Karanni mission trip
Camp 2
Day one: 8/12/2006 arrival
Ebenezer Church
We started of with the first worship, some solid praise and preaching, the students did some very exciting stuffs after the worship.
Day two: 9/12/2006 we did some visitations to houses of both believers and nonbelievers. Had some good responses and the same evening moved to Immanuel church where we took up the whole evening program. I did the preaching part and students did very good work doing praise, worship and fun stuffs. We gathered for a very excited forum, very good reports from students.
Day Three: 10/12/2006 Sunday, I preached a very political sermon today, focusing on the Nazareth manifesto. We went out, spread out preaching good news to nonbelievers that same afternoon after the service, we skipped the Holy Communion just, I think, to put into praxis Jesus’ command to remember him.
Day Four: 11/12/2006, Monday
We paid some visits to different houses, praying, encouraging believers and so on, that same evening we moved to another Immanuel just across the river and I preached a very evangelistic sermon and students continued and praise and fun fare. Has little linguistic and communication problems, I think it basically because of the microphone. We constantly have problem with this one. That hinders us quite a bit to doing effective jobs. Good responses from both the pastor and the members.
Day Five: 12/12/06, we went around visiting believers, nonbelievers and the sick, I had to preach in Burmese in a house; the husband is a Christian but not so with the wife. I found it a bit hard but it went well. We moved to another church, they called themselves the guest church (wrSHRp>zSd.f) I preached on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and I was encouraged to see I had their attention really good. I hope this church is alive and kicking.
After the worship session it was time for fun fare, I showed some video clips while students got ready for dramas and things like that, an exciting evening too. After all the sessions, while coming back for refreshment, a group of young people visited on us; I was touched to see tears from both sides—emotions, and signs of attachment shown to us in many aspects. The Karen culture after all is beautiful.
Day six: 13/12/06 we woke up early morning preparing for Karanni camp 1, we were accompanied by a bunch of young people half way where we reached our cars and there was another emotional goodbye. We reached the karanni Bible School safe and sound that same evening we were still outside the camp and were treated really good with a round of porridge and thus we had another warm experience. We relaxed, watched movies and things like that.
Day Seven: 14/ 12/06 Thursday, 2007. This is camp No. one; we sensed it rather different from that of camp No. 2. This camp is a little more advance, more populated, more restrictions and so it seems more deeds of Satan. It is said many cases of suicide, a lot of depression, quarrellings, more or less like Mae La camp where multiple ethnics reside together, or rather squeezed together in one place. That means we need more prayers, more power, my worry is that students will not keep up the same spirit that we have been carrying throughout camp 2. We will be fine, I am positive.
Well, just as I expected, everything went really cool in spite of warning that we might drive people away very soon if we do the worship too long. I stood against the warning believing that God will lead me into something exciting. God did and I preached a firry sermon which I hope will inspire many. Against all expectation of odds the students performed cool and people just fluxed into the school building. It is about just doing our best and God always takes care of the rest.
Day Eight: 15/12/06, Friday
We moved to another church ‘Thahaybyayealeh’. The pastor of the church was not here. He went to a bereaved family (the girl born down-syndrome, she had been retarded since birth) I laid hand on her, we prayed expecting a healing, lo and behold God had healed her permanently now. She has gone for a peace that passes all understanding; thank God He shortened her suffering. But I wonder what the family might think of us because the child died a day after our prayer.
Tonight was mediocre, I did not put on a very good preaching, I know, partly because I was not that prepared and partly I was rather discouraged by rumors of restriction. I had to kill one snake hanging on the wall of the church while preaching. This place, we have to make a difference, we have to show we are not afraid; we have got to show we are free. We need to be an example of freedom in the midst of oppression. The Thai authority, namely the Pala (camp commander) is a fox. He wants all things done according to his prejudice. His job is to protect and his action is oppression. He can act crooked because there are no educated and brave leaders to stand up for rightful truth. Moreover, most of the leaders are nonbelievers and thus as not selfless as a matter-of-fact.
I promised the students tonight that, if need be I will be willing to lay down my life for them so that all of them make it safe to school and resume their studies. I encouraged them not to be afraid because we are here with a mission to spread the good news and not bad news. I mean every single word that I uttered. All we need to do is pray in faith God Almighty will take care of the rest.
