Burma Cyclone Relief: Update

We received the following from one of our Friends In Mission in Thailand, Partners Relief & Development, regarding relief efforts for those struck by the devastating cyclone in Burma. Please read it, and please give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to helping Steve and the people at Partners.

They had been sitting under the blazing sun for two weeks. No food. No water. Not even a roof to hide under during the day when the sun was the hottest, nor to hide under when the rain poured down in buckets. They thought they were forgotten. Forgotten by the world. Forgotten by God.

Htoo Wah (name changed) was the answer to their prayers.

The most important link in the chain of aid being delivered in the delta right now are the many men and women who risk capture and incarceration by finding their way through the regime's blockades to help the overwhelming number of vulnerable people in this area. To protect their identity we call them the Delta Network. Their bravery and faith inspires me.

To understand why aid is being blocked from more than 2 million innocent victims, why the Burma Army steals aid that is shipped into the country through "legal" channels, and to grasp the context of the ongoing abuse by the by the regime, please visit our web site and our blog.

The following account is based on a debriefing with Htoo Wah, a Delta Network team leader. He is one of more than 120 ethnic leaders who are working to minister to and rescue people in the delta with financial support and emergency supplies from Partners, The Haven Foundation, and the Free Burma Rangers.

Please pray for Htoo Wah. To do what he does isn't just risky to himself and his team, he also faces the threat of retaliation to his wife and children. Thank you for standing alongside us to bless the people of Burma today.

Inspired by Faith in Action,
Steve Gumaer, Executive Director

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A Delta Network Rescue Story
With 10,000 dollars, a heart full of faith, and bravery to spare, this is what one Delta Network member accomplished.

My team and I bought locally available potatoes, cooking oil, rice, and vegetables and hired a small boat to transport us down the Pathein river to the town of Thetkethaung, on the tip of the delta.
When we arrived in Thetkethuang, we met more than 2,700 villagers who were crouching in makeshift shelters made of rubble while rain poured on them. It was a terrible scene to see. We fed them, organized them, paused to pray to God for help, and began preparing them for the upriver journey to safe ground.

I hired larger boats and filled them to capacity with survivors. In just one day I moved more than 2,700 people up river to a small village in Myuangmya township.

From Myungmya we hired 6 wheel trucks to take the displaced people to Pathein Township in loads of 200 people at a time. We had already agreed with a church to set up a temporary camp for cyclone victims on the church compound where the survivors are sheltered today. With money Partners provided, we rescued these suffering people, brought them to safety, and left enough food to last them another month.

Many of the survivors were unaccompanied children and orphans whose parents died in the cyclone or tidal waves that followed. These children were all placed in childcare homes that are administrated by one of our close partners.

More than 2.5 million people are still in desperate need of help after Cyclone Nargis hit Burma a month ago. Partners is sending help that reaches the neediest victims of this terrible disaster. Htoo Wah is only one of the many national volunteers that are willing to risk their own lives to help bring life to thousands.

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If you want to be a part of Htoo Wah's team, send your gift today.

Uganda: The Net Effect

In less than two weeks, a team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children - will depart West Texas for Christian mission in Uganda. Through a wide-ranging ministry, this annual effort has impacted the lives and spirits of so many people in so many ways.

One way is through medical care. This year's effort will include a component devoted to breaking the cycle of one of one of the continent's biggest killers - malaria. This can be done through the application of a longtime, low-tech weapon with a high-tech twist ... mosquito nets that not only block the insects, but kill any that come in contact with the nets which have an insecticide woven into the mesh.

The nets will be purchased in Uganda. This will allow the insecticide to be replenished locally after extended use, allowing them to continue fighting the insects that transmit the disease that kills more than a million victims each year in the world's poorest regions.

HERE is a great background story from Smithsonian Magazine about a similar project under way in the neighboring African nation of Ethiopia.

Here is where you come in ..... the cost of the nets is only $10 each. Any amount of money you can contribute, right down to the change in your pocket, will be gratefully accepted and put to work in Uganda. You can make a contribution at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, located at 800 W. Texas Avenue, on the northwest corner of A Street and Texas Avenue, on the west edge of downtown Midland. The church office is open Monday-Friday, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Their phone number is 684-7821.

