matt2819.com/myanmar

[Note: This article has been updated to reflect the change in Thang Bwee's family's travel plans.]

Hello friends. In this edition I’ll be sharing with you what’s been happening since the last newsletter, sharing news and events in brief, and wrapping it up with some prayer points.

Learning, Growing, Enjoying

It’s 1:30pm as I begin to write this newsletter and I’m sitting at my desk feeling quite content. I have one of those office chairs that recline slightly and for the last 5 minutes I’ve been leaning back in that position thinking through what I might pen for this update. Usually around this time of year the temperatures here are “terrible hot”, as Thang Bwee would say, but lately the weather has been quite mild. As I sat reclining there was a nice breeze coming in my window, the curtain gently wafting back and forth, the trees outside swaying, and I was just totally enjoying the moment, quite content indeed. So praise God for big blessings, but praise him just the same for the small ones. His mercy is new every morning, and his loving kindness is in every refreshing breeze.

Last week was my final week at uni for first semester, which is why I’m home during the day today. It’s been a challenging 4 months for me trying to understand the language and committing it to memory, and I’ve come to realise that I need to be far more diligent in revising what I’m learning. I’m glad for the break though. Not least of which is so that I might have some time to catch up on what has been taught over the last couple of months. I’ve felt more like a spectator than a participant lately, so these next few weeks will give me the chance I need for revision. I’ve already set out a plan of action and have so far committed 40 new words to memory – memorised so that I can speak, read, and write them. There are a little over 650 words that I need to revise, many of which I still have to commit to memory, so as you can see I’ve got my work cut out or me. But each day, little by little, I’ll get there. As some bright spark once said, “How do you eat an elephant? One mouthful at a time.”

Speaking of food, I’m loving Myanmar cuisine. Nelly, Thang Bwee’s wife, has taken me under her wing as son number 3, and part of that blessing involves regular delivery of her most excellent food. Beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, all cooked traditionally and all mouth watering. It’s great stuff, and on top of that I’m losing weight, so I’m a happy chappy indeed. But it’s not just the food that’s great here. I wrote an e-mail to some friends just recently and I said to them that there’s really nothing I don’t like about being here. The food is great, the people are great, the church is great, and the ministry is great. God has been abundantly generous and loving to me, which still takes me by surprise. And I like that it does.

Up until now, life is pretty much the same from one day to the next. Monday to Friday I attend uni from 9am to 4pm, then head home, sometimes have a nap, do some study, have dinner, check e-mails, read and research, more study, and then bed. Saturday mornings I join and sometimes lead a small group at the Evangelical Reformed Church (ERC), and by midday I’m back home. I usually spend the day doing house stuff, maybe a bit of reading and a bit of study. Sundays is church at ERC in the mornings. I preach the first Sunday of every month which has been really good. I have lunch there with Thang Bwee and then it’s home for rest, reading, e-mails, study. Whatever takes my interest.

I haven’t had a lot of time or opportunity to get out of this routine, so I can’t tell you of any fantastic places I’ve been. I’m planning to take some days during this break to go and see some new things, but I haven’t figured out what yet.

February saw Peter Barber (Townsville PC) and his wife, along with Ralph, an elder from Mt Isa PC, visit for a teaching seminar at the Reformed Bible Institute (RBI), the Bible college of ERC. Minor Prophets and basic first aid were on the agenda, and by all reports it went very well. The ministers who came down from Chin State for the seminar have since returned and are now training their leaders and members. And that’s exactly the way it should work. Train the locals who can train other locals.

Just as my semester is over, so is the academic year for the Bible colleges. What usually happens is that most of the students will take the next 2 to 3 months and return home to family in Chin State, while a few will stay behind and be involved in evangelism and other local ministries. This time though, all of the students have gone home to family with only one staying behind to look after the RBI campus. The Dean of students and the Warden of the college have also headed back to Chin State, but for them it’s a few weeks of teaching at various locations, and then back to Yangon to assist with running the Church while Thang Bwee’s away.

[UPDATE, Wed. Apr 20th: Nelly's visa was not approved by the Australian Embassy here in Yangon so Thang Bwee, with the support and encouragement of Mission Partners, has decided to remain in Myanmar and travel to Australia around the same time next year, Lord willing.]

