Plead My Cause!
The following program has been written for the web page, church services and meetings in the United States. It by no means is an authority on the Karen people, their culture, or the country of Thailand, its government or its natural environment. It is written from personal observations, readings, experiences and what I have been told over the past 10 months of our stay here.----“Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: 
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man,for Thou art the God of my strength. Why dost thou cast me off?Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?O send out thy light and thy truth. Let them lead me,Psalms 43:1-3---Plead my cause! I see them coming now, many feet, calloused and worn, thongs thin, torn and mended many times, or no footwear at all. Feet used to walking in all directions of road and jungle.
Feet that in the past have walked many miles daily over steep mountain passes in Burma, to sell their wares on the Thai side, and buy a meager supply of food for their families. Feet that have run in terror from their enemies in an attempt to escape torture, slavery and death. Feet that have carried heavy loads of wood, charcoal, bamboo, banana stalks, water, rice, roots and other food found in the jungle. Now feet that carry babies snuggly tied to their backs, or the feet of those with malaria, pneumonia, asthma, sores, major infections, gastric ulcers, trauma etc. 
or feet that feel their way because of blindness down the street and up our driveway. I have noted they bear their physical pain and mental anguish with calmness, even good cheer. They will smile through the painful procedures like draining abscesses, or numbing up terrible wounds. The mother whose 7 year old child gets rushed to the hospital unconscious in her lap, holds a steady, unemotional face. I see them coming now, determined and steady, with purpose and direction. They come seeking help, healing and love. They recognize that there are people who really care, people who pray with them, laugh with them and cry with them seeking to bring about healing, to do them good not evil. They have not had that kind of love and care in their war torn and bitter past. Some have come a long way to receive help for their ailments. They cannot all fit on the spacious front porch which serves as a clinic all morning and sometimes far into the afternoon. This is a typical day in the life of a nurse here in north western Thailand, a nurse who retired from a nursing career in 1997. A nurse who did not ever like pediatric nursing, who also believed that 23 years of emergency department nursing was enough, and told her mother that if she had to work for a living again, it would be any kind of work other than nursing. This statement was made just 2 weeks prior to receiving a surprise call from God to go to Thailand.
How it HappenedLets back up to the very day it happened. It was May 20, 2009, when my best friend Lisa Sharon called me and said they needed someone to go to northwest Thailand near the Myanmar border and fill in for Paul and Lena Adams and family who were working with the Karen people in Thailand. They were going to America on furlough June 16!! The Lay Klo Yah school which was just across the river on the Burma side needed overseeing, and the surrounding health needs sounded big. The fact that I was a nurse made me the right one to send. I was very surprised and simply told her that I had no money and I had stepped out of nursing 12 years ago. What did I know? I would have to really pray, before I gave an answer to that one. It seemed humanly impossible to just cut off all life as I then knew it and be out of here so quickly. The time period to work there was in question, Lisa thought maybe one month, very vague. True, the boys and I did have our passports because last year we thought we would go on a tour to see South East Asia, but the Lord had closed that door. We thought that was the end of it. My favorite retreat for earnest prayer was the 4 mile loop around our country block. I was on my way very quickly, as I felt a desperate need to know the Lord’s will in this most preposterous proposition. I felt quite certain that the Lord would not have the boys and I go so far so suddenly, how could it even be possible to do? As I ran, I spoke to God for 2 miles. Then I listened for the next 2 miles. The only thought that came to me during that time was “Ask God for the money needed if he wants you to go.” So I asked him and returned home refreshed and peaceful. The subject did not enter my mind the next day as I was driving my car. Then Lisa called me. She said, “Are you sitting down?” “Why yes” I said, “I’m driving my car.” She quickly told me that money had come in for the boys and I to fly round trip to Thailand and I better hurry up and send in for our visas as they take time to receive by mail. She also told me we were needed there for 3 months, not one. I stopped the car and sat with my mouth wide open, re-living the thought that God gave me on my run just yesterday. God sent the money in one day! He is in this! He wants us to go to Thailand! OK Lord, help me get the visas, they are expensive too! Needless to say, God gave us the money for our visas also, along with almost $700 dollars worth of natural medication donated, which proved to be a major blessing. Within 26 days of our first telephone call, we were on our way! History of the KarenLet me share with you a little history of the Karen people. They are very sweet, kind, gentle, peaceable, quiet, and religious. They occupy a large area in northeast Burma called Karen State. Sadly, they are fought by 2 different armies:
1) The Burmese army. They feel threatened by the large population of Karen. Theycarry an ongoing hatred of them. Thirteen years ago they made the statement that in 10 years the only place you’ll see a Karen is in a museum. They kill thousands, destroying entire villages, taking many as slaves and leaving only ashes and stubble in their wake. I am told that there are 2 armies among the Burmese. The 2 groups fight against religions.
