Gayle's Ministry in Thailand

Sometimes it seems like it would be a trial to hike in to villages with what seems to me to be a heavy backpack.  Sweat dripping off your nose, your shirt soaked, narrow foot paths that take you over and through streams, up and down steep hillsides, never enough to drink and never enough to eat.  But actually the days we hike, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most important days of the week, though sometimes not rewarding, as you will see!

Two days ago we walked to MooDooKey, 2 hours away.  We found a boy 8 years old with muscular dystrophy.  What a sad sight.  He is placed in the dirt,(Very dirty dirt) to play all day long.  Finally the mother lifts him to the dirty bamboo house.  His legs are useless and now it affects the shoulder girdle too!  I gave him worm medicine and he barely could put it in his mouth. 

He has muscular dystrophe, he is 8 years old and cannot use his legs at all. Now his arms are also affected.

 The next brother down, age 6, is beginning to get the same symptoms.  He struggles to step up hills and steps.  There are 2 other younger children, still asymptomatic.   I know this disease is incurable, but if you know of any ways I can help this family, plese let me know.

In this same village a young girl had a 16 day old baby.  This baby was not breathing properly.  He showed symptoms of septicemia.  His breathing was irregular with periods of apnea.  We were ready to hike back home and get the truck to take them to the hospital.  I do not have IV antibiotics for newborns.  However the mother did not like hospitals.  They make her dizzy and it is noisy.  (She is sick also).  I told her the baby would die if she did not go.  Still they would not go.  We had to leave finally, but told them we would return the next day and then they could be ready to go.  So today we walked back to MooDooKee.  The baby was still alive but the periods of apnea were longer and he desperately needs the hospital.  They won’t go, but finally decided to have us call them in the morning, maybe by then they would go.  Please pray that they will go before it is too late. 

This baby has an ear infection. Even this simple thing could take his life without the proper medication. I am so glad I am here.

When the people are addicted to opium the huts look a wreck like this!

We do get to drive the truck to some villages, then we can work out of the back of the truck.  Sometimes someone wants us to go to their house and treat the sick there.  They usually feed us their rice and some kind of greens picked in the jungle.  Usually people give us some of their hard earned rice, greens, roots or other jungle food out of appreciation.

Clinic at the truck - NehLeeGwee village

This is our meal in this particular house: Rice with some sort of chilie paste.

 One time we did try to go to a far away village on motorbikes.  Our neighbor DJ and his son were going somewhere beyond that, but we could ride with them to our village.  We wrecked horribly right off the bat, so they gave me the best motorcycle, the best driver and the lightest backpack!  Still the trip was horrendous.  When things started really getting bad I simply jumped off, shed my flip flops and pushed the bike to get it going up the mountain in the mud and rocks!  There were moments I longed to be walking, even if it did take much much longer! 

My fearless driver!

Back here in BYT a lady came to see me.  She was helping to pound rice.  One person steps on the log sending it up in the air, then lets go and it drops into the deep bowel of rice.  Someone is constantly stirring the rice down into the bowel so it can be pounded evenly.  This lady got her thumb hit by the pouder.  I didn’t know that wood pounded so hard!  Her thumb had been broken and cut leaving the whole distal end of her thumb without circulation.  Unfortunately it had happened 12 days ago.  Now her thumb was necrosed (Black) from dead tissue.  It needed to be amputated and cleaned well.  I have never cut off a finger before.  I did not know what to use to cut the bone.  I did know how to sew it back up neatly.   The lady was not willing to loose the end of her thumb though.  She thought that would be ugly and would not allow it!  I remembered Eric B. Hare’s story of the man who died because he would not allow his necrosed thumb to be cut off.  I quickly went to my room and found the book, turning to the page, I asked Blet Jaw to please tell her about the story.  Even after she knew the man had died she refused to have anything done to her thumb.  Oh please pray for her!

