Gayle in Thailand

 

 The building project has moved slowly in the last 2 months.  We found out that the bulldozer will not come at all to fix the road to BYT and level our property.  It must be leveled before we can collect materials because these heavy items will need to be near the building sight to make it easier on the builders. It is also a bad time to bring in the posts because it is mating season here for the elephants and they cannot drag in supplies.  I am disappointed again because now we cannot hire villagers to collect sand and rock for the cement because they are now planting their mountain rice.

On top of this I found out 1 week ago that the people decided  not to let us have the hill that overlooks the village.   They need their cattle pen and when their children get married they want to build houses on that hill.

Wow, I was disappointed again, but I knew God had a plan.  Who was I to be discouraged and doubt now after the Lord had done so many things to make this work a success!  We went up the mountain behind this hill to look again at the jungle property that was the only place to go now.  I was concerned about a clinic up so high that people would have to walk that extra distance.  I really wanted to live right among the people in the village, in order to be close to them. The village water supply would not reach that high up but the head man of the village assured me that there was water up that mountain enough to supply our house and clinic.

With this information we prayed and went ahead to build on this jungle property.  It is indeed beautiful up there, quiet, and there is enough room for the 2 buildings.  A man from a far village came one day to find out where we wanted the ground leveled.  He put up markers and we told him what trees to save etc.  He was going to bring 4 men to do the work the following Sunday. To our surprise the men came on Thursday!  They heard we were in a hurry so they came early.  We told them that work on Thursday and Friday was fine, but we kept the Bible Sabbath from sunset Friday evening until sunset Saturday and they must not work on that day.  They were fine with that and so Blet Jaw and I took off on the motorbike to get food for them to eat and money to pay them.  When we returned to BYT we were very sad to discover that the men had left.  They will not return, but went to do the other job first!  Perhaps they did not like the Sabbath requirement, in any case we were back to square one and did not know what to do. 

Wonderful wonderful Sabbath.  What a blessing to have this day to pray about our situation.  I knew the devil hated what we were doing.  I prayed all throughout the Sabbath hours and when I finally went to my mat that night I prayed earnestly.  “Oh, Lord, I cried, please give me that hill. I do not ask for an entire mountain, I only want that hill.  You can turn the hearts of this family like water in Your hand. (Proverbs 21:1)  Please hear this prayer and turn their hearts so we can build on this hill!  But do whatever is Your will, not mine.  Thank you dear Saviour!”  Then I went sound asleep.  In the morning as I was preparing the curry for breakfast I saw the O-Bah-Dau (Man in charge of the buildings etc.) standing and talking with the neighbor and Blet Jaw.  I ran to join them in their conversation.  This is what I found out – The neighbor had gone to the people who owned the mountain and spoken to them about the property.  They said, yes you can have it, we only need 2000 baht to move the cattle shed to another location.  There is no problem, you can go ahead and have it.

 

Thank you God.  How can I thank Him enough.  How can I even understand the goodness of God and His power to work out His will in every situation.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that this project belongs to the Lord.  He is in charge. He will make it a success because He loves these people for whom He died!  In speaking about 2Chronicles 14:11 Mrs. White says:  “When the God of Israel undertakes work for us, He will make it a success!”

God has promised that  He will move mountains in answer to the prayer of faith.  I believe that moving a hill into our possession  is just as much a miracle!

Thank you so much dear Lord. 

 

 

We get very few visitors!  Sunny  is from Idaho.  She had attended Faith Camp last June in Idaho and heard my presentation and burden for BYT.  She felt the Lord wanted her to come to Thailand and see what I was doing.  Come she did with a donation that helped us purchase this brand new motorbike, even though the prices have gone up because of the flood!  

We put this motorbike to good use immediately.   We were amazed and so thankful for so many things this bike does for us! 

1.  It saves us much time!  We are now arriving home a while before sunset and can easily do 2 entire villages.

2.  We can bring more supplies!   Even water and a picture roll.  Now by the end of the 2nd village we are not running out of medicine.  I am having a wonderful time packing more medicine and supplies in those backpacks, knowing we will not have to shoulder them all day.  

3.  We arrive home fresh!   We are not tired.  We especially appreciate this right now because the hottest season of the year is just beginning.

4.   Even though we still must walk to some villages, this bike can get to villages that a truck cannot.  This saves us a considerable  amount of money, because the wear and tear on the truck is expensive!

