It’s hard to believe that a whole year has past since we saw such horrific images coming from inside Burma of the crackdown on monks and other peaceful protestors. On September 26^th last year, Burma army soldiers attacked - beating and killing many. I can personally remember the feeling of dread every time I looked online for news updates. After a few days the international media slowed down it’s reporting, but the military regime increased their efforts to instil even more fear and uncertainty into the lives of the everyday people. Fear is one of the biggest weapons they have. photo: monks praying during demonstrations (AP)

Since the beginning of this month the city of Rangoon has seen police, intelligence officers and armed soldiers once more on the streets, monitoring monasteries, intimidating monks and arresting activists. The Generals have been determined to prevent any public commemoration of the anniversary. And they believe they can continue with this behaviour without international intervention. But what this regime does not seem to understand is that not everyone in the world is like them. It’s not about whether the situation in Burma affects the international community, it is whether the situation in Burma goes against everything that is right and moral and ethical and good. We should not just make a stand if it affects us, we should make a stand simply because it is wrong.

And what is the people’s desire? Well, ask the tens of thousands of refugees living in Thailand, or the 1.5 million displaced people living in the jungles of Burma, or the tens of thousands who last year found their voice and demonstrated throughout all the major cities and who paid an incredibly high price for doing so. Ask the many hundreds of thousands who lost their loved ones and homes during and in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Ask them what their desire is. I have had the opportunity to speak to some of these people, and I can tell you now, it certainly is not to see this wicked and brutal regime carry on in power. photo: IDPs hiding in the jungels of Burma (FBR)

In his book, "God is Closer than you Think" John Ortberg writes the following; "You have to believe that God has a good reason for keeping his presence subtle. It allows creatures as small and frail as human beings the capacity for choice that we would never have in the obvious presence of infinite power….God wants to be known, but not in a way that overwhelms us….You never know where he'll turn up, or whom he'll speak through, or what unlikely scenario he will use for his purpose." (God is Closer Than You Think Copyright © 2005 by John Ortburg)  The unlikely scenario God showed up in recently was one I don't think I will ever forget. We ware travelling back from Nu Poh Refugee Camp after spending a week completing primary healthcare checks on the children in the two projects Partners supports there. It had been an excellent but tiring week and we were all looking forward to getting back for a hot shower and a good night sleep. The journey from Nu Poh to Mae Sot takes about 6 hours and goes through the Umphang mountains – a long and windy road infamously known as the Death Highway (it apparently has 1219 turns and you can buy various souvenir items to show that you drove and survived it). We and all our baggage were packed into two trucks – Kath, Brandon, Pastor Peacefully and pastor Newton in the front vehicle and Wes and I following behind. The first hour or so passed by uneventfully, but then our truck began to struggle. Halfway up a steep incline, our truck suddenly lost power - even in low gear we were barely moving. With some effort and a lot of willing, we managed to reach flat ground and pull the truck over. The car had died and a little red light on the dash had come on. Kath's truck in front had gone on ahead and so there Wes and I were - stuck on the side of a mountain with no phone reception and virtually no mechanical know-how between us. 

We lifted the bonnet, got out the manual and were still completely clueless. However, the scenery was incredible and we decided that if we had to break down anywhere, this was a great place for it to happen. Ten minutes or so later, Kath had realised we were no longer behind her and had come back to see if we were OK. So instead of two people on the side of the road scratching their heads (and admiring the view), there were now six! We looked again at the manual and I read out the part that talked about the little red light … "If this light comes on, stop the vehicle immediately and call out a Toyota engineer". What chance was there of getting a qualified Toyota engineer out here in the middle of the Death Highway? photo: Looking into the bonnet, even though we don't have a clue!

Just then four OEM truck drove past in the opposite direction. (OEM is the organisation that helps refugees move to a third country). They pulled over on the other side of the road and we were suddenly surrounded by four very confident looking Thai guys. One in particular seemed to know exactly what to do – he opened this, pulled that and twiddled a few things here and there. Then he got into the truck and drove it off down the road. I tried hard not to look too concerned! However, little did I know at the time that this moment was, in fact, the divine providence of God. When the guy drove the truck back to us, he told us that he had fixed the problem and we would get back to Mae Sot without a problem. He then continued to tell us that he has only been working as an OEM driver for a short time, before that he had been a qualified Toyota Engineer! Was that just a coincidence? I think not… photo: The four OEM trucks, our rescuers. 

After paying our new friends for their kindness in Oreos and smiles, we jumped back into the trucks and went on our way home. It struck me as we continued our journey that if we had left the camp just fifteen minutes or so later, we would have missed out meeting those OEM trucks. God had met with us in the most unexpected of places, through a Thai Buddhist ex-Toyota engineer.

Fungal disease, intestinal worms, possible malaria, high fever…these are just a few of the problems our team were able to help out with these past couple of weeks as we continued with our 2008 CHECK (Child Health & Education for Caregivers & Kids) programme. This week we saw the 300 children at Thoo Mweh Kee School - a migrant school close to the Thai-Burma border which also takes care of approximately 170 children who have no other family in Thailand. Many of the hundreds of thousands of migrant and refugee children in Thailand have been sent over the border by their parents, who believe that it is the only chance for a good education and future for their children. photo: CHECK medic undertaking examination.

Thoo Mweh Kee hostel is funded and supported by Partners, and part of my job is to ensure the children are well taken care of. Part of that care is an annual check-up undertaken by volunteer nurses and medics. God has blessed us with a professional and committed group of people this year – from the UK, Australia and the US – and together we will be travelling up and down the border to our hostels dispensing medicine and making hospital referrals where needed.  photo: CHECK medic treating child with a skin infection.

One such referral was a young man, Saw Htoo Say*, from a hostel in Mae La Camp. He came over from Burma two years ago and has had a recurring boil just behind his left ear for about six years. Throughout this time he has been given antibiotics, which helped for a short time, but the infection never really went away. Two weeks ago I visited him with Wes Robinson, a Partners volunteer nurse from Indiana, and Saw Htoo Say was once again in quite acute pain. Wes diagnosed possible Mastoiditis – a severe bone infection, which if left untreated can spread to the brain.  We decided enough was enough and within a few minutes, with a little help from some friends and by the grace of God, we managed to get him a day's leave from the camp to visit the hospital in Mae Sot. After a few hours wait he was able to see the ear, nose and throat specialist who confirmed it was indeed Mastoiditis and prescribed the much needed medicine and booked a follow-up appointment in a few weeks.  photo: Ministry programme undertaken by CHECK staff

As a Christian I believe in a God who heals miraculously. And I believe one way that he does that is through the gifts and skills of trained medics willing to give freely of their time and knowledge to help others. I believe what happened for Saw Htoo Say (and for the many hundred other children who have received medicine from us these past few weeks) was nothing short of a miracle. Praise God. photo: CHECK medics undertaking examinations.

*name changed.