Mingalaba! Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas!

Transcription

1 November-December 2007 Volume 1, Issue 3 Myanmar Hope Christian Mission, Inc. 308 South Oxford Road Springfield, Illinois info@myanmarhope.org (217) Mingalaba! Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas! We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers 1 Thes 1:2 ESV Welcome to our third newsletter issue! We are so thankful for everyone who has expressed an interest in this ministry, and in the beautiful people of Myanmar. During this season of the year, Americans celebrate a time of thanksgiving to our Creator for His abundant blessings on this nation. At MyHope we are celebrating a rich harvest of blessings upon this ministry. We give thanks, first and foremost, to God our Father, who has blessed us with such rich spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Next, we thank each of you, supporters of the work of God in Myanmar. Your prayers and generous financial support are bringing hope to the hopeless, food to the hungry, medicine to the sick, clothing to the naked and friendship to the oppressed. You are, indeed, God s partners in establishing his Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven! We are so exited about what God is doing in Myanmar, and we are thankful to have such wonderful partners. We look forward to bigger and better things as the new year approaches, and we are more than hopeful that God will continue calling fellow workers to this vast field that is so ripe for harvest! Please know that Palal, Vahneikim and the believers in Myanmar pray fervently for all of you supporters. If you ever have a special prayer need, please contact us and we will forward your need on to the believers. We know from personal experience that their prayers are both fervent and effective! Thank You From Palal I am very glad to express my thanks to God and all brothers Vahneikim with her sister, Nuben, at the Internet Café In This Issue: Mingalaba!... 1 Thank You from Palal... 1 Thank You from MaryAnn... 2 Thank You from Chuck... 2 Report from the National Missionary Convention... 3 Support Programs Update... 3 Recent Speaking Engagements... 4 Report to the KCC Mission Board... 5 Education Update... 5 Family Update... 5 Special Feature: Interview with a V.I.P Project Focus: Christmas for Myanmar Photos from Rice and Bible Distribution and sisters in Christ. It is such amazing news that Myanmar Hope Christian Mission, Inc. has received many blessings from God through your participation. We see God's mercy, love and care for suffering people. I have many things to express my thanks for, but for the time being, I want to express special thanks to you for just a few of them. The first thing which I would like to share my thanks about is my studies at Lincoln Christian Seminary. It is a great privilege to learn from devoted professors and fellow students. I learn many good things from them. Our subjects and discussion during the classes are so helpful for the ministry in my country. I acknowledge that Lincoln Christian Seminary is the right place for me. One day, I pray God will use me to transform Myanmar through the truths which I learn at LCS. The second thing I would like to share is that I was so anxious about living in the States since the east and the west have huge cultural differences. But I was prepared to experience whatever I would have to face in the States regarding studying, language, lifestyle, food, clothing, etc. I spent some months with uncertainties. The longer I am here, the more I experi-

