OVERVIEW OF MY WORK
I was definitely hand picked by God in 2009, and sent as a missionary in Thailand during the worst crisis of my life! Stunned that God wanted to do something special out of the broken pieces of my life, I threw all my God-given energy into helping the Karen people on the border of Thailand and Burma.
I have been living and working in an isolated, jungle village called BeYoTa for 15 years now. A young Karen man, BletJhaw, has worked right along with me the entire time. Our hearts beat in unison to help the people and lead them to Jesus. He interprets, does all the driving both motorbike and truck, plays the guitar, sings, and throws his heart into every project or situation that we find ourselves in.
Because I am an RN with 23 years of Emergency Department experience, I have set up a small clinic where patients from over 130 different villages come for treatment. They find love and tender care here, in contrast to the sometimes-harsh treatment they receive in local medical facilities. But the best part is that we pray with them and they meet Jesus here! God has brought total miraculous healing to many people.
Even though we spend most of our time treating the sick, visiting many surrounding villages, and taking very ill patients to different surrounding hospitals, our main purpose is to reach the lost, lead them to Jesus and give them a chance to enter heaven and have everlasting life! I preach almost every week. Sabbath is such a wonderful time for me as I look into the dear faces of our congregation. They listen so intently! When we first began doing services here there were only about 4 people who came. Now, 15 years later 60-70 people attend our little church!
This project is not always an easy one. Rainy season lasts 5 months here. The small jungle roads are steep, rutted, muddy and extremely slippery. Most of the time one side of the narrow road is a precipice which drops straight down hundreds of feet. Many trucks have fallen off and lives are lost. God has miraculously saved us from wrecking so many times. During the beginning of rainy season we must get our truck out of the jungle, and only use the motorbike with a chain on the back wheel. The roads are so full of deep mud, or else so slippery, that once in a while all control is lost and off we crash in the mud.
Other problems we face here are wild elephants. They are extremely dangerous, charging people and at times killing them. You never ever know when you turn a blind corner if you might meet this huge beast face to face. It has happened to us so many times. God saved our lives many times from charging elephants. One time we were on the motorbike when suddenly saw an elephant just off the road. We were just 8 feet away from him. He jumped up, furious! BletJhaw changed gears and gunned that motorbike right in front of him. I was looking right into his trunk and eyes! I stood up on the feet rests on the back of the bike, grabbed BletJhaw’s shoulders so I could twist around and watch him running after us. I shouted: “Go, Go, Go!” He’s coming fast. God had said thus far and no farther! That big beast finally stopped and turned around.
We also meet poisonous snakes of all descriptions. Most of the time it is Cobras that we see. We have had narrow escapes from these creatures also. But we need not fear the future except we forget how God lead us in the past. Most assuredly I should have died 11 times by now if God had not intervened! What a wonderful Saviour!
Karen people are a delight to serve. They are sweet, kind, loving, and giving people, however we are in the biggest opium ring here in Thailand. When people mix opium or alcohol with a local easy to obtain drug called ‘Mad Horse Medicine,’ they become very dangerous. We have been in the middle of extremely life-threatening situations. But praise God for His protection at such times!
I have mentioned the difficulties and dangers but that all pales into insignificance when I see people receive hope in their eyes as they learn about God, and begin to live more healthily. Every year we have evangelistic meetings in December. More and more people attend. Last December my sister was miraculously called of God to come and do our evangelism. Our church was packed to overflowing and the spirit of God was overflowing also. A baptism followed. We have had many baptisms over the years. And my heart is overflowing!!
This year we have been involved in building projects. God helped us find 2 of the best builders who we love very much! They have built a small church in MooDooKey village which is deep in the jungle and so very hard for us to transport all the building supplies over such bad roads. Presently we are building a detox center in BeYoTa! The rainy season began way too early this year and we have struggled in the mud to haul in the materials needed. This is a beautiful building, and such a miracle because God wants our people to be freed from opium, alcohol, smoking and beetle nut addiction.
Next, we plan to build a new, larger church in BeYoTa! After the rainy season is over and we fix the roads well enough to get the truck in again. Our present church is rotting and sinking down in the middle!
There is another church we need to build in another village called Dee-A-Day. They have a little SDA church, but it is in worse condition than ours in BeYoTa. We will build there as soon as possible. You can never out-give the Lord of your time, energy, or money! It all belongs to Him anyway!
I see people really taking hold of the truth as it is preached from week to week. I am also feeling God’s work in my own heart, as He has sent me to Canada, Europe, and Tokyo, to present our mission work. Meeting and speaking and praying for all these people has really given me more love for everyone, a greater burden to reach lost souls, and has drawn me myself closer to Jesus heart! Also, the first of April I was miraculously able to go to Phuket the be with Barbara O’Neill. She presented 18 times in 8 days! Along with all 59 of those attending I was so blessed and changed to a higher level in health reform. We all exercised on the beach every morning. I was so refreshed and invigorated! I feel good and have energy every day anyway, but even more now!!
Prayer requests:
1. Please pray for MooDooKey village. We will present a special program for the people in that village soon. These people know nothing about the real truth as it is in Jesus
2. Pray for our people in BYT, (BeYoTa), and surrounding villages that they will be motivated to come to our detox lifestyle center and successfully to quit their bad habits.
3. Pray for our builders as one has already joined our church! And the other is Buddhist, but has seen so much of Jesus here!
4. Pray for the 2 church buildings that will begin after rainy season. That they will glorify God and many will gain eternal life