Education Updates

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’”
LUKE 2:10 NKJV

In Myanmar, Sweet December is a very special and beloved tradition. It begins on the eve of the last day of November, when people gather to welcome and count down to December—the month of joy.

In a post-COVID and post-Burma coup world, it is easy to see only the huge problems in front of us. When the enemy promises more bombs tomorrow than yesterday, when the collective resources for helping people in Myanmar are lower than ever, it’s easy to lose hope.

That is why I love December—a month of hope. I look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us…

Last week I made several posts to a chat group of people who follow or support our work in Burma. I hadn’t posted anything for 10 days, and I didn’t have any grand plan in mind when I started. Yet an interesting, if unintentional, thread emerged…

Looking ahead, Giving Tuesday is coming on December 2nd. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to support the Class of 2027’s senior year of education—because after graduating, they will be sent out to bring healing and hope to over 200,000 patients in the next 5 years.

But the coming academic year will be their most challenging yet: taking on leadership roles, training younger classmates, and solving real-world challenges in the middle of a warzone…

God has opened up an incredible opportunity.

We’ve just been approved to receive a large medical supplies donation—valued at $500,000—from SOS International, a charity that rescues unused supplies destined for landfills and gets it in the hands of medical missions across the world.

We need your help to get it here before rainy season. By raising $25,000 now, we can safely get this God-sized quantity of supplies to Karen State before the window of opportunity closes…

…I can honestly say that I have learned a lifetime of lessons in my 4 years of living in the jungle. I have learned from the students; I have learned from the peripheral staff who cook our food, manage our books, shipments and transportation, man our gates, relay our radio messages and maintain our beautiful campus; I have learned from the villagers; I have learned from my fellow teachers; I have learned from our Stronghold ambulance service members, our PA graduates, and from campus leadership.

But the person that I get the most inspiration from is our Rain Tree Medical Director, Dr. Hsar…

Medical Updates

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”
PSALM 91:1-2

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming soon for our American friends, it is good to stop and remember what God has done. There is much to be thankful for! 

Education Updates

Beyond the classroom, students have plenty of opportunities to learn and serve. Pray for endurance and encouragement as they grow.

Every month, RTC hosts a seminar of an encouraging or motivational speech given by staff or local leaders. In September, a local leader gave a motivational speech titled “Youth! Rise up for your people.”

Over the last six months, Caryl and I have traveled about 60,000 miles across four continents, telling the story of our Karen friends. We’ve sat in homes and churches, company boardrooms and recording studios, at a soccer tournament and even a PhD level Maternal-Child health conference. And everywhere, as we shared pictures and videos of our teams, I felt the ache of missing friends who I knew were bone-tired and standing in harm’s way. Friends who were giving to the end of themselves amid torrential rains, sliding mud, shifting battle lines, and the menace of bombers…

Medical Updates

Anyone in healthcare knows the joy and satisfaction of helping others to feel better. But they also know the sorrow and frustration of when it doesn’t work or if there’s nothing you can do. You take it personally. If only…

“I have learned many things while living at RTC. I have learned from my teachers, seniors, and friends. I have also noticed that almost everyone here is friendly and generous. But my favorite part of life at RTC is learning new methods of study.

When I studied in Myanmar, most students, including myself, had to memorize everything taught by the teachers. Because of that, I struggled to teach children and did not feel like a good teacher. But here, I have learned a new way…”

Education Updates: “I want to keep learning.”

Every year I think, “How am I ever going to teach these students who don’t speak my language?” But every year they amaze me into shock and awe. Every one of our students here at Rain Tree is extremely committed to becoming the best healthcare worker they can be. Learning about the body in such detail gives them a whole new perspective on how we can praise God, because we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

Beauty and struggle live side by side.

“If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.” - C.S. Lewis

The villagers watched us with hope in their eyes. They believed we could save his life.

For the past four years as PA students, we have observed, assisted, and performed surgeries under the guidance of our teaching doctors and nurses. But now, at our internships in remote areas, we were the most experienced medical professionals. There was no one else to rely on.

We had never performed a surgery on our own before. But we didn’t show our fear…

Naw May Tha Zin, a 3½ year old little girl, had a large mass in her abdomen. Her parents took her to the children’s hospital in Yangon, but could not afford surgery as ordinary villagers. They took their daughter to a village elder who treats patients with traditional methods and rituals. But the mass became bigger and bigger and occupied her whole abdomen.

He told her parents: "Go to the east and the girl will survive…''

For my PA internship, I was placed at a small backpack clinic in the remote mountains with [two of] my classmates. When we arrived, the clinic was almost empty. Medicines were scarce, and only two patients came during our first week. But once people heard that Physician Associate students from Rain Tree Clinic (RTC) were there, the number quickly grew to over 10 patients a day…

CLICK TO SEE UPDATES:

Naw Gay is a 26-year-old community healthcare worker who served in the conflict zones of Burma. On March 8, she was hiding in a trench with two friends during an airstrike near active fighting in Northern Karen State. A firebomb struck their position. Her two friends were killed. Naw Gay survived—but with devastating injuries.

“I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust… For He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” - PSALM 91: 2, 11

He is risen! We hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday. Our RTC hospital celebrated Easter Sunday by visiting the patients and praying with them. The students decorated eggs, and the preschoolers colored egg pictures. One of the decorated eggs said: JESUS IS STILL KING - AMEN. That is our hope and confidence in spite of the war…

She knew we hadn't changed the outcome. But she also knew we had done our best. We had stopped at the side of a road, even though the fighting was close by. We had put our hands on her brother and done what we could. Somewhere during that process, a profound gratitude was born…

“You are a God of hope; fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in You, so that I may overflow with hope by the power of your Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13 (paraphrased)

Myanmar’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28 has affected our whole region. Our staff and students at Rain Tree Clinic and Chiang Mai are safe, but so many other people have been killed, injured, or displaced…