Asians For Christ understands the importance of Christian
youth and youth ministry. We believe
that Christian youth is vital in carrying out Christian faith in their
generation both in the present and future.
Without Christian youth, church will someday be empty and Christianity
will no longer exist! Since the ancient
world, the local synagogue played a major role in shaping or educating their
children. The Jewish children at age of
4 or 5 would learn, read, write, and memorize the Torah. Therefore, the churches need to invest in their
members in the earlier stage of life.
The main purpose of our mission trip to Myanmar this past
April was to conduct a youth camp at Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state in
Myanmar. Nick, John, Caleb Hutchcraft
and Drew Hanson, youth ministers from the USA, teamed up with local Christian
leaders offering a Christian camp for the Christian youth. Our goal is to help teens follow Christ with
all of their hearts, shaping them with the Word of God so that they would look
more like Jesus. Our hope is to mobilize
the young people who are committed to Christ, to make their lives and society a
difference by sharing God’s Word and their spiritual experiences to their
neighbors because they are well connected with the teens in Myanmar.
As you may already have known that Buddhists in Myanmar
celebrated their New Year on April 13-16.
During this New Year celebration, Thiangyan (it is called “Song Kran” in
Thailand), tens of thousand of people would come out on the streets to pour
water on each other as a sign of blessing from the god of rain (and it turns
out to be a blessing from the Buddha). The
water symbolizes the washing away of the previous year's bad luck and sins. The nights begin with music, songs and dances,
merrymaking and general gaiety on the main streets of the city.
Rather than to have the Christian youth being indulged with
this pagan mindset, many churches in the area of Myitkyina and Waimaw have
offered church camps for children and youth to attend in order to have their
children be deeply-rooted with God’s Word during this pagan festival. Asians For Christ has started this type of ministry
among Lisu churches in Thailand since the mid 1990s and now has joined with
churches in the Northern Myanmar for this vital ministry. We are also challenging churches in these
areas for the need of youth ministers.
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| Myitkyina Youth Camp |
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| Youth Camp- Class Time |
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| Classroom extended outside |
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| Youth Camp Staff/Leaders |
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| Nick teaching |
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| Drew teaching |
Here are some reflections from John and Caleb:
John: During April break, I finally had an opportunity
to join my father and older brother, Nick, along with some friends from the
U.S.A on a mission trip to Burma. It was really something I could never forget
with all of its wonderful scenery, splendid times of worship, and the joy of
seeing brothers and sisters in camp. Firstly I would like to point out that the
culture is very different from most places that I’ve been accustomed to. There
were always honks of motorbikes or cars trying to get through, and I hardly
find any drivers stopping during a redlight. The camp was fantastic with all
the songs that we sang, games that we hosted for youth to play, and testimonies
each night. Not only did I pour out my knowledge upon them, but also received
tremendous amounts of blessings from them as well. It was all planned out
perfectly throughout the entire trip with many ups and downs, but I knew that
God had been with us throughout the whole time teaching not only these teens
and children, but also us as camp leaders! Praise God for an incredible event
that I could take place in and pray that I may see these people again in the
future…
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| John preaching at an evening devotion |
Caleb:
There are so many things that could be said of
my time in South East Asia. I could delve into all of the different languages,
the various bizarre foods, and unfamiliar customs which all became a part of
our daily routine. Yet, one thing about our time in Thailand and Myanmar rises
above everything else. Without question, it is the unchanging nature of our
God. “He is the same yesterday, today,
and tomorrow.” I am learning that He is the same regardless of where one finds
Him. Native culture, levels of education, political systems, economic
demographics, you name it; these are shadows which grow faint in the glorious
light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the months leading up to our trip
I spent a good amount of time researching South East Asia, and Lisu culture
(Don’t get me wrong, one should seek to better understand a land and a people
who are foreign to you), and what I now see more clearly is that we are far
less different than what we often think. We are all created in the image of a
revealed God, and the more clearly we see Him the less our human differences
stand between us. Outwardly, and culturally America and S.E. Asia are two
different worlds, but if you lay bare the hearts of their people you will
discover a familiar mold. All of us are prone to wander. Our flesh is ever
inclined to run after created things, and turn away from the creator of those
things. All people, everywhere, have an eternal soul yearning to be filled and
satisfied. Therefore, in our inner most hearts we are all the same. This yearning
deep within us is a Christ-shaped hole. Yet so often we attempt to fill this
void with the temporal shapes of this world. This has been true since the fall
of Adam. Because of this truth I am filled with joy to see so many faithful
workers who are striving to restore people to Jesus. The greatest encouragement
of the trip was seeing and working with faithful pastors like the
Wongratanamajcha family. They truly embody the ministry of reconciliation.
