MYANMAR MISSION TRIP 24-29 MARCH 2018
Testimony of Sister Ysabel Tan
By God’s grace, this is my third mission trip to Myanmar. It is a reminder of God’s goodness in keeping me for the past year and a time of reflection on my spiritual growth.
In this year’s VBS, we learned from the life of Paul. It was my first time being assigned to a class and I was nervous. I had not previously studied the book of Acts and was not familiar many of the historical places. Yet, just like how God called Paul and prepared him to do His work, He also enabled me with wisdom to prepare for the messages. Through the preparation, I gained greater insight into the Epistles too.
The students in the class ranged from 12 to 15 years old, and many of them had good knowledge of the Bible. I am also thankful for the interpreter that God sent. His name was Gideon. He was a student whom I came to know last year. He prepared ahead with the message outline and helped the students in understanding the lessons. During the lessons, the Holy Spirit brought to remembrance many doctrines and applications that I have learned from the FEBC night classes. I was also able to share more about charismatic practices (signs and wonders, healing, worship) and the KJV Bible. Even in Myanmar, the influences of Charismatism are creeping in and we pray that the light of God’s truth will guide the lives of His children.
The children were serious in the learning of God’s Word and worked hard to memo-rise the verses in Burmese and English. Each night after VBS, they would discuss what they have learned together. The Word of God has the power to transform lives. May the lessons help them to apply God’s Word in their lives and move them to greater obedience and service to the Lord.
We had the opportunity to return to Dala, a poor village, where we shared the gospel with the children last year. This year, God also brought some neighbours of the church members to join the gathering and hear the gospel. We pray that the Word of God may grow in the village and more may come to believe in Jesus.
Travelling around to do the gospel work taught me more about the life of Paul, in that it gave me a very small glimpse of what he could have experienced in his missionary journeys. We go to Myanmar to preach the gospel, and now that we are back, we must continue do this work and tell this to our family and friends whom God has placed around us.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Testimony of Sister Nyssha Tan
Thank God for the privilege to join the mission trip to Myanmar this year. The team of six departed on 24th March (Saturday) and returned on 29th March (Thursday). Thank God for journey mercies and for the provision of all our needs.
The Lord brought in on average 120 children for the 3-day VBS and some children from the church in Northern Myanmar joined us for the first time. Thank God for the opportunity given to them to learn about the life of Apostle Paul together with us. The five lessons covered the conversion of Saul, Apostle Paul’s three missionary journeys and his journey to Rome. We would like to praise the Lord for His grace to prepare the lessons. The materials provided supplemented our study of the book of Acts and the events and places came alive as we saw how God used Apostle Paul to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. It was most applicable to learn from the excellent example of Apostle Paul before we embarked on the mission trip.
Here are some insights I have gained during the mission trip and I pray it will encourage us as we serve the Lord in our own mission fields.
Firstly, the children studied the Word of God with readiness of mind. They were always seated quietly before each lesson and would look through their note-books to revise what they have learnt previously. During the lessons, they were eager to trace the maps of Paul’s missionary journeys to remember Paul’s footsteps and the events of the early Church. The children were also dedicated to memorise the five memory verses. I learnt that we should cherish every opportunity to learn the Word of God and hide it in our hearts that we may fear Him and walk undefiled.
“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133)
Secondly, we received warm Christian love from the brethren in Myanmar. The Lord provided for our physical needs through the young adults who laboured in the kitchen to prepare our meals. The Lord protected us in our travels when Rev Andrew Kam drove us tirelessly to New Life Student Centre and opened doors to share the Gospel in village churches. The Lord taught us to provoke one another unto love and good works when brother Joseph opened his home to the mission team for dinner. Elder John gave a word of exhortation to the children in Grace Evangelism Ministry to encourage them to be faithful victors in the work for our Lord Jesus Christ.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Thirdly, the children were disciplined to follow the timetable which begun with morning devotion and ended with corporate prayer meeting. I am reminded that we should be disciplined, to always start and end the day in prayer and having close communion with God throughout the day. For without God, we can do nothing.