For those that aren’t aware, Thang Bwee, Nelly, and their daughter Vesta have been invited to Australia for 6 weeks which was due to begin about now (late March). There have been a few ‘hiccups’ with getting their visa and they wait patiently for the all-clear, which they expect will come any day now. If you’re keen to know where they’ll be so you can catch up with them, please contact Mission Partners’ office during business hours on 02 9792 1373.

During my five minutes of contemplation and naval-gazing before putting pen to paper (or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard) I was trying to figure out what would make the difference between existing in Myanmar and impacting Myanmar. Let me draw this out a little as question-time follows. I’m a Christian living in Myanmar (not that it matters where I live, really) and it’s easy to just get into the flow of life and go from one day to the next, attending meetings or classes, talking to this one and that one, but it occurred to me that it would be quite easy to simply ‘exist’ somewhere and not actually be making a difference. And how badly does Satan want us to be living like that!? So then I got to thinking. I can’t be sent as a missionary fully supported and prayed for and be just another Joe Sweatsock going here and there, doing this and that. I want to ‘impact’ Myanmar, not just ‘exist’ in it for the next 3 or 4 decades. I thought through the obvious ones, preaching and teaching diligently, discipling others, and of course I want to evangelise as soon as I can actually talk to them in a language they understand, but is that enough to change an existence into an impactence (I like to make up words). Not only do I want to stand before the Lord and give an account of a life that I’m not totally ashamed of, but I want to look back in my old age (God willing) and have few regrets about how I spent my time, and see that I have actually made an impact. So here’s the question. If, in many years, you could look back over my time here, what would you like to say was achieved and done? What do you think makes the difference between existing and impacting? (Please know that I’m not hoping for the praise of man in the years to come, but that people might praise God for moving and loving and saving and sanctifying a people for himself. I just want to do my part the best I can so that can come about, if it’s his will.) I’d really like to hear from you guys on this one, so please contact me with your thoughts.

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So I’m on this break from uni, which incidentally is for 2 months, but I’ve got a lot to do. While my classmates return to their respective countries (Vietnam, India, and China) I’ll be head-down-tail-up most of the time. I’d appreciate your prayers to get through all that needs doing. Apart from the language revision, I have 4 sermons and 3 seminar lectures (about 36 teaching hours each) to write. For the lectures I have to read through about 6 books cover to cover and skim through another 8 or so, and though I like reading, I’m not the fastest. I’m looking forward to it and I don’t see it as a burden, but it’ll require some discipline and a lot of my brain. So please pray that I’ll have clarity of mind and few distractions.

So with that said, I’d best be off. Thank you for your continued support and prayers, and feel free to e-mail me or contact me any time. A special thanks to those who have touched base recently. I love it.

News & Events

• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck a sparsely populated mountain area in the Golden Triangle region of northeastern Myanmar on Thursday, with tremors being felt over a wide radius. News agencies reported Friday that as many as 50 people had been killed [Edit (Apr 5th): Official estimations now say 73 people were killed and 125 others injuring. A total of 225 residential houses, 11 monasteries and 9 government department buildings were also officially reported to have been destroyed]. No folks known to the partner churches in Yangon or Chin State were affected.

• Myanmar will celebrate Thingyan (pronounced thejan), also known as the Water Festival, for about 5 days starting April 13th. Thingyan is part of the cleansing ritual to welcome the new year (April 17th). Celebrations have strayed a bit from tradition with an overindulgence in alcohol consumption by many, however water is still sprayed, thrown, and poured around liberally during the festival. Here’s a page of pictures that’ll give you a feel for the festivities (courtesty of ayeyarwady.com).

• The Reformed Bible Institute and Grace Bible Seminary are currently in recess as the 2010/11 academic year has ended. All students from both Bible colleges have returned to Chin State to spend time with family before returning again late May.

• During Peter Barber’s visit, RBI held a graduation ceremony for 9 of its students. Some of these students had completed their studies in the 2009/10 academic year, but as the graduation ceremony doesn’t occur every year, they had to wait until this time to receive their degrees. Traditionally, during a ceremony like this it is very rare for the students to display any emotion, so often they appear quite stern-faced, even when being presented with their awards. However, after the ceremony there were smiles from ear to ear, and quite a celebration was had by all.

