Stories from the Steeple

UPDATE #5

Hello everyone,

Yesterday, Monday, was a day for disappointments. We were supposed to visit an IDP (internally displaced persons) village across the river in Burma during the afternoon. Duane told us the night before that we would not be going. The logistics were complicated, and the schedule so tight that it would be hard to get there and return before dark. I had very much wanted to observe the harsher conditions “on the inside” that all of our refugees have experienced at some point. The morning was set aside to observe cultural orientation classes in Mae La Camp for those ready to head to the US . When we arrived bright and early, we sat in our vans outside the main entrance…and sat and sat. Finally we were told the Thai guards were refusing us entrance. I suppose this too is part of the refugee experience. Lots of waiting, lots of disappointment, and no explanations. Instead, Duane took us to an IOM Processing Center where those applying for resettlement in the US come for medical tests and their Department of Homeland Security interview. We spent some informative time with the NGO (non-government organization) that cares for the families during the 4 or 5 days they stay at the center. I was happy to meet a young man who is headed for Chicago in March.

Today we headed south and up, up, up for several hours into the mountains to visit the Umpiem Camp. Our vans struggled in low gear through mountains as remote and rugged as any I have seen in West Virginia . Everything the 23,000 refugees at Umpiem need must come by truck over this same road. I learned that the two camps we are visiting are the only ones that can be reached without 4 wheel drive vehicles. The cool breezes we began to feel were most welcome after the oppressive heat of the valley.

This camp, like Mae La, is a world unto itself. Our visit began with a meeting with members of the Camp Committee , refugee leaders elected to run the internal affairs of the camp. As we wandered later on our own we encountered the Karen Youth Organization office, the Karen Women’s Organization, a high school, a hostel for orphans and children sent in from the IDP villages to go to school, and several churches. The trio I was with spotted the oversized shoes of some others of our group outside of a house. We removed our shoes to enter as well and were embraced by the hospitality of a Baptist pastor. His wife, a graduate of the Bible College in Mae La we visited on Sunday, teaches 9th grade at the high school. NGO’s may provide some funds for all these institutions, but they are created and run by the refugees themselves. Their initiative and organizational abilities are astounding, especially in the midst of so much privation. When asked what the most common problems of women are in the camp, the Women’s Organization leaders said “Securing enough food for their families.” The food rations are severely limited for reasons too complicated to explain here.

We left feeling again deeply moved by the gentle, gracious spirit of everyone we met. It was a day of immeasurable blessing.Tomorrow we begin to make our way back to Bangkok, and then home.

Grace and peace, Carol