This is a video of the Thailand and Myanmar mission in 2024.
On the first day (Monday, April 15), after arriving at the airport after 9 pm on Sunday, we stayed overnight at a nearby accommodation and traveled for 5-6 hours in a minivan guided by the prepared vehicle and graduate student 'Dachi' who is a disciple of Pastor Oh Seon-gyo. We arrived at the Mae Sot area to inspect and repair the water purification systems and low-level installations of water sources in the mountains in four villages that we and Suyeongro Church have installed over the past two years, 2022-2023. 1) The systems installed in the Heinakrak Church and dormitory (March 2023) are being used very well and have no problems, so we just maintained them and retrained them. 2) The system installed in the nearby seminary in December 2022 was not being utilized well due to lack of management, so we primarily repaired it and retrained it as much as we could. 3) The equipment installed exclusively by Suyeongro Church in another dormitory/daycare facility(?) near the seminary (August 2023) was also functioning well and being used, so we maintained it and retrained it. And at the last place, Raypado Village, the sun was setting, so we decided to stay at a nearby accommodation and go the next day.
On the second day, we went into a little bit of the mountains (there were some dirt roads and it was over a mile up and down the mountain road to the water source) to repair and inspect the reservoir water dam that was supposed to be installed in March 2023 and the water purification system that was installed in the village in July 2023 at the swimming pool church. The water purification system was installed in front of the only Christian house in the village and was used by many non-believing villagers. It was working well and we re-educated the residents who completed the repair. Then, we walked to the water source and identified the limitations of the water dam that we had not finished installing. We visited two reservoirs that the villagers, who had not been aware of due to poor interpretation last time, were providing water to a small Buddhist/government foundation school and temple at the entrance of the village. We reviewed and discussed the proposal that the Christian family and the villagers could build a water dam that supplies water to the village based on that model. After funding (USD 300) and renovating the dam we built last year, we signed an MOU to build a useful water dam for the villagers in the next 1-2 months. Please pray that we will report on the progress and finish well. After that, we left the Maesot area and traveled 4-5 hours to the Maeho/Maesaryang area, our current mission site, and arrived at Maeho Church around 9 PM.
The third and fourth days (Wednesday and Thursday, April 17-18) Based on our previous experience (where we prepared two systems in one place at Maeho Church, the center of Compassion in this area, and installed them at the same time), this time we planned to prepare the systems of three churches in other areas that we had received training at that time at Maeho Church, move them there, and then install them. However, thanks to the generous(?) and active support of 'Pricha', the person in charge of this area, we were asked if we could do four as soon as we arrived, and then after a day, we were asked if we could prepare up to five. Due to time constraints, we could only install three, but while we were preparing, we prepared the materials to set up five systems (with a lot of manpower mobilized) over the course of two days.
We are grateful that we have an effective mission opportunity to prepare 5 residential systems in 4-5 days instead of 2-3 days and install 3 of them because we have an influential and active leader like Pricha who is used by God. We are able to do in one go what would have taken us 2-3 visits.
Our fantastic(?) team of four, along with Pricha and Compassion leaders, and a large group of people (about 20-25 people) from several villages (churches from 4-6 hours away - very passionate and precious church members who wanted to learn about water purification systems) gathered and prepared the materials to build 5 water purification systems over the course of two days. It was almost a miracle. Last night, we worked until past 9pm to load the trucks of our church members with materials for two places that would take a 3 and 5 hour drive tomorrow, respectively, but it was a very rewarding day.
We are finishing the Sabbath and getting ready to go to bed. Today, we spent the first 'Sabbath' day of rest in a week since we came to the mission. From Monday to Saturday, we only did ministry and travel, except for eating and sleeping, and we were physically quite exhausted from working 80 hours a week, but we felt God's work like the five loaves and two fish, and we were able to serve excitedly without feeling tired.
As you know, it used to take more than 2.5 days to install one water purifier, but since working with Compassion in January, we realized that we could install two in two days. There were special conditions: 1) residents of the village where it would be installed came to the facility in advance to receive training together and prepare materials (sand, gravel, stones, sphagnum, etc.) together, and 2) we could just go and assemble/set it up with our bodies. It normally takes 1.5 days to prepare materials and 6-7 hours to assemble/set it up, a full day’s work, but it was done all at once so it was faster. When a good leader from the center gathers manpower from various churches and gathers people to install and manage, and they work together, it becomes incredibly motivating and we experienced the synergy that comes from it.
