Myanmar Hope Christian Mission – Apr 2015 – Church Leaders Need Your Help and More

Hello Again!

It is summer in Myanmar, and the hot season is in full force. Most of our HBS students went back their villages in the northwest for their summer break. This is the first time Palal and Kikim have tried this, so we will see how it all worked out when the kids get back to Yangon in May.

Palal, Kikim, Solomon and Cherry have all been up in the northwest this summer, too. Palal needed to spend some extended time up there, overseeing the new agriculture project, and working one-on-one with many of the churches and church leaders.

Unfortunately, the Internet connectivity in northwest Myanmar is spotty even at the best of times. Because of this, communication with Palal has been somewhat limited, and we haven’t been able to get a lot of photos documenting his work. We expect a flood of new pictures when they all finally get back to Yangon!

So, because of the lack of photos and the limited communications, we decided to forego our usual large-format newsletter for this time, and share some quick news and tidbits of information using this email format.

Agriculture Project Update

If you read our last newsletter, you remember that we introduced you to a new project that Palal is starting up in northwest Myanmar. [If you didn’t see that story, you can read it by clicking here.]

We are thankful for the many contributions and a grant received from I.D.E.S. to help us get this major project off the ground. However, this project is only half-funded, and we still need about $10,000 to fully complete the project this year.

Palal has hired over thirty men and women to clear the land. He also rented some modern equipment and purchased a couple of water buffalo to help in the process. Now they have cleared over five acres and will soon begin planting the sugar cane!

Some of the older boys from Hope Boarding School, who are from villages in the area, have been coming to the field to help. Palal says they really enjoy the hard work, plus it gives them something to do to pass the time on the long, hot days.

Click here to view pictures of the land clearing process.

Church Leaders Need Your Help

Palal recently made us aware of twelve more church leaders who need help. These men are struggling to survive and provide for their families in the midst of abject poverty, and therefore are not able to properly minister to their congregations. 

The church members are, themselves, living in extreme poverty, and are unable to provide any financial assistance to their church leaders. Thus, the leaders have no time to adequately prepare sermons, visit their flock, study the Bible, or do any of the things that leaders must do in order to be effective ministers of the Gospel. This leaves the Christians spiritually malnourished, the pagans unevangelized, and the leaders struggling with discouragement.

Will you sponsor a church leader and his family?

For only $60.00 per month you can help a pastor to feed, clothe, and provide for his family, while affording him two or three days a week in which to focus on the work of the ministry. While $60.00 a month will not meet the entire needs of a family in northwest Myanmar, it will go a long, long way, and will make a huge difference in the lives of him and his family, as well as the members of his congregation. 

We will send you pictures of your sponsored pastor and family, as well as relevant information about them, including their names, ages, and their background, etc.

Please, they need your help right away. You can be the agent of change for an entire village by sponsoring a pastor and his family. You can make a real difference in this world, now. Please call us or email us today.

Call us at 217-415-9187, or email us at info@myanmarhope.org

Thank you!
 

New Church Construction

Several new churches are either under construction, or near completion, thanks to your many generous love gifts!

Pictured above is the dedication ceremony for Valpabung Christian Church, which is located near Tamu.

Dr. T. Lunkim, founder and president of Kuki Christian Mission and President Emeritus of Trulock Theological Seminary, along with several of his senior leaders, came from Imphal, India, to preside over and witness the dedication.

Click here to view pictures of the building construction

Click here to view pictures of the dedication ceremony

Canaan Christian Church, pictured below, is also under construction, but they need help to finish.

There are several other churches that still need to start construction. The people are too poor to rebuild on their own, and they need our help. They do the work themselves, providing labor and whatever materials they can scrape together.

For years it was illegal to build or repair churches in northwest Myanmar, but over the last two years the government has begun granting permits. We need to take advantage of this open window and get as many churches and church facilities constructed as possible!

Please help your fellow Christians in northwest Myanmar by giving a generous gift today.
 

New Home Construction

Thanks to a generous grant from I.D.E.S., this beautiful family will be getting a new home soon. 

Their existing house is literally falling down around them, and has become dangerous for the children. The younger children have fallen through holes in the floor and tripped and hurt themselves on the rickety stairs. The walls are also full of holes and the bamboo has rotted and is no longer able to keep out the elements.

This family is extremely poor. The father has been sick for a long time with severe TB, and has been unable to work. They have spent what little money they had on doctors and medicines. When they approached Palal and asked if he could help them, he relayed the request on to us.

MyHope did not have any extra funds to help, so we requested help from I.D.E.S. They generously came through with a grant to help rebuild the house.

Note: Palal is inundated with requests for help every day. He only relays a tiny fraction of those to us – only those that he deems most worthy of support. Please know that when we request help for people and projects, that they have already been personally vetted by Palal, and that they are indeed truly needful of our help.

Click here to see more pictures of this family and their house.

Upcoming Trips to Myanmar

We are currently in the planning stages for several trips to Myanmar this year and next. Most of the trips are full, but we have a couple of openings left for a trip that we are planning in late September / early October. Please call MaryAnn at 217-415-9187 for more information.

In Conclusion

Thanks for taking the time to read our updates. We pray that God will continue to bless you, and that you will continue to pray for and bless our family in Myanmar!

Charles R. Cherry, Director
Myanmar Hope Christian Mission, Inc.
624 Garvey Lane, Chatham, IL 62629-5086
Phone: 217-415-9187
Web: http://www.myanmarhope.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/myanmarhope 
 

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” 
– Amy Carmichael, Missionary to India