Sunny stayed with us a little over a week and was able do 2 worship talks.  We want to thank you Sunny for your visit, your support of our project, and for helping us purchase this lovely bike! 

This quote comes to mind each time my needs are so abundantly met:  “God knows our wants and has provided for them.  The Lord has a treasure house of supplies for His children, andcan give them what they need under ALL circumstances.”   Thank you Lord!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is the BIG day, Monday, February 20, 2012.  I was in a small guest room behind Omkoi hospital, packing a few belongings into my small backpack in preparation for a huge adventure that I felt unprepared for.

Let me explain.  Dr. Prajin runs this hospital and had graciously invited me to stay for free in their guest room and work in various departments of the hospital as I desired for training and education.  I wanted to work in labor and delivery and also with the dentist to learn how to pull teeth. I arrived Thursday afternoon and sat down with Dr. Prajin to discuss my schedule.  Friday I would work with him, Sabbath, I would take off and worship my God, Sunday I would spend in the hospital and Monday he invited me to go with his hospital team on a 5 day medical hike through the jungle.  His team would stop and treat patients in the village school houses on the way.  I was warned that the hike is very strenuous.  The mountains are very steep.  The villages are very remote.  2 ladies from Pennsylvania had gone with them one time, but had gotten tired, weak and sick and could not go on.  This caused the team much time and trouble.  Oh, wow, the last thing I wanted to do was cause trouble.  I thought about my condition.  I hike to villages 3 days a week, I run 2 miles almost every day.  I feel good all the time, but these things are not equal to hiking straight up mountains 5 solid days in a row with no rest until time to sleep!  “Oh, Lord I prayed, what am I doing here at such a time as this! I have committed myself to go on this trip, but I am so different from the others.”  God assured me that He would not leave me nor forsake me, and didn’t he promise the disciples after leaving this earth and sending them out to teach all nations – “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”  To me this means – even through the deepest steepest jungles of Thailand!

I called my friends in Chiang Mai, the Rawlings.   Steve Rawlings told me: “Well, if you don’t make it and they have to drag you out of the jungle, I’ll come and get you!” I called and spoke to my son, Micah in America about it and he said: “Mom, I think that is just a little much for you!”   -but you know what?  I prayed about it and was determined to go – even if I was over twice age of the others, and I had not come to Omkoi prepared to do it!  It seemed that Dr. Prajin really wanted me to go and I felt so privileged to be included.  God had promised: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 -Thank you Lord for that promise to me!

Sunday was very slow in the hospital.  The entire time I was present, day and night, there were no babies delivered.  The dentist was too busy to let me work with her, I really felt out of place, in the way, and out of my comfort zone.  I was tempted to think:  “My truck is right here.  I could leave any time I wish!” However I prayed and waited.  I was very glad to join the group Monday morning in the hospital parking lot that were preparing to depart into the jungle!  I feel so at home with the remote Karen people in their villages. 

This trip seemed to be larger than I had anticipated.  Rugged 4X4 vehicles were packed into the parking area.  People were everywhere. To my surprise I found out there were over 100 people going on this expedition!  They would divide into 3 groups going in different directions and cover approx. 30-40 villages in all, and I still cannot tell you how far we walked!   Much food, water, bedding supplies and medicine was bagged up next to the ambulance doc.  We only had to carry a small personal back pack – carriers would bring all the rest.  I was swept into many group photos and stood side by side with many important people.  

  Dr. Prajin informed me that I was in group 2 with him!  I was very happy about that because, he was the only one I knew, and the only one (As far as I could tell), that could speak English, and last but most important, he is an excellent Physician who really cares about the poor Karen people in isolated villages.  He organizes these biannual trips.  I would observe him and learn how he treats patients.

After a special send off ceremony, I found myself seated in a nice 4X4 truck with 3 lovely medical students that are in their 2^nd year.  They spoke pretty good English!  I don’t really know how the conversation got started, but I found myself explaining why I keep the 7^th day Sabbath.  We drove about 4 hours on the rough dirt road to our first village and then the daily routine started:  Walking, walking, walking, up, up, up, then setting up the clinic in a village school house and when all the patients have been treated, walking, walking, walking again to the next village school house.