Their efforts are spent calling people to embrace and turn to Jesus. They are
not bound by denominational or organizational priorities. They seek first the
Kingdom of God and they call others to do the same. The faithful witness of
this family, and the many other pastors who dedicate their lives to the Kingdom
work there has truly touched my heart. I will continue to pray and be mindful
of the work that is continuing each day. May God’s grace and peace be with
you.
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| Caleb teaching |
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| Bible teaching staff |
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| The team meeting one of the local political leader |
The World needs Jesus Christ:
As Matthew 4:23 says “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing
every disease and every sickness among the people” (NRSV). After the youth camp, Stephen continued his
mission work in Myitkyina area, digging three wells; one for a Bible training
center and two for very remote villages.
He and his team also visited churches in the area and met many TB and malaria
patients who have been healed through the help of IDES. It was a heartbreaking moment to meet 2 year old
boy, Sar Lar Phu, who has be cured from TB.
Out of his three sibblings, Sar Lar Phu is the youngest son of Simon, a
minister at Zekham Christian Church. He
was exposed with TB at the age of 18 months.
It is hard to imagine Sar Lar Phu’s life would be if the help didn’t
reach to him in time. With the
continuing help of IDES for the year of 2015, Stephen suggested the whole
family should get a check up.
In the midst of poverty and suffering; however, it was an
encouraging experience to see how the people in Myitkyina and Waimaw seeking
God and were so eager to hear God’s Word.
Almost every village that Stephen and his team visited, the church bell
rang at evening for a special service.
Particularly on every weekend, the team preached at four different
churches. Stephen challenged over a dozen
of churches to participate in helping the people in need. Above all, he called those churches (over 70
churches in Myitkyina and Waimaw that Stephen is affialiating with) to reach
out to their neigbors, such as Bhama, Nepali, Shan, with the Gospel of Jesus’
redemption.
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| Stephen visiting church at the remote area of Malika |
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| Typical house a the remote area of Malika |
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| Downtown church: kids at play |
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| Praying for the well digging site at the bible school in Myikyina |
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| No drilling system means working by hand |
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| Hard at work digging the well |
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| Down the well |
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| Normarya village |
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| Stephen at Normarya village |
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| Checking the pulley system of a well at Normarya |
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The water is still dirty at Normarya,
so more digging is required |
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Stephen with the 3 cured TB patient
(left to right: Ah Shwe - 58 yr, He Bo Yet - 7 yr, Sar Lar Phu - 2yr) |
Much Works needs to be Done:
In the past, Myitkyina had been a closed-off city for
foreigners for decades. Recently, the
government allowed foreigners to visit the city, enjoying its unexploited sites
and fellowshiping with the ethinic variety of Kachin people, including
Jinghpaw, Atsi, Maru, lachik, Rawang and Lisu.
Since then the native people of Myitkyina have been facing many new
challenges in their daily lives. There
are many new rich people in the city. As usual, the rich people are getting
richer and richer while the poor, the majority of the people, are getting
poorer and poorer. Due to the long
period of conflict between the government and the insurgent, many have become
displaced; many children have lost their parents in their early age and many
women have lost their loved ones.
Various lethal diseases such as Malaria and Turberculosis have also
claimed many lives. It was a
heartbreaking picture to see many women and children having to go through the
changing society without hopes; no farm, no jobs, of course no child education
for these left-behind wives and orphans. Moreover, drug problems have increased
dramatically; the drug addiction among
youth has increased, even among the Christian youth. The drug abuse among the university students
has surged. The University of Myitkyina
is, the only one, welknown for drugs and narcotics inside the campus. It is said that at almost every corner on
campus you can find drugs and needles.
Moreover, at the border area between Myanmar and China, at the hillsides
of Myitkyina and Waimaw is populated with poppy fields which produce
opium. Churches among Lisu in the area
have tried tirelessly for several years to reach out to these people for
Christ; however, it is still far from being a completed mission. Yet, there are
churches that have been built in the area. Your prayers for this mission work
would be much appreciated.
Prayer Needs:
1. Stephen’s
quick evangelistic trip to Kaya state in Myanmar in the next couple days. A group of Lisu non-believers from Kaya state
has waited for Stephen for over a week.
There are over 40,000 non-believers of Lisu in Kaya state, east of
Naypyidaw (the capital of Myanmar).
These Lisu people have lived there over century, but none have reached
them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pray that God will give Stephen strength to serve Him and preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ through His power.
2. Isaac’s
education: while many people are going to have school break, Isaac’s school for
the year 2015-2016 is going to start on May 11.
3. The
families’ health.
4. Youth
in Myitkina and Waimow.