So many rewards here and so many disappointments.  I am so thankful for a God who cares more than I do and watches over each one with love and makes provision for us in every situation.

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 (When you are a missionary and you hear that someone out there in the surrounding villages has died, you feel a gut wrenching urgency to find the lost souls for whom Jesus died and impart the knowledge of God.   –But for some it is forever too late!)

Jesus said, “My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge.” Hosea 4:6.  Could it be that these people are killing themselves because we are not bringing the knowledge to them in time?  Could the blood be required at our own hand because we failed to tell them?  Isaiah 33:8

It was Sunday morning and icy cold here in the mountains.  We were waiting for DJ, our neighbor to return from a trip because he had agreed to hike with us and show us two new villages today.  We needed to start early in order to get back before dark.  The backpacks were loaded with a fresh supply of medicine.  We were ready, but he was very late!  

Suddenly our thoughts were interrupted by a rapidly approaching motorcycle.  The young wild eyed  driver, breathlessly told us that a man in another village had shot himself in the ear and lay dead.  Could we come?  —What to bring?  I guess my job was something like a coroner!  I grabbed a towel to tie around the bleeding head, a BP set to pronounce him dead, and a mat for the back of the truck in case they needed us to haul his body to the place where they would burn and bury him.  (Karen people cremate their dead).

As we turned the last corner where 3 huts stood on a hill to the left of the road, my heart was wrung with sorrow.  Some weeping children ran out to meet us.  Nearing the hut, it was obvious that a great calamity had just taken place.  People were gathered around not knowing what to do but gather sobbing children in their arms, squat on the small piece of level ground outside of the hut and weep with them.  I quickly entered the troubled hut.  Imagine my astonishment when I saw the young man approximately 36 years old, DuPe, slumped against the wall of the hut, blood coming from his right ear, breathing and speaking a few words!  He was shocky, but his eyes were PERRL (Pupils equal, round and reactive to light)!  I took his BP and it was decent.  Oh how I wanted to start an IV, but I had no supplies.  Several men brought him to the truck under supervision and we began the long trip to the clinic.  From there he would go to the small Omkoi hospital and from there to Chiang Mai for surgery.  How earnestly we prayed for God to spare his life if it was His will!

DuPe, not too long after he shot himself in the right ear.

The story was ever changing.  Some said he was fooling around and didn’t mean to do it.  Others said he was angry at his wife for telling him to stop using opium and go to church, others said it was an accident.  How could it be an accident when a pistol is poked inside the right ear and the trigger pulled?  I was glad that the word accident rung in my ears because that’s what I told the worker at the clinic.  (The healthcare workers treat suicide patients very poorly, in fact they do not mind if they die).

Later we heard the entire story.  This poor man is addicted to opium.  He becomes very angry at times and has threatened to kill himself many times before.   He had purposely pulled the trigger with the gun in his ear.  For some strange reason the bullets did not seem to have gone straight through his brain.  His gun must have slipped before he pulled the trigger because it seemed the bullets went through at an angle, but I was not sure.  Oh dear Lord I cried, please give DuPe another chance to really know you and Your power, please “Proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound!” Isaiah 61:1

DuPe may have another chance at life.  He is in Chiang Mai hospital now and we do not know the outcome yet.  He leaves behind a pregnant wife and 5 small children.

 I believe with all my heart that the great providence of God delayed DJ long enough for us to respond to the call that day.  We should have left our house 1 or 2 hours earlier.  If we had DuPe would have died.   I can only conclude that God wants this man to live.  We may have the chance to give him knowledge of the living God, however, 2 other men I know about have committed suicide successfully this way, and one man just died from bleeding ulcers 2 weeks ago, a complication of opium use.  For them it is too late!  Many people old and young are dying from dehydration, malnutrition, massive infections and diseases to name a few.

