Gayle in Thailand

Micah and I were thrilled when we set foot on Thai soil July 6, after our 2 ½ month stay in America.  The weather greeted us warmly and contrary to our expectations the rain held off until we were nearly to the Sunshine Orchard school the next day! 

It was late at night when our truck rolled down the hill and into the school compound.  It was also raining madly, but to my astonished eyes I saw a line of umbrellas and flashlights marching toward us in  the soggy darkness.  Here were students and teachers braving the bad weather  and late hour, to hug our necks and welcome us back.  Oh the love the dear Saviour plants in the hearts of those who love Him.

It had been a direct answer to prayer for us to come to this school to work for two and a half months. Paul and Lena Adams who run this school were in America also.  They had emailed me in May, asking if I could take up the responsibility of the school during their absence July through mid September.  Lena Adams thought it would be too much to ask of me, but in her kind way she did not want to impose upon me.  I was delighted to do it, but it was too late at night for me answer and I must have God’s approval first.  I lay in my bed, asking God to please have Blet Jaw, (Our faithful Karen team mate) call me from Thailand in the morning if He wanted me to do it.  The next morning at 8 o’clock Blet Jaw called me!!  He had called me once in April, but since that time could not get connection to my phone in America. I spoke will Micah to get his input.  He was delighted because he thought I might try to go to BYT during the rainy season, which really is impossible.   I had my answer from heaven which filled me with joy.  Oh, dear Lord, may I always be in the center of Your will.  There is no other place I want to be, it brings peace and joy amid the storms and uncertainties of these last days.

Micah has kept very busy driving the truck for building supplies, food, water and patients.  He speaks the Karen language well and this puts him in demand for interpreting everywhere he goes.  One day at Meta hospital a group of Americans came in to be treated.  They seemed so frightened and new in this hospital setting.  They were much relieved when Micah stepped in and spoke to the nurses for them and answered their questions.  It sure makes you happy when you are serving others!

My goal at Sunshine Orchard just now is to do as much as possible to prevent sickness.  The rainy season is not a healthy season here.  There is so much malaria, dysentery, FUO (fever of unknown origin), skin infections and respiratory problems.  In fact even my feet feel like they are rotting, my clothes are mildew, books moldy and my body wet all day!  Also this season brings thousands of mosquitoes, and tiny flies that bite you everywhere!  Again I get used to going to bed on a mat on the floor with dirty feet! I cannot explain it, but these things do not seem like hardships we are so happy. The students are so glad to do the simple things we initiated to keep them well.  How rewarding. 

1)      We put soap stations at each bathroom with piped water to it.  Hand washing technique was taught.

2)      Soapy water was provided in the kitchen and each student washes their plates and bowels prior to eating.  Our cook is a creative genius!  She designed a bottle with soapy water in it, suspended on a bamboo pole with a rope going to a tilted bamboo foot piece.  Just stepping on that bamboo, tilts the bottle and soapy water sprits out on your plate!

The cook's invention!

 

One of the bathroom wash stands.

3)      Raw garlic and lemon grass is served often.  These provide a natural antibiotic plus an insect repellent.

4)      I found cheaper vitamins at the Mae Sot pharmacy and began giving them out after evening worships.

5)      A 30 minute running program was started after morning worships.  At first we ran only when it wasn’t raining.  I don’t mind running in the rain, if the rain begins after I start running, but I usually don’t want to start running in a downpour!  However, after 3 days of solid rain and no running, I decided we must run, so I began teaching a warm up callisthenic workout first in the building and then we go out to run.  What fun we have together on the muddy dirt road of the new property across the street!

Very soon now we will welcome the new principle, Harvey Steck and his lovely family to their new home at Sunshine Orchard.  Even now they are literally up in the air and headed this way! The talents of the entire family will be a great blessing to this school. 

New house going up to accomodate additional staff.

