By Sandar Leung

Jeff, Sandar, Isabell and David enjoyed the river boat ride to reach the remote village of Putaik Gyi.

Jeff, Sandar, Isabell and David enjoyed the river boat ride to reach the remote village of Putaik Gyi.

Our trip to Myanmar was a trip of a life time. We were just so amazed to see God’s work up close and personal in a Buddhist country. God also kept us safe and healthy throughout the trip. We were warmly welcomed everywhere we went.

Both Jeff and I were able to share our testimony with 300 attendees at the Thanksgiving celebration in the southern delta village of Putaik Gyi. The middle school children from the Asian Children’s Mission sponsored school were especially encouraged to hear a story from me (Sandar), who came to know Christ after being raised a Buddhist. These children, in their hearts, have already accepted Christ, and they are ready to be baptized. Their parents will not allow them to. Their parents will not even allow them to pray or read the Bible at home. Once they can make a living on their own, they are prepared to leave their homes. They have big dreams to become engineers, nurses, doctors, and evangelists, but the reality is they don’t even have high school in their village. Most of them won’t be able to continue their education past middle school.  Still, I believe the Lord will take care of them.

In their blue shirts, children happily pose with visitors.  In the front row in Maeram, educational coordinator for ACM.  Sweet, in the sunglasses, came along to play the keyboard for the Thanksgiving celebration.

In their blue shirts, children happily pose with visitors. In the front row in Maeram, educational coordinator for ACM. Sweet, in the sunglasses, came along to play the keyboard for the Thanksgiving celebration.

The children had a special prayer request.  They are asking for courage to accept Christ publicly.  They also ask for prayer that their parents’ hearts can accept the change, and for the safety of the teachers once the children publicly accept their faith.

We also had the privilege to spend three nights at Hope Children’s Home.  Many of the children do not know when their birthdays are, and so once a year, everyone’s birthday is celebrated together. The children there are very well behaved and their love for Christ is so visible. We were blown away by all the Bible verses they have memorized. They have been memorizing two verses a week and sometimes they would even take on a challenge to memorize an entire book in a month. We had such a blessed time with them. Our hosts and ACM Staff members Josiah and Phoebe are just wonderful!

Moreover, we had a wonderful privilege to visit four small churches, two preschools, and a large established church where I had an opportunity to share my testimony again to over 100 church members.  The small churches and preschools are also the outgrowth of work by Asian Children’s Mission.

Jeff and I am the least likely candidates to speak publicly, but God gave us the opportunity to share our testimony.  It was wonderful to pray together with our brothers and sisters across the globe. We were so touched to hear their stories and their faith in the midst of difficulties and oppression. God’s work is so evident in all the places we had a privilege to visit. Please pray for a revival in Myanmar. And if you would like to join our adventure when we go next time, let us know! Check out Asian Children’s Mission website (www.asianchildrensmission.org) to keep track of progress in Myanmar and its facebook page for more pictures from our trip.

Blessings,

Jeff, Sandar, David, and Isabell