A New Look For a Friend in Mission

Visitors to Brett and Shelley's blog, Welcome to the Jungle, are now greeted by a colorful photo that's as big as a ... well, see for yourself. It is also an enduring symbol of the country where these Americans are living, working and blogging.

Brett and Shelley are mission co-workers living in Chiang Mai, Thailand as HIV/AIDS regional consultants. Brett is a nurse and amateur photographer. Shelly, a literacy specialist and ESL teacher. They are joined in mission by their two wonderful children, Acacia and Annapurna.We had a chance to meet Brett and Shelly in February, when our mission team was invited to join a gathering at the home of Reverend Dr. William J. Yoder, Dean Emeritus of the McGilvray College of Divinity in Chiang Mai, for dinner and fellowship with men and women, young and old, who have devoted years of their lives to education and Christian mission in Thailand.

Prayer Request

For the Cyclone Victims in Burma:
A Call to Prayer by Shaune Vincent

“When the waves of death surrounded me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears.”

2 Samuel 22:7

On May 2nd, Cyclone Nargis slammed into the Irrawaddy Delta region in Burma's south, bringing with it winds of 190km/hr, torrential rain, and a devastating 3.5m storm surge which swept through the low lying delta region. In the aftermath of the storm, Burma has been left with devastation not seen in the country in living memory. Homes have been flattened, over one hundred thousand people killed, and those who remain are in a desperate situation and in need of emergency relief supplies - food, shelter, medicine and clean water.

As you know, the cyclone has killed an estimated 100,000 people, and displaced over 1.5 million. Worse than the cyclone is the response of the Burma government who continues to refuse help from disaster relief experts, and slowed down, blocked, and even confiscated aid that has been sent in to help. These actions are compounding the horrors for the people affected by the cyclone.

Many of us feel our hands are tied, and there is little we can do. But we have the greatest weapon known to mankind – we have the sword of the Spirit and the power of prayer in Jesus’ name.

Many of you have asked what you can do, so Partners is sending out a Call to Prayer. Stand in the gap for the cyclone victims by interceding in the following areas:

· We are commanded to pray for our enemies, and those who persecute and hurt us. Pray for the Burma military regime who has demonstrated tremendous inhumanity in delaying, rejecting, and blocking relief aid to the victims, especially in the delta area. Pray for their hard hearts to soften and show favor for their suffering people.
· Pray for an abundance of clean water, shelter, and food provision.
· Pray for the outbreak of disease that has already began due to the blocking of relief. There has already been an increase in malaria and water born diseases reported.
· Pray for wisdom in how to get relief supplies to the most desperate places in the delta.
· Pray for the network of relief workers who are risking their lives helping the cyclone victims. The risk is the Burma junta who does not want them to help.
· Pray for God to comfort those who survived, who have lost loved ones, and everything they own. Pray for those who sit and wait for help to come. Pray for open doors before more sorrow and death compound an already tragic situation.
· God is able to bring about something good what the enemy intended for evil. Pray that the Kingdom of God would shine, and that many would find hope in Jesus Christ.
· Pray for us who wish we could be in Burma to help. Pray that we would be a light for Christ, demonstrating His great love in word and action.

For more information, or to donate to the cyclone relief, go to www.partnersworld.org

Burma Cyclone Relief: Update

We received the following from one of our Friends In Mission in Thailand, Partners Relief & Development, regarding relief efforts for those struck by the devastating cyclone in Burma. Please read it, and please give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to helping Steve and the people at Partners.

We are now beginning to receive first-hand accounts of the horror Cyclone Nargis wrought in Burma. On May 11th the only survivors from a village in the delta area came to seek refuge at a church in Rangoon. According to witnesses, this 2000 household village had only 170 survivors accounted for. This is their story...

At about 5:30 pm on Friday the 2nd of May, the cyclone arrived at their village tearing down every house and bringing a flood of water up the river. The water quickly rose to as high as 12 feet so that the people had to climb trees in order not to drown. Several people faced another great danger in the trees, namely cobra snakes who also sought refuge from the water. Many died from snake bites and fell into the water below, others couldn't hold on as the hours passed by and also became victims to the water. Those strong enough to hold on helplessly watched the weaker children and the elderly drown in the water below. Most of the survivors were young, strong men.

