Hey everyone… So the April trip went very well! A lot of meetings and discussions regarding sustainability projects went down and a lot of great connections were made! Forgotten is now much more prepared to implement sustainability projects and is confident that if we do decide to do so that they will be a success! At the current moment, however, Forgotten has no set plans or dates on when or if any sustainability programs will be implemented. The meetings and discussions on this trip were intended more to prepare Forgotten for the future and to explore new ways and avenues to help better serve the Karen people moving forward. We at Forgotten want to make sure that we are doing all in our power to explore every opportunity to build relationships and work with other organizations in the area to best meet the needs of the people that we serve!
With that being said, there is, however, a small sustainability project that Forgotten is looking into possibly helping support this year. There is a particular family living at Forgotten that is very excited about having the opportunity to farm their own land. This family has already displayed to Forgotten that they are prepared to do so on their own behalf, and all they have asked for is that Forgotten provide them with a little start up income to help get the ball in motion. So on my next visit this project is going to be discussed further and we are going to look into the possibility of helping get this family started! If everything works out and Forgotten is able to help support this family I will make sure to keep you all up to date on the project and let you know how it goes!
As for some more of the current stuff taking place! Forgotten is currently looking into expanding on the Electricity Project to provide all of the 34 families living at Forgotten with electricity, instead of just the current 15 families that have electricity. The families at Forgotten have expressed the need for electricity in each of the families’ homes to provide additional security and safety, so this is something that we would like to provide them with in the near future. Forgotten also, with the help and support of James’ father David Gregory, plans to install 4 toilets on the land for the families later this month! Open defecation is a huge problem in the area and has become a tremendous health concern. We at Forgotten therefore feel that it is better to tackle this project sooner rather than later. We are so thankful that we found someone like David Gregory to put forth the money to make the construction of these facilities a reality. So thanks Dave!
In the coming months Forgotten is also looking to expand on the Relief Kit Project. The Relief Kit Project has been set up to provide the families that have just recently been forced out of their homes in Burma to live in Thailand with basic survival tools and supplies. It is during the harvest season, which takes place around the month of October, that you find the greatest amount of fighting in Karen State. This is the time when the Burmese soldiers come into Karen State to ravish the villages and take from the people the crops that they desire. They wait for all of the hard work to be done, and then they come in and take what they want. Forgotten therefore intends to purchase more relief kits in the months leading up to October to ensure that we will be prepared to provide as many families as possible with basic relief supplies as soon as they arrive in Thailand. Forgotten sees this as the most basic way to get involved and show love to the Karen people by helping keep them alive and more comfortable during their stay in Thailand. So please check out the Relief Kits under our ‘Products’ tab and if you would like to purchase one to help aid in this area we will make sure that your donation is well spent and makes it into the hands of one of these desperate families.
In addition to everything else that I have already mentioned Forgotten also plans to stay on course and continue to serve the Karen in all the areas where projects are currently taking place. And at the current moment the most important of these areas include of providing land for the families to live on for additional security and safety, providing education for their children, sanitation and clean drinking water, showing love by celebrating their birthdays and developing relationships with them by visiting with the families at the community house, and above all, the most important and founding mission behind Forgotten, to continue to spread the gospel and teach the families about the love and teachings of Jesus Christ!
I want everybody to know that the situation in Burma is out of control and the needs along the Thai Burma border are therefore also out of control. There are just so many Karen refugees in Thailand that the camps are overflowing with people and the room to house all of these people and provide them with safety is limited. And this is why Forgotten feels that God has called them to Thailand. Forgotten is working with these displaced refugees that live outside of the camps and are forced to fend for themselves without the help of aid from the international community. The situation that these families are in is the most desperate of situations and therefore requires the help and support from others. It is difficult enough to survive in this world living in a country that actually recognizes you as a citizen. It is therefore not hard to imagine how difficult it would be to flee from your home country with little or nothing at all and be forced to try and find ways to survive and fend for yourself living and working amongst the shadows. I therefore, with a great deal of sincerity, highly recommend to all of you reading this post to get involved and learn more about the situation in Burma. We at Forgotten and many other organizations are already here working in the area, so if your heart tells you to make a donation to Forgotten or to another organization working with Karen Refugees in Thailand, please do so.
Other than that, all I have to say is that the last trip was very busy and full of work. I can ensure to all of you that Pastor Manat is happy to be at home enjoying the company of his wife and kids. I can also ensure that he is sleeping during the night like a little baby… and for good reasons. :)
Anyways, I hope that everyone reading this post is doing well!
much love… Justus
