This site began as a record, and communication of our trip to CTS in Sri Lanka and the Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School & College in the Mae La refugee camp – I was teaching Old Testament Narrative in both places.
We are still (May 2008) uploading photos, video and reflections on that trip, but the site is becoming more of an irregular update on Karen Baptist interests and particularly the Bible School and the IDP (Internally Displaced People) school and church that we visited. When I have time I will add basic information pages on these topics, as well as the occasional posts.
Teaching OT in faraway places 
Tim,
Found your blog via your comments in David Ker’s lingalinga blog.
I have not yet come across anyone who has tried to install the Go Bible version of the Burmese 1835 Judson translation in their cellphone. If you know of anyone who might be in a position to have a go, it can be download from my Go Bible Repository.
Best regards,
David Haslam
Oh Thank you for put my karen poor pic and movie. i hope i will come back toy help.
I’m son of Old Home mission bible school priciple Ar Kyaw’s youngest doughter. Now so many karen people stay in so many places like inside burma, in refugee camps, europe countries, america, Australia, etc… How to make a mission to them? We have to find a new way. I was thinking about that for a long time. Now I got a way. We need to be multimedia things and Internet. I’m trying for that with no supporting organization and no support person. I hope I can be show new genaration of home mission to every body soon.
Hi, Saw Cool, I would love to hear more about what you are doing and plan. I am convinced that the Internet could be used much more by Karen both for mission and for keeping in contact. Do please either write more here, or email me about what you are doing 🙂
Did you reveive my email.
Yes, but this is a busy week and replying will take some thought… I’ll reply before Sunday.
hello there, i have some questions about refugee camps in my attempts to reunite a family. Can you please email me so I can ask a few more detailed questions? Thanks in advance, Alex
Hi I am the house administrator for the Seattle World School in Seattle Washington. We have students at our school who are from Maela Regugee Camp. I would like some information on the type of schooling they received while at the camp. Can you tell me what classes middle school and high school age students take? How many days, hours per day they attend? Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Irene Rodriguez
You may find this site (or links there) useful http://ktwg.org/
Otherwise, I am replying to you direct by email and can perhaps suggest some useful contacts.
Hello,
I’ve been doing some research on the Burmese refugee camps and found your posts to be very helpful. It’s something of a great interest to me.
I’ve been living in Cambodia for two and a half years teaching Kindergarten. I was looking to visit the camps for a photo project (a personal project, I’m not a journalist). So if you have any any advise on the camps and gaining access it would be much appreciated.
Also if there are any NGO’s or charities that are in need of volunteers. I haven’t done any volunteer work for a while and am looking for some projects t participate in, in the future.
Any information would be much appreciated.
All the best,
Charlotte Pert ( charlotte.pert@gmail.com )
Replied by email.
Hi,
My name is Erin Mercer and I am a medical student at the University of Sheffield. I am trying to organise my elective for June/July 2013 but since reading more and more about Burma I really want to volunteer in a clinic on the Burma border with Thailand. I was wondering if I would be able to volunteer/shadow such a healthcare team.
Alternatively, I was wondering if you knew of any way that I could get in touch with clinics in/associated with the camps so that I could get in touch with them directly.
Thank you for any help you can give me,
Yours sincerely,
Erin Mercer
emmercer1@shef.ac.uk
Hi, Erin,
The obvious place to start would be The Mae Tao Clinic (Dr Cynthia’s Clinic) this is the largest and most respected independent clinic on the border. Otherwise various NGOs have medical work, but given the very changeable situation currently they may be less reliable options. Mae Tao Clinic is much more than the word “clinic” suggests doing a huge range of medical and dentistry care, many of their staff and volunteers are highly qualified.
Partners (the UK URL is http://www.partnersworld.org.uk/) is a Christian NGO you could contact (they work both along the border and in Burma) doing aid and development work.
I hope it works out for you, such experiences have been very beneficial to many people near the start of their careers, both in terms of broadening technical experience and understanding of the world.
God bless,
Tim
Hi, I am an ESL teacher in the US. I have many Karen students from Mae La and other camps. I am thinking of going to Thailand this summer for a few weeks and I would love to be able to volunteer in one of the places where my students lived. I have experience teaching students and training teachers in Africa (Peace Corps) and Haiti. Please let me know if you have any advice on how I may be able to find an opportunity to volunteer in, or at least visit, Mae La. I recently found your blog and I look forward to reading it more carefully.
Thanks
Replied by email.
could I please have some of your pictures for my presentation at First Baptist Church here? I myself is a former refugee from mae la refugee camp. my dad is pastor Simon from kkbbsc. blessings to you! I really enjoy reading your blog.
You can certainly use any of them, if you want larger copies let me know which ones and I can email them to you. I may not be able to do this immediately as I am travelling and may not have the photos with me, but ask as I might have them on my laptop.
God bless,
Tim
Dear Sir,
We are a group of students aiming at implementing a schooling project in the Mae La refugee camp. We would like to know more about the concrete material conditions of the camp and about the hardships you encountered during your experience. Could you please send us your email adress?
Thank you in advance,
Responded by email.