Bernice Koehler Johnson has lived and taught English in Spain, Indonesia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Thailand. Presently she lives in Minnesota and Thailand. She speaks to church groups, school groups, and civic groups, talking about the plight of Shan refugees and raising money for projects her former students have initiated, such as teaching the English, Shan, and Thai languages to Shan refugee children. These children have fled to Thailand with their parents, who live with the constant fear of being deported and subjected to possible torture, imprisonment, and death.