I will mention the great needs of this school.    School will begin in a few short weeks, but vocational teachers are still needed in several different trades such as carpentry/building, music, evangalism, medical and  computer classes.  Bible teachers, and english teachers are also needed.  Nothing is too great to sacrifice for these dear Karen people who have touched our hearts in such a special way.

As soon as the rainy season ends I will take up my work in BYT.  My heart aches for those dear people living there, so isolated and hard to get at and in such great need. 

We entered America April 19.  Due to tornadoes in Chicago I had to wait in the Chicago airport an extra day.  Indeed the weather was awful there.  My culture shock knew no bounds, as I shiveringly observed the ways of northerners in a busy airport. I was glad to finally be on my way to Chattanooga the next morning. At noon April 20 I found my dear Sister and niece with her 2 children waiting with open arms!  

God in His infinite wisdom had as usual, perfectly timed our trip to America. I barely will mention this here, even though it is enormous to us, -my Mother had just miraculously survived a life threatening illness during the past month and she was allowed to go home the day after I arrived.  She had not expected to ever see me again.  In my joy of once again being with my dear Mother and Sister, I paid no attention to the threats of weather danger coming from the news channels. There was so much to catch up on and I must get used to the 13 hours that I had just gained when I touched down on American soil.  Nights were days and days-nights.

On Wednesday morning April 27, 2011 the weather channel showed a line of tornadoes stacked up and coming in our direction.  I thought that it was not bad enough to worry about, so I headed off to the Collegedale Credit Union to meet Natalie and set up an account for Thailand.  I had just finished my transaction when the sky turned black and the Collegedale sirens blared!  The bank personnel scurried us off into the vault.  Surely that would be a safe place, I thought, as I peered into the one foot deep, steel walled cubical that I had entered.  Moments later, I decided to go and peek out through the 2 walls of clear glass windows in the front of the  bank.  I immediately fled back to my position in the vault, for I saw a tremendous wall of blackness.  It was not the classical, tapering, twisting looking funnel like you see pictures of.  It was wide, fast, and right down to the earth, just a stone’s throw away from us, going south. Another typical black funnel was following it. The wind was awful.  Soon the all clear siren sounded and I fled to the Apartment building where my Mother was to see if she was alright.  The danger seemed past and we breathed a sigh of relief.  

Soon we heard on the news that the tornadoes were circling around and hitting the same areas again and again. This time I had great respect for the warnings put out on the news channel.  The events that happened next were totally past description.  My summary of it is that the God of the universe is in control.  He decides what is destroyed and what is preserved, though they may be standing side by side.  In the midst of these tornadoes, NOTHING can stand.  My Sister, Julie (my niece), and her 2 children, were on their way to a friend’s basement for safety. They changed their minds at the last minute because they were strongly impressed to come  to my Mother’s apartment building instead, staying on the first floor with us.  During that time, hail the size of gulf balls pelted down.  We discovered later that the area where my Sister and Julie were headed had been brutally hit.  Nine people died. Four of which was a family driving down that very road.  All through that night the tornadoes hit.  They centered in this tri-state area of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.  At last count 79 people lost their lives in Ringgold GA. as the tornado hit a very built up area. Tuscaloosa AL took the worst hit.  The number of deaths is still going up. These tornadoes were categorized  as F-4 and F5, the later being the strongest rating on the charts.  Winds traveled in these areas over 200 mph.

My sister’s house is in Trenton Georgia, which was hit very hard repeatedly. She did not go home until all danger was past.  She found her apartment building and everything in it unharmed and uncondemned, while the 2 apartment buildings either side of her had the windows out and all contents had been sucked out, including the people. On the opposite side of the road all the buildings were flat. many people had died.  There was no warning, there was no time – no place to hide.  Clearly the text in Psalm 91:7 comes to mind.  “A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee.”

I heard a few local stories:  One woman was being sucked up to the rafters of a disappearing roof and her son grabbed her legs and saved her life by pulling her down with all his might.

A man and wife were driving to the grocery store to get a carton of milk.  The tornado struck as they entered the parking lot.  He locked his arm through the steering wheel and grabbed his wife as the car spun in mad circles up in the air, finally landing on its side.  The couple climbed out through the sun roof, basically unharmed.  

