La and Umpiem refugee camps and beyond. In Bangkok, we met P’Doh Kwae Htoo, a Karen National Union leader, and Tabernacle’s Kawsoe Win’s younger brother. In Mae Sot, we met the Reverend Robert Htwe, who coordinates nine refugee camps on behalf of the Karen and Karenni, and who is well known to many Karen in our community. Also in Mae Sot, I met the Reverend Newton and his wife, Bupo, leaders in the Kawthoolai Karen Baptist Convention and Thai Karen Baptist Conventions. They are also the uncle and aunt of Tabernacle’s Khin Soe Moe. At the Mae La camp, I met three young men, who with their families, will be resettled in Utica in the coming months. Among them was Thara Roben, the nephew of one our congregation’s leaders - Hsar Mu Taw.

Among the many portraits that accompanied me home from Thailand is an image of the Doctor Simon. Doctor Simon is the Principal of the Kawthoolai Karen Baptist Bible School and College at the Mae La refugee camp. His name is spoken with great reverence by all my Karen Baptist friends in Utica.

I had the honor of briefly addressing the Bible School at the Mae La camp. I recalled for them the Legend of the Golden Book, a Karen folk story that prophesied that one day the Karen people’s younger brother (a white-skinned man) would return to their land with a book of great value that would instruct them how to live. Karen Christians believe this prophecy was fulfilled when Baptist missionaries from America came to Burma and gave them the Bible – the Golden Book. I told them how a missionary printer, named Cephas Bennett, sent to Burma in the 1820’s by our congregation printed the first Bible in Sgaw Karen. I also told them that the connection between the Karen people and Utica did not end in the 1800’s. Among those who have been resettled in our city from the refugee camps of Thailand is a graduate of the Mae La Bible School. Today, Khin Soe Moe is a modern day missionary among the Karen in Utica, New York. She is one of our congregation’s most gifted young leaders. And, she serves in a key role with our school district, acting as a liaison between the schools and the growing Karen community in our city.

Whenever we observe the Lord’s Supper, our congregation has a tradition of singing the first verse of the hymn, Blest Be the Tie That Binds, to conclude our worship service. Since welcoming so many Karen brothers and sisters into our fellowship, we now sing those familiar words first in English and then in Karen. Halfway around the world, in Thailand, I had a profound sense of being bound to Christian brothers and sisters by the powerful ties of our common faith, identity, and purpose in Jesus Christ.

Florence Li - Bible School In The Camps

Rev. Simon Htwe gathered the Bible school students and our American Baptist group in the assembly hall—a simple open area with rows of plastic chairs, an electric key board, a stage with podium and a microphone. Rev. Simon put our group on the stage looking out to the students.

After some songs sung by the students, he welcomed us and offered remarks about the suffering of the Karen people through various regimes. He spoke of the start of the Bible school and where the students came from. Currently, there are Karen, Karenni, Lahu, Mon, Ahka, Chin and even a couple of Thai students enrolled in the school. Rev. Simon and his wife and three daughters feel called to their ministry in the Bible School, he said, and have no intention of leaving.

After Rev. Simon finished his hour-long remarks, Roy spoke, expressing our sympathy for the Karen struggles and affirming ABCUSA support, as well as its historical relationship with Karen Christians.

Carol, from North Shore Baptist in Chicago, presented gifts of books to the Bible school, and Mark, from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Utica, spoke about Karen refugees in his church and an early missionary sent from his church to Burma. From International Ministries, Angela brought greetings. Rick, Ken and I brought greetings from National Ministries, and Ken presented our monetary gift to Rev. Simon. I said a few words about using the gift to benefit the children, and I encouraged the young women to stay strong. Ed, from Boston, added another monetary gift to benefit the school.

After all the exchanges and remarks, a few students shared memorable gifts, including a printed Karen calendar, with us. We felt the Spirit among us. The meeting ended with a few more songs and the Karen anthem. Warm hand shakes, pictures and smiles marked our departure from the school.

