In February of 2021, the military staged a coup and took back control of the country, overturning the democratically elected government. As you know, the situation in Myanmar has continued to be extremely difficult over the past 3 1/2 years, with escalating violence, displacement and isolation for the people there.
Harvest Bridge receives regular updates from two of the ministry leaders, Pastor Pan* and Pastor Thang*. This month, we share some of those updates with you. Please continue to pray for Myanmar. On May 2nd, we received this message from Pastor Pan:
“What a sorrowful time it is. It is the 5th village burned by the Junta since April, first week. This village is so close to the place where our children lived a little while ago. We thank God that we took them out on time.”
Pastor Pan and his wife care for over 60 children in their home. When it was no longer safe for the children to stay, with your support, they were sent on a precarious trip on backroads to a safer location, while Pastor Pan remained in his town to care for the church. The children recently returned home. Soon after, the village where they had been staying was destroyed. On May 7th, Pastor Pan wrote:
“Thanks for the prayers. The fighting inside our city has been a little calmed down but the Junta is capturing village to village and burning down. The PDF couldn’t resist so far since the military used an airstrike many times. . . The news said that more than 1000 homes have gone to fire in seven different villages. But as a whole, the PDF and its alliance are gaining victory, capturing and controlling over more cities and army bases.”
The PDF (People’s Defence Force) that Pan mentions is a resistance group working against the Junta military (Tatmadaw). As the PDF has gained strength, the military has retaliated with violence against civilians, often resorting to airstrikes to maintain control.
“I have received the funds safely and I have immediately forwarded to [name and location removed for safety] to help the displaced. He will be working with 2 of our partners to distribute the food to help the poor displaced people. Please pray for their safety. I pray that this would be a great blessing for the suffering people. Once again, thank you so much for your generosity toward us here in Myanmar. Words are not enough to say thanks to everyone of you for your kind concern and prayers.”
These are just a few of the many messages we received in May and June. Despite the constant danger, Pastor Pan, Pastor Thang, and the other ministry leaders continue to provide support in any way they can. They are acting as the hands and feet of Jesus. And with your support, we will continue to stand with them.
In the daily violence, we praise God for signs of hope, like the story below.
Give today to support the ministry happening in Myanmar here. Our Summer Giving Match runs from June 28th to August 11th! A generous supporter is matching up to $50,000 raised! Learn more and give at www.harvestbridge.org/give/ or send a check to the address below and designate the amount above your normal giving that is being contributed toward “2024 Summer Match”.
P.O. Box 284 Grove City, PA 16127
*Names changed for security