THIS IS ONE OF OUR MINISTRIES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. ON A BIT OF A WRITERS BLOCK RIGHT NOW, ENJOY CHRIS TELFERS STORY. BLESSINGS.
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Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of the unfortunate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”
For the past few days I have had such a burden on my heart.
Our first day in Phuket, Thailand, we were invited to go to a Burmese camp with our contact, Mark.
In the car, he began to explain the problems the Burmese face in their own country, but more so the hardships by the Thai.
Burma’s problems began back after WWII after gaining it’s independence from the UK.
The remnant of a communist society remained along with a broken economy.
Sai, one our translators who is a native to Burma said, “In Burma, if you’re not in the military, you’re nothing.”
Federalism rules and the people there face a hard way of life.
Because of the strong economic growth due to tourism in Phuket, many Burmese come to Thailand looking to better their lives.
Sai is one of them.
After spending seven years in prison and being arrested several times, Sai has dedicated his life to serve Christ and fight for the rights of the Burmese people.
Yesterday Mark, Chris, Sai and I decided to go and check out some of the local Burmese camps close by.
We had no idea what we were doing, we just felt led to go and build relationships and we had Sai who can speak Thai, Burmese and English.
Decorated with rusty tin and trash mounds, the camps house anywhere from two hundred to a thousand Burmese.
Companies act as sponsors here regulated closely by the government to house the Burmese and use them as a source of cheap labor.
Their homes are like scaffolding.
They can be kicked out, moved, or arrested at any time.
These people live in fear and labor hard.
The government regulates these people almost to a point of house arrest.
The Burmese are not allowed to have a mobile phone.
Not allowed to have any form of transportation.
Their children are not allowed to be educated.
They are not allowed to be out of the camps during the day or meet in groups of five or more after 8:00 pm.
They are treated like dogs and hated by the Thai.
For no reason they are hated and the next generation is being cultivated to take the shackles of their parents.
As we approached two Burmese men standing outside the camp, Sai explained the trouble he could get into for helping us.
The first man named ManYo looked very confused why three white men and a local were talking with him.
Soon after another young Burmese man looked intrigued as well and came over.
Both of them explained the hardships of their day.
They both could not find work for the day and they couldn’t afford to pay the police the 900 Baht (Roughly about 30 US dollars) to pay their housing sponsors.
Mark asked if we could see where they lived.
ManYo looking very excited, bobbed his head up and down and led us into the camp.
As I walked up the stairs I had to be very cautious as my foot almost pushed through the wobbly floor numerous times.
Scribbled in red spray paint we arrived at room F-22.
As I took off my sandals and entered I was humbled by this man who allowed me into home.
With a huge smile on his face he explained his wife had just had a baby the day before.
We sat and talked with him and, as I sat there, I felt the Lord say, “Chris, this is my harvest. Their hearts are prepared for me and ready to receive me.”
As I looked over the balcony into the camp courtyard I imagined many poor and broken Burmese worshiping the Lord.
It stuck my heart and gave me goosebumps.
This is church.
Investing in people lives and building relationship.
I’m sick of doing church and I think the Lord over the course of this year is teaching me the heart of being rather than doing.
Yes I could buy food and supplies and meet a physical need which is beautiful but what separates us from the world is sharing his love.
We experience his love by being and then we feed with the bread of life and watch his anointing flow over the hearts of his people.
Anyone can do, but it challenges us to trust and be.
I believe trust is the greatest gift we can give our father and our sacrifice is just a byproduct.
Jesus said to love our neighbor as you love yourself.
I think too often we focus on loving our neighbor and it becomes work and obligation.
Let’s face it, community is hard.
Being church is hard but it truly is the heart of God.
The fact is how can we share the love of Christ.
How can we share love for others if we ourselves don’t understand the love the father has for us.
Please pray for these people for they are deep in my heart.
