Progress On Campus

We are excited about the significant progress that has been made on the new campus of Myanmar Bible College.  Thanks to everyone whose prayers and gifts have made it possible.

 

The new homes for Pastor Ben’s family and the 45 orphans who lived with them were funded through gifts for the family and the recent sale of ministry owned property, the proceeds of which were previously designated for this purpose.  These homes are located on the new MBC site as planned.  We are very thankful for these blessings. Having Pastor Ben living at the school site is important to the success of day-to-day operations and will save the funds that were previously paid in rent.

Again, we genuinely appreciate everyone who has prayed for, and given towards, this project. Please continue to remember this effort as you pray and consider giving now to help us be prepared for the upcoming group of students who desire to learn more about God’s Word and how to better serve Him.

We also look forward to entering our next construction phase, which includes building a chapel and permanent classroom space.  Click here and select Donate To FBC to help us finish this project.

Feel free to contact Dave Stansbury (dave@harvesters.net) or Doug Radford (doug@harvesters.net) for more information.

 

Urgent Needs At Myanmar Bible College

Harvesters’ partner in Myanmar, Fellowship Bible Church has successfully operated Myanmar Bible College (MBC) since 2011. The current group of 47 students is the largest since the school began! MBC, under the leadership of “Pastor Ben”, operates in three rented buildings. Two are used for dorms, while classes are held in the third. Several years ago, Harvesters received a special gift that was used to purchase five acres of land to be developed as a permanent site for the MBC. There was one existing building on the property, which has been renovated for future use; however, the funds needed to move the school have not been available.

Over the past few months, we have sensed a great urgency to proceed with the relocation of MBC to the new property. The importance of this move has been highlighted by the difficulty Pastor Ben has had each year with securing housing for the college students. At the end of this past school year, one landlord said he would no longer rent his building to MBC for the student’s dormitory, possibly due to MBC being a Christian college. Just days before the arrival of the students, Ben was eventually able to find a house for the women’s dormitory. Unfortunately, the rental cost increased $1,200 over last year.

The MBC staff is now searching for a different men’s dormitory space due to the poor conditions of the current location. During the rainy season, significant leaks occur. Two of the students have plastic over their beds to keep the rain off of them during the night. Ben is also concerned that the building is not structurally sound due to water damage. A new men’s dormitory will likely increase the rental costs, just as the new women’s dormitory. This will result in rental costs for the three buildings used for dorms and classroom space to total at least $12,000 to $13,000 per year.

We have recently revised the Phase 1 development plan to construct the basic buildings and infrastructure needed to quickly move MBC to the new site. This could be completed for approximately $82,000 and will eliminate both our annual rental costs and the perpetual anxiety of not knowing if the current rented properties will remain available for the college. Our hope is complete Phase 1 so that MBC can relocate prior to next year’s new term, which begins in June 2020. In September, a team of engineers and surveyors will visit the site to gather the information needed to finalize plans for construction.

Special gifts are needed so that we can begin work right away and meet the June 2020 goal. Your consideration of helping fund this important project would be appreciated. Myanmar Bible College is providing both a biblical education and ministry training to some very bright and motivated young people who desire to reach Myanmar with the Gospel and strengthen the existing churches there. Myanmar is a spiritually dark place in great need of Christ. Harvesters is thankful for the supporters who will be used by God to help continue the progress being made by the Myanmar Bible College.

Will you help us facilitate this first phase of development, which will provide young men and women with safe living and learning environments while they are equipped to become world changers? If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Dave Stansbury, our Asian Partner Liaison, via email at dave@harvesters.net.

 

Sion Assembly Church

Our passion is to win souls for our Lord from our pagan country, India. India has 1.3 billion people. Approximately 80% are Hindus, 15% are Muslims, and only 4% are Christians. There are 33 million gods and goddesses in India. We are working hard to win souls by conducting mass evangelism through Gospel Crusades. Many are giving their lives to Christ through these Crusades, joining our churches, and growing in the Lord. At the same time, we are encountering a lot of persecution from the government and also from the people in the villages and cities who are Hindu fanatics. We desperately need your prayers and support to conduct these mass Gospel Crusades.