In that way, this time the goal was to do 3 in 3-4 days, but the leader here felt the need of the villages so much and bought 5 materials and asked us to help with the material cost. He was very active, but not mean and admirable(?), and secretly pushed us. Since everyone was so active, we couldn't just say we couldn't do it, so we had to push harder, but God gave us the heart and strength - Those who want to donate for the additional material cost (about US $200 per water purifier) and embrace one village are always welcome!
So, as I reported yesterday and the day before, we split into two teams to assemble/set up three units in two days, and we will finally install the first water purification system on the Myanmar land across the river, which we were specially asked to do, on Monday. The border is in the Karen Autonomous Region, so it is safe because the Myanmar government army cannot enter. It is a village that can be reached by car for 1.5 hours (or by boat, as shown in the photo, and then by river for another 1.5 hours).
Elder Lim has some family business, so he will have to return home a day early tomorrow. The remaining three of us will leave tomorrow at 6:30 AM and aim to return by 7-8 PM. Please pray for us.
And then the flight is scheduled for 11:15 pm on the day of departure… I felt like God gave me more work to do yesterday, so I think I need to visit a few more places in the morning before taking the 4-5 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai - Yesterday (Saturday) morning, 10 church leaders in this area (about a 10 mile radius) gathered for a praise and prayer meeting, and we were briefly invited. After hearing about the successful installation of water purification systems by this church (Maeho Church) and other Compassion churches, 5 out of the 10 churches asked if we would like to install water purification systems too (we will provide all materials, food and lodging). They said it would be nice if we could come in October, January, and February to avoid the busy farming season… Our prayer list has grown again.
Finally, today at the local service, Pastor Yu gave a passionate sermon and there were times when the residents shared their gratitude with each other. I will upload a few photos. Then in the afternoon, we visited two homes of Hwanwoo church members to convey hope and courage through comfort and prayer. The two homes we visited last January: 1. A family where the head of the household fell from a tree while working and has been bedridden for about 10 months with lower body paralysis. 2. A woman in her 50s or 60s who has almost lost her eyesight due to long-term diabetes. Last time, she was able to see shapes and colors with difficulty, but now she says she only sees dark shadows of the people in front of her. All we could do was pray and comfort them, but Elder Lim conveyed through the words of Habakkuk that it is important to believe in Almighty God, be thankful in advance, and pray for them even if the situation is not good.
It is now 7 am here in Mae Ho, Thailand. Although it was difficult and rewarding to safely and morally pray, we prepared 4 water purification systems, which is one more than planned, and 1 material for a village (Jobraki) 160 kilometers away, and we sent out two brothers who we had passed on(?) to while installing together many times. With yesterday’s schedule as the last, we finished installing a total of 6 water purification systems, following last January. It was truly a miracle of God like the five loaves and two fish.
These two brothers said they would try out the systems for the other remote villages, and I pray that God will give them wisdom to do so successfully. Yesterday, after crossing the winding mountains for about 1.5 hours, we arrived at the river on the Thai/Myanmar border and took a boat for over an hour north to install it in a small village called Wakrita on the Myanmar side. Unfortunately, the large water tank ran out of water, so we had to leave after only doing about 90% of the testing and before seeing the operation of the last four tanks. Also, the small boats crossing the border stopped at 4 o'clock, so we had to get on the boat again before then.
It was a fun idea to take the engine of a patch and mount it on a boat, but it was noisy and smokey without a muffler, so riding on a small boat for more than an hour, practically sitting on the floor, was more difficult than fun. After returning to the lodging church around 8:00 PM, I had a 1.5-hour wrapping up meeting with the general director, 'Pricha', and discussed the next steps. I returned to the lodging at 10:00 PM and was completely exhausted... Now, after packing up my bags, in an hour I will visit 2-3 local churches (within a 10-mile radius) that want water purification systems, have lunch, and head to Chiang Mai airport (4+ hours).
I heard that Mr. Im Jang-ro successfully boarded the Chiang Mai-Incheon flight last night. It is probably currently being held in Incheon. This concludes the April 2024 Maeho/Compassion/Swim Mission Protection Report.
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