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night” (Psalm 92:1-2)
After the VBS ended at 4pm, we visited village churches to share the Gospel and taught them simple craft. The congregation was made up of mainly women and young children while the men worked to make a living. Thank God for the common love we share in our Lord Jesus Christ that we are able to enjoy fellowship through the Word of God and Christian hymns. Although the living conditions may be difficult, they had simple faith to trust in the Lord to take care of them.
Please continue to pray for the preservation and provision of God’s work in Myanmar, that the glory of God will continue to shine brightly and His Truth magnified boldly.
Testimony of Sister Qiao Yan (True Life B-P Church)
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
I thank God for another year that I am able to serve in the missionary field in Myanmar. Looking back at the fragments of memories on how the Lord enabled me, a weak vessel to be of use in His Great Commission never fail to amaze me on the sovereignty of our Lord. There are times of despair when I cannot even find a suitable art and craft idea despite long hours of Internet search. I prayed in desperation, and God helped wonderfully by giving an idea during a Sunday worship service. This was followed by timely help from a sister in Christ in the preparation of the craft material.
Every step is so intricate that you cannot help but be in awe on how the Lord uses His people of different talents and abilities to come together to work for a common goal to fulfill His salvation plan for the world. The humdrum nature of work has also started to envelop me especially this year, but I thank the Lord that He created opportunities for me to reflect upon how much I have learnt and grown from this mission work in Myanmar. Thank God for allowing me to count the numerous blessings that I have received from this work that He has given me. I pray that the Lord will sustain me as I continue to serve Him in this manner according to His will. Praise and Glory to the Almighty Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Testimony of Sister Priscilla Tan (True Life B-P Church)
Praise and thanks be to God for another fruitful trip to Yangon to conduct the Vacation Bible School from 26th March to 28th March 2018. Preparing for the trip was not easy due to the various commitments I had but God had a way for me and allowed all things to come together for His glory and in His timing. God provided the strength, the wisdom and the perseverance for all things. Many times when I was weary and tired, God re-minded me of His presence and how I could continuously draw strength from Him and not rely on myself. Relying on my own strength proved time and again to be exhausting. Drawing strength from God made everything possible.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
We arrived in Yangon on 24th March after a short flight. The Vacation Bible School was from 26th March to 28th March so we had the weekend to rest and consolidate our preparations for the VBS for the kids in New Life Student Center. On Sunday, as usual with all our Yangon trips, we at-tended the church service in both the New Life Student Center and Yangon Bible Presbyterian Church where Elder John preached. We also had fellowship with the brethren. It was heart-warming to see many serving the Lord and studying the Word of God seriously.
After the well-rested weekend, we began the VBS on 26th March. For this year, we taught the kids the life of Apostle Paul from the Book of Acts. We covered the conversion of Saul and how Saul who was renamed Paul, was changed by God after his conversion. We also studied the three missionary trips of the Apostle Paul, all the dangers he encountered, and how he overcame the problems victoriously. Apostle Paul is an example which we should emulate. Teaching the Life of Paul was not easy especially to a group of younger children. However, God provided preacher Daniel as my interpreter. Preacher Daniel is indeed God-sent for he was not just humble but he also well prepared for the lessons. He could elaborate and interpret the lessons accurately so that the students could understand the lessons better. This proved to be a tremendous help during lessons in terms of explanation and classroom control. It was my prayer answered.
Apart from the lessons, the craft which re-emphasised how Apostle Paul would be bounded in Jerusalem also went smoothly as everyone in the mission team chipped in to help with the demonstrations. Everyone was enthusiastic to help the kids to participate in the craft.
Everyday after the VBS, we proceeded to the villages in the evening to share the Gospel and also do simple craft with the kids. It is joyful to see them learning more from God’s Word. Though the trip was tiring, it was time well-spent serving God with like-minded people.
This trip to Yangon is an enriching trip for me. I have learnt a lot through the lessons and I look forward to many more mission trips, God-willing. God taught me to wait upon Him and seek Him first above all things. God alone is all I need. I am inadequate but I know I can rely on God’s strength and God’s wisdom.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteous-ness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
