Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings from Thailand. We are experiencing a refreshing rainy season, with the mountains turning green and the fresh air clearing away the smog. Schools opened for the new semester in May, but this season also brings challenges, such as the spread of flu and dengue fever, especially among young children. At the same time, the escalating conflicts in Myanmar are causing concern with increased displacement and bombings in urban areas threatening the safety of many people.
Visiting Our Project Partners
While my husband Joseph and I were travelling recently, our family members took care of our daughter. We are grateful for their support while we serve in the mission field. Our daughter is preparing to transfer to a new school starting in August, and I hope that she can quickly adapt to the new environment.
In May, we visited some of our project partners with our new Team Lead, Pastor Suraj. Despite facing various obstacles, our partners continue their ministries. The visit was a blessing for everyone as we witnessed God’s work and were inspired by their faith. In July, CBM program officer Kylah visited us and the projects in Thailand. It’s exciting to see the progress of each project and how they have benefited the local churches and communities.
The Children’s Project
During the second quarter, the Support for Disadvantaged Children Project collaborated with two centers to provide flu vaccinations. In addition, the centers hosted healthcare seminars, teaching the children how to take care of themselves and prevent illness. The project also supported farming activities at the centers, which will provide essential nutrients for the children. Most of these children come from conflict zones in Myanmar, and some are from broken families. The centers have provided them with a safe place to live and nurtured their healthy growth.
Operation Dawn
The farming activities in Ban Lao Liu village and Operation Dawn Drug Rehabilitation Center are thriving. These farming activities serve as income-generating programs for their various ministries. Ban Lao Liu church operates several community-serving ministries, including nursery for young children, a student center, a Chinese school, and a drug rehabilitation center. The cattle farm project in Ban Lao Liu village will become one of the resources to support their ministries. Operation Dawn aids individuals struggling with addiction by helping them recover and providing opportunities to learn farming skills, which will assist them in reintegrating into society.
The Land Right Awareness Training Project
The Land Right Awareness Training Project partnered with Jireh Church to educate villagers on their rights and forest law, enabling them to live and farm in areas threatened by occupation announcements from local authorities. The villagers create firebreaks to protect the forest from wildfires and plant long-term trees to support reforestation efforts. Through these actions, the villagers demonstrate their positive impact on the forest and defend their right to live in the area. We believe that God transforms the community through local churches, and through our partnership with local churches, we embrace this broken world.
Prayer requests:
- Please continue to pray for Myanmar, especially Upper Myanmar, where conflicts are escalating, and bombs are dropping on people’s homes. Many civilians are fleeing to safer places. Pray for their safety and that God’s peace will come upon Myanmar.
- Please pray for our ministries in both Thailand and Myanmar as we prepare for the next steps of each project in the coming year. May God give us and our partners wisdom to plan and make good decisions.
- Please pray for the nursing aid training in Yangon which will start a new session in September. Pray for the safety of every youth who signs up for this training and for the lecturers to prepare and teach the courses creatively and effectively.
- Please pray that the women in Myanmar who have completed the sewing training can access good employment opportunities.
- Please pray for my family to have good health and safety.
I truly appreciate you taking time to read my ministry update. I am grateful for your prayers and support. Serving God and His people always brings me joy and excitement. I pray that you also experience the amazing work of God in your life and ministry. May God bless you always.
Your mission partner,
Lilian