This was once a beautiful forest. The trees are either totally gone or twisted and frayed partway up.

Taken from my car window. It doesn't seem nice to stop and take pictures of people's losses.

These are just what I had the nerve to shoot from the car window. I was driving and the road was a mess.

Bodies were found in trees.  Some were not found at all.  I am leaving out the really ugly stories.  I saw huge power poles made of steel and taller than any trees or buildings, lying twisted like straws around trees and house parts.  Trees around here are twisted and shredded about one third up.  The rest of the trees are piled up on the roads as if it were a huge burn pile.  What used to be gas stations and stores are gone.  The rest of the store is slammed into the trees on the other side of the road, flattened and pressed deep into the ground.  Many many populated areas are devastated.  A lady who works behind Mother’s apartment lost 5 close relatives all at once. Books and belongings from people in Tuscaloosa are showing up here in Tennessee etc.

It is unnerving to be in the midst of this chaos, alive and unharmed with your loved ones around you.  My heart goes out to those in great loss and need.  Truly the God of the universe is withdrawing His presence from this sin sick world in preparation for the last final conflict. I review the events of the past in Japan and all the vehicle fatalities I have personally witnessed in Thailand just in that one week I told you about previously, I want to cry out to everyone to please wake up!  The end of all things is at hand.  There is no safe place anywhere, no peace and safety for you unless your heart is bonded in the heart of Jesus, the One who died and gave all for you.  All must be totally surrendered to Him.  Your time, your money, your cares, your plans, your associations, your future everything. Do it NOW before it is forever too late.  Some are like the Rich Young Ruler and turn away sorrowfully – that is too much to give, life is too grand.  Others are like me and the tornadoes – It is not important, it doesn’t matter.  But wait a minute.  None of these things will matter to you should your life end suddenly.  None of these things will matter when the 7 last plagues are poured out.  None of these things will matter when you are faced with the untold agony of discovering that you are too late.  Forever too late to enter in with Jesus.

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 17:26

This question is much too important to leave unanswered in your own heart today.  Even if there was only 10% chance of loosing eternity if you don’t surrender all, would you take the chance?  What about 100%? How is it with your soul today?

“The death of Christ brings to the rejector of His mercy the wrath and judgments of God – unmixed with mercy.  This is the wrath of the Lamb.  But the death of Christ is hope and eternal life to all who receive Him and believe in Him.”  TM 139

Our project in BYT began one year ago.  During this year, the devil has attacked our team and each one of us individually greater than we have ever experienced before and more than we can share on this page. Our way has been obstructed by many obstacles.  At times it seemed we could not carry on.  Blet Jaw has  faithfully stayed with us, bearing the pain, enduring the cross and giving 100% of his loyalty to God’s work. He is a meek and quiet servant. He has hiked for hours in the hot sun to visit other villages, he has interpreted for me in the medical work consistantly with personal care and compassion for each patient.  Whenever a helping hand is needed, he is right there to supply it.  He has fit right in with the construction work on the house and ridden with us on scary, trecherous roads to transport patients or travel for supplies etc.  I will never forget how he stayed with me when that baby was being delivered even though his knees felt weak and his stomach sick.  I could not have done it without him.  Often you can hear him singing deeply spiritual songs and playing his guitar from his whole heart.

Blet Jaw has experienced many hard times in Burma.  His Seventh-Day Adventist parents were put into jail  for 10 years because of the tyranny of the Burmese soldiers, and their hate of Christians.  Consequently Blet Jaw lived alone from age 4-14.  Many brutalities that are too painful for him to tell about, have molded his character and brought him out shining as gold. 

He holds a Batchelor of Arts degree in education from the Myanmar SDA college.  He became the principle at the LKY school for 2 years, leading the students to higher standards.  His life gave them a living testimony of how to live and work for Jesus.

