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.