2 MYanmar HOPE Christian Mission, Inc. ence your love in Christ. I see that you welcome me as recorded in the Scripture: "The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 19:34) I thank you that you are treating me as one of your native-born. I am so overwhelmed with your kind love and care in Christ. Beside these things, every day I meet God's children and new friends who are willing and committed to participate in God's mission. I praise God that his children are realizing his wonderful blessing of eternal life and coming to bless others as they are blessed. I declare that you obey God's Word which is recorded in Leviticus 25:35 "If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you." Solomon tries his hand at the computer... Because of your prayers, love and participation, many poor families and pastors can live among you. As the song composed by Edwin Excell suggests, "Count your blessings, name them one by one," I name the many blessings one by one. How blessed I am! Nehkholal Palal Khongsai Thank You From MaryAnn At this time of year, when we are encouraged to focus on the things we have to be thankful for, I am so thankful for the many blessings we have through Jesus Christ, without whom we would have no hope! I am thankful for the coming Christmas season when we will be reminded of the great sacrifice the Heavenly Father made in sending us his Son, and for the New Year when we are reminded of the new beginnings made possible by our Savior. I am so thankful that when we say "yes" to what God asks of us, He opens the door to even more blessings, above what we could even have imagined! I am thankful for the lessons God is teaching us through Palal and Vahneikim, and through our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. I praise God for the faithfulness of Christians in other countries, where being a believer is truly a sacrifice, and where they do not enjoy the freedoms we have in America. I am also thankful for the leadership at West Side Christian Church [our home church], who encourage us to think beyond ourselves and to share our material blessings with the poor and destitute in other parts of the world. To the faithful supporters of Myanmar Hope, I say "thank you" for your grace and compassion, and for how you have poured out your love to the believers in Myanmar. My deepest thanksgiving is for your faithful prayers in lifting up Palal, his family, the Church in Myanmar, and the ministry of Myanmar Hope! May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you all, Thank You From Chuck Page 2 MaryAnn Cherry I want to echo what has already been said by everyone else in this newsletter. We are truly grateful to all of you. I would like to take this space to simply remind myself of many of the things we have to be thankful for in America, and which I so often take for granted. The following list is by no means complete, and is in no particular order. Feel free to add your own items to the list if you so desire: Inexpensive, abundant, consistent electricity Inexpensive, abundant, clean, fresh water Inexpensive, abundant, fresh, nutritious food, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year [I cannot ever remember being forced to go to bed hungry, or waking up to no food in the house, or wondering where my next meal would come from, or when it might be] Inexpensive heat for our homes when it is cold outside, and cooling for our homes when it is hot outside Inexpensive refrigeration to keep our food fresh for long periods of time Safe and efficient stoves and ovens to cook our meals Lots of nice dishes and silverware with which to eat our meals Quality clothing, and lots of it, to keep us warm in winter and cool in summer Boots and shoes for our feet Medicine to heal us when we are sick Vitamins to keep us healthy Comfortable furniture to sit on Warm, comfortable beds to sleep in Safe, secure streets to take a walk on Cheap, reliable transportation to get us from one place to another Representative government Freedom of speech, relig-

3 Volume 1, Issue 3 ion, press, and a host of other freedoms too numerous to count Access to quality education Equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race, ethic background, or religion Good music, good books, radio stations, CDs, DVDs, books, books and more books Computers The Internet and Pets (especially dogs) Large, well-built, nicely furnished buildings to worship in Safety and security to worship God as our conscience dictates without fear of oppression, persecution or interruption of any kind Police and military that we can trust and look up to, rather than fear Government aid for those who have fallen on hard times Good jobs that pay well and have lots of great benefits Regular mail service, and mail delivery persons who get paid well and do not require bribes to ensure delivery of the mail Good roads everywhere you go, with clearly marked road signs I could go on and on, of course, as could you. We have so many things to be thankful for in this country! May the Lord enable us to understand that all of these blessings come from his hand, and that they are not merely to be consumed by us for our own pleasure. God has blessed us to bless others! My prayer is that more Americans will hear that message and take it to heart, just the way that you all have done. Chuck Cherry Page 3 marriage. The general sessions were exiting times of worship, prayer and exhortation. A highlight of the general sessions was the international flavor given by the praise and worship band from Cincinnati Christian University. They presented songs and hymns using instruments, music style, and native dress, of the particular areas of the world in focus during the different general sessions. Rice Distribution at New Canaan Village Palal was able to take part in the final general session. The organizers asked missionaries to dress in the style of their native country, and to help take up the final offering. It was heartwarming to see people from every tongue, tribe and nation walking through the vast crowds of people. Another highlight of our time was when we attended a session focusing on the work of I.D.E.S. (International Disaster Emergency Service, Inc.) After Director Rick Jett spoke about the work of the ministry, he opened the floor for questions or comments. Palal stood up to publicly thank Mr. Jett for the grant which was given by I.D.E.S. for the emergency rice distribution to New Canaan Village. Palal poses with a group of missionaries at the NMC Report from the National Missionary Convention Chuck, MaryAnn and Palal attended the National Missionary Convention (NMC) this year from November 15th through 18th. Close to 6,000 people attended the convention this year in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a very rich time of fellowship, instruction, motivation and encouragement for all. We attended many helpful teaching sessions, covering topics ranging from financial accountability to communications to Rick motioned him to the front, and Palal was able to give a very moving testimony of how the grant was literally changing the lives of those desperate villagers. He related that one needy woman commented that the rice was like manna from heaven for her and her family, and how very grateful all of the families were to receive the much needed help. We again extend our heartfelt thanks to Rick Jett and the ministry of I.D.E.S. Support Programs Update We now have a total of eight pastors receiving regular support in the amount of $60.00 per month, and eighteen families receiving regular support in the amount of $30.00 per month. Thank you! There are still many, many, needy families who s lives could be

