Burmese migrant children singing before Tim preached

For the past five weeks, I’ve been serving Burmese (mostly Karen) refugees living along the Thai-Myanmar (Burma) border and in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I taught a two week intensive course to Karen students at the Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary (KHTS). I preached in local churches and ministered one on one and in small groups. Despite so many challenges and emotional stresses, those living, studying, and serving within a stone’s throw of their homeland, just on the other side of the Moei River, remain hopeful.

Teaching New Testament Theology to seminarians

Many of my KHTS students were either born in one of the nine refugee camps along the border or have lived there for five or ten years or more. They don’t have legal status in Thailand and don’t know where they will be able to go or serve after graduation, but they’re preparing for a future of ministry. These amazing and courageous followers of Jesus Christ are determined to create a better future for themselves and for their people, trusting God to open doors for them at the right time.

Young Karen teachers serving in the BIble schools

At the Thoo Mweh Khee Learning Center, just down the road from KHTS, I was invited to speak to a class taught by one of KHTS's staff members. 17 young adults, who have no legal status in Thailand, but who are still allowed by the Thai government to attend school because their parents are (mostly) migrant workers, peppered me with questions about the Bible and the Christian faith for over an hour.

Back at KHTS, I spent several hours with two other groups of seminary students who were searching for answers to troubling questions, such as why God allows evil and suffering in the world. They especially wanted to know why God has not answered the prayers of the Karen people for over the past 75 years, ever since the Bama military started persecuting them after Burma gained independence from Britain in 1948.

Spirit-Led Leader workshop participants

The third week in the border area, Saw Newton and I had the privilege of conducting a three day, “Spirit-Led Leader” workshop for 25 teachers from various Bible schools in the camps and surrounding areas. Most of the participants grew up in jungle villages in Karen State in Myanmar or in the refugee camps along the border, with limited educational background and little exposure to the wider world. As a result, much of the teaching was both new to them and eagerly welcomed.

The main focus of the workshop was to help teachers and ministers learn how to serve Christ as an outgrowth of their own relationship with God and how to lead by the Spirit as opposed to leading from the impulses of their sinful flesh or ego. Here are a few sample comments from the participants:

"I have more courage to teach, share the word of God and live a spirit-led life."

"I discovered something new for my spiritual journey. Now I know how to be a Christ-centered spirit-led leader."

"My attitude, love, care, help and understanding toward my family and community will be different as I have learnt so much from this workshop."

"Thank you, Dr. Tim. You have given insights and tools for me to be able to scale the 'Wall' I had hit. I am hoping that now I will be able to find a way to be transformed."

KHTS MDiv. third year students/Tim preaching at the community worship service

On one of the Sundays, I preached on the hope found in Psalm 42 at Chediko Grace Church, a small borderland church which serves very poor Burmese migrant workers and a few refugee families. In the evening, Newton and I were able to once again host some of my former MIT students who had fled for safety to the border area on the Thai side.

By the looks on their faces, it was obvious that they’re doing better than they were nine and twelve months ago, the last two times we got together. Then, they were visibly scared, disoriented, traumatized, and stressed out. Now, they still feel like prisoners in Thailand, having to keep a low profile to avoid being caught by police, but they feel more settled and less terrified. They're able to focus better on educating their children and contributing to others even while they long to return home.

One faculty member from Myanmar said, "I can't tell you how much your visit means to us." (And then she became so emotional she couldn't continue for several minutes.) Another refugee added, "Your coming to see us every time you come to Thailand is so powerful for us. We feel so loved and cared for."

Prayer is at the heart of all we teach and do

I feel deeply grateful and eager to continue to work alongside the Karen people in person here in Thailand, as well as with others throughout Myanmar (online). Together we are preparing the next generation of leaders for the church, villages, and cities, while standing with those who are suffering and in need of mercy and care. Thank you for your prayers and financial support to help make these ministries possible.

In Christ's service,

Tim's Latest Blog Posts

The well-known story of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-43) is told as evidence of the miraculous power of Jesus Christ. It also vividly illustrates the hope of all Christians. God the Father will give eternal life to all those who put their faith in God’s son, Jesus, the promised Messiah and Savior of the world (11:25, 41). All this is true to the biblical story. But there is more. When we pay attention to the emotion of the story, we can also perceive the heart of God. And that's something we need in the here and now.

I find myself thinking a lot about God and the role religion is supposed to play in the world. And I’m not happy. I wish that God would do more to help those who cry out to him for relief from their suffering. I wish that the Church would do a better job at reflecting the love and light of Christ and stop failing the people so miserably. And I wish I were a better follower of Christ myself and could be less selfish and self-serving. 

But God is who God is. The Church is who she is. And I am who I am. I will never fully understand God. The Church will always be flawed. And I will continue to struggle with my own demons, sin, and shortcomings until the day I die. Nevertheless, I have found this to be true as well: my faith and relationship with God has filled my heart with a peace that surpasses understanding, with joy I could not produce on my own, with love like no other, and with meaning and purpose in a chaotic world that sometimes seems bent on its own destruction

More Photos from Thailand