We need help over here.  The medical work is important.  The clinic in MeDooGlow, 2 hours away is not good.  There is much sickness and much teaching to do. We simply cannot let the people die in their superstitions, chained to bad habits from which they are helpless to overcome.  They know no better way unless they are told.  They are God’s people and He says they are destroyed from lack of knowledge.  We must tell them.

Our plan is to put the first clinic in BYT because it is a central location.  Then, if it is God’s will we want to build one clinic per year in the villages that need it most.   Because of BYT’s location, we want a physician to run this first clinic and be the medical director for the others which will follow.  This will ensure optimum healthcare and also provide education for other healthcare workers coming in later.

If you and your family feel God’s call to work in this location of the Lord’s vineyard, to help heal the sick and bring the good news of the living Saviour to many who don’t know,  -then we long to have you here.  Please help us bring forth fruit as workers together with Christ.  Jesus said, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:  but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24

“The life must be cast into the furrow of the world’s need.” Desire of Ages 624

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The pastor that comes to BYT once a month wanted to take us to Dee-A-Day village, 2 hours motorbike drive from our home.  I needed no coaxing!   There is a small SDA church in that village that the pastor visits as much as possible. We would spend the night with a church member and I would treat the sick.  Blet Jaw had borrowed a very old motorbike and the Pastor had just purchased a new bike.  The trip was simply beautiful up and down the mountainsides.

As soon as we drove up I noticed that the whole village had shown up plus many from the next village.  We  treated what seemed like all the people in both villages.  The back packs were quite empty.  We sat on the floor and ate our rice and curry with the neighbors.  These people are truly the most loving and beautiful people.  One lady in her mid 50′s had just stopped smoking 5 weeks ago!  She decided that day that she would also stop the bettlenut chewing, as I would not give her vitamins while she still chewed bettlenut, -it depletes the body of vitamins.   This lady had a determination in her voice as she told me she would not chew the stuff any more.  She wanted to be healthy and help others to stop bad habits. What a special person! I prayed with her and with many other people. 

The Dee-A-Day village will always be special to my heart.  Of the people who had been treated, many came in the morning to say good-bye to us.  I have never been hugged so many times and kissed and pleaded with to return soon! I thank the Lord for sending me there and pray that I can return quickly and encourage these dear people as much as they have encouraged me!! 

Typical Karen Kitchen

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How far are we into this project?   Good question!  

1.  We have recognition, unanimous approval and permission from the government to build in any village anywhere we wish.

2.  We have been told we are needed and given many free medicines and IV supplies etc. from Omkoi and the clinic in MeDooGlow.

3.  We are invited to work in the small hospital in Omkoi if we need additional training in any field.

4.  All 3 properties I had been interested in locating the clinic fell through!  Where our house is located is bad during the rainy season.  Water spurts out of the ground at a height of 2 or 3 feet! Also at that elevation, usable water would not be available.

The second and third site did not work out because the owners did not want to sell,   plus they were afraid that a clinic that close to the rice fields would contaminate the rice and make them all sick!! 

 I said, “ Oh dear Lord, I know You have something better please show us!”  Sure enough, a villager heard us talking and took us to the highest hill at the very beginning of the village and higher than any other part of BYT.  It is the first place you see when entering BYT.   We were told that nobody owns it.  The only problem that may introduce itself is water.  ADRA has surveyed this very mountain and found water approx. 2 km up.  They are proposing to water the entire village from that source, but an engineer will come in March to test the water supply up there.  (ADRA has plans to set up an agriculture program in BYT and surrounding villages in order to get rid of the opium and its deadly affect on the people.  They also are looking into setting up a detox center many kms away.  These things are desperately needed here). 

Before we build we must be sure that water is indeed available.  March will be the month we hope to begin to build when we find out that water is available, and pray that we can be quick to put up one house and one small clinic before the rainy season starts in June! 

One evening we went to see the head man and assistant head manof BYT and WST.  to ask about the property and get permission to build there.  They were delighted for us to use that ground and said that it was free.  All the surrounding villages want us to build clinics in their village.  Everyone welcomes us with open arms here!!!  Oh praise the Lord  at all times!  He is in control of each step in this process.  His love, care and guidance in our lives  is the sweetest thing I know!