 

Also, please continue to pray for our training of pastors. So far, we have been able to train 220 students from two Telugu states – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State. This year, we are training 75 students, which will graduate in August. Some will be starting new ministries in unreached areas. Please continue to pray for all of our pastors and students has they take Jesus to the unreached. Pray for their protection and for provision while they are sharing their faith and the Gospel.

Fellowship Bible Church – Myanmar

There are many people that are involved in the work of Fellowship Bible Church and all of our ministries. We would like to tell you about two of the men that are just a small part of what God is doing in Myanmar.

John – Church Planter

John is one of our church planters among the Buddhist people in Yangon. He was born again in 2001 and got the vision to do evangelism and church planting. He immediately began to share his faith with a few people, even though he was very fearful.

John has worked with FBC as a minister since 2014. He has seen the work and direction of God throughout his ministry. He has witnessed people experience healing and other miracles of God. And God has given him much more confidence. He is now able to approach anyone and share the Gospel.

John was able to start a church in the community. The area is filled with unbelievers, and most are very poor. Each week, about 150 people attend services. This year, 35 people accepted Jesus as their savior! He regularly visits homes in the area to distribute tracts and invite people to church.

John says: “By working with FBCM, I have the benefits of financial support, prayer, education, Bibles for ministry, and strategies for evangelizing. Myanmar Bible College sent students to help our church with evangelism outreach and to share the love of God house by house, at the market, and on the bus and train.”

Thang Law – Myanmar Bible College

Thang Law was a student at Myanmar Bible College and completed his Bachelor of Theology in 2015. He completed his Masters of Divinity and Masters of Theology at Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in 2018. During his time in graduate school, he began serving as a warden in the boy’s dormitory of MBC. He was happy to serve because it was the place where he began his studies of the word of God. As warden, he has full responsibility for all boy students and manages the dorm and all activities including devotions, cleaning, study hours, discipline, and more.

He began to develop ways to improve communication among the students. Because they came from varied cultures, tribal backgrounds, and life experiences, it was sometimes difficult for them to find common ground. What they do have in common is an eagerness to learn the Bible and serve God in ministry in the future. The eagerness he sees in them, continues to motivate him. The students have become very organized and diligent in their daily household responsibilities, as well as their studies.

Thang says: “They are quite eager to study. They often come to me during study time to ask about the things they do not understand. I am also able to talk with them about their future plans. They have a burning desire to serve God, and the are being well trained for that at MBC. I hope and expect these students will become great servant leaders in our country.”

Thank you for your prayers and financial support of our ministry. It allows us to continue to fill the great commission of Jesus Christ in Myanmar.

Fellowship Bible Church

Every year, we give new clothes and small gifts to the 145 orphans cared for by our ministry. We explain that these gifts come from God and the body of believers. It lets them know that they are not alone and that many people are praying for them and caring about their needs. They also know that God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross and this is the greatest gift from God. The cost to provide these gifts is $2,500.

We have found that December is the best month for evangelism to non-Christians. Many people hear and know about Christmas, but not much about Jesus. During the season, our Bible college teachers and students distribute Christmas tracts at the market, on the train, and go door to door and village to village sharing the message of Christ. It is a very effective way to share with non-Christians and the Buddhists in our country. The cost to provide the tracts and help with transportation costs for this outreach is approximately $2,000.

Most of you know that we have acquired land in order to build a new campus for our ministry that will include permanent buildings for Myanmar Bible College consisting of classrooms, dormitories, a library, and a dining hall, as well as an orphanage and staff housing. The first phase of construction will be approximately $235,000. For now, we are focused on the site excavation at a cost of $10,000 and the installation of an electrical transformer at a cost of $25,000.

We thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry and ask that you continue to pray for us as we train the next generation of leaders to carry the message of Christ to the people of Myanmar.