Trip to the Border

Bjorn and Rick entering Myanmar (Burma).

Yesterday we went to Burma! Bjorn and I needed to get an extension on our visas to Thailand and one of the easiest ways is to just cross the border and come back. You get a 15-day extension by doing this. When Timothy, one of our translators and a Barefoot Dr. himself, found out he invited us to his home in Burma for lunch. Timothy lives relatively close to the border. One of the FLC staff members/ friend offered to drive us all up as long as we could do a little shopping. So the 4 of us headed off about 9:00 Am and did not get back to our hotel until 1:30 Am the next morning. It was actually a great day but very long. It is about 3.5 hrs each way. We did get to do some site seeing and shopping but the highlight was eating at Timothy’s home. It is modest but a nice home on a dirt road. They have a well outside for water but he treated us like royalty. We had a great meal with his wife and a visiting Burmese evangelist. Timothy often puts up visiting guests in his home.

After lunch he asked if I would take a look at his neighbor's teenage son who had an old foot injury they were concerned about. I was glad to be able to contribute and as it turned out the boy is doing very well. He had severed a toe tendon playing soccer but had received medical treatment and the tendon has healed. There is a big lumpy scar but no pain or loss of function. The mother was just concerned because they had no access to minor medical care in this city. Here is an exiting note about this boy, this is the same boy Timothy cured of T.B. two years ago! The family came to him when their son was week, skinny, and had a chronic cough. He was way under normal size and skinny for his age. The boy was sickly and not growing due to his illness. With his Barefoot Dr training, Timothy was able to recognize and treat the TB appropriately. Now the boy is obviously strong, healthy, and back to playing soccer!



Bjorn, Rick, Timothy's wife and son, Timothy, and Rita in front of Timothy's home