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.

 

Serving Our Community

By Mutabaruka Aphrodis – Seira Community Churches, Rwanda

Thank you for joining us in prayer! Our church members are doing what they can to help others in their communities, visiting the sick and providing food for families in need. They keep leaders and each other informed as to what the needs are and how they may pray for each other. Since we are unable to meet in person, we have been holding conference calls twice each week to share the Gospel. So far, we have averaged 100 people on each call! More than 20 families were supported in the last two weeks through HIM. We want to share two of them with you.

Muhirwa Family

The Muhirwa family became members of our church in 2012. Olive became a widow in 2014 after her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident. She is active in the choir and is in charge of taking care of visitors in the church. Her two sons are also involved in the children’s choir and attend primary school.

Olive previously worked in a printing factory, but has been jobless for the last six months. As you can imagine, life has been difficult. We have been able to provide the family with basic food supplies like rice, beans, cooking oil, and charcoal. Olive loves to give back by cleaning the church during the week.

Nkurizabo Family

Thomas is a leader of Rukumberi church. He and his wife have six children. Their life at Rukumberi is hard because they rent a house, which means they do not have a plot of land to plant crops. People is this area are very poor. Though the church is very active, they are unable to support their pastor. We are grateful to be able to help provide for them and are thankful for Thomas’ commitment to spreading the Gospel.

India Relief Efforts

By Rajendra Yellamelli – Sion Assembly Church, India

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the government of India has taken the strict measure of instituting a compulsory 40-day lockdown of the entire nation. During this great hour of need, SAC has stepped in to offer relief services. Adhering to all safety and hygiene measures, we are safely providing food and water to people across our city of Vijayawada (with Government permission).

We have a team of chefs and other volunteers in place for cooking, packing, and distributing meals and water to people on the roadside, the homeless, and others in our city. We were forced to stop just a few days ago as virus cases are increasing, and government and police are no longer allowing us to distribute food packets. We will begin serving again as soon as restrictions are lifted and we receive permission from the police.

We met Kishore (seen here with some of our team) while delivering food packets. He is from Delhi and was working as a cook in a hotel in Vijayawada. The hotel has since closed, but he cannot go back to see his family because all transportation is shut down. He has been sleeping on the pavement by the roadside for 30 days. With tears in his eyes, he told us how happy he was to receive his food packet and that he is so thankful that we were able to help him.

I praise God for the safety and protection of our SAC families and SAC pastors. No one is stricken with COVID-19. Please continue to pray for us and the work we are doing in helping the people through this difficult situation.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your strong support to our people. We would not be able to do our work without your help. May God bless you for your prayers and support.

Caring For The Community

Our ministry in Myanmar encompasses many different areas – orphan care, a Bible college, evangelism and church planting, and vocational training. While numerous lives have been impacted, there are still many that have never heard the name of Jesus. Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we work to make His name known in Myanmar.

U Kyaw Soe
Pastor KP met U Kyaw Soe as he traveled house-to-house sharing the good news of Jesus. U Kyaw had been sick for many years, but no one would care for him. Even his family abandoned him. KP began to visit regularly, bringing him food and praying with him. U Kyaw questioned why KP would care for him when no one else would. KP replied that God loves all people, and I love you in Jesus name. U Kyaw accepted Christ, and has been completely healed.

Clean Water
One of our church planters, OT, travels to unreached villages in rural Myanmar to share the Gospel. He provides training for digging and maintaining wells, bringing clean drinking water to the community. He is then able to share the love of God, and many are coming to Christ.

 

 

 

Hla Hla Yee
Our women’s training program is a great way to reach women in the community. It allows them to learn skills they can use to better provide for their families and allows us to share about the love of Jesus. Hla Hla Yee struggled for many years before she came to our training program. As she learned the basics of sewing, we began to teach her the word of God, praying with her, and encouraging her. When she saw Jesus reflected in the instructors, she wanted the peace and love that filled them and accepted Christ as her Savior. Now she is helping to support her family by making products from recycled plastic bags.

Service Leads To Salvation

We thank our Lord for this new year of 2020 and for the ended 2019. Our ministry has seen much fruit this year as more people have heard the Gospel. Here are just a few examples:

In Remera, members of the church wanted to help rebuild the home of an elderly woman. Her home had been destroyed, and she had no one to assist her with repairs. She was deeply involved with witchcraft, but the church members felt strongly about ministering to her. They approached her to ask about helping, and the pastor asked to pray with her. In that prayer, he asked the Holy Spirit to touch her. She has rejected witchcraft and is now serving Jesus! Here you see church members working on her home.

We recently held a one-day workshop for women to encourage them in their everyday life. One woman, Agnes, shared her testimony about how Jesus sustained her even when she was struggling the most. She spoke about her life before becoming a Christian. Her husband wasn’t a Christian either, and most of their days were spent fighting. He would send her out of the home during the night. There were many days when Agnes wasn’t able to eat because her husband spent all of their money on alcohol.

Members of the church visited her village. She heard them praying and wanted to know more. Soon after, Agnes accepted Christ! She became a singer in the church and began faithfully praying for her husband and family. She prayed for God to give her strength. God has answered her prayers, and her husband is now a believer!

Our children’s feeding program in Kigali feeds hundreds of children experiencing malnutrition. Their families are now attending church and hearing the good news of Jesus. We thank God for these opportunities to tell others about Him!

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.

Omega Ministry

We are thankful for the dedication and courage of our Pakistani partner, Omega Ministry, who continues to share the Gospel amidst threats of violence. Recently they held a seminar for pastors and church members to specifically encourage them. Over 250 people attended this special session.

Please pray for them as they hold three crusades in different cities in late November and early December. These meetings are intended to both encourage believers and reach those who have not accepted Christ.

Ongoing needs for the Pakistani pastors include monthly support and motorcycles. Having transportation is of vital importance for pastors to be able to effectively reach more people. They typically minister in multiple areas and moving from place to place can be challenging. Currently, it costs $2,200 to provide a motorcycle to a Pakistani pastor. Beyond transportation, monthly support is also important so that pastors can focus on teaching and preaching. Most serve in very poor areas and are unable to gather adequate support from local congregations. Depending on the situation $50 to $100 per month can make a great difference in the life of a pastor and their family.