ELEPHANT COUNTRY

Elephant country

The photos show  the place we are staying and the heat of the sun by 7:30 am

 may give you the sense it's blazing. I refer to this inescapable  heat as the, " Ill Tempered Sun " 

 In the shade we read 92 on the temperature gauge but have added  10 degrees more under the sun. I walked under the shade of  our  umbrella. 

  The local people living in this vicinity  live with the constant. ever present threat  of the  wild  elephants.  These  live under such risk to life and limb. Largely due to the lawlessness in the jungle borders with the armed militia. The elephant  reacts aggressively. 

The very  act of returning  home at night on the motorcycle is far from benign.  We have seen fires along the road for xtra light and as an attempt to turn away any oncoming elephants, but the alarm of sightings rise as the sun sets. The land  cools , the winds blow and the herds begin moving. 

Two months ago a young woman was coming  back  to her home here on her motorcycle and when dropping the package, she stopped to retrieve i   She  was then attacked and killed by the  elephant .  . 

Sad and tragic loss. In light of all the precautionS, these animals are largely unpredictable. 

These visits by the marauding. Hulks have come in the cool if the night and Jim and I hear only the short and rhythmic pops of firecrackers.  One mornings  we were shown a coconut tree , plummeted and pushed over for the coconuts. 

After dinner   We  left for the evening session  of the    marriage  seminar . 

As I listened  and joined in  with the   laughter , punctuated  appropriately during the sessions his  obvious enjoyment  with his  students , has become his signature style.  

It is recognized as a warm tribute to his method  of teaching, and the passion which has made his work so memorable through  these   Past 27 years . 

His knowledge  of random information , inserted with his customary expressions , finds  favor and easy assimilation . Through these years he additionally has acquired various cultural nuances and this has enriched the  work,

He is a gifted Missiologist . 

If you know my  husband  Jim,  you know he has  an unreal amount of information that he makes work for him. It is respectable.  He warms  hearts to himself .

 He remains equally interesting in every culture  to hear  and  watch. 

Just avoid trying to untangle the into nations of English once home. 

   . To sum it up, I like this quote . 

  

". The secret of success is to go through life   As a man who never gets used up . "

Dr Albert Schweitzer  

 

 Fully . 

Bamboo Camo

 This camp is built right at the jungles edge and the primary building material is predominately bamboo. 

I call this Refugee Camp,  the Bamboo Camp though it is known by its official name. 

  These Refugee   are Karen, having left the political Conflict and active  aggressive threats  still ominous and military action. Which took thousands of young and elderly Karen lives.  For Tribal    People as these, the  maiming, torturing and 

 Cruelty is not abstract but intensely personal and must be reckoned with retribution , 

This Camp was established in 1984. 

  There are 4000 Refugees that live here in a community , full with Church traditions , Youth Programs and Cultural celebrations. 

To the untrained understanding , life seems to be as normal as can be.  There is a sense of peace that pervades, yet there are active  restrictions so there are few coming into the camp. 

In short Tourists are not allowed.  

 We arrived via special permission on Friday Feb. 13 and began the Seminar in Inductive Bible Study method.  

Through introductions and through the translation from our Karen Pastor , we put together a scenario of life here. 

I found    our  brief time here to be very pleasant, accommodating and kind. 

The Karen are a noble people, very mindful of their heritage  and  place in this difficult  time in history . 

The children and adults were candid and  happy to be photographed. 

I have included the images here for you. 

The dirt road in and out is so deeply grooved that the driver 

 Went no faster than 10 mph. This was in his  4wheel drive. 

  Wewere jostled    bouncing  in our seats involuntary . Like body hiccups. 

Of course being  constantly pitched forward  and sideways was equal to air turbulence  in discomfort . 

For the hour long  journey , the slow accented ,  emphatic heavy stressed syllabic  language of the driver mesmerised  me.

So  punchy and tired  my  Thoughts    Came in and out like the tides, to  rise and fall with his spoken pattern .

In a  manner   of speaking , Jim and I were as seaweed brought in on those tides of thought. 

tired and ready for bed. 

We would return to the Camp and stay overnight to extend the Workshop into a  few   evening hours, 

 thought 

I kept my nose in my books preparing notes   our  marriage seminar. 

With stories I have heard and seen to be accurate I was very thankful for the resources I had  in my IPad   . 

Now to   cross the Karen Culture  barrier and  make appropriate  examples and application . 

The day was pregnant with instruction from Jim, classroom work and the ever present  heat of the " ill tempered sun" .  Of evening we all, in a great sigh, cooled off simultaneously. 

Children appeared in groups playing simple games , a few teens  wandered past in their  signature styles which included hair styled  in keeping with trend and the girls with friends  talking  and giggling. 

Mothers appeared in doorways cuddling their babies and children . 

After a pleasant dinner of rice, assorted vegetables and chicken , we  gratefully  slipped into sleep. 

 to the native and private room offered to us.