We have been having a whirlwind of a time here. For the past several weeks Ben has been taking us around to see all the projects. Everywhere we go, we have found great need. I find myself wishing I had ten boys instead of just four! People even try to take Tremaynne away from us so that he can help them. He tries to tell them that he is only 12, and really not ready to be on his own, but they look rather skeptical, and think that he is plenty big enough!

We have decided that after all we saw, we cannot just go home. There is so much need here, and so few people to do the work, that all we can do is stay and do what we can.

The place that we have chosen is a Training School, which was built by enthusiastic people in America several years ago. It is a really nice place, but it is totally empty. There is a really nice building, with nice land, but nobody there. The church members in the area have great ideas of what should be done there, but they need help. They cannot do it by themselves. They have dreams of having lay evangelism training, medical missionary training, a dorm where students from the villages can come to live and attend school, a medical clinic, and possibly an orphanage.

After being out to the villages, we understand why these things are so important to the people. There are many villages where they rarely, if ever, get a visit by a pastor. There are very few pastor’s in Thailand, and even fewer Karen pastors. The villages have no health care, and many of them have to walk for miles to get it if they need it. The students in the villages are only offered schooling as far as the teachers can teach them, some can only go to third or fourth grade. They need a place to live where they can finish their education. If they are not educated, their only way of making a living is by growing and selling drugs, or other unworthy pursuits.

We also feel that our boys need a home base. They are still young, and they are living in very harsh conditions. It would be good for them to have a place to go in order to rest once in a while.(don’t get the wrong idea, this place is still primitive even by my standards ) Jason is interested in doing backpack medical work, and Travis is interested in both teaching and medical work. I will continue to write, and tell everyone about what is happening in this part of the world so that you can all be involved also .Plus, Roy and I will run the training center together with our Karen church members.

There is a lot of work that will need to be done in order to be able to use the training school. In order to enter the property, you must cross a little creek. Right now, they have a very rickety bamboo bridge. Upon examining the water below, I decided that the last thing in the world that I wanted was for that bridge to collapse! It is definitely one of the first things that need to be updated. Then, in order to have groups of people, we will need to build housing and dorms. We will also need to plant gardens and orchards…. Orchards being the most important in my book! The first thing I want to plant is a mango tree, followed rapidly by fig trees, lime trees, papaya trees, and all the little fruits that I don’t have any clue as to what they are. In other words, we want to grow as much as we can. (so far, durian is not on my list of things to plant)

God has made it very clear to us the direction that we are to go. The fact that it was Roy’s idea to stay is a miracle in itself! (he LOVES Montana!) We have no idea of how this will all work out, but we are sure that God is leading, and we will follow Him no matter the cost.