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1.  I forgot to tell you that I taught Blet Jaw to drive the truck.  This is one of the best things I ever did!  He now feels more useful and I feel more rested!  He has become an excellent driver on these most horrible roads. 
2. We pray with the patients.  Sometimes in the isolated villages they do not know anything about prayer.  They sit there awkwardly and watch us fold our hands together and kneel up.  Their expression tells they are trying very hard to understand what is going on.  They study our  interwoven fingers  and then look at their fingers and with concentration push one finger at a time in between the fingers of the other hand.  I cannot explain the pangs of longing to help these people know and love  God.  We tell them many things about God.  Next time we will bring a picture roll and routinely tell the Bible stories.  What a joy to introduce a communication with God in heaven to these people.  Later as we spend more time in other villages we will have short worships with them and tell the wonderful gospel story.
3. The weather has turned cold.  It is hard to get used to winter months in the mountains.  For two mornings in a row, frost was covering the ground in the morning.  The weather reports for SE Asia say that the weather will be all mixed up this coming year.  The hot and cold will mix with the wet and dry.  The people are concerned for their rice crops which take 4 months of steady rain in order to bring a harvest.  Already the price of food has gone up because of the flooding in the Bangkok area.
4. When there are no emergencies, we try to follow a schedule.   This helps the other villages around us know what days to walk out to our house and what days we will be gone.  On Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday we walk to 2 villages each day.  That covers 6 villages, but there are 4 more, so we rotate them through the next week.  We keep adding more to the list as our radius increases. Some villages we can drive the truck to, but it is costly and awkward on these roads.  Many can be accessed by motorbike and many can be entered only on foot.  We have felt the urgent need for a motorbike, not only would we get to the villages faster, but we could carry more supplies. This is important because we are ready to bring the picture roll and tell Bible stories in each village.  Praise the Lord your donations have reached a point where we are able to purchase a motorcycle!!!   Thank you so much!!  Bikes are harder to find now and more expensive because of the flooding, plus the new Motorcycle president promised to pay the employees more if he was elected.  It seems we will order one, then wait 2 weeks for it to arrive.  More later.
5. Different villages have different characteristics.  NehLahGwee village, for example is full of hypertension!  I have hardly ever seen hypertension among the Karen people.  They are too poor to even afford salt, consequently nobody has high blood pressure.  NLG village however, from the 20 year olds to the grandmothers and grandfathers, it is a big problem. 

             Another village is full of children!  Out of about 20 houses there are 30 small children!!  What an opportunity for the picture roll!  Yet another village, (Dee-A-Day)  has bad eyes.  From 30 years old and up the eyes are suffering from lack of vitamin A and cataracts and night river blindness.  Two people are already blind.  However, of all the villages I have ever been to, all have one thing in common – NONE of them drink water!  They believe that one or two SMALL cups a day is plenty, even when working all day long in their gardens.  This one thing is the cause of most all of their sicknesses.  We “preach and preach and preach,”  about this and show them how much we drink every day, but it does no good for most of them, they really believe that if they drink more, they will get  headaches and dizziness!   That is what they already have because of the lack of water!  Please pray for them to drink water!  Thank you.

We are working on a map to present to you, showing you Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai province and our isolated section to the far south end of the province.  It will show the circle of villages that we already go to.  Also the larger towns to the East and West of us.

Please continue your earnest prayers for God’s work in this entire country, as people are so unaware of God and His beauty.

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Let me give you just a small glimpse of the dear Karen people living in the poorest isolated villages deep in the mountainous jungles of Thailand.