We still had two hours before 6 o'clock when visitors must leave the camp. Duane took us for a short walk to the orphanage--a place where 20 boys and 20 girls are taken care of. A young man in charge greeted us and answered questions. We saw a teenage boy with a guitar, and we asked him to play while the children sang for us. Their voices were so strong, which truly showed their love of music. We gave them gifts, and as we left, Sandy (from Rochester), Roy and some of us picked up a Frisbee and played with the kids.

We followed a dirt path to a house (all houses in the camp are made with bamboo, banana leaves and straw) occupied by a group of handicap residents. Each one of them had lost either a limb or eyesight by stepping on a land mine as they escaped from their villages. Their futures are forever dark... their lives have been robbed.... We were not only shocked and disheartened, but also speechless!

We spent a few more minutes strolling around the camp until a sudden, loud sound signaled it was time to leave. We walked back to the vans with sadness and overwhelming emotions. As we drove from the camp, conversations were subdued. Quietly, I tried to comprehend how to digest all the things I had experienced in one day.

The van was hitting the small rocks and waves of dust stirred in the air. I watched the rows of bamboo huts, lined evenly and unevenly along the hill and on the edges of slopes … the hot sun began to sink … I saw a cross standing out on top of a church amidst the bamboo homes … and these words came to me: Have mercy on us, O God … have mercy on us.

Roy Medley - Leaving Home For The Unknown

Today as we approached the camp, we saw a big group of people milling around a large bus. This was the day many had been waiting for. They were beginning their journey to a new home somewhere in the world.

A half hour later as we stopped at the Karen Women's organizationm we encountered the more somber side of the day. We met a man who had just bade farewell to his wife and children who were among those leaving today and, thereby, facing separation for an indeterminate time. The day the UN came through registering people for processing he was away from the camp. Now he watches and waits.

We loaded back into the van for our visit to the International Organization for Migration which has the contract with the Department for Homeland Security (DHS)for processing refugee applicants for their security interview by DHS and medical checkups. The major medical concern is TB. DHS has a separate area swathed in wire with little metal shacks where they interview. The rate of rejection for applicants in Mae La is 6-7%.

Those rejected return to the camp where they can request processing for resettlement or remain in the camp with an uncertain future.

This center is new and serves the camps further away than Mae Sot. It processes for America.

The OIM orientation team works to teach English, cultural orientation, etc. Of course rumors abound about what is expected and required in America. Cultural orientation is 5 days. Five days to orient a person to life in America! Housing, airplane travel, child discipline mores, living in a modern urban environment, etc all have to be covered. It is hard imagining anything sticking!

As we sat having our orientation, I noticed a pair of birds desperately trying to build a nest in the metal rafters of the processing center. As they tried to build, the straws and twigs kept falling down off the rafter. Time and again they swooped down refusing to be thwarted in building a new home. May the Karen and other tribal peoples forced from Burma be as persistent in seeking to build their new lives.

I am grateful for the ABC Taskforce and for those congregations reaching out in love to serve these who have walked with us since the days of Adoniram and Ann Judson.

Florence Li - Sunday Services In The Camps

Today we reached the height of our trip--an overwhelming, indescribable and awesome experience for all of us. We spent the entire day in the Mae La Camp, finally meeting the refugees face to face!

The van left Mae Sot, snaking its way across streets to the open road. Though I was engaged in conversation with my fellow travelers, my heart raced as the van moved at high speed. I was a bit nervous and filled with mixed emotions. For the past two years, I had come across many Karen refugees in our local churches. The sudden influx of these people was not by accident. There was, indeed, a history behind them that I needed to know.

Their deep yearning to be American Baptist made me wonder where these people had come from. The suffering, despair and helplessness expressed on their faces drove me to search for understanding about the circumstances of their mistreatment over the last 10-25 years. There has been an amazing pilgrimage embedded in the lives of these people since Adoniram Judson set sail to Burma in the 1800s. I am thrilled to travel so far to share and experience this legacy. Such a historic footprint still impacting our life and ministry in this time!