Right now I want to tell you the rewards of living the 8 natural laws of health.  If you do not know what they are, call your local SDA church and find out how to avoid a lot of sickness and how to stay as well and strong as possible.  The most important law is trusting in God!   Oh how God blesses us for trusting Him completely and letting Him help us keep all 8 to the best of our ability and to the best of our situations!  Please tell your neighbors and friends the importance of caring for their bodies as the temple of God and keep them pure and without blemish before Him.  His rewards are great!

I only tell you this next part to glorify God, to encourage you in a healthy lifestyle and to tell you that His promises are sure!  -“They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”  Even now tears swell in my eyes to think of the goodness of the Lord to promise these things to a sinful human such as myself!  That first day was the most strenuous day of hiking.  We went up a tremendous mountain that continued up most of the day.  We stopped at 3 villages in all that day.  When all the patients were treated in one village we would pack up and continue on, up -up -up to the next and the next.  I discovered that I cannot walk like this with covered shoes on my feet.  I used my regular old flip flops that I am used to for the entire 5 days, therefore I did not acquire blisters on my toes or heels, but my feet were free and strong in the open air and through the rivers.  (One day we walked along a rocky river bed all day and had to zig-zag back and forth across that river over 20 times.  Nobody really counted it).  I was not tired the entire time, I felt strong and Oh so happy to be with this group.  I had no sore muscles and no aches and no pains.  I know it was a miracle from heaven.  God sustained me just like He promised. He did it for me and for the others to know what a great God He is!

 

 

 

 

 Let me tell you about the hospital staff that I was with.  They were all wonderful people! To think that they worked that hard to reach the villages and care for the sick. What dedication! After 5 days of toilsome hiking together you get to know one another quite well, – a bond was formed between us.  They were so cheerful, organized and skillful.  I watched them time after time quickly arranging the school houses into a functional treatment area.  Dr. Prajin explained to me in detail each patient and the treatment. I am so thankful.   I learned so much from him.   I also was able to observe and help the 2 wonderful dentists, who pulled many teeth in each village.  All in all there were 3 or 4 Physicians, one of them was a pediatrician, 2 dentists, 3 pharmacists, nurses, clerical people, a malaria check person -complete with a microscope, a vaccination team,  2 cooks, medical students and to my surprise 3 soldiers complete with guns.  I was told that they were highly trained soldiers, the one who was in charge seemed very strong and capable.  I was told that it was important that they were there because we were near the Burma border and also we were in villages that grew opium.  I thought about the missionaries living right there on the border in Mae Salit and the 10 months I lived there and still spend time there.  All the villages where I live now grow and use opium. I thought about the guardian angel that walks by my side, excelling in strength.  How thankful I am to God for all His care.

Even though we are way out in the isolated villages of the deep jungle, where no truck or motorcycle can travel, it amazed me that our group of approximately 25 people had food and water in abundance.  The cook prepared the morning and evening food.  For the noon meal they gave us each a bag of rice and a bag of meat.  I found out that another doctor was also a vegetarian, but for different reasons than me.  He had made an agreement with the Buddhist priests not to eat meat for 108 days.  He was in the middle of that time period, so I always tried to go through the meal line behind him, in order to know what was vegetarian.

I saved the best part to tell you last!  The girl who sat beside me in the truck on the way out became my close friend!  Her name is Fon. 

The first night she rolled her sleeping bag out next to mine and asked me questions about the Bible and the 7^th day that I had explained on the way out.  I told her some of the Bible stories and something of the love of God, Jesus stay on earth, His death on the cross for us and His commands and promises to us.  That very night I taught her how to pray.  She and I prayed together!  Every night and morning of our trip we prayed together and had a short worship time when I could tell her more about the importance of the unseen things of heaven!  A responding cord was touched in her heart.  She told me that she has a whole month off school after this and she promised me that she would get a Bible and would pray and read every day!  (She emailed me later and said she bought a Thai Bible and was reading it, and it was touching her heart a lot)! Someday she would like to work with me!  What a dear girl she is!  She sent me this picture that she took of herself.

