A Christmas Feast in Burma (Myanmar) 2014

Consider how  a small sacrificial  gift can have tremendous impact.  I will change the names so that donor will not be embarrassed about what he did.

 

Recently, I learned that a newly graduated seminarian from Gordon-Conwell made a sacrificial gift to a ministry in Burma. I know this person works two jobs and is quite poor (for American standards). The following is the interaction:

 

Hey brother Nun!

You have been on my mind lately for several reasons. But I will write now for the most immediate reason. As you know, in America, people give each other gifts for Christmas. Often, people can be very greedy and worldly during this season (sadly). This Christmas, in order to help people get their minds off greed and possessions, J++++++  and I wanted to spend half of our normal amount on family and give the other half to MEBC. It will be maybe $200 or so. We would like to donate it in the name of my family, the ______  family (there are about 10 family members). I would like to give each of them a picture of you or of your students with a letter of thanks from Principal Nun.

THE RESPONSE WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF

Dear ____,

 Wow! D++++, I don't even know what to say brother, that's so amazing for me to learn that the Lord is moving you and your family's heart to give a gift to MEBC. D+++, since the month of November I and students have been praying that the Lord will provide some budget so that we can have Christmas celebration on this December Christmas at MEBC with students and neighborhood around us. So, after several weeks prayer, I asked to the students how much each students can donate for Christmas.

out of 17 students,  three students puts up hand and they can donate 4000 MMK which is US$ 4. So I was so concerned about how I can make a feast on this Christmas day. And so I said to them, pray to the Lord until 20th December, 2014 and then on the 20th December I will collect your donated money for Christmas and go shopping for the need of Christmas on 21th December and then make decoration of Christmas on 22, 23 December and then on 25 we are going to have  a wonderful Christmas celebration. They all smile at me without a word because they knew that they do not have a way to get money such quickly for Christmas donation. Neither their  parents can send them because their parents are also poor as much as they do. That is why they just looked at me and smile at me ( the meaning of their smile at me is a kind of saying No, principal Nun, that will not happen because we don't have a way to get it from).

But D+++++, how awesome is to hear from you that ______ family is going to make this year Christmas celebration at MEBC for us? D+++++, tomorrow I will tell to the students you can eat as much as you wanted to eat on the Christmas day and also you can invite your friends to come and join us at MEBC hallelujah!!!

Thank you so much D++++, I think the Lord puts you & J++++++  on the right time & the right spot :).Praise the Lord and glory be unto him forever!

 

As you consider the power of this  gift, be reminded of the repression in countries like Burma and China. Do you realize that statistically, there are more Christians in China than in the entire United States?

Myanmar is a country of 60 million people, 89% of which are Buddhist. Christians comprise only 4% of the population and are mostly confined to 1 of Myanmar's 14 states (Chin State). That means there are over 50,000,000 people in Myanmar who don't know the love of the Father or the good news of Jesus Christ.  Let me say repeat: FIFTY MILLION PEOPLE don’t know the love of Jesus. For more perspective, You would have to combine  the entire population of Texas (27 million), Louisiana (5 million), Arkansas (3 million), Mississippi (3 million) and Alabama (5 million) to account for 50 million people.

To be reminded of  the repression in Myanmar, you  may be familiar with the movie, Beyond Rangoon, based on  a true story that took place in the 1990s when an  American doctor traveled  to Burma (presently Myanmar) with her sister to recover from the loss of her beloved husband and son that were murdered in a theft at home. The doctor sees a political pro-democracy manifestation to support the leader Aung San Suu Kyi and she decides to participate; however she loses her passport and is  not allowed to leave Rangoon. While waiting to catch  another flight, she  meets the unofficial tourist guide U Aung Ko, who is also a leader of an underground movement, and she decides to visit the countryside of Burma. However, the military dictatorship represses the movement and Laura, U Aung Ko and several civilians try to escape to Thailand in a dangerous journey.

 

SOME repression has lifted in Myanmar, but It is illegal to openly evangelize EXCEPT on Christmas Day! That is what makes the donation from the seminary graduate to Nun so heartwarming.

Like many other third world countries, Myanmar's needs are not confined to the spiritual dimension alone. The country has countless numbers of orphans and an untold amount of people who lack basic necessities such as food and housing. In Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the financial capital of the country there are an estimated 4,000+ orphans

 

and 30,000+ people living in slum villages of bamboo shacks. These people lack access to clean water, adequate food, education, and basic medical services. Most are laborers who survive on meager daily incomes of US $2.50 or less, while some have no regular income at all.

 

They struggle just to provide food each day; their hand-to-mouth existence renders them unable to buy or rent a residence. Thus, they end up squatting as illegal tenants who settle on any free space they can find.

 

If you feel drawn to make donation, go  to www.mebcministries.co  .