Ethnos Ministries, in partnership with the Goodwill Foundation, is embarking on a transformative mission to establish an international school and dormitory in Mukdahan, Thailand, a province that borders Laos along the Mekong River. This initiative is focused on serving the marginalized Bru people, an ethnic minority group from Laos, many of whom face generational poverty, limited access to quality education, and few opportunities for social advancement.

The Golden Triangle is a vast, mountainous region that spans parts of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, where the borders of these three countries converge at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers. Known for its historical association with the opium trade, this region has long provided ideal conditions for opium cultivation, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

I made my first trip to North Korea (NK), the most isolated nation in the world. Travel to NK is only possible as part of a guided tour. Guides escorted us and kept a close watch over us at all times.

As a foreigner, what I saw was just a tiny glimpse…