First 2009 Thailand Mission Trip Update

It is 5 am on Valentine's Day in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My body is tired but my mind is alive with thoughts and images from our first full day in Thailand. Going through immigration we were greeted with Valentine's Day signs. The markets are filled with flowers decorated with rich red and pink ribbons, with a price tag that is over five times the normal cost (sounds like Valentine's Day in the US). The night market is only a block from our hotel and offers vendors selling all types of "bargains". Becky Mann, one of our host missionaries in Chiang Mai, introduced us to a local treat (fried bread with coconut milk) that we bought fresh from a street vendor.

Thailand alerts all your senses with new sights, sounds, smells and tastes. It also tugs at your heart. We spent yesterday afternoon at the New Life Center which works with ethnic minority women who are at risk for, or have been victims of, labor exploitation and sexual abuse. If you attended the Gathering in Cheyenne in October you had the pleasure of hearing Karen Smith, the American Baptist missionary who is the director of the NLC. Karen is on leave in the US, so Kit Ripley, another missionary who works with Karen took us around. Our mission team saw some of the girls sewing dolls with hearts that say "Jesus loves me" and beautiful quilts. Other girls were gathering to board an open air van to go to their adult education classes.

One of the problems for many of the women or girls at the NLC is citizenship. There are approximately one million tribal people living in Thailand. If a girl was born in a tribal village but her birth was not documented, it is difficult to prove she should be granted citizenship. And without proof of citizenship, she will not be able to work or have access to government provided services such as health care. Thailand has been flooded with immigrants from neighboring countries of Laos, Cambodia and Burma. This influx of refugee put additional constraints to obtain documentation for ethnic minorities. With very limited opportunities in the villages, young girls are being forced to work in factories, markets, domestic situation and the sex trade. The New Life Center develops individual plans to train each girl with the skills she needs to reach her goals. They provide a safe living environment, citizenship advocacy, specialized vocational training, spiritual development and supports them emotionally.

To find out more about the New Life Center, visit their website at www.newlifecenterfoundation.org. Find out how you can help them continue to make a difference in the world.

"I sought the Lord and he answered me: he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:4-5

Blessings from Thailand,

Karen Van
ABCRM Region Administrator