2) The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). This is the most brutal, violent and cruel army known to mankind. These are Karen Buddhist soldiers who turned against their own people and violate them unspeakably. They torture and destroy in ways too vile to even mention. Human life to them is worthless. Thousands upon thousands have died at their handsThe Karen have an army also, but how can they withstand the corruption and violence that sweeps their land. Many Karen people were forced to leave Burma and live in small villages on the Thai side. Many have been wounded or killed by land mines planted by the DKBA around the paths leading out of Burma , and in all sorts of unexpected places. Those that weren’t killed by them have lost legs, arms, eyesight, or sustain internal problems. The Thai government is concerned with so many illegal immigrants. They send soldiers continuously to try to force schools and Karen groups to go back to Burma, but it is not safe for them there. Although there are Karen villages all throughout Thailand from years ago, the Karen people on the border are not allowed to go anywhere in Thailand. They are stuck, without room for gardens and many without friends or family. If they had enough money they could buy a paper that would give them the ability to move, but they have no money and no real way to earn money. There is always unrest along the border. The war between these groups has been going on for 60 years. “Plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.”Not without a struggle!Yes we were on our way to Thailand, but not without a struggle. Satan worked his best to keep us from going. We heard many words of doom and danger from some people, others thought we were absolutely crazy to go halfway around the world. Every day we heard more news about the war at the border, which tried to shake our confidence. One week before we left we heard the terrible news that the DKBA had come to attack the school and take over the area. Everyone had to evacuate, cross the river and come to the Thai side. Danger was everywhere. They had moved the students to a place high up in the mountains further away from the trouble. This news disturbed us. Warfare like this seemed far beyond our comfort zone. We felt a little scared and very inadequate to meet the challenges. Peace and assurance came however when we remembered how clearly the Lord had shown us his will, therefore there was no safer place on earth for us to be. It would be much more dangerous for us to stay where we were in America!Life in Mae SalitThere is much beauty in this area. The seasons are much different than in America. There are 3:
- The hot/dry season, (March-May) with temperatures soaring between 100-120, and no chance of rain.
- The rainy season, (June-Sept), when you hardly see the sun. In fact it seems hard to find enough air to breath when walking outside sometimes, there is so much rain!
- The cold season, (Oct.-Feb.) temperatures plunging down to 60-90.
I am ashamed to admit it, but the climate is so hot, that after I had been here just 6 months, in the dead of winter, I stood on the porch after dark. There was a faint breeze stirring which gave me chill bumps. “I better go in out of the cold, I thought.” there was a thermometer on a ledge that I checked on my way in, - - 73 degrees! The rainy season, which is putting it mildly, seems like the bottom falls out of a whole olympic size swimming pool on top of your house, and that can keep up all night!
Coming from the driest, part of Montana, the heavy rains were refreshing and satisfying to us at first, but as the rain persisted all day, all night and all the time, it begins to lose its appeal! The rivers and streams swell and overflow their banks, and you wonder how the land can handle so much water, but all the vegetation seems to love it.
During this time of year you cannot find a dead leaf, or plant, or anything brown in the jungle. It is beautiful. Following all the rains, it is wonderful to experience the dry season.
The moon seems extra bright and large here during this time and towards morning there always settles in a mist.
This must give the plants just enough water to survive, because year round your eyes are greeted with gorgeous flowers, on the trees, bushes, plants and vines. Nothing can compare with the variation and loveliness that the Lord created in the flowers here!
In great contrast to the flowers, I must tell you about the creepy, crawly, slithery things! I cannot tell you which of these rank my worst favorite, because they are all at the top of the list! We will start with snakes.
