From the Field
“I Want To Keep Learning.”
Education Updates
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
PSALM 139:14 NIV
Saw Thaw Thi Poe, Year 5 PA Student
Saw Thaw Thi Poe discusses a patient case with Dr. Zue (Chief of Medicine) and other PA students.
As part of the final year of the Physician Associate (PA) Program, students are required to complete 180 hours of clinical internship in remote clinics across Karen State under the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW). The purpose of this internship is not only to apply the knowledge and skills gained at Rain Tree Clinic Teaching Hospital but also to prepare us for the real challenges of delivering healthcare in low-resource, conflict-affected areas.
I recently returned from one of the mobile clinics located in the K5 region near a war zone. During my internship, we encountered many trauma patients—cases from bomb blasts and landmine injuries. When we faced complex cases beyond our capacity, we referred them to larger clinics. On the internal medicine side, we treated patients with lung cancer, diabetes, and hypertension—conditions that were difficult to manage in such a limited setting. Still, we did everything we could with the resources we had.
In that clinic, there were only a few Community Health Workers providing care. They asked us to share our knowledge, so I taught them about the gastrointestinal system and basic anatomy. That experience made me realize the importance of being well-prepared—not just for treating patients, but also for empowering local health workers.
What I took away from this internship is how great the need is. Communities are in desperate need of both quality care and the knowledge to sustain it. I want to keep learning and become more skilled—especially in surgical care, which is often life-saving in these remote places where no other help is available.
I hope our leaders will support and recommend me in pursuing postgraduate training in the Surgical PA Program here at Earth Mission so I can return and serve where the need is greatest.
Student Life: Dorm Cell Bible Studies
Starting in June, we began a new journey: visiting one dorm each week to host Bible study. Each week's study is prayerfully prepared to reflect the group we are visiting, making it more personal and relevant for the students.
Last week, we wrapped up the series with a powerful lesson on Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall. It was held in the boys’ dorm and shared by Susan for all of us, especially for the young male Years 2, 4, and 5 PA students we were visiting. After a time of study and prayer, the students surprised us with their hospitality—creatively preparing snacks using what little they had, welcoming everyone with joy and generosity.
It’s been beautiful to see how this dorm cell Bible study is growing. Last week, over 40 people joined us—most of them students hungry not only for food but for the Word of God. We praise God for this growth and for the hearts being touched each week.
Please continue to pray that these gatherings will bear lasting fruit and strengthen the faith of our community.
Students pray during a Bible study in the men’s dorm.
Making and sharing a meal together after Bible Study.
Featured Student
“In this difficult time for our country, I have the chance to study medicine and grow toward my dream.”
Ei Thazin, Year 4 PA Student
Thank you to all who have sponsored Ei Thazin so far! There is $3,968 left to support her next year of Physician Associate training. If you would like to help, learn more here:
Physician Associate Training
An update on Year 1 students from Susan, Education Instructor
Normal Anatomy & Physiology is a core class of our Year 1 curriculum. The students have about 80 lecture hours in this one class. It is the class that most Year 1 students tell me is the most difficult class they have ever taken. Everything we learn in A&P serves as a base for all future classes in Years 2-5. Every year, I have made it a little more comprehensive than the previous year in response to comments the upper-level students tell me about difficulties they are having in their Year 2-5 classes.
The A&P curriculum is taught in a systems-based style, starting with histology and moving through the systems of integumentary, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, etc. Even though it is the “most difficult class they have ever taken,” the Year 1 students always excel at this class. I spend a lot of time in Year 1 showing them how to improve their study habits, how to utilize good study tools, and say about a million times, “Find a study partner and ask each other questions and discuss the hard parts!”
This year, in response to upper-level students telling me that they sometimes have difficulty integrating the different systems for their disease processes classes, I have added a unit on joints. In the new joint unit we go over the 7 largest joints in the body incorporating all the systems we have already learned: skeleton, muscles, nerves, arteries, and veins. For every joint the students must know all the bones that come together to form the articulations plus their landmarks, all the muscles, tendons and ligaments and the actions they perform on the joint, all the major arteries and veins, and the nervous innervation. It is a lot of information. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but I knew that learning it would immensely assist them in many classes in their later years.
