A Cross-Cultural Field Education Experience in Thailand

I recently had the opportunity to spend eight months in the Northern region of Thailand, interning with a non-profit organization called Borderless Friendship Foundation (BFF). BFF does community development in over 300 communities of minority groups in Thailand called the hill tribes, who face oppression and are not afforded many basic human rights. BFF works in communities to make education possible for children, to keep children safe from human trafficking, to bring sanitation and safe drinking water to villages, to educate farmers on spending and safe practices, to start hill tribe cooperatives and microcredit, among other things.

I have always been passionate about the Church working outside of our own walls, sharing the love of Christ through actions of compassion and justice in our communities and in the global community. So, I spoke with the director of field education at Garrett-Evangelical and, with her help, worked on planning a school-year long internship with BFF as part of my field education and cross-cultural requirements for the M.Div program. The process of planning, working on deferring classwork and graduation, getting housing taken care of, and figuring out finances was challenging. However, I am still overwhelmed when I think of all the support I have received from everyone at Garrett-Evangelical. I am blessed to be at a school that encourages me to participate in the mission of God where I feel called.

In my work with BFF I was able to be a part of many projects. I participated from the beginning to the end of the installation of a solar-powered water filtration system in partnership with a California Rotary Club. I worked with the newly formed Hill Tribe Women’s council to market handicrafts and to speak to the women about female empowerment in a culture that is very patriarchal. I taught English at two schools and had a chance to work with Myanmar refugee hill tribe children at a border orphanage, teaching them music so that they could sing in the BFF fundraising concert in January. I worked on BFF communications, putting together the annual newsletter, updating their Facebook and webpages, and sending e-mails to English-speaking donors. Aside from my work with BFF, I had the opportunity to participate in worship and activities of many Christian hill tribe communities. I preached in churches (with a translator), offered prayers at hospital beds and meal tables, offered music in worship, and spoke with pastors about theology.

This only touches on the many experiences I had over those eight months. I am forever changed by the places I went, the things I saw, the people I met; and I am forever encouraged by the power of people doing good. In the midst of poverty and violence, in a world where sex trafficking is prevalent, there are people working tirelessly in love and service for a better world. God is at work through people every day and we are called to be a part of that work for the transformation of the world.

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Kathleen McMurray is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student at Garrett-Evangelical.