There is a great variety. Most are poisonous but some are not. Some are a bright green, some red striped, some black and brown with triangular heads, some are as small as an earth worm and others huge like logs and stretch across 2 lanes of the road. There are 3 types of cobras, one small, one called king cobra (up to 15meters long), and one spitting cobra which is the deadliest of all snakes. They have excellent aim and spit at the victim’s eyes. After the spit poison enters the eye, that person has only 7 minutes to live! They can also bite. I am very proud to tell you that I have not seen that type of snake yet. It is always a good plan to have a Karen person go ahead on the foot paths! They are always alert to danger and see and kill the snakes before I have even realized there was danger nearby! I don’t know about you, but I count all snakes poisonous!
Spiders are another story! There are huge ones called terranchelas. Big as a man’s opened hand! They are hairy and have fat bodies and short heavy legs. I could not tell you names of any others except they are all too gross. Micah tells me that the large brown spiders which like to stay in the thatched leaf roofs are not poisonous. The boys play with them sometimes, but not me! Many times I have screamed in horror as I fling one off my shirt or skirt. One day we were going to a village 5 km away. I decided to leave sooner and run for 30 minutes, and then Micah would come and pick me up on his motorbike. When he stopped next to me, I was just swinging my leg over to get on, when I saw a large terranchela sitting just behind him on the seat. Micah did not know he already had a passenger! He would not get another passenger either until that one was disposed of! I don’t know about you, but I count all spiders poisonous!
Scorpions are another creature to avoid. However they are hard to spot, and one gets stung before ever noticing that curly tail. The small ones are more painful than the large ones, but the large ones are more deadly. They can kill a small child or older person. Micah got stung one evening on his right toe by a small one. He can testify of the throbbing intense pain that lasts about 3 days. Often on the motorbike going on jungle dirt roads, you see these evil upturned tails running across the road.Lizards should be mentioned as they inhabit every house and building. Different varieties range from 3 inches long to over a foot. The only 2 I am familiar with are the 3 inch, which seem pretty harmless.
They mind their own business and run away if you get near which is fine with me. However they are numerous, I even noticed one having a nice meal at the hospital where I was visiting a patient who couldn’t eat his dinner! Then there are beautiful 12-16 inch long lizards.
They are brown with bright turquoise spots neatly arranged in lines across its face and body. I noticed that when the village women saw one, they would scream and run away. I had not been scared of them. I liked the turquoise color. They always seemed to stay still on the wall. Later I found out that they can be aggressive and bite hard. Their suction-like mouth grabs the flesh and locks into that position so hard that you can pry with a knife as hard as you like, but it does not let go!Stay tuned for more stories about these unpredictable creatures later!Across the street from where we lived was a Thai soldier’s living quarters, than the river, than Burma--DKBA territory! We did not realize how close we really would be to Burma and war!
Many nights we heard horribly loud guns go off as well as land mines exploding. We were too busy to pay a lot of attention to it in the daytime, and too tired at night. Soldiers often marched through the small village closest to us. Mostly they were Thai or Karen soldiers, but at night DKBA soldiers did sometimes come over. Often entire families would become so frightened that they would flee their homes and spend several days at the pagoda house, which was a bit farther away from the river than their homes. Many times I would go into the villages to follow up on a patient and find they had run away to hide. Their fear was well founded as we heard at various times someone had been killed during the night in the villages nearby. Oh how close a friend fear is to these poor people who are so undeserving of it! Oh plead their cause precious Saviour, deliver them from the deceitful and unjust man. I immediately fell in love with the villagers young and old. They love the foreigners. They bring gifts of Karen skirts or shirts that they make by hand with the small amounts of colored threads they have on hand. Each one is made on home-made looms. It takes days to weave enough material for a skirt. They also give gifts of greens they pick in the jungle, tapioca root, or rice which they planted and harvested themselves. Their babies and children are adorable. They smile and wave and stare at you for as long as you are present.
Most of them take bitter medicines without a whimper. relatives of one little 5 year old named E Tip O, told me that he calls me mo mo (mother) and begs to be taken to the porch to see me. I wish I could keep him and be his mother because his mother drinks alcohol and plays cards all night. We give her powdered milk because she cannot nurse her 8 month old baby. We heard that she sells the milk powder we give her, and uses the money to buy alcohol. We were so appalled at this behavior, and the little ones malnutrition, that Lena Adams asked if she could keep it until it recovers and becomes strong. His mother was happy to hand him over. Here are the before and after pictures of this precious one!