I loved all the people in my group so much that I prayed for God to please give me a chance to share what I know about the wonderful love of God with them, and how He answers prayer and  brings such power and joy into our hearts.  I wanted them to have the joy I had.  Before the last day of our hike, the important doctor who was in charge of our group, asked me if I would be willing to share a little about myself and my present work to the others during their ‘worship’ time the following morning.  Fon would be my interpreter.  My prayer was answered once again!  Oh thank you Lord.  Together the night before, Fon and I prayed and reviewed what we would say.  She already knew some of the divine miracles of my experience, and how God had directed my life and answered my prayers.  She was prepared, together with me to give glory to the God of heaven!!  She told me later that she prayed for God to help her speak and know my English words so she could interpret them right!  God answered this prayer and the love and power of the eternal God was lifted up!  It formed a strong bond of love between me and all the others. I felt so close to these dear people. 

During the last walk on that last day, the doctor who led our group, was walking first in line, then a lady pediatrician, next Fon and than me.  They were speaking Thai -Thai -Thai, so I had my little notebook out and was studying Karen words.  Soon Fon turned to me and asked the question that made my heart leap with joy.  She said, the doctor wants to know from you how does a person find out what God wants them to do?  How do you hear His instructions and really know?  Truly this man was a very intellectual person, for he had asked the most important question!   I told briefly about the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and providence which, after prayer can bring answers.  I also told that sometimes I simply ask God to close the door through which I am walking if He does not want me there.  She told him these things and then turned around and exclaimed – “Oh so good – good job!  He understands a little.” 

 

Please pray for Fon, for this doctor and the rest of this group, who now have heard something about God.

Fon and I will remain best friends.  When she left Sabbath morning we were both very sad.  She told me that she would never forget our walking together in the jungle and how special it all was. We have each other’s email address and if not in this world, we will share each other’s company in heaven is my fervent prayer!!

NOW -What if I had listened to the fearful, discouraging temptations of Satan to avoid my fears of the hospital and the discomfort of being in a place where I know no one?  What if I had fled to a place within my comfort zone, without the risk of embarrassment and difficulty?  What tremendous light would have been snuffed out?  What a large weight of loss?  What eternal destinies would be endangered?  What blessings lost?

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  2Timothey 1:9

“Those with whom we associate day by day need our help, our guidance.  They may be in such a condition of mind that a word spoken in season will be as a nail in a sure place.  Tomorrow some of these souls may be where we can never reach them again.  What is our influence over these fellow travelers?”  PK 347

 

 

There are many reasons why this is not just an ordinary wedding. 

1.   The first reason is that God put these 2 together.  They are matched by His direction, and dedicated to His work whatever, wherever and however He leads.  Their hearts beat together to have a godly family.

2.  Blet Jaw is my oldest “son,” and WahNayPaw is now my “daughter-in-law.”  They are family to my boys and I.  When we first came to Thailand, June 2009 my youngest son, Micah began to teach English in the LKY school.  He and Blet  Jaw, then principle of LKY became fast friends.  What a blessing for him to have such a dedicated Christian friend.  Bradley and I were close to him also and when in April 2010 we made the big move to BYT, Blet Jaw felt God’s call to come and help us.  For the past 2 years what a blessing he has been in the work there.  We could not have done this work without him.

3.  This is a Karen style wedding which is special in itself.  It is not formal.  Mistakes are allowed.  The ceremony is simple and sincere with an air of sweetness. 

Do you remember two stories ago I told about a new born baby that was septic and needed hospital care quickly or it would die?  Well this babies’ name is CauNahWood, and please listen with all ears to the rest of the story!

It is not that the parents here do not love their newborn children, but these isolated and uneducated villagers, have no concept of the importance of life or the possibility of intervention to bring healing.  They have always lived their lives with sickness and suffering.  Some die and some do not.  It is brand new to them for someone to come in a try to save them.

You remember that now it is the 3^rd day since we discovered this infant.  It was now 15 days old.  I prayed earnestly that the parents would let us take them, or even just let us take the baby before it dies!  This morning the Father agreed to take the baby himself and go with us.  The Mother would not go.  When I now checked the still living little form, I quickly saw that the apnea was 15 seconds duration.  This indicates severe septicemia.  How we prayed as we drove the long rough distance to Meta hospital on the west side.  We came to the rest stop area where there is a cross road.  To the right is three grueling hours over outrageous ruts and rocks.  We did not want to travel that way.  To the left is a road that takes a little more than one hour.  It had just been rendered passable, but straight ahead is what we call the steep way.  It takes only 45 minutes, however, for weeks or maybe months they have had that road blocked for repairs and you cannot get through.  We would be delayed quite a bit if we took that road and then found out we must turn around and take the alternate route.   The sign had been moved to the side a little bit, and somehow I was impressed to say with determination: “Go straight ahead!  We’ll try it!”  The result was that 15 minutes was successfully cut off from our trip and we drove straight into the ambulance driveway (none-too-soon), in order to get prompt attention.  Attention we got when I called to the attendant, “Apnea.”  The attendant swooped the baby up and just as he placed that little blue infant on the stretcher, it stopped breathing. The medical staff worked fast and soon had an ET tube in place, with oxygen and an IV.