Day Nine: 16/12/2006, Saturday
We started off with a refreshed spirit, the team seems to be enthused and not backing off in any sense. They sure got what I said last night and they are now off to the field among brethren wolfs. It’s hard in here, the struggle is extreme, but we’ll sore the height and plunge the depts. We will not give in. With the love of Christ which binds us strong we will go on. It is our duty that we are to obey God rather than men. Round about noon, we moved to ‘Paneayelah Church’, this church is pastored by Rev. Saw Shwey, the father of Muno Shwey, one of the students of BTS III. We played a game of volley ball, an exhibition match with them, we lost real badly. I did not speak tonight because I though it would be good to give chance to one of the students to preach. He did a good job. The overhead projector that we have brought along serves really well.
Day Ten: 17/12/2006, Sunday
(yeHRythv;w>ftd.fzSd.f) ‘Pane aye Lah Church’ I put on a rather poor preaching I guess, many people have seen me preached at camp No. 2 putting on a very impressive performance. They requested me to preach that same sermon on the ‘Nazareth Manifesto’. I did and that turned out to be rather mediocre. May be I was too excited, I was praised through out and thus became too depended on my own strength. Satan, I am sure, waited for this opportunity and laughed out laud at my inconsistency. I tried to do my best but the spirit was not there that much? I tried to put in new activities and creativities into the preaching but I am lacking in something I cannot describe. I realize lately that God’s work has to be done with God himself.
Day Eleven: 18/12/2006, Monday
There is a trend of depression in this camp. We visited five families with depression related syndrome. It was quite a new thing for me to see Karen get depressed in this type of close-knit community. Many of them are on medication. I was told they became aloof during the medication but when the Anti-depressant is off, there are suicidal behaviors in quite a number of them. Strange!!
I think, these cases of depression occurred mainly because of the gloomy situation of the camp. So much restriction can press people into some very destructive behaviors of all types. I couldn’t do much. Things I can do are these that I used my sense of humor to comfort them, we prayed for them, we encouraged them etc.. We moved to another church, (Dortama Church) the smallest in this camp, the pastor is a thin lady, may be about 70 years of age. The pastor described the people around there as uncivilized, to be honest, I don’t like that real well. For me, people of different values system, culture, customs, or behavior cannot be termed uncivilized just because they see things differently from what I see. I mean, I can call the westerners as uncivilized in a sense that they have more access to guns and sophisticated weapons like notorious nuclear-warheads which can scare the hell out of people. In contrast, I see these people as potential mission field, ripen and ready to be harvested.
Day Twelve: 19/12/2006, Tuesday (Dortama Church)
We woke up early morning to attend worship at that church. They said it’s seven o’ clock Thai time and the church was not opened yet the time we reached the church. We had to wait for another one hour for the preacher to come.
We mainly took rest today, I found that the students are tired and need some rest. I and four students went out to some nonbelievers’ houses to preach to Gospel while the rest of the students took rest or lazed around. Well, a lot of worship services, a lot of actions, so to say, and of course, a lot of eating.
Day Thirteen: 20/12/06 Wednesday
We moved to ( Daw Plaw Du), a group of young people came and took our luggage. Our performances have come down partly because we are tired and redundant. It is a kind of boring to perform those same things over and over again. We need to be creative; we need to do our best. We woke up early morning for a Christmas service, Rev. Isaac Pae Thoo preached again. We went off preaching good news to some nonbelievers’ houses. I told some of the youth leaders to do the follow-up. And we moved to the Church where we will be staying for two days. We went to Rev. Saw Shwey’s house for his eldest daughter and one of his sons’ birthday where I preached on the prayer Jabez, the old man said hallelujah many times because the verses I spoke on are his family’s favorite. We came back to Smyrna Church after the birthday thanksgiving.
Day Fourteen: 21/12/2006 Thursday. We set out for early morning worship in one of the houses. That was a thanksgiving service. We went to a house of an animist who does not know anything about her faith. Quite exceptional, her daughter has a very big head. Too big that at the age of three she can’t get up to support her head. The mother accepted Christ quite willingly when I preached to her about the good news of Jesus who has come to save the lost sinners. We took down all her flowers and religious symbols. Praise be to God. This same evening I preached on ‘Do not be lukewarm’ from the book of revelation. I told them that we are not here to play as some people have described us that they like the way we played on the stage. We are here to make them happy, yes, it’s more than to make you happy temporarily but to let you meet Jesus. Those who meet Jesus Christ will never be the same again and he or she will be a new creation for better of for worse. Actually our purpose of coming here is that we want revival to the believers and to those who have not heard Christ will come to know Christ. I often remind the students not to turn either left or right from our objective. Fun stuff is good but that’s not the focus, the focus is that we want people to meet the Prince of Peace. We showed them that movies ‘In the Beginning’.