We believe this was a miracle, because how could the change be so great just in 3 short weeks? There are many malnourished babies here. The little ones do not stay well because of lack of good food, poor hygiene and lack of good water. I started a schedule of walking through several villages, teaching health and treating the sick. Soon I found that if they did not see me soon enough, they would come to the house and find me. This is how “clinic on the porch” began.What shall I give Thee Master?Oh Lord I cried, who am I in this vast land of people, what can I give you that is of any value here? You have given everything for me and I have nothing to bring you. What can I give you Lord Jesus? Oh I felt so useless and unworthy to bring Jesus to these people. But I found that God uses the little bit of experience and knowledge that we have, multiplies it, shows you more hidden capabilities, brings about beautiful results, and fills you with unexplainable joy in doing it. I am constantly amazed and without words to describe it. We gave up all that we own when we came here, towels, pots and pans, blender, peanut butter, beds, bedding, hot showers, washer and dryer, toilets, sofas, chairs, houses and lands, to mention just a few, but this joy makes all the material things we left behind, seem totally undesirable – even forgotten! Mrs. White said “There is no limit to the usefulness of one who putting self aside, allows room for the working of the Holy Spirit.” I am not saying that we have totally left self aside, no, but with every small step of self sacrifice we feel that it was no sacrifice at all, because we are gaining far more. God gives us the desire, the ability, the good results and everything. We merely pray and give thanks and stand amazed at his great goodness in all things. Here is a story to illustrate this:
- Naw Htoo Lah is a 17 year old student at LKY. She is one of the kindest girls I have ever met. Her smile is charming because it contains the love of Jesus. Naw Htoo Lah took a stand for Jesus not long ago and was baptized along with 12 other students. Her faith was severely tested not long after that. Her family, who are Animists, demanded that she stop going to that school, come home, forget that religion and live as she always used to. She informed us that her father was angry and out of control. She was very frightened to return home. Many students before being baptized have to carefully weigh the cost. Some of their parents want to kill them, or disown them or beat them up. Several teachers and I decided to go home with Naw Htoo Law encouraging her to be strong in the Lord, and to protect her. We had a nice visit with the family that day, but did not meet with any persecution. The true test would be, how they treated her once we left. She was home one week for spring break. When she returned she simply said it was very difficult for her, and she was glad to be back. One week later, the manager of the school told me that Naw Htoo Law’s father was furious again. He said that because of Naw Htoo Law, and her crazy religion, her sister was going to die! They believed every member of the family had to participate in special religious ceremonies, or the spirits would not bring healing. Again the manager and I visited her home. Amid the frowns and harsh eyes of her family, Naw Htoo Law’s face shone like the sun. She was cheerful and calm as she took care of everyone’s needs. She cooked a lovely supper for us all, and cleaned up the house. I went in to see the sick girl. She was 19 years old. Indeed she was partially paralyzed, dangerously anemic and was in terrible pain. I gradually learned her history. She had delivered a baby one month ago. Like most of the Karen women, she had the baby at home with the help of the witch doctor, who always brings the holy water. This is supposed to bring good health. However her delivery brought complications. First of all she lost so much blood that she lost all strength and almost died. During the delivery her back went out of place, causing intense pain down her left side and in both arms. She was barely able to eat since that time. She did not move, but just lay in a pile of dirty rags. She was dying-- I could see that. I went out on the porch to speak with the family about the importance of getting this girl to the hospital. This was not a result of Naw Htoo Law’s baptism; this was sever complications from the delivery. I prayed with the family on the porch, pleading for God to change the hearts of these poor people who were locked in their superstitions which could cause the death of this girl. They persisted in demanding that Naw Htoo Law participate in the family’s rituals. God impressed me to ask about the health of a child on the porch, who was coughing and wheezing. As I listened to his lungs and gave him medicine, many more mothers came asking me to look at their children. What followed was an almost complete emptying of my back pack full of medical supplies! After the children, adults came in with asthma, COPD, chest and back pain, parasites, infections, malaria, ear aches, headaches and rotten teeth. Two and a half hours past! I went into the house to check on the girl again. I prayed aloud beside her weak, emaciated form, pleading with God to release her from the bondage of a godless religion. When I again came to the family on the porch, the interpreter told me that the family was ready to let her go to the hospital. They had seen how I had cared for their sick and decided