The Cause

Burma is currently in the midst of the longest running civil war ever.  Since 1948 the Karen people, the largest minority ethnic group in Burma, have undergone various types of oppression including sex trafficking, boys forced into the Burmese Army to become child soldiers, hunger, lack of education, and homelessness.

Essentially the Burmese government can't stand the Karen people (and other ethnic minorities) and wants them all gone.  These people are left to either try and survive in their portions of the country, or escape to Thailand (a very dangerous journey littered with soldiers).

If you're wondering how the Burmese government has so much control, let me fill you in.  Burma, a beautiful country in Southeast Asia is very rich in natural resources.  When outside countries purchase goods from Burma, they are fueling the already strong Burmese Army.  The Karen people are fighting to just stay alive and desperately need help.  Without the aid of outside nations, they will continue to experience oppression.

So how is biking across the country going to help these people?  I know, it sounds crazy.  Venture Expeditions (the Christian non-profit that I will be going with) has permanent missionaries in place there in the Burma/Thailand region.  By raising money to go on the trip and raising money while we're on the road, we're raising money to help the missionaries provide these refugees with food, shelter, schooling, and counseling, all while spreading the word of God and the love of Jesus.  Venture's missionaries partner with other missionaries, local schools, municipalities, and other groups to make the best use of their efforts and funds, so that they are able to reach more people and help them in the best way possible.  Every time we stop this summer, whether it be for a 5 minute bathroom break or overnight in whatever town we might be in, we'll be sharing about the cause, praying for the people in Burma and Thailand, and raising awareness for them.

Before I started looking into participating in Venture Expedition's Across America Tour, I was fairly unaware for the situation in Southeast Asia.  Now my heart breaks for these people.  I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to live in these conditions.  Finding up to date information on the happenings in Burma is extremely difficult.  Because the war has lasted for so long, the media has lost interest.  Things really don't change in this region.  For the most part, it's a day-to-day struggle for the Karen people to stay in hiding, alive, and out of harm's way.

Pray for these people.  There are people all around who are experiencing similar types of slavery and oppression, this just happens to be the specific cause that my bike tour is biking for.

Something that really helped me to understand what's going on over there all the way across the Pacific Ocean is a 40 minute documentary made by some college age guys.  They went to Burma, met with local officials and citizens to try and understand what exactly is going on.   Their result is their documentary titled "The Road."  Here's a link to the video.  I strongly urge you watch and pass it on.  (Note: the guys who made the documentary aren't connected to Venture.)

The Road