"Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did this [clothe, feed, provide for] for the least of these, you did it to Me [Jesus Christ]." Matthew 25:40
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." Proverbs 31:8
Back home a few years ago I was involved in a juvenile ministry with Lindsay and the Soldiers of The Cross. This was before we were even dating. Then I started attending a prison ministry with the same group. We then were dating and soon married. Since then we have been involved in various things including a place called Outreach, Inc. This is a place for homeless kids under the age of 25 years old. The things we saw, heard and talked about with these homeless kids would be enough to make the average person blush. These were all important experiences that would be preparing us for things throughout our life as a team.
While God has allowed us to work with some of the less fortunate in our society, this past weekend was different. We've always worked with people who know where they belong - even if they are in prison or don't have a place to call home, they have all known that they were citizens of a nation. The children and adults we were with this weekend don't have a nation to call their home. They are running from their nation where there is outright genocide going on right now - and has been going on for decades. There are millions of people who are systematically being wiped away by the Burmese army, and those who are able to are literally running for their lives. They are running on their feet for weeks or months from Burma into Thailand, but Thailand can't possibly house millions of extra people. Right now there are 9 refugee camps set up, and they are over capacity by thousands.
We were at what's called a "migrant school" this weekend. This is a school for children who can't get into refugee camps. There were about 250 kids living on the school's campus. Their parents are either still in Burma, have a spot in a refugee camp, have been killed, or are trying to get papers so they can live legally in Thailand.
Partners International is a Christian organization working with the people in refugee camps and migrant communities throughout the Thailand border. We and 36 others from the Grace community (students, teachers, and parents) got to help Partners with their annual Christmas party for the students at the Thu Mae Kee migrant school. There are some pictures below. We've also updated pictures on our Flickr account. You can get to those by clicking the link in the upper right of this screen.
There are also several incredible stories about the lives of those still in Burma and the rescue efforts that are being made daily on their behalf. Here are some links if you'd like some more information, as hard as that information is to hear.
Free Burma Rangers
International Justice Mission
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| Bret and the boys playing in the river that is the border between Thailand and Burma |
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| Our students led the children in outdoor games all day Saturday. |
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| How many people could you fit on a truck? |
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