they should follow my advice. Oh lord, this is not me, You have changed hearts here, you are so good! Next I discovered that the only one left that refused to go to the hospital because of the religious rites was the patient herself!! Again I went to her side and with the help of the interpreter told her, (with as much authority as I could muster up) that I was a registered nurse. I have examined her and can tell that she needs care that cannot be done in her house or I would do it. She must go to the hospital or she will die. I prayed silently and waited for God to work on her heart. In 10 minutes the girl spoke to her husband and told him to prepare to take her out! By now night had fallen. The road into this village was long and difficult to drive. The pathway from this house to the truck was also long, very steep and rough. I watched as the husband and father made a hammock out of blankets and strung it onto bamboo. These people are strong and seem to have the agility of a mountain lion. They seem to be able to see in the dark perfectly too, because as I stumbled over everything in my way using a flash light with almost dead batteries, I was barely able to keep ahead of the men carrying the blanket bamboo with the groaning patient inside. We did get that dear girl to the hospital. After almost 6 weeks of treatment she was able to return home. Gradually her strength is returning.
This is how the Lord works. He is everywhere working for good. Please work for good in this home. “O send out Thy light and Thy truth let them lead me.” (And this family). Ps. 43:3The Boy’s Gift for Their MasterI saw God work in my boys from the start. The first thing that happened was their baptism. I was away in Chaing Mai taking a 2 week medical missionary course. Half way through, the administrator of the LKY School called me saying, “You better come back to the school because there is going to be a very important, special baptism.” I thought long and deep about what he had said. Yes, I did want to attend the baptism. What did he mean by “important and special?” I prayed about it and decided I should skip the rest of the classes and attend it. Before I left, Bradley called me and told me he and Micah would be baptized. I got on the bus and sang all the way back home. What a beautiful baptism it was in the small mountain stream with the sound of rushing water and green plants and trees all around. As the tears streamed down my face I thought, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3John 4
Micah wanted to teach math. The school was delighted and put him in teaching grades one and two.
Sometimes he did substitute for grade 6. He found a skill that he hadn’t dreamed he had. The students loved him and he learned to be a better mathmetition in the process! He also was able to purchase a second hand motorcycle, which is excellent transportation here.
That motorcycle has been a multiple blessing. Not only did he learn to be a skillful driver, but he took me to other villages with my backpack of medical supplies and helped me communicate to the people, as he is learning the language quicker than me. Many roads he has travelled are dangerous, crossing rivers and steep rugged places presenting quite a challenge.
Micah has also shown an interest in the medical work here. He attended a medical missionary class with me last September. Though at 14 he was the youngest one there by far, he learned a lot about the natural way to bring about healing, including a very special body massage which has been proven to cure many types of cancer and numerous other diseases. The Chinese man who taught these classes noticed that Micah did very well. He wanted Micah to be his personal helper, travelling and assisting him in his classes around the world. The only drawback to that plan was that New York City was next on the agenda and Micah had no desire to visit that city. They do still communicate with each other by email. He will take another medical missionary course in July.Bradley has been a huge help to the work here by his good driving skills. He has always loved mechanics and improvising to take care of a problem cheaply. That certainly has been a need here. So many trips we have made to the hospital with severely ill patients.
If I had to do all the driving and the medical care for so many patients every day, I would not be able to last. The driving is very demanding and tiring and also calls for repairs in many different inconvenient locations.
Bradley has become a very skillful driver in Thailand. At 16 years of age, he has become a favorite with most of the soldiers at the check points along the border road. His most satisfying moments have been our top emergencies, when you really wish you had red lights and sirens. One night at midnight he drove an unconscious, barely breathing patient to Meta hospital. Halfway there I could find no pulse. Even in the darkness I could tell her face looked ashen and I could barely detect a breath. It was the rainy season and the sky seemed to dump swimming pools of water on our speeding truck. It was the hand of the Lord that guided Bradley around the sharp corners and to the hospital in time to save a life.Bradley found another skill, carpentry. He was left in charge of a remodeling project. The skill saw, hammer and nails, along with a lovely looking finished product of walls and window frames was a very satisfying experience. Much to his chagrin I had a perfect captive audience for my camera, and he could not escape it!!
