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The Karen people orginally come from Burma (known today as Myanmar), and many still live there. They are some of the first people America ever reached out to in foreign missions. In the early 1800's Adoniram Judson made his way to Burma fulfilling the call of God on his life. He spent nearly eight years ministering before the first soul came to Christ. He was nearly ready to give up when a man came to him with a slave that he had purchased. The slave was a young man from the Karen tribe who had been sold into slavery as a penalty for crimes he had been involved in. There was a legend amongst the Karen people that an old Karen man had two sons - a native Asian son and a white-faced son. The old man gave them both a golden book of truth. The Asian son lost his book and the white-faced son left on a journey and had not been seen for many years. The slave owner asked Judson to try to disciple the young man. Judson won him to the Lord and the young man went out to evangelise his people saying: "The white-faced son has returned, and he has the golden book of truth." The pages of Judson's bible were gold around the edges. Subsequently, nearly 30% of the Karen came to Christ, and became the evangelists of Burma.
Adoniram Judson
The well-known preacher and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance visited Burma around the year 1893. While he was there he spent time with the Karen people writing a report of their situation during that time of the late 1800's. This report can be found in the book "Larger Outlooks on Missionary Lands," by Rev. A.B. Simpson.
Karen Girls Photo from Rev. A.B. Simpson's missionary journey around 1893. Many years have passed and the Karen have found themselves under persecution from the government of Myanmar. They refused to surrender their freedom to the government and have been fighting for it since the second world war. Many of the Karen now live in refugee camps inside the border of Thailand and also in internal displacement camps within Myanmar. Many have been slain, children have been orphaned, and the suffering has continued for many years. There are many churches that are helping the Karen with humanitarian support, education, job training, evangelism, and much more. We are privileged to have a small part in this effort with many others in the Kingdom of God. The United Nations has recently taken up a program of resettling the Karen in some 18 different nations. One of those nations is the United States. We believe that God has sent them to America for a purpose. Those that we reached out to first are now coming back to reach out to us. We count it a blessing to have the Karen living in our home country and we pray that God exceedingly blesses them. 2003Our work with the Karen began in 2003 as we went to Thailand to teach the School of Christ to Karen students that are citizens of Thailand. Through working with these students we came in contact with the Karen refugees.
2008Currently, we continue to assist the Karen in the refugee camps and also are helping the Karen that are settling here in America, in places like San Diego, California; Omaha, Nebraska; and Denver, Colorado.
Karen Bible students at a village in Thailand. |