Day Fifteen: 22/12/2006, Friday. We set out to different houses of nonbelievers to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Good news, the house we went yesterday had good dreams—that she dreamed of some angels.
In the afternoon we went up to ‘Pa Ne Aye Lah Church’ for a birthday thanksgiving where I preached on Matt. 16: 16, the great confession of Peter. Tonight we moved to ‘Olive Church’ where I asked one student to preach. They did a good job. The current was a bit too low and I couldn’t use the overhead projector. I am glad the students got really well that our objective is more than to make the people happy, we are here to make Christ the real Lord and savior.
Day Sixteen: Saturday, 23/12/2006, we went around with the Church youths to nonbelievers’ houses. We came back for a very good forum. I told the youth of the church to visit and do the follow up after we left.
We moved to another church ‘Bathney’ church, the pastor’s house is not far away from the previous church. The name of the pastor is ‘Lah Say Oo’ a young man with promising prospect. But he is leaving for the third country very soon if things work out according to expectation. I preached again that same evening on the Book of Revelation 3:15, 16; Rev. Pae Thu preached at mid night service. Rev. Pae Thu told me that everything I preached is from God and that we just have to hope it falls on the good soil. The next morning, he told me again that what I preach will keep on living. I was greatly encouraged by his presence and his serene posture. I really like this pastor. He is a man of God.
Day seventeen: 24/12/2006. I preached on a very evangelistic sermon this morning. We went out preaching after the service. I preached to three people, all of them accepted the Lord. One of them has been a hard nut to crack; the pastor told me that he ran away on two three occasions when the pastor tried to talk to him of Jesus Christ. The pastor was surprised that the man willingly accepted Christ, he and his family. We came back for a very interesting forum; students reported some very encouraging news and some frustrating news as well. I am glad the pastor promised they will do their best with the follow up. This church consists mainly of animists and it is still a young church. This Church will grow.
We came back to the Bible School that evening. Many young people accompanied us.
The bad news we heard was that a long time leader of our KNU (Saw Bo Mya) had died this morning and it is in deed a lost to the Karen Revolution. He rest in Peace at the age of 79 upon completing his duty as a very enduring leader of the Karen Nation.
Day Eighteen: 25/12/2006, Monday
We celebrated Christmas in the Bible School, David, a minister from US did the preaching. Sitt Lin, one of my former students was translating. Sitt Lin takes care of me very nicely. We played two games of volley ball, we lost real bad. I discussed with David Walter Wink’s interpretation of turning the other cheek, give your tunic, going the second mile. He said that was interesting. I did this discussion with David because he told me that the Thai authority wouldn’t allow them to complete the school building that they have been constructing.
Day Nineteen: 26/12/2006, Tuesday
We visited the Kayan Karen (Padaung), I preached to a young kayan girl who claims to know18 languages of the world. I told her about Jesus Christ who came to save every individual who confesses his name and believes in Him. She has no trouble swallowing it but the bad news is that she is very pluralistic. I told her every religion may be good but the only person who can offer salvation is none other than Jesus Christ. I promised I will try to arrange an English Bible for her to read. She is pretty.
Day Twenty: 27/12/2006, Wednesday
We mainly took rest, watched some movies and things like that today, some students went back down to the camp to participate in a wedding ceremony.
28/12/2006, we went to a church in a nearby town called Nonswear, I preached there through interpreter. The pastor is a Thai-karen, he did a good job translating for me, I guess. I am glad to have preached very satisfactorily on the last day. The last sermon was a good one.
Appendix: Actually the karanni want themselves be called ‘Karanni’ for political reason. They do not like the Burmese’ term ‘kayah’ because kayah is just one of the sub-tribes inside Karanni. Karanni, in fact, consists of Kayah, Manu-Manaw, Paku, Kayaw, Kayan (long neck Karen), p’reh, Bwe. The Burmese term ‘kayah’ actually is a compartmentalized term to divide and rule the Karen people. As a matter of fact, the Burmese term the kayan as padaung which the kayans believe is a barbarous term and they thus prefer kayan.