Last week, I wrote a 100-question online Kahoot! game quiz to use with the students to review for their exam next week. To test out the quiz questions, I had our resident U.S.-trained Physician Associate do the quiz with me. When we finished, she told me that if the students could do well on this quiz they were every bit as knowledgeable as she is. I am proud to say that our amazing Year 1 class crushed the quiz. Most of the students scored at least 80%.
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)
Year 1 Physician Associate students teach their fellow classmates about Osteoarthritis.
Year 1 Physician Associate students learn about anatomy and physiology.
Engineering Tech Training
This month, Year 1 students continued developing their foundational engineering skills across core subjects. In Construction, they learned how to properly mix cement and practiced pouring concrete slabs smoothly with attention to leveling and finishing techniques. For Electrical, students built simple circuits on breadboards and explored the differences between series and parallel connections. In Mechanics, they were introduced to the basic working process of a motorcycle engine, including an overview of the main components and the four-stroke cycle. In Drawing, students were taught the fundamentals of Orthographic Projection and learned how to represent 3D objects in 2D views accurately. Additionally, guest instructor Boris led sessions on Engineering Communication and Presentation, where students learned how to express their ideas more clearly and professionally in both written and spoken formats.
The Year 2 students focused on advancing their technical knowledge in both theory and practical skills. In Construction, they studied the foundation systems of reinforced concrete buildings, understanding the function and construction of structural footings. In Electrical, students explored basic home breaker box wiring systems, learning how these systems work and how to install them safely. For Mechanics, the topic centered around the working principles of truck engines and basic maintenance techniques. In Project Management, students applied their design skills through AutoCAD 3D drawing by modeling a one-story building, focusing on layout, structure, and visualization. They also participated in Engineering Communication and Presentation classes taught by Boris, further enhancing their technical communication skills.
This month, Year 3 students were introduced to key concepts in Project Management. They discussed what a project manager is, the responsibilities involved in managing engineering projects, and how project leadership contributes to successful outcomes. These sessions aimed to prepare them for real-world roles by building their understanding of planning, coordination, and leadership within engineering work.
Above: Years 1 & 2 Engineering Tech students in class at Mae Sariang.
Right: Engineering Tech students weld steel beams during a construction project.
“Please pray for our staff, so we can endure in difficult situations. So we can love each other, understand each other and forgive each other. So we can work together happily and cooperate well as we all are servants of God. Pray for each other. Pray that our patients can see the mercy and grace of God through our works.”
- Dr. Hsar, Medical Director
“Please continue to pray for all the areas of fighting, that God will protect those being targeted.”
- Caryl Ryan, Donor Relations Director
An Update on May Thazin Phoo
Thank you for praying for May Thazin Phoo last month. Her biopsy was sent for a definitive diagnosis to Thailand and came back positive. She started her first chemotherapy cycle in the middle of July. The first few days were tough—she didn’t respond well at first. But after about three days, her condition began to improve. Her mom shared that she started eating more and moving around again. May Thazin Phoo’s still not fully recovered, but she’s a happy little girl in her own way.
July 28th was a special day—she joined our campus preschool for the first time as she’s feeling much better. She was so excited to go to preschool! She told her mom, “You said you would take me to preschool if I got better.”
Please keep her in your prayers.
Above: May Thazin Phoo and her mother walk to school.
Left: Ready for her first day of preschool.
Below: May Thazin Phoo plays ball with her new classmates.
Travel in the USA & Northern Ireland
In July, Mitch and Caryl traveled to see many of you friends, donors, and supporters in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Detroit, Michigan; and Lake Huron Community Church in Tawas City, Michigan.
Our trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland included speaking at Christian Fellowship Church (CFC), as well as meeting with other donors there. Mitch was the keynote speaker at the “Fragile Settings & Maternal Health Conference” at Ulster University organized by Dr. Lesley Dornan. His topic was “The Fragility of Healthcare in a Conflict Setting.”