Bradley and Micah now testify that all the fun things they left behind in America that consumed their free time and were so hard to leave, like snowmobiles, trucks and 4 wheelers are selfish, empty and useless compared to the fulfillment of working for others who are in need and developing their talents and skills for Jesus. They even left behind their first, good paying, fun job that they both had just started. Now, even with no money, that paled into insignificance compared to the joy of working for God here. They would like to challenge the youth to put their skills, their talents and their spirit of adventure and excitement on the Lord’s side, and experience the joy and lasting happiness that results.Demon Possession I felt the hand of God also, as he reminded me of my long lost nursing skills. I was faced with so many difficult situations and no human being to fall back on. I am slowly learning to trust in the Lord with all my heart. The management of the LKY School itself was in great need at times. Teachers needed encouragement, policies needed to be written, communication was lacking, visiting NGO (non government organization) groups were bringing in gifts for the students which were not according to our standards. There was a group who seemed like they wanted to take over the whole show! A firm hand was needed! I was thankful to God for my management experience in the Emergency Department. It came in handy, as I had learned to handle difficult problems and not shrink into the woodwork, (which still sounds very appealing at times)! In the midst of all this work came demon possession! The most devastating problem we faced here to date was demon possession. It was the middle of August. It happened mainly to girls who were around 12 years of age, although the very first occurrence was in a 15 year old. I was totally off guard because when the teachers brought her to me they said she had been picking wild mushrooms and had eaten some wild fruit. Very shortly afterward she had sudden hard abdominal pain followed by unconsciousness. Oh, Lord, I cried she needs an NG tube and charcoal. I do not have any NG tubes. Her body began seizing and she showed clonic movements in her arms and hands indicative of brain involvement. Her pulse was dangerously slow and her respirations shallow and inadequate. Off we went to the hospital expecting an NG tube and admission. To my amazement after 15 minutes in the ER, she walked out to us and put her head in my lap!! What was this all about? They told me she had psychological problems and should return in the morning to see the psychologist! Now I am very puzzled. Soon however we saw these same symptoms in 4 more girls, age 12. And the horrible truth was known. It was the devil who showed himself blatantly in this area of Thailand. Devil worship, offerings to spirit houses, palm readings and human sacrifices occurred around here. Even our cook, whose daughter attended our school, went to the fortune teller and offered sacrifices. Her daughter became possessed worst of all. Truly this was a catastrophic time. The teachers, my boys and I were clueless on how to handle this. It seemed like a nightmare. Perhaps we would wake up soon. But no, it just got worse. We began a fasting and prayer vigil. Sleep was forgotten as we worked over each possessed person. We would lay the Bible on their chest and sing and pray over them. It took 6-8 strong students to hold them down. They twisted fought and at times yelled out words in Karen that we could not understand at the time. Two godly pastors from close by were called in to help us. Their presence brought encouragement and strength to our fainting hearts. Friday night the teachers, my boys and I spent in prayer. We each took one hour turns praying in a quiet room. We all desperately called out to God for help. I called my sister, who had served in India for 5 years. She knew of a similar occurrence there just after she left. She immediately called the Elder in India who had handled this problem. He told her that they took the worst ones to the hospital, leaving someone with them who prayed. Then the next worse ones were taken to a godly pastor’s house and prayed over until they recovered. It took a long time for total healing to finally come. She told me that the song “There’s power in the blood,” brought the most relief. There were 4 things to do:
- Most importantly, fast, pray and cleanse your own heart of sin, claiming the promises of God for your soul.
- Do not let any pastor or lay person onto the school property to help who was not godly. They had experienced frighteningly worse results by allowing unconverted people to enter and try to help.
- Eradicate any way the devil could gain entrance to the school.
- Encourage the students to read their Bibles and keep their thoughts on Jesus. Negative thoughts allow the devil to enter.