Very unfortunately, the Karanni is also divided into different fractions, they have (KLT, KNPP, Nagar, Red Star, etc,) KLTT works with the Burmese. It is really sad to see them divided which cost them a great deal too, like the way it costs the KNU because of the DKBA.
Well, this is a story of how God uses ordinary individuals to bring the world back to Him and I hope you pray for the Karanni Mission. Churches there need support, reinforcement, prayers and encouragement. I will appreciate your involvement in this Karanni Mission endeavor as they struggle on, in spite of all the odds they are up against to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. I am proud to have led the first ever group from the KKBBSC (Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School and College), a group of fifteen people to Karanni areas and it is a real joy to see many lives changed and many people being introduced to Jesus Christ and some souls acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior within the span of twenty eight days.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Youth Endeavor
The KKBC’s Youth stream consists of seven areas of Church associations: from South to North ranging along the Thai-Burmese border.
1. Tavoy Mergui Area
2. East Daw Na Area
3. Thoo Mwei Area (1)
4. Mae Ra Moe Area
5. Cholodraw Area
6. Has Mu Ber Area
7. Shwe Gyin Area
We are supporting 7 workers who represent each of the 7 areas and we can give only 2500 Baths a year which I actually want to increase if possible. This amounts to 17, 500 Bahts each year. We also pay six workers in our youth department, the Chair Person, the Vice Chairperson, the general secretary and assistant general secretary, the treasure and one office worker. So we have to spend another 15,000 Bahts each year too. We used to send medicines, sport equipments to those areas, especially the IDP (Internally Displaced People) areas. We also support a Bible School student who is now in his first year of the Karen Section (KTS). It is a four year course and we give him 5000 Bahts a year. I mean we can afford only that much.
This year, 2006, we are doing a music video which will portray the Karen situations in general: video clips from the IDP, the Internally Displaced People’s areas and some views of our struggle in and around the camp. We try to work on this music video with a goal to motivate our youngsters both here and around the world to put more efforts into the Karen’s struggle for freedom and justice. It is basically a praise and worship album, and with a motive to conscientize people of our socio-political situations as well. The name of the album is "our living testimony" Now that the music video is out and it is on sale with resonable price of 100 Thai Bahts.
A Note from the Youth's Secretary
My name is Saw Wado I was born in 1975, August 12, at the peak of the Burmese military operation against the Karen National Union. The whole village, i.e. Pitaka village was burned down by the military regime, a day or two before I was born. All villagers fled to the jungle including my family just to give birth to me inside a deep jungle.
My father was a freedom fighter. He started a counter-operation in our village area against the Burmese regime by seeing in full length the cruelty of the regime. He first fought alone, was later joined by his elder brother who was anxious about my father safety. Later some villages joined them in that counter movement.
My father was captured later, and put into prison for five years. I was raised in a war, zone at the depth of turmoil and poverty. My father was released and came home thinking to lead a new and peaceful life. That dream was shattered and the whole family life was at risk when we were under constant watch.
I had to leave my village for my education’s sake. I finished my matrix at No (1) High School, Mae La Karen Refugee Camp, and then I went back to my village for a year of teaching in our village’s middle school. I came back to the camp the next year to enroll for my Bachelor of Theological Studies at KawThooLei Karen Baptist Bible School (KKBBS) than, and now is KKBBSC, ‘Collage’ is added to that name by 2000. By way of God’s chance I was chosen along with Teetoh to further our studies at OTS.
At OTS (Oriental Theological Seminary), we did what we could to be good students though our background in English and our knowledge of theology was not in par. We had no time to blame our background; all we did, I guess, was tried our hearts out.
I finished my M.Div. Degree with the academic excellence Award, while Teetoh tugged the most improved student title under his belt. Then, we were given another degree called Th.M. That meant another two years of hard work. We were also given a quarter of teaching opportunity to M.Div. students as assistant teachers. After finishing all we had to do, it was time, we knew, we had to head back to the camp from where we were sent.
The journey back home was exciting, heart-pounding, risky, and full of uncertainties. However, God’s directing we reached the camp safe and sound, life goes on!
