Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your love and support. We are relaying this out from our training camp where we just graduated Shan, Kachin, Karenni, and Karen teams. These 15 of our 48 multi-ethnic relief teams successfully completed Advanced Training in Karen State. They are now on their way to relief missions to help people displaced by the attacks of the Burma Army. The teams received advanced training in many different subject areas, which will improve their ability to help their people and to put a light on the situation in Burma. (See the list of Subject Areas below.)

It is a privilege to train with such dedicated young men and women who are striving to serve their people regardless of the risk, and who seek to improve themselves and work in love and unity together.

We are grateful to all of you who pray and help as well as to our Karen friends who made this training possible and to Partners for all their help, especially with the Good Life Club program. Thank you and God bless you.

Free Burma Rangers

Karen State, Burma

Advanced training graduation of relief teams

Assisting a patient during the field exercise

Good Life Club supplies, medicine, blankets and tarps for displaced familes leave the training camp Dec 2 08

Medics train team members how to give IVs

Mule packing training

River crossing final exercise

Training Subject Areas:

-Ethnic Unity
-Leadership Principles
-Medical Training and Reporting
-Delivery and Simple Surgery
-Dental Training
-Human Rights Violations Interviewing and Reporting
-Video and Digital Photography
-Map Reading
-Compass Reading
-Land Navigation
-GPS (Global Positioning System) use
-Landmine Removal
-Swimming, Boat operations, and Lifesaving
-Solar Power and Battery Management
-Sun Energy Power International and BGET Solar Training Course
-Introduction to Hydro Power
-Operation Order Writing
-Information gathering, analysis, and reporting
-SALUTE Reporting
-General Reporting
-Counseling and Good Life Club operations
-Media and Communication
-History of Ethnic Nationalities movement and Current Events
-Physical Training
-Rappelling
-Rope Bridge Building
-Radio Communications
-Early Warning System for Villagers and IDPs
-Law of War and Geneva Conventions
-Basic English and Math
-Mule Packing
-Roles of CBOs, NGOs, national and international organizations
-One Field Training Exercise