I took 4 of the worst girls to the hospital and was encouraged to see them put on a regular floor with a fantastic physician who was looking after their total well being and health. We took 4 more to a local pastor’s house. He and a female teacher stayed and prayed over them. Several came to our house. We found that this possession stuff was contagious. When the girls at our house were recovered, we brought them back to the school and they immediately became possessed again, pulling several more girls down with them. Oh dear Lord will this ever end? We were exhausted, but the devil pushed on. At one time I was holding a girl’s head, she yelled out, “Let go of my head.” She spat, and then bit my son’s arm which was to the left of me and she yelled again, “I am not afraid of you!” Later she screamed, “I want to drink human blood.” It was truly a devastating experience. These were our very dearly loved students! At one time I remember calling out to God and asking him what was wrong with my walk with him, I felt so alone, so weak, so inadequate and in need of more grace from God’s throne. The devils were still there! I kept claiming the verse in 1John 4:4, “He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.” We had sung “Power in the Blood,” literally hundreds of times. Jesus had told the disciples, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” We were doing that, this was our 6th day of fasting! Oh Lord, one word from you and the devils departed. Do for us what you did when you were on earth. I am in desperate need of more faith. Save us please. A beautiful thing happened that day, though it seemed much worse at first. Some girls saw a demon by the creek, who said there will be 10 possessed in all. They rejoiced when the 10th girl became devil possessed, thinking that was the end of it and they would not be taken by it themselves. But on this day 3 more joined in. Our total now stood at 13. We had separated the girls in a room as far away from the rest as possible. This day screams rent the air as the devil took control of 8 girls in one small room. There was a room next to it where 3 worse ones were located. One of the girls was actually climbing the walls! I picked a girl to work with and prayed earnestly over her prostrated form, she opened her eyes and looked at me. I handed her the Karen Bible open to Matthew 8 and told her to read the miracles of Jesus without stopping. She read for 20 minutes and strength returned to her. Soon she joined the others in the school room, normal and in her right mind. Later the same thing happened to another girl and another. God was fighting for us! 3 weeks after the first student had fallen, all were restored.Shortly after this experience we were able to move the school to the lime orchard near the border. One girl was possessed since the move, but came out of it quickly. After this, it has been entirely free of demon possession. Jesus, precious Saviour, truly he is able to: “Subdue all things unto himself.” Phil. 3:21 “Give thanks unto the lord, for he is good. For his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. For He satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Being bound in affliction and iron…. they cried unto the lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. Psalm 107:1,2; Psalm 105:3; Psalm 107:9, 10, 13, 14, 15Looking to the FutureWe visited a remote village far into Thailand one day. We will call it BYT for short. The quickest way to get there is by motorbike, but it is very hard driving over steep mountain passes, rocks and thick dust. The village is quiet and beautiful. Micah especially fell in love with it there. I felt the Lord was calling us to work somewhere else but did not know where. We visited a 2nd time and discovered there were over 50 small villages all around it. Some are accessible only by foot; others by motorcycle. A truck can make it in to many of them. There is a small SDA church in BYT and a pastor who visits once a month. One old man there told us that he did not know how to pray and would like to know how to sing and learn more about God. Our 3rd visit to BYT was with pastor Phamor. He took us to several of the small villages which were accessible by truck. One village does not have enough water. They are filthy. 
There is a school building there, but no teacher. Many of these villages know nothing about Jesus and his love! 
None of them have any medicine or health care. This is all it took to inspire us all with a strong desire to go! Oh may we have some time to reach these people before it is too late! We began to really pray to know God’s will for sure, when someone sent us a donation for a 4x4 truck! Surely the Lord wants us to go to these people! Pastor Phamor took us to Chaing Mai to look at trucks. It is hard to find good 2nd hand vehicles here in Thailand. Sometimes it takes weeks. We prayed and started out. The second place we stopped had a 4x4 Mitsubishi parked among dozens of other vehicles. Immediately we all knew this was the one! It had just come in so they had not yet cleaned it up and fixed cosmetic problems, therefore it was cheaper and came to just the amount of our donation!! There was no doubt in our minds that the Lord himself picked this truck out for us. 