I can now smile while looking back upon those bitter-sweet experiences. Immanuel, God is with us! God has made a way where there seems to be no way. Personally, I can with full confidence and total amazement, say; “He leaded me!”
I am now serving as a teacher of the KKBBSC to equip my younger brothers and sisters so that they may one day become effective instruments of God and for the freedom of our Karen people. I want to see the Gospel spread like wild-fire in and around Burma through the faithful service of Karen people. So the Burma will one day be free from the bondage of Satan.
And I am also serving as the general secretary of the Youth Department in KKBC (KawThooLei Karen Baptist Churches). My dream is a spiritual awakening or revival among young people during my three years stay in office.
A wild dream
The Karens are universally weak in two things. 1. Politics 2. Economics. This weakness is actually a cultural identity. The Karens are actually simple minded people and are not attracted to high standard lifestyle. They are peaceful and are not aggressive about issues like human rights, freedom, justice or economic development. These things boil down to our cultural values and under developed educational system.
Our day-to-day struggles have, may be, blind-folded us from seeing a distant future and we are left to live only on a one-day-at-a-time basis. Our future is actually scary, considering the fact that prices are higher each day and those who have been helping us will have to increase, or may be even double their donations each year. We can easily imagine the hardship that is to come from not-a-very-distant future if we cannot become self-support in some ways or if we cannot recirculate these helps that we get in some sustainable ways. Prices, higher; population, increases; alas, we need to take control, work on some workable solutions. We need to rise up, I guess to mend some mend able leaks.
The UNHCR’s leadership in sending people for a third- country resettlement is one of the solutions, and yet this thing does not touch the Karen’s root-cause problem. I mean what the Karens need is more than this privilege. They need a land in which they can settle peacefully with freedom and dignity. The Karens, I feel, generally are not opportunistic business people. They seek their destination, not foreign resettlement. Their hope is rooted deep in their belief of the ‘Promised Land,’ their mother land and not in some utopian third countries.
However, many families left the camp for the third countries’ option; many will be leaving as far as my knowledge is concerned. Their reasons of leaving are educations and economics. It looks like many people have lost hope or are in the process of loosing hope in the Karen cause; they don’t want to live in a place where they have nothing to live for.
Moreover, more and more people seek to become Thai-citizens by paying some 50,000 Baths or so to some Thai-Karen villagers to acquire the Thai Identity Cards. This thing, too, can dilute our sense of responsibility toward our Karen cause.
The camp-arrest live is not a bad opting comparing to the IDP (the Internally Displaced People), provided we have things to live for, or when we hold a job of some sort at hand. Unfortunately, all the major shops are run and controlled by Muslim people in all the Karen Refugee Camps; some of them are hardly refugees. Refugee status, for them, is just a mask or an excuse for the business opportunity. Now, money goes to them flow into endless pits. Almost nothing returns to the Karen revolution, the Karen Churches, the Karen organizations, etc.
What would it be if these shops are managed by the Karen themselves in all the Karen Refugee camps along the border? There would be a difference.
Even when a time comes for us to go back one day, settle in our homeland; honestly, we do not want to see foreigners rather than our own people leading in our business, entrepreneurship and market system.
The Karen themselves will be their own example and inspiration in their struggle to become a peaceful and well-to-do nation.
I still believe in the oppressed themselves being their own example and inspiration and in the process of their own liberation. I value outside supports which we will do very badly without them. The Karen themselves will have to rise up; they will have to link up with each other and shout for our freedom. Nothing is like doing it ourselves. We have been receiving flowing help from NGOs, from different organizations, from individual donors, and so on; but these helps should not flow into endless pits. These are things I want to see done among the Karen people; if not sooner, it has to be done later. But these are as urgent as a life and death situation which every Karen should put first priority in. There are three most important things:
1. The revival of the Karen churches:
It has been 177 years since we received the Gospel and yet only 25 percents Karen become Christians. Because those professed Christianity are complacent enough to ignore the importance of our situation here and now. The Karen Christians are not relevant to the struggle of the day. It looks like the God the Karens believe in is sick and I do not think it is that same God who brought Israel out of the bondage of Egypt.
Nietzsche said that God is dead. That is the God he believed in. But I don’t think Nietzsche’s God is the same living God who rose from the tomb 2000 years ago.
If the Karens believe in a living God they need to be more living.