Things to Pray for

For me:

• Praise God his loving-kindness and generosity. Thank him that I’m so ‘at home’ here.

• And praise God that I’m learning the Myanmar language. Many of you have been praying diligently for me and I can assure you it’s working. I’ve been able to learn and retain more in the last week than I have in the last 3 months. This is fantastic! Please keep praying though, I’ve got a lot to catch up on.

• Have been having trouble sleeping, either only sleeping for a few hours, or not being able to get to sleep until 5 or 6am. Just a few days ago (March 29th) I think I found the culprit – MSG – (but I need to test this theory more). Please pray that whatever is the cause it would stop. I’m tired and would like to stop feeling like a zombie most days.

For ERC:

• Praise God for the graduation of 9 students in February.

• Praise God for the purchase of land for the church plant at Tada Township. Construction of a simple building for the minister to live in and the congregation to meet in (same building) is hoped to start soon.

• And please pray for that minister of the Tada Township church plant, Mr Mor Dan, who is working tirelessly in evangelism and church planting for the Lord in that place. Please ask the Lord to strengthen him, to give him wisdom and knowledge, and to be diligent in all he does, walking in a manner worthy of the Lord (Cf. Col. 1:10).

• For the ministries of recently graduated students of RBI – Than Tun, Paul, Samuel, Aung Htaik, Sein Bay, Joshua, Isaac, and Than Htay.

• For the education of Thang Bwee’s children and for new sufficient accommodation (larger apartment) for the family of 5.

For FRCM:

• Praise God for His providential gifts that they eat and drink every day.

• And praise God especially for the partnership with Mission Partners, and for their great help with purchasing a plot of land with a small house which is now used for the church building of FRCM and the residence of GBS.

• Please pray that God would provide the needed funds for the daily needs (food, water, etc.) of the FRCM community.

• That the FRCM congregation might be edified and grow strong in the Lord and his Word.

• For the funds to complete the church building and to equip it with the usual – cupboards, kitchen ware, tables, chairs, etc.

For some of the more regular prayer items, feel free to ask me for a Prayer Calendar. You might also like to visit this months “Prayer Points” page.

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I hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter; any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Remember too, if you’d like any Mission Information Sheets, Prayer Calendars, or to get in contact if you’re not near your e-mail, you can do so by using the Contact Martin page.

And finally, if there are any acronyms or initialisms used in this newsletter that you’re not familiar with, have a look at pages like “The Work” and “The Workers” and you’ll find the info you need.

Grace be with you,

Martin
http://matt2819.com/myanmar

Hello friends. In this edition I’ll be sharing with you what’s been happening since the last newsletter, sharing news and events in brief, and wrapping it up with some prayer points.

First Month on the Job

This last month in Myanmar has felt quite busy. Here’s a quick run-down on what I’ve been up to.

I arrived early on Tuesday, December 7th and after a day of rest I went with Thang Bwee to the university to advise them that I’d arrived and to find out the details of my classes. Though they had already started a week before, I would begin my first class on the following Monday.

Thang Bwee began the process of contacting some real estate agencies to see what was available in the area for me to rent. He found 2 possibilities, one which was quite dark and had no bathroom fittings, and though it was within walking distance of the church, it was at an intersection in a very high traffic area. The pink walls, cement floor, no windows, and squat toilet added to the “uniqueness” of this dwelling. However, we wanted to see both before deciding and so we went to visit the second place. Within moments of walking through the door we were delighted, and quickly forgot the first place.

Keeping in mind that I was looking for a suitable place to use for teaching if required (both English and Bible classes), and somewhere with at least one spare room for both foreign and local guests to stay if they wanted to, the second place was a no-brainer. It had just what I was looking for, and though not in walking distance of the church (well, not short walking distance), it was still close enough to make visiting an easy option. So we advised the real estate that we’d take the place, and within a few days the papers were signed and 12 months’ rent paid up front. I know, sounds scary, but at USD$310 per month, it wasn’t so bad, and we had budgeted for, and I’d brought with me enough to cover, this expense.

