Monk of 27 years turns to Jesus!
For thousands of years, Myanmar has been separated from the gospel. It has been a nation totally dedicated to ancient practices of idol worship. Myanmar has been closed off from the rest of the world, meaning there are still a vast number of areas and communities that have never heard the gospel. But recent times have seen a new awakening and extreme hunger for the good news.
Our local partner runs a village evangelism project and many times during outreach trips, the teams are invited by the monks to preach in the monasteries. Sometimes the monks are very tough in their initial response, but the team continues to extend warmth and kindness and often they begin to soften.
On one occasion, they were able to speak with the head monk, who had been living in the monastery for 27 years and was the leader of over 20 monks. He heard the testimony of Ko Ye, a former gangster and trafficker turned preacher, and was captivated by the transformation in his life and his dedication to serving God and sharing the gospel. During their stay, the team continued to speak to him about Jesus’s love and faithfulness. The monk was so moved that he broke down, overcome by the weight of his sin and the goodness of God. He then chose to leave the monastery after 27 years of service and decided to follow Jesus.
(note: the project above is funded by Mission Enterprises (VIC) Ltd and is not tax deductible)
Peace Reigns in DR Congo
Life is very difficult in the Democratic Republic of Congo and trust and harmony have been eroded by endless conflict and violence. Social institutions and businesses struggle to operate or grow, hampered by poor infrastructure, low rates of education and frequent disruptions. Without peace, collaboration and understanding, problems perpetuate. Our local partner establishes and trains peace-keeping groups to help restore social cohesion and stability to a war-torn and war-weary region. When people learn to understand themselves and others and work together for the common good, change begins to happen. These peace-keeping groups are often known as Nehemiah groups because they are there to rebuild the walls and gates – healthy boundaries and protections – that keep a community safe.
Here are some testimonies from group members, showing how the training is building a Kingdom mindset, bringing freedom and hope to all.
Peace Committee member Joseph said “on a personal level, I experienced great transformation in my married life and social life. The lessons I’ve learned have helped me to live well with my wife, my children and my neighbours, and this helps transform our community”
Another participant, Albert, talked about how much better he was getting along with family and neighbours: “within three days of the training, a situation in my home that had plagued me for a long time, changed for the better. The training had such an impact on me and now I have hope that when I have difficulties in life, things will eventually change. We lovingly implore you to continue this training in our communities”.
Emmanuel says, “the training helped break personal bitterness I had in my heart, giving me the skills to get along with others and understand myself better. With my bitterness broken, I have discovered my personal identity and the power that God has given me.”
Grace, a 19-year-old participant living with her parents commented “My family experienced great change as a result of the training. My father would always come home very late and rarely spoke to us. But each evening, I got to tell him what I was learning, and he became very interested. He has started coming home earlier and as a family we are talking more and having conversations with our Dad. I have also reconciled with a neighbour who I didn’t speak to. Now we talk together like good neighbours should. Glory to God.”