Joey Chen

In the winter of 2000, my wife Tae and I came to Thailand serving as Christian missionaries to reach out to the poor and underprivileged refugees from Myanmar, mostly war orphans at the Thai Burma borders in Kanchanaburi.  The refugees camp is in Sangkhlaburi which is about 590 km away from downtown Bangkok.  We have been in Sangkhlaburi for more than 13 year.  Sait is a Burmese Karen boy, 10 years old.  Sait and several boys his age were abducted by Burmese rebel soldiers and forced them to be their porters besides providing sexual services.  Karen National Union soldiers rescued them and clandestinely brought them to us.  They were barely taller than the rifles they used to sling over their shoulders.  We gave them shelter, food, clothing and send them to school with pocket money.  Regularly, I train them Japanese karate together with the rest of our own chiIdren at the Thai Burma Borders where we have two homes built with our own money just for children like him.  Recently we found out that Sait has a one and half inch (3cm) bladder stone that need urgent surgery that could be done only at a qualified hospital in Bangkok.  There is a christian hospital in the jungle where we live but they are not allowed in Sait's case because they don't have the proper medical equipments, and on top of that there isn't a surgeon available; only one general MD and malaria research scientists.  In downtown Kanchanaburi about 300 km away there is a government hospital but as usual they ask for money first because Sait is stateless refugee.  30 Baht Thai government insurance does not apply to stateless refugees from Burma.  Buddhist doctor at the mission hospital in Bangkok charges US$2500 for surgery, US$1200 for lodging and meals for 12 days. Transportation from Huay Malai to Bangkok which is 590 km away, plus post surgery expenses and other miscellaneous cost is around US$2000.  Our mission has never ask for donations for our mission homes.  We have always been depending on God and his amazing grace.  Your generous contribution means a lot for Sait and the rest of the children from Myanmar.  Abundant Blessings.