Here are some photos of the place so you can get excited too …

[ click the photo to view a larger version in a new tab ]

So now that you see how good it is, you can join me in a bubble bursting extravaganza (and I’m not talking about that always-fun bubble-wrap kind of bursting either).

After finding and securing an apartment, the foreigner is then to approach the local authorities to advise them of where they’ll be living. The local authorities will then sign off on said dwelling, and provide any extra information pertaining to the foreigners conditions of residency. Those conditions (pins at the ready?) were that I could not have anyone stay overnight, either foreigners or locals, and I would not be allowed to use the place for teaching. In addition, if I were to have people visit during the day, either foreigners or locals, it would be advisable that the number not exceed 10 people. Now I know some of you are probably thinking, “Why didn’t you find this out first?” Well, we asked, but until one has secured a place, this information is not available. Hypotheticals don’t work well here at the best of times, but getting anything to suggest that we would encounter these sorts of roadblocks simply wasn’t available. We haven’t lost hope completely though, as we’re hoping for some favour from the authorities which will allow us to at least have some training here. Please pray with us about this. Should nothing change, then I’ll be downsizing considerably at the end of the year. Until then, I have a living room suitable for indoor soccer or cricket, so if you’re planning to visit let me know which you prefer. But sorry, you’ll have to leave when the sun goes down.

Along with securing the apartment came a flurry of shopping to kit the place out. I managed to pick up a few bargains as it was a good time of year to shop. The fridge came with a free microwave and many of the other smaller items were discounted due to the silly festive season. This has been very helpful, actually, as the US dollar is weakening by the day here and so our exchange rate has been a lot lower that we budgetted for (about 20% lower). Thanks to these specials though, the lower priced, larger-ticket items have helped keep me within my budget.

Around all of this I’ve been learning the language. Classes begin at 9am and finish at 2:30pm, and this is Monday to Friday. I have a speaking teacher, a grammar teacher, an economic terms teacher, a writing teacher, and none of us are really sure what the fifth teacher is, as she doesn’t speak English and talks in Myanmar at a hundred miles an hour. Today she revised some of the vowel sounds, of which there are dozens, tomorrow it could be something completely different. In keeping with tradition I’m struggling to keep up. In 5 weeks they’ve taught us about 120 words of vocab, and this after teaching us the 200 (probably more, I’ve lost count) consonant and vowel sounds. I’ve pretty much been in overload for the last 2 weeks, and have been discouraged a few times at how much I don’t know. A few of the other students are doing really well, but I’m a definite stand-out, only for the wrong reasons. The other students are: 2 from China, 7 from Vietnam, and 1 each from Malaysia, and India. Add me to the mix and there are 13 of us. Please pray that I might be able to catch up and then keep up. I’m drowning in words at the moment.

I’ve preached on 2 Sundays since arriving, and am down to preach the first Sunday of every month. I enjoy this very much, and have covered the first 10 verses of 2 Cor. 5. On the first Sunday of Feb I’m planning to finish off 2 Cor. 5, and then I’m not sure what I’ll do for March. You could please pray for ears to hear what the Lord wants me to preach each month. Thang Bwee thinks it better that I preach on topics rather than through a book as there are many weeks between each of my sermons. I agree, but as a relative newcomer to preaching that can make it a challenge to come up with something new, meaningful, different, and relevant each time.

So like I said, it has seemed quite busy this last month. I guess it’s more that there’s been so many things to do rather than actually busy. E-mailing has proved to be a challenge too. There were a few weeks where I didn’t have reliable Internet, so my Inbox had more unread messages than it’s seen in years. Then, when I did have more reliable Internet it took me ages to reply to everyone. I was really grateful for the contact though, so please keep them coming. I now have Internet at home, and although the speed is like dial-up most of the time it’s good to have it on tap whenever I need it.

I’d better finish up here. Maybe one day my newsletters won’t be so lengthy. I get news from others who manage to keep it to a page, but it seems I’ve not acquired that ‘gift’ yet.

News & Events

• Aung Sang Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on November 13th. There was a lot of cheering and celebration, and it went off without incident. Since her release she has been busy, but out of the spotlight.