1.   A lady was very sick in MooDooKey village not far from BYT.  Her lungs were dreadful, and past what I could do for them, so we agreed that the next day we would take her to the hospital.   A man in WahSueTah (Village 2.5 km from our house),  had a heart problem.  His color was bad, his chest hurt and felt heavy his breathing labored, his color was bad.  He too needed to go to the hospital and we arranged with him to go the same day.  As we went to pick them up the next day, the man could not come with us because he had run off somewhere to find some more opium!  The woman could not come with us because her pig was going to have babies that day and she must be there with her pig!

2.   We had hiked to a far away village, (NelleKwee).  It seemed like the dirtiest village I ever saw.  The people packed onto the small porch of the hut where we were treating patients.  For several hours we inspected and treated each patient.  As the crowd dwindled a middle age woman was given a bar of soap to scrub her dirty body twice a day before applying ointment.  She turned to Blet Jaw after he had explained how to use the ointment and held up the bar of soap saying,  “Do I eat this?”  She had never seen soap before and did not know what it was.

3.   3 nights ago a man died in a hut very close to our house.  He had unfortunately abused opium to the extent that his stomach was full of bleeding ulcers.   We had begged him to let us take him to the hospital, but he had refused to go.  He still wanted to continue the use of opium.  The Karen people take the bodies of the dead into the jungle, burn and bury them.  Since his death, this entire village is scared.  They think that the dead come back and follow them.  Wherever they go they imagine they see him and are filled with terror.  At night several people sleep together  in the kitchen part of the house.  They keep the fire going in the center so that it is not dark.

4.  When looking for a place to build our clinic here, we found a place near a rice paddy that could be leveled enough for a clinic and a house.  We asked the person that owned it if they would consider selling it.  They did not want to sell it because everyone thought that a clinic to treat the sick, that close to the rice paddy would put sickness into the rice.  No one in the village wanted it in that spot!

5.   An older man in one of the villages we visited, looked very disturbed.  Later I found out what the problem was.  I believe I was the only white person he had seen.  He fearfully asked Blet Jaw if the white people eat the Karen children.  This is a superstition handed down from many generations ago.  He is the only one I have heard this from in the 3 years I have been in Thailand.

Please pray for these simple people so far from civilization.  They need so much! -an education, a better way to live.  -They need Jesus! 

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We were all amazed at how rapidly the year 2012 swung in upon us!  Let’s go back through the past year and inspect our lives carefully.  Did we work for God?  Did we move in closer to His side?  Did we gain victories?  Were we sheltered in the heart of Jesus?

What are we looking forward to in this new year?  A closer and still closer companionship with Jesus?  More of the sweetness of His presence?  A clearer view of His will for our lives?  A deeper infilling with His Spirit?

This year I have determined by the grace of God to be more thankful.  I desire gratitude to flow out of my heart this entire year.  I long to occupy my mind consistently with praise worthy thoughts.  So many loving deeds from our Father in heaven go by unrecognized and unappreciated.  How must God feel after working everything out for our good?

You my feel that nothing is going right for you at the beginning of this new year.  You may feel void of talents, looks, friends, money or even value to name a few.  You may be suffering through impossibilities, sickness, or a broken heart.  But as long as you are drawing breath you can thank God for it!  You know the gigantic walls of Jericho fell down as a result of a shout of praise!  Your difficulties that appear as an unsurmountable mountain in front of you will crumble as you find ways to sincerely thank and praise God!

My sister is a huge blessing to me.  My heart is daily filled with praise and gratitude to God for her.  Her communictions to me are filled with inspiration and encouragement from heaven.  In one of her recent emails, she said this:  “No heart is so sweet as the one that has been broken, for it feels the wounds and hurts of other as a whole heart can never do.  We can rejoice in this.  Just think, Sis, Jesus heart was broken when dying for oursins and no other heart feels to the depths as His does!!!!  As we are broken with Him, we become more like Him because we sense our deep aching need for him.”

So even with a broken heart we can voice our thanks and praise.  “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  1Thessalonians 5:18

And Mrs. White says this, not without reason:  “Gratitude, rejoicing, benevolence, trust in God’s love and care, These are health’s greatest safeguard.” MH 281

This new year, let’s praise God together!