Since working with us at BYT, others have quite understandibly offered him wonderful jobs either in God’s work or outside of it.  There is much more money to be earned with the government or in the Thai cities, or anywhere else!  His life could be filled with ease and enjoyment.  He dearly loves his parents who live in Burma and longs to help them.  He cannot go to them because of the danger, but he would love to send them much needed money to lighten their hardships, however he feels God calling him to work with us in BYT and he has firmly chosen to do God’s will and make His service of first importance in his life.  I have told Blet Jaw that he is free to go wherever and whenever the Lord leads him. These two lovely quotes reminds me of Blet Jaw’s life of commitment:

“If men will permit themselves to become discouraged in the service of God, the great adversary will present abundant reasons to turn them from the plain path of duty to one of ease and irresponsibility.  Those who can be bribed or seduced, discouraged or terrified will be of no service in the Christian warfare.   …Everything must be held secondary to the work and cause of God.  He must be willing to bear patiently, cheerfully, joyfully, whatever in God’s providence he may be called to suffer.  His final reward will be to share with Christ the throne of immortal glory.”

“Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness and they will receive the Latter Rain and thus be fitted for translation.  5T 214

May this be true of us all!  Please pray for Blet Jaw.  He is faced with an uncertain future as are all the Karen people.  They have no real home.  The soldiers and check points etc. can be a real threat.  It is not a bit fair, but how much brighter appears our heavenly home where all people are equal and God reigns supreme!!

Blet Jaw has a wonderful girlfriend.  She is very shy, but I have had the privilege to become a close friend and companion with her.  She shares the same commitment to God in her life as Blet Jaw.  She holds high standards and has meekly and faithfully worked as a teacher in LKY for over 2 years.  She can speak Karen, English, and much Thai.  The Karen culture does not show any affection in public.  Even married couples are not seen together much.  For me to be allowed to even take this picture is a great accomplishment!  They do not talk about their upcoming marriage plans, Micah may know more about this than I do, but one thing is certain it will occure.  I can wholeheartedly say that this couple is Divinely appointed.  God can and will accomplish His work through them.

Blet Jaw and WahNeePaw

Back row: William, Chi Htoo. Front row: Elani, myself, Blet Jaw and Micah

Tuesday morning of last week,Elani (Faithful student missionary and friend),William(Carpenter and jack of all trades), Chi Htoo(LKY student), Blet Jaw, Micah and myself, were finally on our way to our home in BYT.  We had left it December 23, only planning to be gone one week at the most.  However delays from our motorcycle accident, visa trouble and unseasonably rainy weather had kept us away until now.  We have been amazed at the unseasonal weather.  Cold and rain were abundant during the dryest hottest season of the year!  Even as we drove higher and higher into the mountains, we were astonished to be surrounded in thick clouds, muddy roads and shivering dampness.  Micah seemed confident and right at home behind the steering wheel as he maneuvered over and around the worst spots in the road, even though I had doubts as to whether we should have taken on this journey so close after rain storms. 

Once in BYT the work started immediately.  Good thing there was hard work to do as the cold, cloudy dampness had us wet and shivering for 2 days.  (Well, that is how I felt anyway).  But after that the weather was clear and fresh – simply beautiful. Many thanks to the hard work of William an experienced, enthusiastic, godly 23 year old carpenter, missionary and mountaineer.  We all did our part helping him with nail removal, hammering, sawing and drilling the next 2 days, until all the old wood was used up.  This completed the largest section of our house and the one and only door.  One section still is bamboo, but we can now lock our house to everyone except the mice.

Will Cunnington: Thank you so much for your help.

The crossbeam is ironwood. (Similar to Noah's ark wood!) Almost all the nails bent. Hint: The nails seem weaker also!

Blet Jaw became skilled with the drill

Friday morning came quickly.  William had to leave for America the following Monday, so Micah drove him, Elani, and Chi Htoo back to LKY.  Blet Jaw and I remained as I was impressed to stay as long as possible before our upcoming trip to America.  Micah would come and get us Monday morning.

