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After trying unsuccessfully for several days to reach contacts in Mae Sot to expedite my trip into Mae La camp, I decided to take the bus by myself. My friends Rudy and Tay then asked me to drive to Mae Sot with them. Rudy has been involved in helping the refugees for several years and his new wife, Tay, was anxious to meet some of the refugees we have talked so much about. We made plans to drive to Mae Sot and Mae La refugee camp about 1 ½ hours out of Mae Sot. I was very relieved Rudy and Tay were going with me. I was taking a large sum of money with me for the sponsored children and after converting it into Baht, it was a large heavy bundle of bills. I was not really comfortable traveling on the bus by myself with all that money.
Several of us at the mini resort where we were staying had gotten a cold and sinus infection. I had antibiotics with me prescribed by my doctor in Hawaii in case the cold I had before I left recurred. The medicine was upsetting my stomach, but I didn’t want that to keep me from going to the camp. Rudy called on Friday morning and told me he’d gotten food poisoning the night before and wasn’t well enough to travel and asked if we could wait till Saturday. Saturday morning Rudy wasn’t much better but said he’d come take me to the bus station. I was disappointed, but sure understood why he didn’t feel like traveling. Lucky gave me a larger carry-on bag to put the money in so I could keep it with me on the bus. It was pretty heavy, but I could manage it. Rudy came to pick me up and on the way to bus my stomach started really aching and I asked Rudy to stop at pharmacy so I could get some charcoal tablets and antacids. I was concerned about getting transportation from Mae Sot to Mae La camp, but was willing to go by myself on faith. I knew I could catch a line bus and make the long trip, but it would be very uncomfortable and my heavy bag would be hard to hold in the cramped space in back of truck. After stopping at pharmacy, Rudy decided he would go, rather than have me go on bus. Since I had upset stomach also, he said we could just stop whenever we wanted to if he drove and he really wanted to go with me to the camp, so we were back to original plan! We drove to his house, picked up Tay and were on the road.
Mae Sot is a very busy little border town with gem merchants everywhere and open markets on all side streets. Rudy knew that Tay would enjoy the experience of being in Mae Sot. We had a nice drive down, the charcoal and antacids really helped both of us. We had lunch in our favorite restaurant in Mae Sot then drove down to Mae La camp.
I called my friend, Mg Nye, in camp and she and the head medic from our little jungle hospital were waiting at the main gate for us. They both gave me a big hug and grabbed my bag. We walked about 10 minutes to her house, mostly uphill of course! I was surprised to see how many new bamboo homes had been squeezed into all available spaces. This particular camp has over 35,000 registered refugees and hundreds more who were victims of Hurricane Nargis and the repressive regime in Burma. Only those registered in the camps get food and charcoal rations, so everyone has to take a little less on distribution day so the camp leader can share camp rations with the internally displaced people pouring into the camp. One thing I noticed was the presence of cell phones! Camp life is obviously changing.
I was pleasantly surprised when we got to Mg Nye’s home. It was huge! She told me that she and her husband Ruby have 27 children and adults living there! 24 are children. I wasn’t really surprised. She was raised in the home of a dear pastor friend of mine and his wife and they had 21 children they cared for. I spent many happy days in the busy household before pastor and his wife went back into Burma. Mg Nye’s birth mother had come from Burma to live with them. She smoked cheroots and chewed beetle nut and had few teeth left. She was happy to meet us and gave us each a hug toothless grin.
Rudy and Tay stayed about ½ hour took pictures and interacted with the children. When they left I told them I’d take a line bus from camp to Mae Sot the next day and meet them in Mae Sot bus station. Mg Nye’s husband, Ruby, told me the Thai soldiers in camp security had seen us come in and recognized me. They decided to let me go in. Ruby said I must not go outside in the evening because no foreigner was supposed to stay overnight in camp. I had no problem keeping a low profile. I was so thankful to finally be back in Mae La. I had been trying for 2 years to stay overnight with Mg Nye but was always told to leave the camp by 4 pm by the Thai camp leader. No one had asked me if I was staying, so I kept a low profile and settled in for the evening.
A young woman from Australia came in and introduced herself to me. She has lived in Mae La camp for 2 years teaching at Eden Valley Academy. She told me she wanted to stay another year, but Helen Hall, the Australian lady who started Eden Valley many years ago, told her she must go home. She said her quality of life would be better at home and she’d have a fuller life in her home country. Jenae knew she was right, but said the adjustment would be very hard for her. Her heart is here with the Karen in the camp. She is not allowed to actually live in the camp, so travels by motor bike back and forth each day. She was spending the week end at Mg Nye’s home and we would share a sleeping net. It was nice having someone else to visit with in English and we talked a lot.
Many people came to visit that evening and we had a great time catching up on what had been happening in the camp. When everyone left, Ruby, Mg Nye and I sat on the floor and talked for a long time. I was so impressed with the peaceful atmosphere in the home. None of the children were squabbling or being loud. All the children were going about their assigned chores and home work. Another change that had taken place in the camps was there is now electricity available to each home if they can pay the 50 baht charge each month per coil shaped tube. (34 baht to one dollar). Ruby and Mg Nye have 2. One was hanging from the open rafter ceiling in the large front living room and one over the eating/common area where the children eat and study. Ruby had put in a cement floor in that room and the outdoor kitchen cooking area. They had also put 2 bathrooms/bathing areas off the kitchen with cement floors. This is a huge improvement over the dirt floors of most homes. In the past it has been very treacherous and dirty going to the bathroom after dark. It was bad enough in dry season, but during rainy season, it is a sea of mud. These 2 bathroom/bathing rooms were for the girls. The boys have one out the other side of the home. All shoes (flip flops) are taken off at the front entry and all floors are scrubbed on hands and knees every morning. Ruby told me they bought the house from the previous owner 2 years ago for 15,000 Baht (about $450.00). They make payments of 1,000 Baht each month. Both of them are teachers and receive 3,000 Baht salary each a month. They teach at Eden Valley Academy, which is the private school run by the Australian woman, Helen Hall.
Mg Nye told me she is expecting their 3rd child. They have a son, Blessing and daughter, Praising. The new child will be called Emmanuel if boy. They haven’t decided on a name for a baby girl yet. They told me Blessing has “blood problems” and needs supplements to his diet. He was hospitalized last year but seems to be improving on the diet, but it is hard to buy the supplements on their meager income. I told her I would do my best to help find a sponsor to help him. He is a very bright 7 years old. He learned all the chords for the ukulele I gave them last year. He also has learned keyboard and sings very well. I’d like to send them more beginner piano books since many children are learning to play the keyboard, guitar and ukulele. She shared with me that her mother has had a very rough life. She uses beetle nut and smokes and is now in very poor health. They are very concerned about her. She is younger than I am, but looks much older because of the hard life she has had. She helps take care of the children and Mi Nye and Ruby are praying that she will follow their example of healthy living.
I settled down under my mosquito net on the floor and covered up with the blankets they had shared with me. I love lying in the dark listening to the sounds of camp life going on around me. It’s like a dream being so far removed from my comfortable condo in Hawaii, sleeping on a bamboo floor next to a young woman from yet another country. I feel so fortunate that the Lord is allowing me to experience life with my beloved Karen families. I went to sleep praying for sponsors for more children.