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IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

THESE DAYS THERE ARE PEOPLE TRYING


TO BUILD THEIR OWN KINGDOMS.

They erect monuments to themselves, manipulate to


control others and continually crave power. As I travel the
world I constantly see this in governments, organizations
and even within the Church.

As I have been reading the book of Daniel, it puts it all in


perspective: The only kingdom that will stand is God’s
Kingdom. There is only one Lord and Savior and that is Jesus
Christ. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will
confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. While
men may vie for positions and power and try to manipulate
others for their own purposes, we can rest knowing that God
will have the final say.
This gives me comfort in a world that has spun out of
control. Although the Moslems and Communists try to
advance their kingdoms, only one kingdom will stand forever.
Everything we do should be to further God’s kingdom; to see
Jesus Christ exalted in this world, because that is all that will
last. It’s a reminder of my responsibility to be about the
Father’s business and to seek His will, plan and purposes, not
my own.
On our last trip to SE Asia this reality was brought back to
me. We were blessed to be able to deliver several loads of
Bibles to our contacts in closed countries. It was encouraging
to see the tribal pastors from remote villages that receive the
Bibles from us, and hear their stories of how the Church is
growing. Yet there is a great need for many more Bibles. The
joy on their faces as they receive the Bibles makes the whole
trip worth it.

IT IS ALWAYS AMAZING HOW


GOD GETS THE TEAM THROUGH
CUSTOMS. When you have a large team like we had,
everyone has a story. Some walk right through without being The team was able to travel to Northern Thailand and visit
noticed, while others are stopped, their bags searched, they the Karen refugee camps. It was a life-changing experience. I
are questioned and then God miraculously intervenes. Others was shocked to see how close the Burmese border is to the
testify of distractions the Lord provides so the materials can camps and to see where soldiers patrol and have occasionally
be safely delivered. No matter how much you try to prepare shot at people by the riverside. We were warned not to
the team when the moment of truth comes, it’s them and wander down to the river. We visited the camp and met the
Jesus and they have to depend on Him. He is always faithful! Karen pastor. He greeted us and began sharing his personal
refugees who keep arriving. Children were given a bag of rice
and when they had to flee with just the clothes on their back,
they would at least have something to eat as they fled. When
the people are captured by the Burmese army, men and
women are forced to become porters and carry supplies. Men
are made mine sweepers which usually results in death. Some
children at the orphanage think their parents are still alive,
but they have been killed by the Burmese army. One child’s
mother was shot dead by the Burmese army. The father was
burned alive in front of the child. The child was found
grieving beside the body of the father and taken to an
orphanage. The Buddhist army is attacking the Karen and the
Burmese army is backing the Buddhist’s up. They want to
wipe all Karen especially the Christians off the face of the
earth. We have heard reports that 60% of the Karen are
Christians.

IN 2010 ELECTIONS WILL BE


testimony. He was an 8 year old boy when he fled Burma to
HELD, SO ATTACKS ON THE
live in the jungle with his mother and 12 year old sibling. KAREN HAVE TRIPLED. The Burmese
Through broken English he communicated how they lived for army has burned the Karen rice fields. They are capturing the
years in threat of attack from the Burmese Army. He said men and boys and making them their slaves and porters.
how difficult it was for them just to survive in the jungle – They rape and kill the women by setting them on fire. One
thrashing through it to find a safe home and food to eat young boy inside Burma was not doing will emotionally. The
while continuing to hide from the Burmese soldiers. You can Christians were able to get him out of there. His mother had
tell he loves the Lord Jesus and is devoted to his been gang raped, burned alive and left for dead in a rice field
congregation. and it traumatized him. The Christians are trying to get the
most traumatized kids out of Burma first. In Thailand it is
The team distributed candy to the children as we walked to
not legal to have a refugee camp. The people in the camps
their church building. The church was a tall rectangular hut
have no identification, and therefore cannot get help from the
and you could easily see through portions of the walls. Many
Thai government. After the Christians got the little boy to
of the team members began unloading and sorting donated
Thailand, they needed to get him into the refugee camp
clothing. The service began with about 75 men, women,
orphanage. As the Christians took the little boy through a
children, and infants in attendance. Through a translator the
gated area, the soldiers never saw him as he entered. The
team performed a short program. The people who gathered
people, especially the Karen orphanage, need to be moved to
for the church service seemed shy and reserved. Only a few
a safer area farther away from the Burma border. Please pray
smiles appeared on their faces. It seemed like our joy and
as land has been provided and almost all funds have been
light hearts were out of place there, but I noticed that during
raised for them to begin construction of a new facility; only
worship the heaviness lifted a little; people’s spirits opened
Thai government approval is needed. Our contact in Thailand
up. Their worship was so tender. We then prayed for these
is presently meeting with Thai officials to get them to this
precious people individually. It is a comfort to know that
safer area.
even though we do not understand each other’s language God
still hears and He answers prayers. THE THREAT OF THE BURMESE
When the rice bags were distributed to each family, often ARMY ATTACKING IS STILL
only one child comes forward. In these instances we are left
to wonder if they are the only one left in their family. Several
VERY REAL. Three Burmese soldiers were seen the
families did not attend the service for fear of being detected night before our team arrived prowling around on the
while our team was there. One young man we met was blind Thailand side of the border. We were told to get out of the
and has no hands. I was told that Burmese soldiers handed area before dark as the Burmese soldiers come at night, stop
him a grenade and said that if he could make it not detonate cars, steal the valuables, and rape the women. The road was
that he would be allowed to live. They laughed as he tried close to the river, and just on the other side was Burma.
frantically to make it not blow up. The grenade exploded in Testimonies of the people, even the children, broke my heart.
his face, blinding him and blowing off his hands. He works Soldiers plant land mines around the villages. Once a snake
now as an evangelist to his people winning them to Christ. just ahead of a man touched off a land mine and saved his
life. The Karen had farms, but now they are starving because
The 200 families in the area have built huts of wood or they cannot get food. The Burmese army has ruined their rice
bamboo with thatched roofs. They lack basic necessities, and crops. They are dependent upon the food supplies they
many will starve if help is not given. Some were forced to receive from our contact to survive. Only a few people are
come here when the camp they were in came under rocket protecting the villages. One village, which was full of women
and mortar fire. Many fled in the rainy season and there were and children, was attacked six times. Every child in the
many leeches. Three families in the village take care of the orphanage has a different story to tell of bombs, shootings,
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rape, torture and murder. One girl was gang raped and hung
upside down. The children are afraid of men in black. The
Burmese soldiers make a game of tossing babies in the air and
seeing if they can spear the falling infants on the end of their
bayonets. Thousands of people are fleeing. Many are fearful
and hiding in the jungle. The villagers have no weapons for
defense and the few soldiers guarding them are Christians.
Thai soldiers heard about a foreign woman who was teaching
the children and came to arrest her. She surrendered her life
to God. They looked all over for her, but did not find her
because the only area they did not check was the building
and very room she was in.
But the Karen persevere in God. The children at the refugee
orphanage are up at 4 am and have devotions for two hours.
Then they clean their living area. They get two meals a day.
In the evening from 6:30 – 8:30 pm they have worship. As we
have witnessed, these precious orphans worship the Lord
with all their hearts.
Patrick Klein and staff

As we have witnessed, these precious orphans worship


the Lord with all their hearts.

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