On To The Refugee Camp: Mae La
by Parthenia Stout
Siami stayed with me until I could dry my eyes and follow Siami’s husband and Claire and Ahtid (Ah Tee) up a road to one of the little thatched roofed homes. This family was a brother of Ah Tee I found out much later. It was heart breaking to see kids sitting around with nothing to do or those little ones playing with sticks and little rocks or crying or running around with little on. A line of clothing with a tiny baby shirt that had been washed telling me that life must go on.
We entered the little home up some wooden steps -off with our shoes and entered to warm hospitality. The woman who met us had pictures on the wall and a mat on the floor and it was so lovely as only a woman can make a home with her care for her family. It was like a garden of peace in the midst of a jungle. She was so gracious in bringing us a glass of cold water while fixing our lunch. First much fruit in dishes set on the floor where we could all partake. Then later a really sumptuous meal --how she could do this in the midst of their poverty only God knows. Ah Tee had called them via cell phone to prepare lunch and it was a feast. Rice, goat meat, cow meat, vegetables and all kinds of things. No refrigerator I knew, so I prayed that they would have enough for themselves later on. The woman was pregnant with her first baby. A friend who was helping her I found out later went on to Australia.
An old man was sitting by the door and we were told he was an uncle. He was Buddhist and had not made any desire to become a Christian although surrounded by Christians. I asked him why and no answer. I witnessed to him as did the others so we pray he will give it enough thought to change his mind.
After lunch we prayed for the family and took pictures. The woman gave me her father’s telephone number in New York and asked me to write to her. They all call me grandma-- in Karen it is PEPE. Pray for them to be released and sent to New York to join her family. Her husband is a sweet caring humble man. (I found out later that this was Ah Tee’s brother and his wife had been released to go to New York with her father; the husband is still in the camp in Thailand while his baby is being born in New York. Pray for this little family as the baby needs a daddy.)
We then went farther and found another open gate where Ah Tee took us to see a fairly big Bible Church/ School. They were on vacation so did not see much. I did see on the wall a poster that told about the government wanting to build a dam above them on the Salween River which would flood this area with water. It seems that China and Burma are trying to find a way to involve the Thai government to build this dam. Pray and call on God to remove all the Karen from this area. I was told that there are at least 50,000 in this one camp and there are 5-7 other camps. The Thai government has been giving them coal for fires and rice for about 50 years.
We then came out and started through another gate and we were stopped by guards and told we could walk in but no driving. So we decided to leave. We drove slowly along taking pictures and then we saw something so funny --it was just like Jesus to bring us out of our sorrow. A young man was walking along the road with a pig in a cart. The pig decided to make a getaway squeezing out of the side of the cart. He wiggled and wiggled while the young man looked on with a funny expression on his face. The pig got free but his feet were tied together so he could not run. This is where
Ah Tee left us and went to help with the pig.
Siami took us to the Friendship Bridge that crosses into Burma where I could get my visa stamped for the next two months. One man looked at me and said, “is this true that you were born in 1929? You are very young, so that opened the way for my witness for Jesus Christ.
We left and went on our way home. Ah Tee stayed in the camp and said he would take a taxi back to Chiang Mai.
Every time I turn around God brings a Karen to my attention. Last night a family that knew Nu (the Karen young man who cleans the church and leads the singing) came in for the night. This morning I went to talk to the man as he said he was a pastor and that around his village were some Karen people. I thought he was a Thai-- no he was a Karen.. We talked a lot about where his village was and where he came from. He and Nu were from villages close by each other in Chiang Rai. He has a church with mostly Karen and some Thai as well. He is praying for a piece of property to buy as they have been renting and he wants to build a church for the people. Much later he came back to visit and I did not recognize him --so many people to meet and learn about as they continue working for our Lord.
This reminds me of Rabbi Hirsch who said, “The day is short and the task each individual must complete on earth is great, and our ‘Employer’ is God Himself who has assigned each of his servants a special mission to perform. The tasks and duties involved are as varied as the individuals themselves.” We need to keep singing the song of Moses , Who will not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify your name? (Revelation 15:3-4)