Sabbath Blet Jaw and I had planned to hike to a village high in the mountains that Micah and I visited on motorbike some time ago.  The pastor told us it would be better for a villager from BYT to go with us who knew some people in that village instead of just us 2 strangers.  After church, 2 girls went with us on a 5 hour hike to 2 villages and back.  The experience at the villages was delightful as we treated the sick with some medicine we had brought along.   A dear lady fed us some rice and greens which gave us strength to return.  On the way home my heart was glad as I considered Jesus and His disciples walking from village to village relieving the sick and bringing hope to the hopeless.  How unworthy and sinful I am to be doing His work in this land.  But praise God He sees value in His people and guides and enables them to meet the needs of others.

Saw Myew Teh

I was returning to LKY from Mae Sot hospital with a small 11 year old LKY student, Saw Myew Teh.  I had no sense of impending crises, in fact I decided not to purchase diesel just out of Mae Sot, but to wait for Mae Ramat 30 minutes out.  Now we are in the middle of the dry season and one does not expect rain during this time, therefore I thought nothing of the jet black sky ahead of me, until fat drops of water started hitting my windshield and quickly progressing to a hard downpour.  My windshield wipers could not keep up with the tremendous flow of water.  Two small cars ahead of us slowed to a stop off the side of the road.  By this time the blast of wind out of the east hit with fury.  It sounded just like the proverbial frieght train.   Now the rain was coming even harder and I could barely distinguish the poorly painted dots in the center of the road.  Should I continue, or stop like the other cautious drivers?  Slowly I crept along through already alarmingly high flood waters.  Suddenly in my close field of vision I saw a large tree coming down immediately infornt of me.  Feeling responsible for the innocent lad sitting beside me, I sent a desperate and fearful prayer heavenward.  At the same time I asked forgiveness for my fear, pleading for the “Peace that passeth understanding.”  I was able to skirt the freshly fallen tree on the left, and continue my snail’s pace.  A large truck overtook me slowly but even his emergency flashers disappeared from view as soon as it pulled over in front of me.  Lightening cracked down upon the earth 360 degrees all around us.  We were in the eye of a great storm.  I thanked the Lord that I was driving a pickup truck and not a small car.  I decided to continue driving because trees lined the road and I would rather be moving when one came down and not be a sitting target.  Perhaps we could drive out of this horrible monster soon if we kept going.  Signs and roadside stands were tumbling down and dashing horizontally across the road.  and still the “frieght train’ roared as the winds tore hard against my side of the truck, moving us always to the left.  Thunder in great crashes overtook the noise of the wind and vibrated the whole truck. How long would this storm last?  Minutes seemed like hours.  Two more trees came down in front of us before we arrived in Mae Ramat.  By this time the intensity of the storm had abated a little and I thankfully pulled up to the CLOSED gas pumps, low on gas and exhausted.  When I finally regained my voice, I asked the small boy if he had been frightened at all during the fierce storm.  He smiled his beautiful smile which only he can do, and looked up at me, calmly saying, “No, teacher, not at all.” I could tell he had been watching the scenes unfolding before him with curiousity and interest.  He was trusting me implicitly to drive us safely home.

As I thought of this lad’s sweet smile, his calm repose and trust, I thought of my relationship with the Saviour who is longing to have me smile and implicitly trust Him to lead me through the eye of every storm and safely guide me home.  Do I fully rely in the One who trod this path before us, who has experienced each treacherous turn and lurking danger, who only knows what is best for me and those in my contact?  Will I fully trust His hand?  Will I lay my total weight upon Him and cling to His every Word? Have I experienced Him closer and dearer in every tempest that rages?

Soon the eye of a storm will hit us with greater fury than ever before experienced.  Its unsurpassing force will sweep everyone away who has not yet learned to fully trust Him now.  How is it with you today in the eye of the storm?

