Karen State, Burma<\/p>\n Laughing and charging, children ran across an open meadow behind Rangers\u00a0who\u00a0carried\u00a0flags from all over the world. The\u00a0joyous dash\u00a0was led by\u00a0three\u00a0flag-bearing\u00a0horses with riders that\u00a0galloped wildly to the church and school at the edge of the field. As I looked\u00a0up at the mountain that loomed over this spectacle, I could see\u00a0how\u00a0the Burma Army camp\u00a0on the summit tried to dominate this area of northern Karen State, Burma.<\/p>\n Soldiers were there, poised to destroy all those below as they had\u00a0tried\u00a0many times before, but,\u00a0there\u00a0had been\u00a0no movement for the past week from the camp. This day\u00a0was a chance to be part of a Good Life Club program for the children of this valley. Our new Rangers walked here after graduation,\u00a0and this was our third program of this mission. Children and parents from five different villages in the area gathered for the children\u2019s program and dental and medical care our medics\u00a0gave.<\/p>\n This valley\u00a0was attacked numerous times over the years; ceasefire negotiations\u00a0couldn\u2019t spare it from attack. The small church and school had trenches dug around them that people could dive into for cover when the shelling started. Still,\u00a0the people remain.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our home and we will not run away no matter how much the Burma Army attacks us. They build roads and camps in the name of development but use these to attack us. We are not strong but we know God is with us and so we will stay,\u201d the pastor said.<\/p>\n We met many people\u00a0during this mission who had been shot by the Burma Army, but\u00a0they\u00a0survived and remained. One\u00a0victim\u00a0was a girl who was shot in the groin when she was 13-years-old and who our medics helped treat. Now she is 21-years-old and married with two children. We also saw Naw Mu Day Wah,\u00a0who was shot in the stomach when she was eight and is also married with two children (she was on the cover of last year\u2019s Day of Prayer for Burma).<\/p>\n The resilience and joy in the face of constant danger and the ability to joyously play under the Burma Army\u2019s glare inspired and reminded us that God is always with us. His love brings good even in the midst of evil.<\/p>\n The day started with Rangers from different ethnic groups introducing themselves and getting to know the children. The Rangers\u00a0taught songs, basic hygiene and anatomy, and performed skits about public health and\u00a0the story of Noah. At the same time, medics operated a medical and dental clinic\u00a0to\u00a0treat\u00a0sickness\u00a0and\u00a0pull\u00a0and teeth in the bamboo school.<\/p>\n Rangers cooked lunch for everyone,\u00a0and\u00a0they all\u00a0played games in the afternoon. After the games and\u00a0before the program finished, we all gathered to pray and\u00a0sing the Karen national anthem.<\/p>\n The last event\u00a0joined\u00a0the villagers and Rangers who\u00a0bore\u00a0flags from loving\u00a0supporters who\u00a0gave us their national flags to bring into Burma. Suu rode in front, carrying the Karen flag. In solidarity with the Kurdish people and the people of northeastern Syria, Sahale rode with the flag of Kurdistan and Pete with the flag of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Behind them ran the Rangers and children, laughing and shouting with joy. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.<\/p>\n Thank you for praying for us and helping us stand with these people.<\/p>\n God bless you,<\/p>\n Dave, family and teams<\/p>\n![\"Rangers](\"https:\/\/www.freeburmarangers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2112.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.freeburmarangers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2211.jpg\")