Last week, all four of us went on an overnight field trip with all the secondary students from FLC. We had a great time visiting two artists' installations, two museums, an Akha village and a hydroponic farm about an hour northwest of Chiang Rai. However, it is the Akha village I would like to tell you about. The Akha are a hill tribe that live in China, Laos, Myanmar and northern Thailand. They're well known in Thailand for their beautiful needlework, however they are considered refugees and many have a difficult time gaining citizenship here and are quite poor.
The village we visited is one that friends of ours have been working with for quite a while. Many of the tribal people had been employed at the tea plantations in this area that secured their employees by giving them small amounts of opium at the end of each workday. Our friend Chuck (the husband of our principal, and the father of one of Dan's students) met up with them as they entered a Christian drug rehab program. Many of them became Christians through this experience, and because of it, they were kicked out of their village. They are struggling to survive in a new and difficult location. Chuck has worked with them to build a water system, supply electricity and now they are beginning to develop a coffee plantation. Despite being ostracized from their families and very poor, they adhere strongly to their faith and are a great encouragement to Chuck, as he is to them.
We had the joy of eating dinner in the village. Akha food is fabulous, although they are partial to dog, they were kind enough not to serve any to us!
The secondary kids horsing around near the Akha village.