“I go to prepare a place for you…”

Since December 23 we have been dislodged from our primary living quarters in BYT.  Even that house was being worked on and was not set up as a permanent dwelling place by far.  We have resided in hospitals, hotels, bamboo huts and friend’s houses.  As I close my eyes and think, I can visualize 12 different places we have laid our heads down to sleep  in during the last two Months.  We have only a small backpack of belongings.  We need no more.   As I ponder travelling to America, I cannot imagine the life that I once lived so comfortably there, offering anything settling and permanent to me again. 

I sit here reflecting deeply.  I do not feel fretful or coveteous for a cozy cottage to call my own.  I wonder why?  The overwhelming desire comes over me to fall on my knees and thank the Lord for how He Himself has been my dwelling place.  I have lacked nothing.  The times in weakness I felt all was lost-I cannot go on, His strength has lifted me.  I have laid my doubts, fears and unknown future in His hands.  I have felt secure in His love and really, unbeknownst to me I have “dwelt between His shoulders!”  and been “Covered by  His hand.” This thought is too wonderful to fathom!   We think we must leave a hostess gift  and heartfelt thanks to those who graciously let us in for the night – and rightly so, but what about the Saviour who had no where to lay His head while He served here below in order to house us through our homeless pilgrimage here on earth, making us feel at home in His presence and in His footsteps – Wherever He may lead.  My heart goes out in longing love to the One who speaks the words, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto Myself that where I am there ye may be also!”

These words are too wonderful for me!  And dear fellow pilgrim, may you be keenly aware of His presence surrounding you making you feel at home and secure in His guidance, wherever His hand may lead.

It is 4 a.m. February 16. Bradley flies to America today

I know you have all done  it – said good-bye to someone very dear.  Part of your heart is torn out and just goes along with them, leaving an empty hole in its place!  Nothing can fill the emptiness from that moment on.  There are phone calls, emails and letters, but these cause the memories to be even clearer, therefore your loss seems more intense in the present.  A Mother’s heart is bonded in a special love for her children.  It is a love stronger than death.   She would give her life for them if this would save them from evil or harm.  I would have gladly given my life the instant that truck hit Bradley if it would leave him uninjured and whole.  Durring the pain filled days that followed I so longed to take his place and let him go free from his suffering. Indeed, these things we feel for our children is a heaven-born Christlike love, enabling the heart to love deeper than words could describe because we cannot measure divine love.  In Christ we are capable of more and yet more love, therefore along with more love comes more intense pain to the heart when separation, or any problem occurs with our children.   It is a huge risk to own this much love because it opens up a vulnerability in your soul for bad intense pain!  Is it worth it – this kind of love?

As I ponder these thoughts I try to grasp a small ray of light from heaven.  Jesus, the Creator made us by hand.  He thought of each cell and its function, put it in place and activated it in His own image.  Before that He already knew that we would separate ourselves from Him and plunge ourselves into intense pain, remorse and death.   Yet without hesitation He completed His work of creation along with a plan to save us from the sin we would plunge into.  Alone without love and attention from us, He hung on the cross, His heart broken with the anguish of separation that sin causes.  His Divine, spotless heart of love suffered more  pain than it is possible for us humans to even comprehend.  The heartache and torture and death He suffered was the second death, and he knew the pain of it before the world began, but He could not bare to watch his children suffer the results of their heinous sins.  He took it so we could go free.  He took it that we could be spared the pain.  He took it that we can bare up under separation and heartaches.  He took it that we may at last never be parted again!  He was broken so that He could make us whole.

He said it was worth it!  For you and for me.

Wow!  How very small and insignifigant in comparison am I!   Now I am filled with joy. By trusting His Word and taking His hand through the pain of separation, I can  make it worth it for Him!   He has enabled me to “Take hold of His strenth that He may make peace with me.”  Isaiah 27:5  

And don’t I have a lot to be thankful for?  Bradley continues to improve from his injuries  every day.  It has been almost 2 full months since the accident.  He has now thrown off the crutches and can walk carefully on that bad leg and use his arm carefully.  He is working towards his goal of spiritual and medical training so he can return to Thailand to work and teach.

Oh Lord thank you, I love You so much!