February 10 – 27 I will be visiting Thailand and Burma with a small group of American Baptist denominational leaders, regional executives, pastors, and lay people. This trip, like the trip I took to Thailand last year, is sponsored by the American Baptist Churches/USA's Burma Refugee Task Force. Joining this very Baptist group is a friend and colleague from Utica, Peter Vogelaar, Executive Director of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. Peter will also be blogging while in Thailand and Burma. You might like to check out his blog at: http://www.mvrcrinthailand.blogspot.com/
While in Thailand, our group will visit many individuals and organizations who minister to the refugees from Burma living in Thailand. These include American Baptist missionaries, organizations that assist in refugee resettlement such as the Overseas Processing Entity, and NGOs like the Thailand Burma Border Consortium. We also hope to visit the Mae La Refugee Camp, home of the Karen Kawthoolai Bible School and College.
All members of our party have been granted guest visas by the Burmese embassy in Washington. We will be in Yangon for four days as guests of the Myanmar Baptist Convention. While in Yangon we plan to visit a variety of Baptist leaders and organizations and renew the ties first formed by pioneering Baptist missionaries Adoniram and Anne Judson in 1813. This almost two century old bond of faith and friendship continues to unite American Baptists with Baptists in Burma.
As I travel to Thailand and Burma, I will be documenting my trip by posting reflections and photos here. Hopefully, this blog will allow Tabernacle Baptist Church members, friends, family, and other interested folks to share in my trip on a day by day basis - this is assuming I can find internet access each day! Please join me!