A 70-year-old lady was the oldest survivor together with her husband. She clung to a bamboo tree for 7 hours before the water started going down again. Her arms were badly bruised from the fight of her life. After the water went down she was reunited with her husband who had been sharing his refuge in a tree with a cat, a dog, a rat and a poisonous snake that miraculously didn't bite any of them. He shared how whole families had been wiped out, including their pastor, his wife and children.

The youngest survivor was a baby only 3 months old (see photo). The mother managed to hang on to both her baby and a tree while waiting out the storm which ceased at about 9:30 pm. It still took many hours for the water to recede enough for them to stand on the ground.

Those who survived tried seeking refuge at an army camp and a monastery, but were turned away because they are Christians. A church then brought them to Rangoon by car, and they are now in the care of a church in the city. They now have rice, medicine and something to sleep on. While the team was handing out rice, another group of 70 people arrived from another village that was wiped out and another 70 more are on the way.

The trauma is written on their faces as they share. It will take much longer to heal than their bruised bodies.

Another team sponsored by Partners has just reported back that they were able to find 2,700 people in need of help, re-locate them to a church in another city and provide food and water for them for the next month. Many of these people are now orphans or unaccompanied children who have now been placed in orphanages and homes sponsored by our close contacts on the ground.

Right now more than 120 nationals supported by Partners are in the delta region, bringing hope to tens-of-thousands of people who have been intentionally neglected by their own government.

These stories are just the tip of the iceberg regarding what is really happening on the ground in the delta region of Burma. While the junta says things like, "We have already finished our first phase of emergency relief. We are going onto the second phase, the rebuilding stage," we know better. People are hungry and thirsty. Many are now dying due to a lack of action. We have already learned that outrage isn't enough. Hand-wringing isn't enough. It is time for action.

Please donate online today so that Partners can continue to take action by securing the needed supplies and funds to rescue these precious people.

Gratefully,
Craig Garrison
Partners Thailand

Big Issues on the Big Screen

Try to imagine what kind of person devotes a part of his or her life to relieving oppressed peoples on the far side of the planet ..... did Sylvester Stallone come to mind? He should.

"A week after 'Rambo' made a nearly #1 box office debut, movie star Sylvester Stallone says he wants to go to Burma to address human rights violations," Nathan Black wrote earlier this year, in this report for the Christian Today website. "The 61-year-old actor, who stars in, directed and co-wrote the movie, said he hopes the film provokes confrontation and said he is willing to travel to Burma to confront ruling military officials."

While the film received lukewarm reviews from critics, it was hailed by many who have first-hand knowledge of the atrocities going on in Burma ..... a situation that was desperate even before Cyclone Nargis slammed into the country earlier this month. Our mission team was in Thailand in February, just as the film was being released around the world, and many we spoke to looked forward to a chance to see it in the theaters.

Now, we all will have a chance to see it again as the film makes its way to DVD. Be advised, the film is rated R, due in large part to the graphic violence that is one of the hallmarks of the "Rambo" series.

In "Rambo," Vietnam War veteran John Rambo spends his retirement in northern Thailand where he's running a boating service. On the nearby Thai-Burma border, the Burmese-Karen conflict rages into its 60th year. A pastor enlists his help when Christian missionaries are kidnapped by Burmese soldiers in the Karen state.

The film has already proved to be a rallying point for many to decry the ruling junta. Today, Karen civilians are appealing to the world for assistance, warning that if the Burma Army is not stopped, they will soon cease to exist.

Much of the population of northern Karen State is displaced with thousands of civilians hiding close to their old villages and thousands more fleeing to the Thai-Burma border, according to Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian aid organisation working in the conflict zones of eastern Burma. These include the people of Mae La Refugee Camp, that our Thailand Mission team visited in February.

Their plight touched Stallone deeply ..... and he himself got a sense of the threats the Karen and other oppressed peoples face in Burma. He said that he received multiple death threats while filming in Thailand for “Rambo.”