• RBI and GBS will break at the end of this month. February marks the end of the academic year here, and so most of the students will return to family in Chin state, whilst some will stay on to look after ministries around Yangon. The next academic year begins in June.

• Rev. Peter Barber from Townsville PC and 2 other folks from QLD pressie churches will be arriving on February 8th for a few weeks of teaching at a special seminar organised by ERC. Many ministers from Chin state will be attending thanks to the generous support of Mission Partners.

• Thang Bwee, his wife Nelly, and their daughter Vesta look set to head to Australia during April and May this year. Many things still to arrange, so I’ll keep you posted.

Things to Pray for

• Praise God for health. I had a bout of fever and a bout of ‘loose movements’ during my first couple of weeks but I’ve enjoyed good health since.

• Praise God that the culture hasn’t shocked me and that I’m enjoying all that is my new home.

• And to mention again those items listed in the main body
  • Praise God for some great bargains whilst shopping (which has helped keep me within the budget),
  • please pray for favour with the local authorities,
  • pray also that I might catch up and keep up with my language learning,
  • and that the Lord would guide me and that I’d hear him regarding what to preach each month.

For some of the more regular prayer items feel free to ask me for a Prayer Calendar or download one from this page.

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I hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter; any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Remember too, if you’d like any Ministry Information Sheets, Prayer Calendars, or to get in contact if you’re not near your e-mail, you can do so by using the Contact Martin page

And finally, if there are any acronyms or initialisms used in this newsletter that you’re not familiar with, have a look at pages like “The Work” and “The Workers” and you’ll find the info you need.

Grace be with you,

Martin
http://matt2819.com/myanmar

Hello friends. In this edition I’ll be sharing with you what’s been happening since the last newsletter, sharing news and events in brief, and wrapping it up with some prayer points.

I’ve just finished typing this up and it’s a doosy (meaning it’s quite long). So I’d suggest you grab a cuppa … or two. I know I did.

I’m still in Australia … but not for long, I hope

Yep, I’m still in Australia. Can you believe it? It’s almost 5 weeks since I thought I’d be landing in Yangon but as yet I still don’t have my visa. But that’s ok. I worship a sovereign God whose timing is perfect so I’m completely content and ready to go when it’s the right time. But more on that later.

What have I been up to since the June newsletter? Quite a bit actually, let me walk you through it.

Yangon: Young lad selling flowers at night for income

The day after I wrote the last newsletter, back in late June, I drove to Belgrave Heights, just outside of Melbourne, Victoria, to take part in a 3 week Transition Training course run by Missions Interlink. I’m sworn to secrecy re the details about what goes on, but essentially they walk us through various aspects of transitioning from one culture to another. Check out the link if you’d like to know a little more. I met some terrific people there and made some new friends, all of whom are on, or heading to, the mission field in various parts of the world. For the most part the training was beneficial and I’m glad I had the chance to experience and think through some of the issues I’ll face in a new culture.

After Transition Training I stopped off on my way home to spend a week with Paul and May Lynn Reilly in Broadford, Victoria. For those who don’t know, Paul, Rev Norman Shellard and I went to Myanmar in 2006 and we had a terrific time of ministry, encouragement, and fellowship, not just with our Burmese brothers and sisters, but between the 3 of us. Every trip I’ve had to Myanmar has been a real blessing, but that year seemed extra special. So it was good to spend time with him again, and with his Burmese wife and their son who’s just over a year old. It was a good week of relaxation and a regeneration of the batteries, which was quite timely considering what was to come.

After spending a week at home (in Newcastle) I drove to sunny Queensland for the start of 7 weeks of deputation. Deputation, for the uninitiated, is basically visiting various churches and small groups and sharing with them about the work the Lord is doing in Myanmar. More often than not it involves a slide show of various Myanmar pictures with me explaining along the way. At the end the group is encouraged to support the work prayerfully and, if possible, financially.