I mean God is not a dose of opium for our Karen situation. He is the champion of the weak and the oppressed. He is our solution and not sedation. The Karen churches have to be alive and kicking.
I mean, the church should rise up not to spread the church; or to increase materials inside churches, but to spread the kingdom of God. The duty of the church is not to maintain the status quo of institutions but to move forward and orient toward the kingdom of God. The focus of the church is not materialism but people and their souls. The first and last word of the church is not to glorify the church but to glorify God the Father who is in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Karen Economic:
The kingdom of God that Jesus wanted to establish is not in Moon or in Mars. He said, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” What actually is the Kingdom of God?
Is it some impractical things that we can perceive after we die? Or is it something that we can experience in a concrete historical situation? The actualization of the kingdom came with the person of Jesus Christ and the final realization is yet to come in the future. The rule of the kingdom of God is peace, justice, forgiveness prosperity and wholeness. And the rule of the kingdom of God touches every aspects of human life.
Economic well being is an essential part of human life, and this, I think, is the duty of the church to take on the issue of poverty very seriously.
The Karens are peaceful people and weak in doing business. Be it in Burma or inside refugees’ camps, we will rarely see Karen running shops. The Karens are not shop keepers. This is not a good trait. For economic independence is equally important as political freedom. All the major shops and businesses are run by Muslims in all the Karen refugees’ camps. And where does this money go? It may not come back to Karen causes such as Karen churches, Karen revolution, Karen organization etc…
If shops are run and managed by our own people; money will circulate among us for our use.
Ultimately, the Karens must be self-support if they want the Burmese regime to listen to what they are trying to voice out. (This is where the Community Bank’s idea fits in)
For economic independence is as important as the political freedom.
3. Karen peace process:
How good it is to see brothers live in unity.
The Church has an enormous responsibility to be a servant of the society.
The Church should play an active role in establishing a peaceful society for people to live in. the Karen churches need to rise up and say, “Enough with this division, and enough with this fighting, enough!” The Church needs to work out a solution for the Karen conflicts. To be straight forward, the KKBC (Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Churches) is a servant for the reconciliation process of the two Karen groups. The KKBC, together with KBC (Karen Baptist Convention in Burma) and The TKBC (Thai Karen Baptist Convention) should begin to explore and actualize this task. They should be united. The Karens will one day be united.
This is a dream wild and untamed; a future foretold. These three things, I believe, need to be done. These things are urgent which need a start somewhere; it needs to start here and now. The future we believe in should motivate, shape, revolutionize and eventually transform the present. The force of darkness is soaring high, we are still hoping against hope. However, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and faithful prayers can material this dream one day. The only hope for our Karen people is God. (Saw Wado, Maela Camp)
1. Tavoy Mergui Area
2. East Daw Na Area
3. Thoo Mwei Area (1)
4. Mae Ra Moe Area
5. Cholodraw Area
6. Has Mu Ber Area
7. Shwe Gyin Area
We are supporting 7 workers who represent each of the 7 areas and we can give only 2500 Baths a year which I actually want to increase if possible. This amounts to 17, 500 Bahts each year. We also pay six workers in our youth department, the Chair Person, the Vice Chairperson, the general secretary and assistant general secretary, the treasure and one office worker. So we have to spend another 15,000 Bahts each year too. We used to send medicines, sport equipments to those areas, especially the IDP (Internally Displaced People) areas. We also support a Bible School student who is now in his first year of the Karen Section (KTS). It is a four year course and we give him 5000 Bahts a year. I mean we can afford only that much.
This year, 2006, we are doing a music video which will portray the Karen situations in general: video clips from the IDP, the Internally Displaced People’s areas and some views of our struggle in and around the camp. We try to work on this music video with a goal to motivate our youngsters both here and around the world to put more efforts into the Karen’s struggle for freedom and justice. It is basically a praise and worship album, and with a motive to conscientize people of our socio-political situations as well. The name of the album is "our living testimony" Now that the music video is out and it is on sale with resonable price of 100 Thai Bahts.
A Note from the Youth's Secretary
My name is Saw Wado I was born in 1975, August 12, at the peak of the Burmese military operation against the Karen National Union. The whole village, i.e. Pitaka village was burned down by the military regime, a day or two before I was born. All villagers fled to the jungle including my family just to give birth to me inside a deep jungle.
