Shoutlouder

Pray for the Karen People

// June 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Missions, Prayer

I just got this email from a member of our church who is currently working in the mission field out in Burma / Thailand. It’s horrible to think what is happening – but I firmly believe we have a God who reigns over all things and His promises are that He will respond to our prayers… if we just ask “in His name”. I’ve included the email here for you to read in Fiona’s own words. Please do pray!

I am just writing with a prayer request. If you have a chance i would appreciate your support in prayer. Thank you!

Last week i moved out to a village school called No Boh, it is on Thai soil but very close to the Thai-Burmese border, near a village called Maesalit and approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from Maesot, a large border town. I am volunteering through an organisation called ‘Partners’ and had planned to teach English for 1 month before returning to the UK at the end of June.

All the children in the school (from age 10-20) are Karen children (an ethnic group from Burma). Most of the children come to the school from nearby refugee camps or leave their families in Burma and cross the border to study at the school. They mostly all live in dorms there and are almost all Christians as the Karen are a Christian people.

After i had been teaching there for a few days, i received word that the Burmese Army (SPDC) troops were advancing on the otherside of the river/border and preparing to fight and that i would have to leave. After one rather sleepless night with my belongings packed by my bed as instructed, ready to run if necessary, i was picked up and driven back to Maesot.

The children and teachers are still there. Since then the situation has escalated dramatically. Troops have been restrengthened and there are now 1000’s of Burmese SPDC troops in this border area on the Burmese side. The troops are trying to take over land along a stretch of approximately 30km of the border that has previously belonged to the Karen people, and are forcing the Karen people from this land. They have fired 60 rounds of mortars into the Karen area, and are forcing any people they find to work as porters carrying their supplies, or to walk ahead of them and clear the area of landmines. At this point they have not started full-scale fighting or burnt any houses, but this is likely to follow.

The Karen resistance force (Karen National Union) are attempting to defend the land and the remaining people. There are still many people hiding in the jungle and trying to flee into Thailand.

At this point in time 4200 people have fled the Karen land and crossed the border into Thailand. These displaced people were forced to flee with their families, children and all they could carry of their belongings. Some are sheltering in a Thai school, temples, and caves but others have no where to shelter. It is monsoon season and right now the pouring rain is relentless. ‘Partners’ have supplied as much food, clothing and medical aid as is financially possible up to this point but no other NGO’s have provided supplies over the weekend. Thai soldiers at checkpoints along the route make it very difficult for aid to successfully get through to the people.

Please pray:

- for the thousands of people who have fled and are still fleeing
- for other and larger NGOs to respond to the huge and immediate need
- for aid to get through the checkpoints
- for compassion from Thai people towards the displaced people
- for the KNU as they defend their land
- that the SPDC will not be able to cross onto Thai soil (this happened previously in 2001)
- for defeat and retreat of the SPDC

Reading reports like this, it is easy to forget that each one of those 4000+ people is an individual, with a life, hopes, fears and a family. Please do not forget the Karen people, who have been fleeing in this way for many years. Pray for peace for Burma and an end to the evil miltary junta’s rule over the country. Pray for democracy and justice.

For more information about Partners, or to donate money: www.partnersworld.org. If you would like your money designated to this situation please let them know.
For more information about the situation in Burma: www.freeburmarangers.org
For up-to-date reporting on the fighting: www.irrawaddy.org

I am hoping to be able to return to No Boh school as soon as possible but until then will be teaching at another school in a different area.

God bless you, and thank you
Fiona

catching up with the hartlands…

// August 4th, 2008 // No Comments » // Interview, Missions

I love the fact that these days you can sit on either side of the planet and have a conversation with another person as easily as if they were across the desk from you – and you can do it for free (if you discount the cost of the computer, software, broadband connection, wireless router… yeh great ‘free!’)

Every now and then I get the opportunity to Skype with Rich & Katie Hartland. They’ve been part of Hope City Church for years – Rich originally arriving as student early in the days of my student pastoring. He eventually became part of the student team in Sheffield, then when he and Katie got together, got involved in the kids ministry ending up in Leeds as we took things on. But it had been a call of God on their lives for a number of years to go out and work with a church and mission in the Phillipines.

Last year we had the awesome privlidge of sending them out with the knowledge that they would have at least 2 years support from us as a church to ensure they could get on and make a difference. And a difference they are making..

I’m going to interview Rich & Katie this week on skype as a way of catching up with how things are going – but before I do I thought it would be great to pull together some questions from those of you who are interested in missions work and want to know ask something a little more searching than – ’so how’s things?’

So I’m hoping to interview them later this week – if you have a question – post it in the comments below. Then I’ll post the interview on skype to share with you all soon!