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It was 3 years ago today, Christmas day, when I was in a crisis.  It was the darkest, most bitter trial of my life.  I could not see life ahead of me and death seemed much preferable to life. The days and nights marched slowly by in painful agony.

 I only mention this experience to you now, because you may be carrying a heavy load this Christmas season.  The bright lights, joy, hum of activity, gifts of love, and family ties, only wrap your sorrow and grief more tightly around you.  In the midst of the holiday crowd, loneliness and grief are all the more penetrating.  With Job you are crying out: “Let the day parish that I was born. (Job 3:3). “Even that it would please God to destroy me, then should I yet have comfort.” (Job 6:9,10).  It was so dark for Job that though he sought to appear before God, he could not see through the depth of darkness.  “Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him.”   No human being suffered so many brutal attacks of the devil than Job did.

It was what seemed to be the darkest part of the night for me. I too was groping to get hold of the Saviour’s hand.   I had looked too long at my crisis and desperately needed the longer look at Christ.  I read the Desire of Ages account of Gethsemane that night, how He suffered under the tremendous weight of the wrath that would have fallen upon a sinful world – suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God’s law.  As I contemplated this grand theme, a ray of light came through the darkness.  I wanted to capture this moment with God in writing.  Normally I do not write poetry without struggling through many wasted pages, yet at that hour my hand was in contact with the Saviour’s own hand as He guided my pen across the paper. What reassurance and what love lifted me that night.  The thoughts were from the one who suffered unexplainable agony so He could bring comfort to me just now!

Take Control

Oh dear Jesus take control
If struggles, fears and doubts,
When life’s fierce storms oppress my soul,
And I am tossed about.

Oh dear Jesus take control,
My life is but a thread.
The skies are dark and billows roll,
And I am filled with dread.

Oh dear Jesus take control,
I see You through my tears.
Your look of love!  You’re all-in-all!
Oh please forgive my fears.

Oh dear Jesus take control,
This long night has an end.
You’re always here, You’re in control,
On You I will depend.

Oh dear Jesus –my control,
The darkness You erase
You guide my feet toward the goal
You whisper, “By My grace.”

Oh dear Jesus –my control,
Through fiery trials You trace
Your work for good –Your future plan
To see me face to face!

               Oh Lord I love You!

 The trials do not stop coming to me because I let God take control that night and He came to me, nor were the months ahead easy, but that experience of tenderest sympathy and love from Jesus in my darkest hour, overwhelmed me with love, melted my heart and drew my soul out to Him in such a way I will never forget.  I was gently rebuked for harboring the darkness, fears and doubts so long and thus dishonoring Him, but I felt a nearness I had never felt before.  This gave me joy and courage to face each new trial, knowing without a doubt that His faithfulness and unfailing love will catch me and lift me again and again.  Only through the bitter trials do I faintly catch the meaning of 2Cor. 6:4, 10 which says that as ministers of God we can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…having nothing, yet possessing all things.  Oh how wonderful are the ways of God!!  The trials are not brought on by Him of course, but the enemy’s attacks are carefully filtered through God’s hand first, and fitted to shape our character development.  So we can say with Job, “When He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10). This is indeed a reason for us to rejoice in our trials. -

 I have a long way to go to really understand trials and the glorious work God wants to perform in us through them, but one thing I do know, without finding the hand of God in trial, we can only have a superficial relationship with Jesus, we do not have enough faith, love for Jesus, strength or depth of character to stand.  When the time of trouble comes and national apostasy sweeps the land our feet will not be anchored firm enough to hold.

