American Baptist International Ministries

Duane & Marcia Binkley wrote just prior to Christmas: Since arriving in the US in June 2006, we have made contact with over 100 locations around the country where refugees from Burma (Karen and Chin) have settled from the refugee camps in Thailand and Malaysia, so the work is really gaining momentum. Since 2005, a total of 30,000 Karen and Chin have been settled in 140 cities across the US and tens of thousands more refugees from Burma are expected to arrive in the US in the future. For the past two years we have also made two trips each year to Thailand to visit the refugee camps there. Each day we get numerous emails from people and churches all across the US, Canada, and other countries who are working with these refugees and from the refugees themselves seeking information and resources. We also are developing relationships with the refugee re-settlement agencies that are responsible for helping the refugees become established in the various communities around the country. Our website (karenkonnection.org) seems to be meeting a great need . . . As we travel and meet people in various places, we are amazed at the scope of the situation and wide network that is developing. We are especially glad to see our Baptist churches reaching out to these, our Baptist brothers and sisters from Burma, where our Baptist mission work began nearly 200 years ago. Now, we have a chance to welcome them to our churches and home-country just as they welcomed our missionaries to their shores decades ago. Missions has indeed come full-circle! It is exciting to be a part of this historic development!