4 MYanmar HOPE Christian Mission, Inc. Page 4 changed for the better by receiving just a little bit of help and encouragement each month. The average family in Myanmar lives on about.63 per day so you can imagine how much an extra $30.00 per month would mean to them. Won t you consider adopting a family, and sponsoring them for just $30.00 per month? WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A SPONSOR? If you are interested in sponsoring a pastor or a family through MyHope, please contact us right away! You may visit us on the Web at or us at info@myanmarhope.org. You may also contact us by telephone at (217) God bless you! Recent Speaking Engagements COUNTRY SIDE CHURCH OF CHRIST How can we begin to express the joy in our hearts over our recent visit to Hesperia, Michigan? The members of Country Side Church of Christ greeted us with such an outpouring of love and support that we nearly could not contain it! The families of Country Side were so welcoming, and their hospitality toward us was a wonderful blessing. We were especially blessed by two families in particular, who opened not only their hearts, but also their homes to us. Thank you so much. In July of this year, Pastor Tom Spoors challenged his congregation to try and raise enough money to purchase 500 Kuki language Bibles for the poor and needy Christians of Myanmar. The mem- Palal baptizes Mia, Ethan and Tristan bers enthusiastically caught the vision, and they began gathering funds in many creative ways. When Palal heard that some of One of our family members gratefully receives a bag of rice. the families held yard sales, he was extremely moved he thought they had literally sold their yards to purchase Kuki Bibles! We all had a good laugh when we explained to him what Americans mean by the term yard sale. The blessings of the weekend were made complete when Palal had the honor of baptizing three young Christians on Sunday morning. One of those young ladies, whose generosity was such a blessing to us, is the subject of this month s special interview. The church successfully raised the money for 500 bibles, but they went even above and beyond that! The commitment of Pastor Spoors and his congregation to the people of Myanmar is truly an inspiration to all of us, and we know that God will pour out many blessings on this little church family for years to come. NETWORKERS, HOMEBUILDERS, AND TNT Palal spoke to three different classes at West Side, and each time was a special experience. We thank the members of these classes for their hospitality, and for the outpouring of support that we have received from them. We are continually amazed at the generosity of God s people! SPRINGFIELD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL CHAPEL Palal spoke to the students at Springfield Christian School during their weekly chapel service. Since this was the week of IDOP, Palal shared a condensed version of the story of the Captain and the Bees. If you have never heard him share this story, ask him about it sometime! IDOP CONCERT OF PRAYER On Sunday, November 11th, West Side Christian Church hosted a concert of prayer for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. It was a very powerful and moving event, and many people attended. Palal was our special speaker for the evening, and he shared many personal stories of the persecution, oppression, and intimidation faced by the Christians in Myanmar on an almost daily basis. If your church or group would be interested in hearing Palal s story, please contact us. No group is too large or too small. Call us at , or send an to info@myanmarhope.org.

