One of our church members, Sandra, has made a significant change to her life and has left her San Marcos home to live in a Thailand Refugee Camp until April. She is changing the world by bringing prayer and Christ to God’s people.  These are Sandra’s experiences, shared in her own words.  Keep checking back for updates!

Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 8:57 PM
 
Big smiles to all of you
 
Happy New Year
 
Woke up to my usual alarm clock, the 6:15 songthaewfrom Mae Ra Mat to Mae Sot, honking as it went around the corner where Ilive.  Next on the daily schedule is the p.a. system which comes on at thelocal wat (temple) and I hear chanting, and then at 7 the town p.a. systemcomes on with chatter and announcements until the national anthum at 8 a.m.
 
Home for a short break -- laundry and catch up sleeping.  Clean up email!
 
Had a fascinating trip to Nu Po Refugee Camp six plus hours of agony in theback of a songthaew south of Mae Sot.  This camp is much smaller than thecamp where I teach, and has a different configuration of folk.  It wasinteresting to meet Burmese people with university degrees from Rangoon (Yangon) wholisten to BBC each morning and keep up with the world via several internetshops in the camp.  We had lovely tea shop experiences and many manyvisits with people that the friends with whom I was traveling knew fromprevious visits.  Nice Nice people.  I am so fortunate to have hadthis experience.
 
There were endless celebrations all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Lots of music and food.  I ate more in one day that I usually eat in threedays!
 
Dec. 25 was also Karen New Year's Day and in the evening there were many ethnicdances on a stage in the football (soccer) field.
 
Had a wonderful time.
 
The contrast between the two camps was interesting.  I sometimes find ithard to express all that I experience.  I had no context for any of thisbefore I came and you have no context for listening to me!  Was able totalk to several people the weekend I was in Chiang Mai and that was good sincethey also had no little real information but were more aware than I hadbeen and were willing to let me spill.
 
Tomorrow I will go down th Mae Sot for a time out, nice guest house, westernfood, maybe a massage.
 
love and hugs,

Sandra C. Phelps 

Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:45 PM

Hi
 
Greetings from Mae Ra Mat!!  No sign of Christmas in this Thai town, smile.  But the monks chant each morning.  I really like the small town experience.
 
Yesterday was the last day of school until January at the school in Mae La Camp and the classes were tiny!  My sophomore English class of 38 had 3 students there and my Essay Writing class of 23 had 8 students there.  Good thing I had planned on doing games!  Several of the senior students will join with me after my visa run in January and start a prayer and praise group focusing on the school.  About 80% of the students at the school are Christian.  Not sure about the camp as a whole.  There are many churches and temples so there is a mix.
 
The refugee camp is decorated for the holidays.  Christmas is important.  But the Karen New Year is important also.  The Karen New Year is a lunar date.  This year it happens that it is the same day as Christmas.  I suspect the new year will dominate.  Many cultural things will happen. 
 
Three of us are going six hours on a truck bus south of Mae Sot to another camp for a visit and a chance to gain a different perspective.  I am looking forward to participating in all the fun.  Have proper Karen clothes to wear on Sunday.  We will go to a Kachin church and then be attentive to all the Karen New Year celebrations in the afternoon.  The Karen people dominate in all the camps.  Nu Po Camp which we are visiting is a better mix of ethnic groups than other camps.
 
Last weekend I was in Chiang Mai for three nights and some catch up and for the Carols by Candlelight program that the church does each year.  The program happens outside with everyone playing a part.  Dozens of kids are angels and another couple of dozen are shephards.  The rest of us are villagers.  We sing carols in order of events and wise men and shephards and angels and Mary and Joseph and the inn keeper and a few extra characters all do their thing.  Much fun.  The wise men carried camel heads as props, the angels had pretty wands to shake, half the shepherds had long staffs.  Twas fun.
 
Happy Christmas to all of you.


Sandra C. Phelps 

Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 11:49 PM

Subject: RE: Checking In

Another laughter fulled week.  I am good at wading theshallow river to get into camp.  My baby sitter is in Burma for a fewdays.  My new baby sitter gives me a much smoother ride on themotorcycle.  He also chews betel so while I am smiling and nodding andnegotiating our schedule, I am internally looking at those red teeth andthinking 'vampire'.  Ha Ha. 
 
