At the close of my time in Thailand, my team was really
blessed to be able to spend some time in a city up north called Chiang Mai. Our
contact, Ua, has a pastor friend up there who runs a Girls Home and he allowed
us to stay at the church. We were able spend some time getting to know the
girls at the home and even hear the pastor’s incredible testimony. The day
before we left to meet up with the rest of our squad for debrief, the pastor
told us that he was going to take us to some missionary’s house nearby where we
could ride horses, swim, relax, and hear a powerful testimony. Little did we
know what we were really getting ourselves into…
Upon arrival to the property, we were greeted by this
amazing American couple (the Eubanks). They made us feel so incredibly at home, as did their
two daughters who within 10 minutes had saddled up ponies for all of us to
ride. While looking around the room we had been set up in to stay for the
night, we got our first taste of the ministry the family was involved in. It
was unlike anything I had ever heard of. We read all kinds of articles on the
walls about the Free Burma Rangers and their dangerous journeys across 250+
miles of landmine infested lands to reach innocent Burmese citizens caught up
in a messy civil war. We also met with Dave Eubank later to watch videos and hear
more about the terrible atrocities that are going on in Burma.
Basically, Burma has been involved in a Civil War for the
last 50 years. Many of the Burmese people groups are being violently killed and
forced from their homes for no reason, by the Burma Army. We heard story after
story about people being chased from their homes, women being raped and abused,
and children being murdered. I watched parents cry and grieve for their
children who had been killed or left behind. I watched the graphic scene of a
17-year old boy, who had returned to his village and had his leg blown off by a
land mine that was hidden by the army. His raw bone was fully exposed and flesh
hung limp from his leg. He had to be carried for four days in a hammock to an
area where he could have a proper amputation.
The amazing purpose behind the Rangers is that they hike through Burma and reach these people who are being displaced and
murdered. They have intense training in order to go on these missions. They are
trained in many areas including medical care, counseling, health communication, you name it-They must be prepared for the
worst. The most beautiful and amazing thing I heard though, was that their
ultimate oath is to protect the people from the army. That means that if the
Rangers are with a community providing for their needs and the army starts
coming, the Rangers stand their ground. They have committed to standing between
the Burma Army and the Burmese people and protecting them..
One of the first things I heard
Dave say about all of this was that he never thinks twice to serve the Burmese
people. To him they are all friends and as soon as he comes into contact with
the people in hiding, his heart just swells for them. At that point it is just
an obvious duty for him to lay down his life to protect and care for his
friends- whatever it takes.
I was so inspired during my short
time with the Eubanks’. They are such gracious servants and it was clear to me
from the moment that I met them. I could talk about the Free Burma Rangers and
the impact their stories had on me for days. Instead though, I want to
encourage you to look them up for yourselves and see the amazing things that
are going on. I had no clue about everything that was going on in Burma before
this, but now I cannot ignore it. More people need to be aware of the
situation.
An unacceptable situation is
present in Burma and in other areas in the world, and the atrocities should not
be hidden. If we truly love others as we say we do, what are we willing to do
for them? What are we willing to do for our friends abroad (or even at home)who
are suffering injustice every day? The answer might be different for everyone,
but whatever it is, I hope that we can all become more aware day by day of our
ability, however great or small, to help those in need. The Rangers are radical
in their action and not everyone is able to respond this way, but it is
encouraging to know that there is a part in it for all of us.
Website: www.freeburmarangers.org