The night before at the Mae Sot hotel, Duane gave us an orientation of this camp. There are close to 50,000 people living in Mae La, the largest of the nine refugee camps. Though one might think the number would be going down as segments of the camp are resettled across the miles, that is not the case. As more refugees leave the camp, flows of new refugees arrive daily. Duane had helped us divide into four teams to spread out and share Sunday service in four different areas.

After passing through the checkpoint, the van drove a short distance and dropped off the first group. This group was greeted by Kachin refugee leaders. We were told there are about 200 Kachin refugees in Mae La. Another mile or so further, the second group was dropped off, and another mile or so later the third group reached its destination. The fourth group, which I was in with Duane and Howard, was driven to the edge of the camp, the location of the Bible school.

A man came and opened the gate, a simple bamboo gate woven with barbed wires. For a good five minutes, the van drove on the bumpy dirt road. I prayed that the tires would not blow out on us as the van made its way over the small rocks.

We finally arrived at the Bible school—“the one and only,” famous Bible school I had often heard about from the Karen people in the local churches in the States. The Karen people love music, and they are very musical. I heard singing and guitar playing right away.

While we were waiting for the 11 o'clock service, I saw children playing and walked up to them. I showed them pictures of Karen groups in the States to draw their attention, and I gathered them around a table. I took out letters written in Karen by children in the Philadelphia Karen fellowship group. The letters told the camp children about the lives of the children in the States and what schools are like in America. As they focused on the letters, I believe a connection was made between the children in the States and the children here. Hopefully, these children in Mae La got a sense of how their peers live after leaving the camp.

Time for the 11 o'clock service came, and we were lead into the church. The place was packed with probably close to 500 people. The prelude was played by a group of violin students. Duane said it was the first time violins were used in the camp! The Bible school principal, Dr. Rev. Simon Htwe introduced us. I went straight to deliver the message using John 11--the resurrection story of Lazarus and the unbinding ministry that shows transformation from a community of sorrow into a community of hope.

I was told that the Karen people like to sing and hear the word of God, and they did not press me about leaving. Therefore, I teased them that my sermon would run for two hours; that got some laughs. I finally ended my sermon, with Dr. Simon's translation, after more than an hour. By that time, if I didn't take my seat, I thought both Duane and Howard would probably come and drag me to my seat. They had not had their turn to say anything yet.

I left the hall immediately after my message and went to the children’s service. When I got there, the service was over. The leader was able to get a small group of children together, and we sat and talked. I asked two volunteers to come forward to read the letters I brought, and after more talking, we ended with prayer and group pictures.

Dr. Simon had prepared lunch for me, Duane and Howard. As we ate, the other three teams returned from their areas. Non-stop conversation and awesome feelings filled the room. All of us shared our feelings about the wonderful experience at the Mae La Camp services.

Ken George - Christian Brothers & Sisters In Refugee Camps

Greetings from Thailand, which in English means “Land of the Free.” Of course, for most of the refugees in camps here, who have fled the terrible oppression in Burma, that freedom is severely restricted.

Even the Karen (and other ethnic minorities) living in Thailand for many generations have limited freedom inside Thailand. There are many degrees of citizenship here and—for those without full citizenship—opportunities for employment as well as travel within the country are restricted.

We encountered many roadblocks leaving and entering the various districts of Thailand. Yesterday, Feb 19, we visited another refugee camp high in the mountains, accessible only by driving on extremely torturous, curving mountain roads for what seemed to be hours. The camp, home to more than 22,000 refugees, is smaller than Mae Sot and its approximately 50,000 refugees, the largest of the nine refugee camps strung out along the Burma/Thai border. Umptien currently has close to 23,000 refugees, largely Karen, but there are also a few Chin and other ethnic minorities.

Many of the Karen in the camps are Christians, and a substantial number of those are Baptist, although Buddhists and Muslims are also represented. We met with camp leaders who all appeared to be Karen, and we were informed there were 16 churches and five mosques in the camp. As is the case in most camps, there are highly organized social and educational structures with 11 nursery schools, three middle schools and two high schools (up to 10th grade). There is a Karen Youth Organization and a Karen Women's Organization.