They wanted to send this baby to a larger hospital, but the 3 that are in their transfer area were all full, so it stayed there that night.  In the morning they were able to transfer it out.  We heard that it was on a respirator.  I thought to myself, “It may not live, or it could be months.” Then I was prompted to put away doubt and recall the providential events here-to-for.

1. We did not even plan to go to that village that day, and didn’t really feel like going there! 
2. The Lord had answered our prayers and made the Father finally willing to bring the baby.
3. The shorter road was open and passable so that we got there just in time.

Yes! God did want to save the babies’ life!  In just 2 days we heard that baby was coming back to Mae Sot hospital.  It spent 2 days there and then was sent to Meta hospital. After 2 days there it was  discharged, healthy as can be!!  Here is another testimony for these people of the healing power of our God.  The father has been introduced to prayer and seen its awesome results.  He is amazed.  I cannot wait to get back to their village and have a happy reunion with them.  We certainly have a strong bond of love between us and an open door to their hearts.

 

Sing it with me!  Sing it loud and clear!  God has done a marvelous thing! We give God all the praise and the glory that a human heart can give! 

 DuPe is alive!  He is home!  It is a miracle!

 

After a very successful brain surgery in Chiang Mai to remove bullets, and a short recuperation period, we found out that DuPe was home once more.   We bounded out of our village and wasted no time getting to his hut.  When I entered, I found more of a shock this time than I did the first visit when I thought he was dead!!!  Oh what a wonderful sight met my eyes, DuPe, sitting in the same corner of the bamboo, with a huge smile on his face!  His eyes were bright and filled with joy!  So were mine, as I heard his testimony that he was determined to never again use opium.  Only our precious Saviour can save a life and put these determinations in someone’s heart, as He works to save the soul for the kingdom of heaven!!

 

DuPe told us that when he shot himself, he could remember that his smallest girl was sitting just behind him.  He remembers hearing her cry so hard that he thought she would die.  This scared him and told himself that if he lived he would be a good Father to his children and not use opium any more.  He realized that he would have died if we had not been there to take him to the hospital.  Thankfulness poured out of his heart.  We told him that indeed we were supposed to be gone for the day, visiting those 2 other villages, but that God had held us there so we could help him.  We told him that it was God that spared his life because He has an important work to do for God.  His children clung to him in delight.  Not only did they have their Father’s presence at home with them again, but they had quality.  They had his heart and mind, unharrassed by the evil spirits that had kept him chained so heavily to his anger and bad habits. 

We talked and prayed together that day.  Even the little blind grandmother told us that because we had treated her swollen, sore and itching eyes, she was all better.  Yesterday she had tried to pray for us the best she knew how!  My heart was filled with a strong emotion of thankfulness as I bade the joyous little family good-bye.  We will come and have a little Bible study once a week, and our prayers will ascend daily for the truth to be planted in their hearts and a love relationship with Jesus started that will grow each day and keep DuPe firm in his decision to leave opium alone

 Here I must tell you of my prayers for the many many people, especially men who are chained to opium.  It seemed in this area like a huge, insurmountable obstacle to me.  The sickness, depression, guilt and suicide so prevalent in all these mountain villages, as well as soldiers killing or arresting people, weighed heavily on my mind all the time and I knew not how one little person could deal with the root of such a widespread gigantic problem.   Well God has a thousand ways when we have not a clue.  In this situation, Satan tried desperately to snuff out the life of a sin sick miserable life before the hope of Jesus had been recognized. God snatched him as a brand from the burning.  What an example to others who suffer the same miseries as this.

God has just begun a great work here and I know He will complete it and I cant wait to tell you just how He does it!  Please continue to pray and rejoice with me.    

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

 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. 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 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! 

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.

 (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!

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

 

 

 

 

 

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!!