 You who are suffering in the darkness just now, let Jesus take full control.  Take a very short look at your crises and a long look at the dear Saviour –who is even now bending over you, offering stronger faith and new life and joy in Him. We go down quickly when our eyes are looking at our situation because we can see nothing good! Mrs. White says:

“To every stricken one Jesus comes with the ministry of healing.  The life of bereavement, pain and suffering my be brightened by precious revealings of His presence.  God would not have us remain pressed down by dumb sorrow, with sore and breaking hearts.  He would have us look up and behold His dear face of love.  …He longs to clasp our hands, to have us look to Him in simple faith, permitting Him to guide us. …He will lift the soul above the daily sorrow and perplexity, into a realm of peace.”

 “Into the experience of all, there comes times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement, days when sorrow is the portion.  …Days when troubles harass the soul, till death seems preferable to life.  …Could we at such times discern with spiritual insight the meaning of God’s providences, we should see angels seeking to save us from ourselves.  Striving to plant our feet on a foundation more firm than the everlasting hills and new faith, new life would spring forth into being.”

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My heart sang as I followed DJ (Caretaker, and church member), and Blet Jaw away from BYT and into the jungle.  The path was a mere cow path which wound across streams, through rice paddies, in the jungle and up steep hillsides. I am happy because it is a beautiful Sabbath day and I am wondering if mine is the first American foot to step on this pathway and enter this village. I am happy because the gospel and medical help is on its way to GeGhaw village.  In America it is polite to let the ladies go first.  Here that doesn’t matter.  Actually I prefer the men go first because I see the scenery, focus on the rapidly flowing water, and pray as I walk, not noticing things like snakes, scorpions, and large spiders.  They quickly spot them and kill them before I have a chance to get close!  Today was no exception, as we crossed a small river, a large ugly speckled snake tried to hide under some large rocks.  Quickly they moved the large rocks and pelted more rocks in the right spot until Thailand was minus one more venomous creature!

GeGhah Village

It is always a thrill to me to see a new village perched up between the mountains.  This was no exception.  DJ took us to one house after another.  People were suffering from arthritis, ear infections, vitamin B deficiency, common colds, skin infections and respiratory infections etc.  Fortunately the things I brought were sufficient for the needs.  These lovely people were glad we were there and served us the usual meal of rice and chilies.  We ate with relish because it had been many miles and many hours since we had last eaten.  A few more patients and a prayer for those treated, and we made our way home. 

Thank you Lord for the great privilege of working in this beautiful place with such beautiful people!

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The faithful Mitsubishi Truck needed some repairs.  Oil was leaking from somewhere underneath, the CV joints were loose again and we were rapidly receiving a flat tire.  We took a trip to MehDuGlow, a small village several hours east of BYT where there are 2 mechanics.  They fixed the flat, however they could not do anything to help us with our other problems.  The following Sunday morning we drove all the way out to LKY in order to take the truck to the mechanic in Mae Sot.

After the truck was fixed we planned to return immediately to BYT Tuesday morning, but alas, the battery went dead and would not revive.  I remembered Micah telling me it was weak, so I returned to Mae Sot for a new battery.  This finished we thought to go back to BYT Wednesday morning, however that day the 4 wheel drive broke all to pieces with accompanying loud noises.  Sadly I must tell you that it was my fault for not knowing how to use it properly all this time!  This made me feel bad, but that was compounded when I heard about another truck which did the exact same thing and it cost 100,000 baht to get it fixed.  (Do the math, 30 baht = $1.00).

I gave my cares to the dear Saviour, paid my tithe, so that it would not get used all up, and took off for Mae Sot once again.  This time the truck must stay for 2 days.  When I went to pick it up the head mechanic told me that the entire 4 wheel drive (I believe the mechanics call it a transfer case), had been replaced.  I timidly looked at the bill.  To my astonished gaze I saw 17,950 baht!  God was once again fighting for me!  This I considered a huge miracle and I am still thanking God!

Now it is Friday and we decided to return to BYT Sunday.  It is always difficult to get back to BYT.  Satan has many tricks and traps and works desperately to delay the work, but with God at the helm, His work will GO FORWARD!  Praise His name.

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