Oh my gosh,
I really don’t know what to say about Myanmar. I didn’t have any ideas or expectations going into this month, I didn’t do much research on Myanmar before coming into this country, and I basically came in with open arms just ready for what was to come.
And bam!
It was nothing like I ever imagined. The most rural place we have experienced in Asia, the kindest and most helpful people around, and such an interesting culture we have gotten to experience.
The Burmese are so welcoming and loving. They make you feel right at home and are so giving. If you need help finding something, they are ready to lend a hand. If you need help tying on your skirt, they are at your bedroom door ready to help. They enjoy saying good morning to us, saying hello as we get back, and goodnight at the end of the day. And that’s just the hotel staff. Our brothers and sisters here are so genuine and loving. They love sharing their country with us and they welcomed us in with so much love. They want us to share our stories at church, they want to hear us sing, they want us to teach English to kids, teach Sunday School (which I have a new passion for leading Jr. High/High Schoolers, thank you FBCM.)
2 weeks was so not enough. And we only have a few days left.
Myanmar was not the prettiest place I’ve been, it’s not the cleanest, and the sun is brutal here. But it’s not the circumstances that make or break the place, it’s the people you meet along the way. These people feel like family. They radiate love and peace. The kids at the children’s home have so much joy in their hearts that you can’t help to sing along in praise. I could spend another month here because I have quickly grown to love them. I feel wanted by them. They have such a hunger for the gospel. They are so very curious to God’s love and redemption.
Myanmar is a closed country, and even if all I do is teach these 12-15 year olds about the Vine and the Branches, abiding in Jesus, the Fruit of the Spirit, and the Armor of God, then these insanely smart kiddos can go out into their communities, in their schools, and with their friends and show them the love of Christ.
Throughout the past 7 months, ministry looked nothing like I had expected. I had expected to do a lot of evangelism, doing Vacation Bible School with the village kids, going door to door, prayer walks, and healings. And even though we have experienced a handful of those ministry opportunities, we’ve done so many other things. I joked with my team the other day and said, “We basically start out every month with a blank resume, and we let our host add our own capabilities and what they need from us.” If you need teachers, that’s what we are now. Singers? Check. Bakers? We’ll do our very best. Construction? We may be girls but we are fierce. Every month we are capable of anything and everything, we are here to support the local missionaries.
A lot of the times we aren’t the ones harvesting the fields, we aren’t the ones going into these unknown villages bringing the good news of Jesus. Sometimes we come into a country with fresh eyes and motivation to see a nation turned to Christ. We teach Bible songs to 4 year olds to take with them as they grow. Maybe we babysit for other missionaries in the area so they can get some work done. We help paint buildings so people can have a new place to worship, and children have a safe place to get an education. Maybe it’s supporting our host by making beds and making dinner. We teach Bible lessons to teenagers to equip them to be the ones to plant the seeds and bring the harvest. Maybe we are just the ones that sit in the front row of the Bible college graduation, watching these new leaders turn their hard work into diplomas, praying for them and cheering them on as they accept this calling God has placed on them. Us American girls are most likely not the ones to bring a revival to this nation, but we will be watching our Burmese (and every other country’s) brothers and sisters be an example and change their community for the better. As much as we have accepted God’s call to preach His love to the lost, we are called to serve the church wherever we go, through whatever they need us to do. We are called to make disciples. This is all about being the hands and feet of Jesus.
