Myanmar 2014

2014 marked GOV’s first trip to the lovely country of Myanmar. Four GOV team members and a missionary friend of ours from Thailand traveled to Yangon, the country’s largest city, to minister to a group of about 40 youth leaders. Although the training was held in the city, some of the attendees had traveled as many as 10 hours by cramped, noisy buses from surrounding villages to attend our training! As our team was preparing for this training and praying about what we should share, we felt the need to inspire them to pursue a lifestyle of holiness themselves so they might be able to disciple the youth they lead in this area. It has been our experience that the best way to inspire and impart God’s Spirit to someone else is to tell stories and share testimony. So we shared our stories and information, we broke bread (or rice!) and talked to individuals, and gave books away that they could use after we’d left. Despite the political unrest and hardships, we found Myanmar’s people to be very warm and open.

After the training, we prayed for the group. I saw a picture of a little boy running through a field and as I shared it with the group, I felt the Lord say “I want to restore your innocence like that of the little boy”. I think the whole group cried as we agreed in prayer that we wanted the Lord to purify His house, purify His people, and make us innocent again. With all the perversion we see and deal with in our world, I believe the Lord wanted to move and show people how He can restore anything, even things we thought were long gone, like a clear conscience in the area of sexual purity. How unattainable this seems to us after we’ve been entrenched in perversion for so long. It was very humbling to be able to pray for these precious people and – despite the language barrier – understand their needs and ask for God’s cleansing and favor on their lives and the lives of the young people they disciple. We can’t wait to go back and serve the church in Myanmar again!

~Megan

 

I was not sure what to expect when I landed in Myanmar, it was previously considered a “closed country” and rather difficult to get into, but my perspective on culture changed while I was there. Leaders came from long distances, some days away, for a leadership meeting we were speaking at. Some had never seen an American, and were sneaking pictures of us when they thought we weren’t looking. One morning was particularly beautiful: there was a golden sunrise over a dark green forest, a massive temple in the distance that dominated the landscape, and people below selling items by the street. Understanding the culture hurt as we heard stories of how youth are treated. The place seems so dark, but God is moving in such a real way. The country is still somewhat closed to outside influences, so it’s prime time to equip them as things like cell phones are relatively fresh on the market. Getting ready for the influx of toxic culture the internet seems to bring is one of the keys the church is working on now. I’m so glad I had a chance to plant seeds and godly wisdom while I was there and hug the broken youth who needed to know God is for them. Pray for Myanmar.

~Tim