I won’t mention all the places I went to but it started off with the Presbyterian churches at Scarborough and Woody Point (Moreton Bar area, about half way between the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast). From there I stayed in Morayfield with John and Lyn Tucker (and Suzie, the dog) who were absolutely wonderful hosts. They let me use their home as a base for a few weeks and it really felt like home during that time. I visited numerous churches and groups in the Sunshine Coast area as well as some around Brisbane, and did a trip to Gayndah and back to share with the Pressies out there (about 300km west).

Worship service at RBI campus

I was to visit Toowoomba and Cooparoo, but I went and hurt my back really badly whilst playing with Suzie. I spun around quickly without moving my feet accordingly and felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I went inside and lay down but I knew I’d done something serious. I ended up sitting in a recliner for the next 4 days just resting my back. Everything was agony. Sitting in a normal chair, lying in bed, standing, and everything else in between. The recliner was the only place I got any real relief. So again, the Tuckers were very understanding and accommodating during this time. For a couple of days I thought I’d have to call off the rest of the deputation trip, of which I still had 4 weeks and numerous visits remaining, but the day before I was to fly north to Townsville I was feeling ‘well enough’ to press on. God’s healing hand was at work, and within a week after arriving in Townsville my back felt about 90% better.

To cut an already long story short, I travelled about 3000km whilst up in North QLD, as far north as Cairns, and as far south as Monto (almost back to the Sunshine Coast), before returning to Townsville. Essentially a round trip from one end to the other and then back again. It was a great trip and I met so many warm and friendly people from all walks of life. What an amazing family we are, eh?

After all that, I flew back to Morayfield to pick up my car (stayed another night with the Tuckers, thank you both so much!) and then headed home to Newcastle via Tamworth one day, and Nambucca Heads the next. Again, great people, not least of whom were the Turners in Tamworth. What a wonderful family, and Carrie, the mum, has been a terrific support, encourager, and advocate for the work in Myanmar for years. It was great to see the Tamworthians again and to be encouraged by their corporate enthusiasm.

Martin's Commissioning service September 26th 2010

So with 6000 kms of driving behind me I was home for a couple of days before heading to Sydney for my farewell/celebration dinner and commissioning service on the 25th and 26th of September. The dinner was great and I was both surprised and really chuffed to see so many friends and well-wishers. My commissioning service the following day was truly a significant event in my life. My immediate family were there and many others came to stand with me in this important work. Norman Shellard, whom I mentioned earlier, was there and he prayed a very nice and meaningful prayer over me. Bill Lutton, the current director of Mission Partners and the man who’s supported, encouraged, loved, facilitated, and motivated me along this 6 year journey led the commissioning part of the service. Peter Barnes, my minister, preached one of the best sermons I’ve heard, and together, these men, the elders, and significant others from supporting committees and the like surrounded me for the laying on of hands. It was an amazing experience and blessing, and very moving for me and my family, who’ve walked this and other journeys with me unwaveringly. I now feel, quite profoundly and significantly, the weight of responsibility that has been placed upon me by the Presbyterian Church of Australia for the work we’re about to do.

Now I say “about to do”, but since my commissioning service, and with the exception of a week in Mandurah, WA, with family, I’ve felt a little like I’m treading water waiting for the all-clear from the Myanmar embassy in Canberra. I did expect, and would have told many of you reading this, that I would leave sometime mid-October. I’ve amended that a couple of times to the end of October, but here we are in the second week of November and still nothing. But it really is all ok. Though I might sound frustrated, I’m not at all. Sure, I’d like to have been there by now, but I don’t want to do anything outside of the Lord’s timing and plans (as if I could anyway) and I don’t want to grumble against them either. When he’s ready, I’ll go. Until then, even if ambiguity abounds, it’s all good.

Studying TESOL

It’s not like I’ve been bored or idle either. Not at all. I’ve been filling my time with the occasional activity and/or trip to Sydney, but most days I’ve been chipping away at the remaining correspondence study for my TESOL qualification. Though I’m not done yet I’m so close I can smell it. What with the continuing delays getting a visa, it looks like it’ll all be done by the end of next week (except maybe for a final exam). For those who’ve been following my TESOL progress and praying for what has seemed like forever, we’re almost done! How good is that? I’d like to take a sec to thank some people for helping get me over the line. Two TESOL experts in particular – Barbara Geddes, the wife of Jonathan, one of SMBC’s best lecturers and disciplers, has helped greatly with some lesson plan ideas, and most recently Judy Rowlands, whose e-mail signature says “ESL Ministry Co-ordinator, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Ministry & Missions, Presbyterian Church in NSW,” has been helping me work through all aspects of lesson planning, writing instructional objectives and teaching practice preparation. Her and I still have a bit of work to do, but as I said, I’m almost there!!! So a HUGE thanks to these two wonderful ladies.

