As Special Assistants for Myanmar (Burma) for ABC International Ministries (IM), Gail and I had the privilege of spending six weeks during January and February in southeast Asia, which included participation in two separate groups of American Baptist leaders.  The first group, led by Rev. Stan Murray, IM’s Area Director for Japan and Southeast Asia, involved travel to Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  Its purpose was to visit mission partner organizations in those countries, to see some of what they are doing, and to learn of ways that American Baptists can be supportive of them.  (One of my special assignments is to identify theological schools in Myanmar that would benefit from having volunteer teachers, and to gather information about specific needs and possible arrangements.)  As part of this group, we attended the 150^th anniversary celebration of the Myanmar Baptist Convention in Lashio, in Burma’s Shan State.

 

The second group, led by American Baptist General Secretary Rev. Dr. Roy Medley, embarked on a “Peace and Justice Advocacy Trip,” focusing on the situations facing Burma’s ethnic minority groups, especially the Karens, the Kachins, and the Chins—including refugees from those groups in Thailand and Malaysia.  As part of this group, we visited leaders of ethnic organizations, officials of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, US ambassadors to Thailand and Burma, and government officials of Myanmar at the state and national level.  A special highlight was a visit to Daw (“Ms.”) Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy in her parliament office in Nay Pyi Taw, the nation’s new capital.  During that visit, Gail gave Daw Suu Kyi a copy of a letter from Virginia Holmstrom, Executive Director of American Baptist Women’s Ministries, to the Women’s Department of the Kachin Baptist Convention, expressing condolences following the rape and murder of two young women who had been serving as volunteer teachers.  Gail also gave Daw Suu Kyi a prayer shawl as a symbol of the need for all of Myanmar’s people to have basic human rights.  Gail also presented letters and prayer shawls to the sister of one of the slain women at a camp for Internally Displaced Persons, which we were able to visit, and another to the father of the other young woman at the offices of the Kachin Baptist Convention.

 

An extension of Roy Medley’s trip was a visit to the southern part of Chin State, which is known as the poorest of the seven states and seven divisions of Myanmar.  Gail and I accompanied Roy on this week-long trip, along with Rev. Dr. C. Duh Kam, Executive Minister of Chin Baptist Churches/USA.  Because of travel restrictions imposed by the Burmese government over the course of decades, we were the first American Baptists to visit this area in more than 50 years.  We traveled over winding, unpaved mountain roads to a number of villages, where we participated in worship services and met with pastors and denominational leaders.  We were especially pleased to be able to visit in the town of Matupi with relatives of members of the Washington Chin Baptist Church, one of three Chin churches in the Evergreen association.

 

In the time between the two group trips, and again after the visit to Chin State, Gail and I stayed at the Myanmar Institute of Theology (MIT) in Yangon (Rangoon), where we have taught seven times since 2000.  It was good for us to be able to have time with the many friends and colleagues we have made there.  Throughout the trip, in virtually every place we went—from big cities to small towns—we were delighted to meet some of our former students from MIT, who were engaged in ministry in their respective locations.

 

The time since we’ve returned home has felt like an extension of our time in Burma.  Dr. Hrang Hlei, pastor of the Chin Immanuel Christian Church, lived with us along with his wife A Cer and their two children, until their own apartment was ready for them.  For a week, we hosted Thaw Eh Moo, a young Karen faculty member from MIT, before she began a two-month internship with American Baptist Women’s Ministries in Valley Forge.  We were also pleased to have a visit from Rev. Dr. Saw Ler Htoo, one of our traveling companions and General Secretary of Karen Baptist Churches/USA.  On the four Sundays following our return, I preached at the Chin Immanuel Christian Church, the Karen Community Church, the Washington Chin Baptist Church, and the new Washington Kachin Baptist Church.  On March 15^th, Gail joined our Executive Minister Dr. Marcia Patton in making a presentation to the Seattle Falam Baptist Church.

 

Gail and I feel very privileged to have had so many opportunities to engage in ministry with, for, and on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ from Burma.

 

Paul shares some interesting statistics about retirement and volunteer service:

I've been retired for 3 years and 4 months.  During that time, I've been to SE Asia as a mission volunteer three times, for a total of about 23 weeks--which means that I've spent about 13% of my retirement time so far as a mission volunteer.

Though our mission service time has been the same, Gail beats me percentage-wise.  She's been retired for 1 year and 9 months.  Our last two trips (lasting a total of about 16 weeks) took place during that time--so she's spent almost 18% of her retirement time so far as a mission volunteer.