My father was a freedom fighter. He started a counter-operation in our village area against the Burmese regime by seeing in full length the cruelty of the regime. He first fought alone, was later joined by his elder brother who was anxious about my father safety. Later some villages joined them in that counter movement.
My father was captured later, and put into prison for five years. I was raised in a war, zone at the depth of turmoil and poverty. My father was released and came home thinking to lead a new and peaceful life. That dream was shattered and the whole family life was at risk when we were under constant watch.
I had to leave my village for my education’s sake. I finished my matrix at No (1) High School, Mae La Karen Refugee Camp, and then I went back to my village for a year of teaching in our village’s middle school. I came back to the camp the next year to enroll for my Bachelor of Theological Studies at KawThooLei Karen Baptist Bible School (KKBBS) than, and now is KKBBSC, ‘Collage’ is added to that name by 2000. By way of God’s chance I was chosen along with Teetoh to further our studies at OTS.
At OTS (Oriental Theological Seminary), we did what we could to be good students though our background in English and our knowledge of theology was not in par. We had no time to blame our background; all we did, I guess, was tried our hearts out.
I finished my M.Div. Degree with the academic excellence Award, while Teetoh tugged the most improved student title under his belt. Then, we were given another degree called Th.M. That meant another two years of hard work. We were also given a quarter of teaching opportunity to M.Div. students as assistant teachers. After finishing all we had to do, it was time, we knew, we had to head back to the camp from where we were sent.
The journey back home was exciting, heart-pounding, risky, and full of uncertainties. However, God’s directing we reached the camp safe and sound, life goes on!
I can now smile while looking back upon those bitter-sweet experiences. Immanuel, God is with us! God has made a way where there seems to be no way. Personally, I can with full confidence and total amazement, say; “He leaded me!”
I am now serving as a teacher of the KKBBSC to equip my younger brothers and sisters so that they may one day become effective instruments of God and for the freedom of our Karen people. I want to see the Gospel spread like wild-fire in and around Burma through the faithful service of Karen people. So the Burma will one day be free from the bondage of Satan.
And I am also serving as the general secretary of the Youth Department in KKBC (KawThooLei Karen Baptist Churches). My dream is a spiritual awakening or revival among young people during my three years stay in office.
A wild dream
The Karens are universally weak in two things. 1. Politics 2. Economics. This weakness is actually a cultural identity. The Karens are actually simple minded people and are not attracted to high standard lifestyle. They are peaceful and are not aggressive about issues like human rights, freedom, justice or economic development. These things boil down to our cultural values and under developed educational system.
Our day-to-day struggles have, may be, blind-folded us from seeing a distant future and we are left to live only on a one-day-at-a-time basis. Our future is actually scary, considering the fact that prices are higher each day and those who have been helping us will have to increase, or may be even double their donations each year. We can easily imagine the hardship that is to come from not-a-very-distant future if we cannot become self-support in some ways or if we cannot recirculate these helps that we get in some sustainable ways. Prices, higher; population, increases; alas, we need to take control, work on some workable solutions. We need to rise up, I guess to mend some mend able leaks.
The UNHCR’s leadership in sending people for a third- country resettlement is one of the solutions, and yet this thing does not touch the Karen’s root-cause problem. I mean what the Karens need is more than this privilege. They need a land in which they can settle peacefully with freedom and dignity. The Karens, I feel, generally are not opportunistic business people. They seek their destination, not foreign resettlement. Their hope is rooted deep in their belief of the ‘Promised Land,’ their mother land and not in some utopian third countries.
However, many families left the camp for the third countries’ option; many will be leaving as far as my knowledge is concerned. Their reasons of leaving are educations and economics. It looks like many people have lost hope or are in the process of loosing hope in the Karen cause; they don’t want to live in a place where they have nothing to live for.
Moreover, more and more people seek to become Thai-citizens by paying some 50,000 Baths or so to some Thai-Karen villagers to acquire the Thai Identity Cards. This thing, too, can dilute our sense of responsibility toward our Karen cause.
The camp-arrest live is not a bad opting comparing to the IDP (the Internally Displaced People), provided we have things to live for, or when we hold a job of some sort at hand. Unfortunately, all the major shops are run and controlled by Muslim people in all the Karen Refugee Camps; some of them are hardly refugees. Refugee status, for them, is just a mask or an excuse for the business opportunity. Now, money goes to them flow into endless pits. Almost nothing returns to the Karen revolution, the Karen Churches, the Karen organizations, etc.