I should wrap this up shouldn’t I? I imagine your cuppa’s probably long empty.

Here’s how I think the next month will go. Myanmar held elections on Nov 7th, and I think/speculate that all the activity over there has contributed to the visa delay. Now that they’re all finished and things are settling back to normal (that’s Myanmar ‘normal’) I expect the authorities in Yangon will tell the embassy in Canberra that they can issue folks like me with a visa now. So I expect I’ll get a call early next week, send my passport, as usual, to Canberra to have the visa inserted and the appropriate stamp applied, and once that’s returned to me I’ll book a flight, pack my bags and be off. If all goes according to my estimates I should be away some time around December 1st, give or take a week. Once in country I’ll be spending a week or so in a hotel whilst I try to find a suitable long-term residence. Once I’ve found that, I’ll be shopping like a spendthrift on speed getting the place set up with furniture, kitchenware, and the like. I should have about 3 days to get all that sorted before I begin a 12 month course at the Yangon University of Foreign Languages studying Proficiency-level Burmese. I expect December to be quite crazy.

I really should stop now, but I plan to get another newsletter out in about 6 weeks, once I’ve moved into my new place. I’ll take some photos and let you know how it all went. Please keep praying, and thanks for hanging in there and reading to the end. I hope you enjoyed the catch-up.

News & Events

• Burmese Elections took place on November 7th and the Union Solidarity Development Party (UNDP) has announced a landslide victory. You can read many stories about it at Google News.
• Aung Sang Suu Kyi is due to be released from house arrest on November 13th.
• ERC and FRCM continue their ministries, evangelism, worship, and outreach unhindered.

Things to Pray for

For me:

• Praise God for an uplifting, encouraging, and fruitful time of deputation through Queensland, Tamworth, and Nambucca Heads
• In answer to our prayers, financial pledges have been coming in now for many months and my support has now reached 100% of what’s required. This is such a blessing and indeed praiseworthy.
• And praise God for his healing and restorative power over my lower back injury. I experience no side-effects from the injury.
• Pray that I’ll transition well into a new culture.
• For safe travel.
• To quickly build good relationships with folks in the ERC congregation.

Harvesting Rice

• For second semester study of RBI students and lecturers.
• Pray for the farm that God will bless the harvesting of rice and they would be able to meet all the needs associated with this work.
• For the booklet translation work being done by Thang Bwee.
• For Thang Bwee’s father to maintain good health (he is more than 90 yrs old). Sadly, at 7:15am (AEDST) on November 16th, Thang Bwee’s father passed away. Please pray that the Lord would comfort them all at this time.
• For little Lazarus who is in need of good health as he suffers with a type of Cerebral Palsy called Athetoid (more details about Lazarus will come in later prayer letters).
• Pray for Rev Dr T. Bwee who is fully engaging with teaching and pastoral ministries.

For FRCM:

• Praise God for his grace. James writes, “We enjoy the life of FRCM and GBS. We thank God for His helping us up to this day with every blessing we need.”
• Praise also for His providential gifts that they eat and drink every day.
• And praise God for guiding and sending Pastor Bawi Ling (Samuel) to the mission field.
• Pray that all believers attending the FRCM would grow spiritually and have good health.
• For the extension of FRCM’s mission fields and the many things which are needed to do this work.
• That God would provide the needed funds for the completion of the FRCM church building.
• For the process of digging a well for drinking water at the new church/house.

For more prayer items please visit this month’s Prayer Points page.

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I hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter; any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Remember too, if you’d like any Ministry Information Sheets or Prayer Calendars please just let me know by using the Contact Martin page.

Grace be with you,

Martin
http://matt2819.com/myanmar