As I was puttering around this morning my landlady came out and asked me if Iwould like to go to school with her this day.  I said, 'sure', which is myusual response.  She is a teacher and I figured it would be fun to see herschool.  Well, as it turns out she had a meeting all morning and left mewith her class!  I was fine for about two hours and then really ran out oftricks.  We made it. 
 
I am now preparing for tomorrow.  Essay writing class has to turn in theirfirst real (we did practice ones) essay and the second year folk are getting apop quiz on past particples.
 
One of the Karen teachers came to observe my second year class.  I put himto work with all the other students.  He loved it.  I guess henormally teaches the class and wanted to see what I was doing.  Me, too. I am still working my way into this class.
 
Still very warm in these parts.  Cold in Chiang Mai and warmer than usualhere.  Hmmm
 
My church in Chiang Mai has a special program Friday evening next week and Iwill be there with one of my families.  Taking the day off up here. But no hanging around, have to come right back.  This havingresponsibilities is a new experience!!
 
Joy
 

Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 8:36 PM

To: Grace

Hmmm What is the latest?  I guess the Burmese - American Thanksgiving.  Went to Mae Sot and met up with some friends.  The husband, American, did the shopping.  Pumpkin, chicken, green beans, potatoes, onions, pineapple, apple and all cooked by Kayan women from Burma who are in Mae Sot for a special training program preparing women to return to their villages with information re health and environment and fair trade and nutrition.  YUM!!
 
I have to sneak into the camp each time I go.  I do not have papers. Alien alert!  Guards are changed each Monday so on that day we figure out what will be the routine for that week.  Have two classes, an Essay writing class with the seniors and an English class witht the sophomores. Much fun teaching but the getting there and being there and getting out again is all physically challenging.  Each day I simply say to myself, well, you can do this today.
 
Am living in a really nice Thai town, can walk to the market and copy shop and internet store and other things.  Loving that part of things.  Am renting a house in a family compound.  Comes complete with a huge gardenand two perfect black cats.  Happy and Lucky are the cats.  They are nearly indistinguishable.  Lucky comes daily for play and petting.
 
Mornings I do Centering Prayer and Morning Prayer.  Starting over again with Advent and the church year.
 

Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 7:28 PM
To: Grace 
 
Hello!!!!   
I flew into Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, 800 miles north of Bangkok.
 
Now I am in Ma Ra Mat which is about an hour north of Mae Sot.  Maybe you will find Tak (south of Chiang Mai) on a map and Mae Sot is west about two hours on the Burma-Thai border.  From Chiang Mai to Mae Sot is 6 hours on a nice bus.  From Mae Sot which is the closest town of any size to anywhere the only transport is by songthaew which is a red pick up with an extended back with a roof and bench seats running along each side.  And that is it!  Ma Ra Mat is about half way between Mae Sot and Mae Larefugee camp.  There is nothing except back country farming between Ma Ra Mat and the camp.  I have been in a guest house on the highway and it has been easy to step out in the morning and flag a truck/bus to get to camp.
 
Today I am moving into Ma Ra Mat to a house which I will rent.  I am excited about that.  I have been isolated in the guest house as it is 3 km from town.  Now I will be able to go to the market and such.  It also means I need to learn to catch a motorcycle taxi out to the main road to catch the songthaew.  More learning!
 
The refugee camps all have grammar schools and high schools.  The Mae La camp is the only one to have anythng in the way of higher education.  I am working at the Leadership and Management Training College which is all there is for higher ed.  Sort of a community college except they have a four year program and graduate the students with a B.A. that is only recognized in the camp, smile.  They are trying to get certified by Thailand education agencies.
 
The entire program is in English.  Currently the teachers are Burmese, Karen, (at least several kinds of Karen, not sure), Chinese from Hong  Kong, America.  I have not met them all.
 
On MOnday I start teaching a class at the 4th year level.  It is an Essay Writing class which has not had a teacher for the start of this second term(first term starts in June, second terms starts in November so not too late)and I will initiate the class.  Hope to get them to be able to start a blog and to do a school newspaper -- but we shall see.  On Friday of this coming week I will relieve the Hong Kong teacher as her time is up and take over a 2nd year English Conversation class.
 
I have been observing classes.  Wonderful students.  Their English is amazing.  I am thrilled right down to my socks.

Joy!