As part of the World Communion of Reformed Churches’ General Council exposure visits, a delegation journeyed to Huaiy Nam Khun Village and the Thoo Mweh Khee Learning Centre (TMKLC) in Tak Province, Thailand, near the border with Myanmar. These visits offered an intimate glimpse into the lives of communities navigating displacement, education, and faith.

Huaiy Nam Khun is home to the Karen ethnic group, encompassing Thai nationals, documented migrants from refugee camps, and those who fled Myanmar seeking safety from conflict and instability. The local church serves as a linchpin for hope and opportunity, offering leadership development through a Bible institute educating more than 125 students, promoting basic education via a GED program, and providing humanitarian aid to improve daily life.

At the Thoo Mweh Khee Learning Centre, established in 2002, the delegation witnessed an educational institution dedicated to children and youth excluded from Thailand’s formal system. TMKLC integrates international, Karen, Myanmar, and Thai curricula, serving over 3,000 students from kindergarten through bachelor’s level. An instructor emphasized the school’s mission: “to equip students with the skills and knowledge to bring back and build up their home communities,” noting that many graduates return as teachers themselves. One delegate reflected, “It was a moving experience to hear that most students want to return home [to Myanmar] to help in their community.”

Adjacent to the Learning Centre is the Kaw Thooler Hope Theological Seminary, providing undergraduate and graduate theological degrees to approximately 130 students both in-person and online. Faculty shared the seminary’s ongoing growth and its plans to achieve accreditation for a Doctor of Theology program.

The exposure visit illuminated the interconnected realities of displacement, education, and ministry at the margins. Delegates observed how local churches embody compassion and justice through both education and service.

Rev. Jessica Hastings, Chaplain of the Global Institute of Theology, described the visit as transformative:
“The exposure visit to the Thoo Mweh Khee Learning Centre and Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary for Karen refugees on the border of Myanmar was the capstone experience of my time at the General Council. It renewed my commitment to justice and wholeness for the human and more-than-human Earth community. I will return to Canada changed.”

Dr. Henry Kuo, Dean of the GIT 2025, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the delegation’s sense of shared learning. Incoming WCRC General Secretary Philip Peacock addressed the TMKLC community, affirming that the WCRC came “first, to let [the community] know that you are not alone and that we are with you, and second, to learn from you.”

Observers were struck not by the struggles faced by the Karen community, but by the vibrant hope and resilience that shapes their daily life and education. Delegates noted the students’ refusal to dwell solely on hardship, instead centering hope as a driving virtue. One poignant moment involved a conversation with Beauty, a seminary librarian and GIT 2025 student, about the verdant hills of Myanmar looming nearby—areas still impacted by bombings that shake the ground even during class. And yet, the students persisted, excelling in philosophy and theology, engaging with thinkers from Aristotle to Gutiérrez.

The visit left a lasting impression: a community defined not by its challenges, but by its tenacity, brilliance, and unwavering hope.