About
Encounter Trip is a trip organized for any Catholics who wants to get direct experience with our missionary work in Umphang in order to encourage the local communities and in the same time to revive his or her Catholic faith. Through meaningful encounters prepared and planned for specific time and place in the territory, you are allowed to take part in the missionnary work so that the love of Christ can be more known by the rest of the world.
The program consists of one week until 4 weeks 'live in' while serving the local communities. The area of service can vary according to the request as follows:
1.Humanitarian aid for the Karen Refugees and the Internal Displace People along the border
2. Education Projects for Karen Ethnic group students in remoted villages of Thailand.
3. Catholic Initiative for the local Catholics.
4. Children and Youth programs
5. Construction and other development works
Community Development
Some remoted areas in Thailand still suffer from lack of basic resources needed to serve their people well. Difficult geographical positions, strict regulations related to protected forests and land reform policy and education inequality prompt a long-lasting cycles of structural poverty. People are not lazy or unintelligent; but they are simply inable to get the equal opportunities for education and empowerment.
Xavier Oratory desires to empower people to improve their livelihood and their community life through programs like local-alike tourism, skills training, agricultural training/projects, and English classes. Additionally, we want to support communities through food distribution, construction projects, community health program, and many more.
Emergency Relief
As Umphang is directly bordering Karen State of Myanmar, it always becomes home for indisplaced people and refugees fleeing frequent arm-clashes and civil wars in Myanmar. Our community is always ready for the emergency help working hand-in-hand with local-international NGOS and local goverments especially in providing emergency helps like survival kits.
Education
Education has been at the heart of Catholic evangelizations. Our community is commited to giving qualified assistance for several public schools in Umphang to encourage and improve the quality of English teaching both for teachers and students. We also give significant service in improving humanistic skills through music lessons and other cultural activities.
At present time, we serve and teach in 9 public schools while giving special tutorial in our public library in Umphang. We believe that through good and equal education, people will get more capabilities and opportunities to know and discover the love of Christ.
Medical Help
Inspired by Jesus' examples of healing the sick and the wounded, our community is commited of paying a frequent visits to the elderly and the sicks of local communities and remoted villages of the area. We give support to the local clinics by providing the medical volunteers who this purpose. In Karen State of Myanmar, we give support by providing medical teams who are able to see patients who cannot get healthcare access.
One week encounter program will be focused on visits to children and families one of Non-formal schools in the jungle while organizing character building activities. The participants will enjoy a 3 hours rafting journey before reaching the school and the village. After two days stay in the village, the participants return to the town of Umphang. A Sunday mass with the local community will be a conclusive point for this trip.
During two-weeks encounter program, while enjoying the beauty of tropical forest, the participants will get the opportunity to discover 'Ton Thale group, a traditional and environmentalist community who still keeps the primordial contact with the forest and nature. The participants are allowed to have a week of live in experience. An adventure walk on the jungle and camping activities are also prepared for this purpose.
One month program will be a possible continuity of the first two programs. The participants are made involved in some development inititiatives and projects with the local peoples. Among other possibilites are the renovation of sport courts, the construction of toilets, the repainting of classrooms, the reorganization of water draines, etc. The program will be concluded with a feast with the local people. Between the working days, there are some opportunities for adventures in the jungle.
6 Months voluntar work will be agreed with the local community. It will answer to the specific needs the volunteers may possibly find during their previous contacts with the local communities or it is made by the direct request of the community. The volunteers will get the free accomodation during this voluntary time. They are asked to participate in the life of Catholic community of Umphang.
1-2 year voluntary service is also agreed with the local community. The diocese of Nakhonsawan will provide visa for this purpose. As the volunteers will be mostly involved in teaching and development activities, the visa can be sponsored by the local public shools as well. During this period of time, while enjoying the service and the accomodation from the local community, the volunteers are asked to be fully active in the life of Catholic community too.