The camp leader indicated that in May approximately 10,000 refugees are expected to leave the camps for resettlement in other countries. Many will go to the United States, but some will go to Australia, Canada and other western countries. Though our visit to the camp was restricted by the Thai authorities to two hours, we did manage to spend time with Pastor Moo Heh, who leads one of the Karen Baptist churches. It was actually located in Burma at one time, but was burned by the Burmese army along with its village. That was a common occurrence in Burmese Karen communities over the years. Sometimes when the villages were rebuilt at other locations inside Burma, they were burned again by the Burmese military or their allies.

We met in the home of the pastor’s father-in-law, a senior deacon of the church and patriarch of the family. They indicated there were currently 500 members of this church, and a number of them may be resettled as part of the current push for resettlement of many of the camp’s residents in the next year. The pastor and his wife and two children may eventually be resettled, although when and where is unclear, but the father-in-law was less committed to leave the camp. He joked they would have to take away all the church members before he would be ready to consider this option. They were lovely and gracious hosts, as were all the Karen we met both inside and outside the camps.

We left the camp that day energized not only by the cool mountain air, but by the indomitable spirit of these people who, despite all the cruelty and hardship they have experienced, demonstrate an unshakeable faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Blessings.

Florence Li - House Of Love, House Of Blessing

"Zoom.....Zoom......Zoom......these are the sounds of two-wheel motorbikes everywhere on the streets of Chiang Mai, Mae Sot and all over Thailand! The maneuvering of these vehicles amidst many busy cars and trucks raised my heart rate as I constantly looked left and right over my shoulder to make sure I made way for them!

We visited the House of Love directed by Kim Brown, an International Ministries missionary who has lived in Chiang Mai for more than 23 years. She presented us with a slide show featuring several House of Love projects that help ethnic women and children pushed out of their communities because of contracting AIDS. The Health Project provides health education, a clinic, and hygiene for villagers. The House of Blessing, a day care center, provides children a place to learn and grow. These are just a few of the House of Love’s works and services.

Working together with Kim is a fully trained nurse, her daughter, also a trained nurse, and a seminary student. Referrals from hospitals and villages as well as by word of mouth create such demand that the House of Love is not only busy but vital to the ethnic people it serves who are on the fringes of this society. Unfortunately, funding for support has been going down; we asked for a CD to get the word out.

After an hour-long visit, we walked down to the House of Blessing, the day care center, where a group of 20-25 children patiently waited for our arrival. They greeted us with smiles, standing up one by one to say their names, and they sang songs and clapped their hands. We clapped with them as they sang and then enjoyed taking pictures with each other. With big smiles and hand shakes, we departed the children, thanking the two young teachers who do such a good job caring for them.

Roy Medley - Karen Diaspora

I write this on Sunday morning, Thai time, as our ABC team with CBF representatives prepare to go into the refugee camp near Mae Sot to worship with our Karen brothers and sisters. What we are witnessing now is the beginning of the Karen diaspora - our hearts are heavy for them. We give thanks for the churches ready to receive and resettle them. But our hearts cry out against the brutal Burmese regime, "How long, O Lord; how long?"

As I stood on the hotel balcony this morning watching the Sun rise over Mae Sot, I began to sing, "When morning guilds the sky,". As I sang in my wavering uncertain morning voice a blackcapped sparrow flew to a an arborvitae beside me and with head up began to sing her praise with me. As we sang all around us a chorus of nature began to lend their voices with ours to praise God.

As we entered the camp, I was astounded by the setting and its beauty, but also by its size. I continue to be amazed by the resiliency of the human spirit. In a hostile environment they have organized an infrastructure including orphanages, housing and care for the disabled, businesses, church life and a Bible school.

It is hard to believe that this is the only life some have known, having been born here in the last twenty years. Years of uncertainty, but years sustained by faith that God was present with them.

Today many in the Karen community see the diaspora as a fulfillment of a long-ago prophecy that one day the Karen would spread the gospel throughout the world. As Saw Simon said, "we are going as missionaries to many countries without passports, visas, cost or planning (referring to the resettlement of them in third countries as refugees). That being said there is also something incredibly tragic in their being uprooted from land, family and culture to be scattered to the four winds.