5 Volume 1, Issue 3 UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS As the year draws to a close, only one or two more speaking engagements remain. On Sunday, December 2nd, Palal will be speaking to the TLC class at West Side, then on December 9th we will travel to Witt, Illinois to speak to the members of Witt Christian Church. Report to the KCC Mission Board The Kuki Christian Mission Board (Kuki Christian Church, Trulock Theological Seminary, hospital, and orphanage, of Manipur, India) were instrumental in bringing Palal to America. The president of the board, Tom Seggelke, was especially helpful in making contacts with Lincoln Christian Seminary to arrange for Palal s scholarship. Tom asked if we could present a ministry update to their mission board during their annual board meeting held at the National Missionary Convention. We were more than happy to oblige, and thanks to all of you, we were able to give a good report. Soon after Palal arrived in America, we found out that he had borrowed the money for his plane ticket from a businessman in Yangon. When we heard this, we knew we had to take care of this loan immediately. We contacted the KCCM board for help, and they graciously came through with the funds, even though their own budget has been strained of late. We are very happy to report that we were able to present them with a check for $ to repay the cost of Palal s plane ticket. We presented the check to Tom at the board meeting, and he accepted it graciously with tears. Palal with a few of the books he has acquired Education Update Palal is continuing well in his ongoing pursuit of a doctorate degree from Lincoln Christian College and Seminary. We have received many good reports from his professors and colleagues at the seminary, regarding both his work and his character. One thing we noticed about Palal very early on was his love for books. This sentiment fits in well at the Cherry household, although we are quickly running out of available bookshelf space! Family Update Page 5 Many of you know that we were in the process of attempting to bring Vahneikim and Solomon to the United States for a two -month visit, starting in November. Vahneikim applied for passports for herself and Solomon in September, at the height of the anti-government protests by the Buddhist monks and democracy leaders. We were quite surprised, and overjoyed, when the Burmese government issued their passports, even though they were delayed for a week. We thought that the U.S. government would speedily grant a visitor s visa to them, based upon all of the documentation we sent them and our many communications with the Consular s office in Yangon. Unfortunately, the U.S. Consular decided that Vahneikim did not have enough reason to return to Myanmar after her visit, and assumed that she would try to stay in the U.S. and not respect the terms of her visa. Needless to say we were all quite disappointed. We felt especially bad for Palal, Vahneikim and Solomon, because we know how much they miss each other and desire to see each other in the flesh. Palal took the whole thing quite well, much better than many of us Americans. We are used to getting what we want, when we want it. Palal was more subdued, and gently explained to us that in his country Christians live daily with disappointments of many kinds, and so they are used to it. He then went on to relate how many of the disappointments they experienced led to greater blessings later on, and so they are able to take a more wait and see approach with God. Even though she is not able to visit now, we will try again in the Spring, and hopefully things will turn out differently then. [Note: Please pray for us as we make contact with various government officials to ask for their assistance in obtaining visas for Vahneikim and Solomon. ]

