Our evangelistic trip to Burma in March 2013 was another
real blessing from our Living God and Lord Jesus Christ. God was moving even at the beginning of the
trip, particularly, a few days before Stephen’s departure, a girl called and
asked to be baptized. Since she was
working that day, she only had a 30 minute break. We decided to baptize her in
our bath-tub. During the trip, God added
several people to His Kingdom. Many house spirit were took down from their shelves and many people were
baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!
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| Our mission team |
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| Baptism |
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| Baptism |
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| Baptism |
Due to the security, we had to change our schedule several
times during the mission trip.
Originally, we were planning to start our evangelistic trip from the
border between Thai and Burma. We planned to go village after village from
the tip of the border of Thai and gradually going through all villages from
Tachilek to the very edge of northwest Burma. But we had to fly out from Tachilek directly
to Lashio. From Lashio, we went up Doi Mo,
where most non-Christian Lisu populated.
Doi Mo used to be the center of opium lord
residing. However, it is the place where
most local people still growing opium as the main cash crop. Our evangelistic team had visited several
villages at the area, teaching, evangelizing, and baptizing several people in
the area. Then we attempted several time
but failed to cross over the mountain range to evangelize Lisu people in Doi
Khi, where there are more primitive and more remote villages. We concluded this was not God’s will for this
trip. After we went to Tan Yang, we
found out that the battle was broke out between Burmese soldiers and Shan
insurgent. Several of local people were killed
and severely harmed because the fighting.
All villagers from Doi Khi ran for their lives and fled to Tan Yang,
where we met them and had opportunity sharing the Gospel with them. At Tan Yang, our team divided into two
groups, the biggest team continued to stay at Tan Yang teaching and
evangelizing to those refugees. The result was that many of
young people expressed their desire to continue studying God’s Word. Stephen went back to Lashio because he was
asked to teach the book of Revelation to Bible students there for a week. At Lashio, Ah Lay Bo (one of AIS’ students
who came to Chiangmai and study God’s Word with Stephen) sets a Bible training
center. Every year during January to
April, he opens for everyone to come and live with him and study God’s
Word. This year he had over 100
students. Many of these students are
non-believers. Some of them are new
believers.
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| Truck that we took to Doi Mo |
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| Ban Hue Mug, Doi Mo |
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| Ban Lai Lan, Doi Mo |
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| Opium field |
Doi Mo is very remote and restricted for many
people. There is no electricity, no
medical center for the sick people at the villages, no public transportation to
and from those villages. The dirt road
for truck and motorcycle is the only way to get to those villages and it is
available during summer alone. Opium
fields are everywhere. However, God is
moving everywhere we went to. In many
occasions God even answered immediately our prayers for the sick. God has demonstrated his supreme power to
those evil spirit worshippers through a very handful Christian in the
village. At one time, hail storm struck
down all farms of the villagers, but spared only one field which happened to be
a Christian’s field. At other time,
insect destroyed completely all crops starting from one field after
another. However, when these insect came
close to a field that belongs to a lone believer family in the village, a flock
of bird came and ate all those insects.
His field alone was spared by this epidemic. All villagers were shocked and awed with such
incidents.
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| Visiting villages around this mountain |
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| Stephen on motorcycle |
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| Walking |
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| Walking through jungle to visit another village |
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| Truck to Tan Yang - the gas tank is above our heads |
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| Showing the Jesus film |
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| Visiting another Lisu village |
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| Visiting another Lisu village |
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| Picture with Lisu ladies at Lai Lan |
Our mission team also faced many difficulties both
theological and cultural issues. The
theological issues, many of villagers are willing to accept Jesus Christ even
asking us to take down their spirit shelf inside their houses. But they refused to be immersed because they
afraid after they were immersed they would not be able to sin any longer, for instance,
they would totally forbid to eat food that were offered to idol, they would not
be able to involve their traditional ceremony, etc. Whenever they do so, they would face physical
death. Our team had spent most of our
time explaining such a theological hoax.
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| Cutting off the spirit threads |
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| Taking down the spirit shelf inside the house |
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| Ah Ley Bo is teaching gospel songs to his students |
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| Stephen teaching Bible to students at Lashio |
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| Stephen preaching to Bible students at Lashio |
Differ from many other villages, the young rather the
older people of Doi Mo are exceedingly hungry for God’s
Word. The clash between the young and
older generation is obviously intense. While
the young generation appeals to the Gospel, the older generation oppose to the
Gospel. Many young people eager to learn
God’s Word, whereas the older people gathered together in order to find way to fault
and accuse these young generations.
Therefore, Stephen set his time to meet with those older generation and
discussed with them about their tradition faith and cultures. He assured them that Christianity does not come
and destroy their traditional culture, instead to make it effective in the life
of Lisu people. We, Christians, don’t
neglect our traditional culture, but rather than worship the evil ones we are
turning back to the original Creator of all things and worship Him alone. Stephen then used the Lisu tradition songs
applying the Scripture into the Lisu context and culture. After hearing their traditional songs, the
older people attitude had changed dramatically.
They said that they had never thought that a Christian can cooperpate
well with their traditional songs and teach people how to live accordingly. Many of them carefully listened God’s Word
and joyfully laughed when it applied to their own condition. Many of them have vowed to support financially
their children to learn how to read the Lisu Bible. Praise the Lord!
Much works need to be done in Burma, more workers need to be sent
and much prayers need to be offered so that those living in darkness will see
the light through the Gospel of Jesus’ redemption. Much appreciated for your continual prayers
and supports.
Prayer Lists:
- Stephen’s
mission works and needs in Burma
- Ah
Lay Bo and his evangelistic teammates to continue the ministry
- The
leadership conference for this upcoming October 2013
- Youth
ministry in Burma. Youth group of Burma
requests Stephen to send Nick to work with them. Pray that Nick will take this call
seriously.
