An Incredible Door Has Just Opened!
For many years, the country of Myanmar (previously known as Burma) had been closed to outside visitors. However, just over a year ago, in 2015, a long-awaited miracle happened: a new Western-friendly government came into power, and the doors are now suddenly open!
We believe God has opened the doors to bring the everlasting gospel to one of the last remaining hard-to-reach places on the planet. Surely, at this critical moment, they deserve to hear about Jesus. But even though the country has become dramatically more open, public evangelism is still not possible. However, at least now we can get started—and we have!
Remember our partnership with Asian Aid? As God would have it, they are already in Myanmar, sponsoring seven schools for disadvantaged children! We recently made a preliminary trip to Myanmar to determine how to best take advantage of this brief window of opportunity, and we discovered a number of possibilities for sharing the love of Jesus with a nation that has never been more ready:
1. URGENT NEED FOR BIBLES. What surprised and saddened us was finding that each school has only one or two aging Bibles that all the children must share! We believe that every child deserves access to the story of Jesus, and we can give each child a Bible of his or her own for just $15,000. This would cover all seven schools! The Bibles will not only be used in the schools, but will follow the children back to their villages, where everybody can use them. What an opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life with far-reaching ripple effects!
2. BASIC COMFORTS FOR THE CHILDREN. Just as Jesus cared for people’s needs, we must not forget the physical needs of the children. They are currently being housed and educated in facilities that were built long ago, and many buildings have fallen into disrepair. The young children cook their own meals on an outdoor fire, even in monsoon season, and the sleeping quarters are in desperate need of fixing. The toilets are outdoors and in urgent need of replacement. The children desperately need beds, desks, tables and chairs. In some places, they need better access to clean drinking water. All of these urgent needs can be taken care of and fixed for just $30,000—another incredible opportunity!
3. PASTORS NEEDED. Right now, we have more than 50 Myanmar students willing to become pastors and carry the gospel themselves to the farthest corners of their nation. The challenge? They cannot afford higher education. You can help! Astonishingly, you can send all of them through seminary training for just $105,000, as they become an incredible workforce for Jesus, trained and able, even if their country’s doors suddenly close again to outsiders.
4. RADIO PROGRAM. Until now, volunteers inside Myanmar would record radio messages for the public, but were not allowed to broadcast them. Instead, they had to send the recordings outside the country to be played by foreign stations that reach back into Myanmar. But another miracle may be taking place. We have just received preliminary indications that the government might now be willing to consider a Christian broadcast inside the country! We are already working on starting a Voice of Prophecy broadcast in the Burmese language. The cost to start and operate it for three years? Just under $25,000.
5. START A BIBLE SCHOOL. When we visited Myanmar, we discovered a handful of very old Voice of Prophecy lessons. They were being carefully preserved as tragically, most of the lessons were recently destroyed in a devastating fire, prompting our brothers and sisters in Myanmar to make an urgent appeal to our office for help. We are now working to create brand new Discover lessons in the Burmese language. The cost of starting a brand new national Bible school? Approximately $75,000.
Our goal is to accomplish these urgent projects over the next 36 months. Imagine the impact: a country resistant to the gospel is suddenly open. With your help, we will provide basic comforts, Christian education, Bibles, a national Bible school, a national radio broadcast and an army of pastors ready to reap the harvest!
We dare not wait, because when God opens a door, we must act quickly, since we never know when it will close again. When the Soviet Union suddenly opened more than 25 years ago, God’s people leapt into action. Now, over the past few months, Russia has passed anti-evangelism laws, which means the doors may already be closing.
God has blessed this country—you and me—with the ability to help other parts of the world, where for a fraction of the cost in America, we can reach a whole people group—a whole nation. This is one such opportunity.
Right now is the time, and the people of Myanmar need your help. It costs so little to win this nation for Christ—to give the Karen people the opportunity to make a decision for eternity. Whether it’s Bibles, lessons, the radio broadcast or better facilities for the children, it will all work together to reach the people of Myanmar and show them God’s love. Thank you for making a difference!
Your brother in ministry,
Shawn Boonstra
P.S. A door of opportunity has just opened in Myanmar, which until now had been closed to the preaching of the gospel. We don’t know how long this freedom will last, so we’re moving forward now! This is an exciting time for the Karen people, and your help is urgently needed to provide Bibles, lessons and facilities for seven of our schools in the country. The doors have also opened to begin a Christian radio broadcast right inside Myanmar! Thank you for your support. I know that working together, we can make a difference for eternity.