What would it be if these shops are managed by the Karen themselves in all the Karen Refugee camps along the border? There would be a difference.
Even when a time comes for us to go back one day, settle in our homeland; honestly, we do not want to see foreigners rather than our own people leading in our business, entrepreneurship and market system.
The Karen themselves will be their own example and inspiration in their struggle to become a peaceful and well-to-do nation.
I still believe in the oppressed themselves being their own example and inspiration and in the process of their own liberation. I value outside supports which we will do very badly without them. The Karen themselves will have to rise up; they will have to link up with each other and shout for our freedom. Nothing is like doing it ourselves. We have been receiving flowing help from NGOs, from different organizations, from individual donors, and so on; but these helps should not flow into endless pits. These are things I want to see done among the Karen people; if not sooner, it has to be done later. But these are as urgent as a life and death situation which every Karen should put first priority in. There are three most important things:
1. The revival of the Karen churches:
It has been 177 years since we received the Gospel and yet only 25 percents Karen become Christians. Because those professed Christianity are complacent enough to ignore the importance of our situation here and now. The Karen Christians are not relevant to the struggle of the day. It looks like the God the Karens believe in is sick and I do not think it is that same God who brought Israel out of the bondage of Egypt.
Nietzsche said that God is dead. That is the God he believed in. But I don’t think Nietzsche’s God is the same living God who rose from the tomb 2000 years ago.
If the Karens believe in a living God they need to be more living.
I mean God is not a dose of opium for our Karen situation. He is the champion of the weak and the oppressed. He is our solution and not sedation. The Karen churches have to be alive and kicking.
I mean, the church should rise up not to spread the church; or to increase materials inside churches, but to spread the kingdom of God. The duty of the church is not to maintain the status quo of institutions but to move forward and orient toward the kingdom of God. The focus of the church is not materialism but people and their souls. The first and last word of the church is not to glorify the church but to glorify God the Father who is in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Karen Economic:
The kingdom of God that Jesus wanted to establish is not in Moon or in Mars. He said, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” What actually is the Kingdom of God?
Is it some impractical things that we can perceive after we die? Or is it something that we can experience in a concrete historical situation? The actualization of the kingdom came with the person of Jesus Christ and the final realization is yet to come in the future. The rule of the kingdom of God is peace, justice, forgiveness prosperity and wholeness. And the rule of the kingdom of God touches every aspects of human life.
Economic well being is an essential part of human life, and this, I think, is the duty of the church to take on the issue of poverty very seriously.
The Karens are peaceful people and weak in doing business. Be it in Burma or inside refugees’ camps, we will rarely see Karen running shops. The Karens are not shop keepers. This is not a good trait. For economic independence is equally important as political freedom. All the major shops and businesses are run by Muslims in all the Karen refugees’ camps. And where does this money go? It may not come back to Karen causes such as Karen churches, Karen revolution, Karen organization etc…
If shops are run and managed by our own people; money will circulate among us for our use.
Ultimately, the Karens must be self-support if they want the Burmese regime to listen to what they are trying to voice out. (This is where the Community Bank’s idea fits in)
For economic independence is as important as the political freedom.
3. Karen peace process:
How good it is to see brothers live in unity.
The Church has an enormous responsibility to be a servant of the society.
The Church should play an active role in establishing a peaceful society for people to live in. the Karen churches need to rise up and say, “Enough with this division, and enough with this fighting, enough!” The Church needs to work out a solution for the Karen conflicts. To be straight forward, the KKBC (Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Churches) is a servant for the reconciliation process of the two Karen groups. The KKBC, together with KBC (Karen Baptist Convention in Burma) and The TKBC (Thai Karen Baptist Convention) should begin to explore and actualize this task. They should be united. The Karens will one day be united.
This is a dream wild and untamed; a future foretold. These three things, I believe, need to be done. These things are urgent which need a start somewhere; it needs to start here and now. The future we believe in should motivate, shape, revolutionize and eventually transform the present. The force of darkness is soaring high, we are still hoping against hope. However, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and faithful prayers can material this dream one day. The only hope for our Karen people is God. (Saw Wado, Maela Camp)
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