6 MYanmar HOPE Christian Mission, Inc. Special Interview With a V.I.P. (Very Important Person) This issue we are pleased to bring you another compelling story of how God is at work in the hearts of children to bring help and hope to the people of Myanmar. During our recent trip to Country Side Church of Christ, we met many wonderful people who overflowed with generosity and love toward Palal and his people. One person in particular, seven-year-old Mia Berry, stood out to us as someone very special. MaryAnn received permission from her parents, Josh and Amy Berry, to interview her for this edition of the newsletter. MaryAnn: Mia, when did you first hear about Mr. Palal? Mia: This past summer when our pastor, Mr. Spoors, told us about him. MaryAnn: What did Pastor Spoors tell you? Mia: He told us a lot of things. He told us Mr. Palal was a missionary and that he was separated from his family, and that many of the people in his churches did not have Bibles. After we got home from church, Daddy talked to us and we all talked about what we could do to help them. MaryAnn: When we visited in your home last month, you shared with us that you and your family pray for Mr. Palal and his family in Myanmar, and for the churches for which he has oversight. Can you tell me what you all pray for? Mia: We pray for protection, endurance, patience, provision, health, peace, unity. MaryAnn: What did you think when you met Mr. Palal? Palal with Mia Mia: I was excited because I was meeting the missionary that was helping to send Bibles to Myanmar. MaryAnn: Have you ever met a missionary before? Mia: Once before, a lady missionary from the Philippines. MaryAnn: Mia, when we visited last month, you asked Mr. Palal to baptize you. Can you tell me about that? Mia: I was talking with my parents about getting baptized for about a month, and then I asked my parents if I could wait until Mr. Palal was visiting so that he could baptize me. [Note: One of the things Mia told her pastor regarding being baptized, "Jesus already has all of me! ] MaryAnn: When we visited, you shared something with us that you did to donate towards the purchase of a Kuki Bible what was that? Mia: I lost a tooth and my Daddy gave me $5.00 for my tooth. I gave that money to the collection for Kuki Bibles. MaryAnn: Why did you want to give that money for a Kuki Bible? Mia: So that maybe another person could go to heaven. MaryAnn: Thank you, Mia, for your generosity, and for allowing me to interview you. Mia: You re welcome. [Note: After talking with Mia, her mother, Amy, added that the family held a garage sale last Summer in which Mia and the other children Drue, Cal, and Ethan donated quite a few of their toys to raise money for Kuki Bibles.] Project Focus We have many projects that are currently active or are in the planning stages. Some of these are: Pastor Support ($60.00 per month) Family Support ($30.00 per month) Emergency Food Relief (any amount, any time) Health Clinics (any amount, any time) Schools (any amount, any time) Bicycles for Pastors ($80.00 per bicycle) S/W Radios ($30.00 per radio) Page 6 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-4 ESV) In each edition of the newsletter we will focus on one or two specific projects or goals, and give you more information about how you, or someone you know, might be able to help. This edition, however, we what to share some specific ways to help this Christmas season. Since Christmas is just around the corner, some of you may be wondering how you can bless the poor and needy of Myanmar during this season of giving. Here are some ways that you can bless your poor brothers and sisters in Jesus:

7 Volume 1, Issue 3 How You Can Bless the Poor and Needy Christians of Myanmar this Christmas: 1. Pray for them Contact us for a list of families you can pray for by name 1. Purchase one or more gifts for them: A real blanket 1 : $20.00 A real mattress: $ A special family meal (with meat): $ Provide a special meal 2 for a whole church for their Christmas celebration: One pig: $ or - one cow: $ Trimmings (rice, vegetables): $ Pictures from our recent Rice and Bible Distribution: Two faithful servants prepare for the long journey Page 7 1. Most families sleep on the floor of their huts, covering themselves with their clothing. Sometimes they make a mattress by tying bundles of straw together. Nights can be very cold for them their huts are made of bamboo, and they do not keep out the wind and rain. 2. The only time of year that most families are able to eat meat is at Christmas, when the whole church gathers together for a community meal. If the church members have been able to save enough money during the year, they pool their resources and purchase a pig or a cow. Many churches are too poor even for this one-time luxury. If you are interested in blessing a family or a church this Christmas, please contact us A.S.A.P! Beginning the rice distribution Call (217) or info@myanmarhope.org Please make your check out to MyHope, and write your blessing gift choice in the memo. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35 ESV) A few of the many grateful villagers

8 November-December 2007 Volume 1, Issue 3 Myanmar Hope Christian Mission, Inc. 308 South Oxford Road Springfield, Illinois Bringing the eternal hope of Jesus Christ to the people of Myanmar in a holistic manner by addressing their spiritual, physical, emotional and educational needs. Phone: info@myanmarhope.org Web: MYanmar HOPE Christian Mission, Inc. Page 8