All we need now to make the roads passable in the rainy season is a straight axel, bigger knobby tires, stronger bumpers, a wench, roll cage and lots of diesel. Jon Wood told us to get a snorkel also, as streams and rivers are flooded and difficult to cross in the rainy season. Pastor Phamor told us to get a dirt bike tough enough to take the beating it would get. A second mode of transportation is important here. Micah needs to upgrade from his small road bike and drive something more worthy of the conditions here. We knew God wanted us in BYT, so we stepped out in faith and had a house built even though we had no money. It will cost $2500. This seemed horribly expensive to us because where we lived before it was almost free to build a nice bamboo house. The bamboo and hard wood was all around us and easy to get. Leaf roofs were also cheap and made a cooler house. But here in BYT houses need tile or tin roofs due to severe winds during the rainy season. Also bamboo and hard wood are difficult to come by. Elephants have to be hired to haul it in from another mountain far away, and a team of elephants are costly to hire. They travel very slowly! Providentially a team of elephants were already in BYT. They were scheduled to leave in the morning! Praise the Lord once again! I need to add a note here. I wrote this previous section several weeks ago, but today is April 15, and we have just moved in!! Now I have to admit that when I wrote the paragraph about what the truck needs in order to travel these roads, I thought maybe it was a little exaggerated. It seems a straight axel, wench, roll cage, and snorkel might be overkill and not an honest appeal, but now that we have travelled it today, I can truly say this is no overkill. My heart stayed in my throat most of the way. Oh the steepness, the ruts, the rocks, the sheer cliffs! And this is not even the rainy season yet. I think a helicopter would be a better option here! Even Bradley was scared one time and said we are taking a big risk going so far out in the high mountains with only this truck. It took us over 3 hours to get here. If something happened to the truck we would really be in trouble. We are just stepping out without knowing what is in store for us. But a blessed reassurance comes. This is the Lord’s doing, it is His work. He is in control, we will not fear. As we drove into BYT, they tell us that the house has just been finished today! 
It seems spacious. There are even pineapple plants around with little pineapples growing!! Look inside. There is a kitchen, an open area and bedrooms on either side.
You don’t even have to hike a quarter of a mile to an outhouse! It takes us less than 10 minutes to move our stuff inside. We don’t have much. We cook our rice and vegetables on an outside fire.
Later I kneel in my cute little room, under the mosquito net and let my heart overflow with gratefulness to God for bringing us here and providing our needs.
Saw Blet Let me tell you about Saw Blet. He is a Karen, the principle at LKY School. His past is not all clear to us because he says it is too painful for him to think about or talk about. We do know his parents, who are SDA’S, were put into prison when he was 4 years old and he lived alone until his was 14. Through the privations and hardships, however, you cannot help but notice the polished, pure gold which has resulted in his life. Over the last 10 months we have become good friends. The boys and he are very close. He is a godly person, leading the students in the way of the Lord and upholding high standards. You could not meet a more thoughtful, courteous and helpful young man, seeking to know and do God’s will. He fluently speaks 4 languages, Burmese, Po Karen, Scaw Karen, and English. He is now working on Thai. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the Myanmar Seventh-Day Adventist College. We were delighted when he told us he would like to join us in our work in BYT. He will interpret for us, teach us the Karen language, and work together with us to build up the church, do medical work, and reach the surrounding villages. To put it bluntly, we could not do this work right now, right here without him. He is our key to the Karen culture and the work in this area. We are so thankful for him!Plea for Prayer
We are brand new and just taking one step at a time, as God opens up the way. It is overwhelming to think of everything that needs to be accomplished. Oh, it would be such a comfort if we knew that you folks halfway around the world in America were praying for us!! We are so weak and small. We combat doubts, fears and insurmountable difficulties impossible with man, but possible with God. Please pray for God to plead our cause also! The message from heaven to us just now is, “We have nothing to fear for the future, accept we forget how God has led us in the past.” Right now we don’t have much, but we are rich in the love God has given us for these Karen people. He has given us not one village, but 50! We feel it a major privilege to be here! It is more than worth it all when you see the love in the children’s eyes, as they play with Bradley and Micah, or when you see the gratitude on an old woman’s face as she gets relief from painful arthritis through daily massage.
Our constant petition to God is that he will plead their cause, and rescue them from more than their enemies, but from the enemy of souls which works so blatantly in this corner of the world.In God’s hands,GayleBradleyMicahSaw Blet