“I got them [death threats] all the time. It’s a very dangerous part of the world,” said the 61-year-old Hollywood action star while at the film’s UK premiere in London, according to The Guardian newspaper. “A lot of people just disappear. They just didn't want this film to be made, it’s an insidious civil war that has gone on for sixty years and no one knows about it because they've been keeping it quiet.”

Christian NewsWire reports that, "in the early stages of the script's development, Stallone consulted with Soldiers of Fortune magazine and asked one crucial question: where is the one place on earth where the worst atrocities are taking place and getting the least amount of attention? The answer was Burma."

He knows it, the oppressed peoples and the oppressed churches of Burma know it, the relief workers of southeast Asia know it ..... and now, thanks to this film, and to the ongoing coverage Burma in the wake of the deadly cyclone, we can all know it.

A Century of Faith and Healing

A few months back, we noted in this post that, according to the 2008 World Fact Book prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency, Buddhists comprise 94.6% of Thailand's religious population, while Muslims account for 4.6%, and Christians account for 0.7% (2000 census).
CLICK HERE for the CIA's complete entry on Thailand.
CLICK HERE for the CIA's complete 'People' entry on demographics in Thailand.

But that has changed. While we were in Thailand, in February, we learned from Reverend Dr. William J. Yoder, Dean Emeritus of McGilvary College of Divinity (part of Payap University in Chiang Mai) that the most recent numbers - just being released at that time, showed that Christians now account for about 2% of the country's religious population. And that varies from region to region. Some estimates say Christians may account for as much as 15% of the local religious population in the Chiang Mai area of northern Thailand. McGilvary could be one reason for that ...

... and McKean Rehabilitation Institute, also of Chiang Mai, could be another reason. Founded in 1908 by a Presbyterian missionary, Dr. James McKean, as the first asylum for leprosy sufferers in southeast Asia, this center developed over the years through various stages. From a leprosy colony it became a leprosy hospital, and later a leprosy rehabilitation center. Now McKean is a general rehabilitation center integrating leprosy patients and people physically disabled from other causes in its therapy rooms, wards and rehabilitation projects, including the community-based projects outside the center.

According to McKean's website, "In 1908 the only way to reach Chiang Mai was either by an arduous river journey up the Chayo Phrae and Ping rivers from Bangkok, or an equally arduous overland journey on elephants or ponies. In good times this trip took nearly two months. In bad times it took much longer. The population suffered from malaria, malnutrition, typhoid, epidemics of small-pox, and of course the ever present scourge of leprosy."

The facility recently marked a century of faith and healing in Thailand, and is actively working for the next century. Presbyterian Church USA reports that, through the community-based rehabilitation team, McKean is facilitating disabled people in their home areas to improve their situations physically, economically and socially. This team also continues to help people affected by leprosy to live healthily and productively in their own home areas. At the north end of the property McKean provides Buraphaniwet Village for the elderly disabled people who have no homes or families. About 50 people live in small cottages. Another 50 who are blind, infirm and very disabled need total care in two hostels. Chaplains minister in each area of McKean and there are churches established in the hospital area and in Buraphaniwet village.

Here is another report on McKean from Brett and Shelly at Welcome to the Jungle.

One way that McKean pays for its operation is through the sale of handcrafts produced by patients/residents (you have been enjoying photos of these crafts while you were reading this post). One of their wooden crosses now adorns a wall at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, and other samples of their work grace the homes of some of our team members. Those wishing to find out more about supporting McKean and its mission through craft purchases can e-mail Heather at McKean Rehabilitation Center, in Thailand. Of course, regular contributions are also welcome, as are your prayers for their continued success in bringing healing hands and words to those in need.

An Addition to Our Bookshelves

On a brief visit home to the United States, Steve Gumaer came to Midland bearing an important message ..... and bearing gifts, too.

A copy of "Eternity in Their Hearts," a book by Don Richardson, is being added to the library shelves at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, in celebration of the First Thailand Mission Team, 2008. Steve Gumaer, co-founder of Partners Relief & Development, recently appeared in the Tall City as part of a speaking tour of the western United States. The visit also provided him a chance to catch-up with many of our team members who had met him earlier this year, during our mission in Thailand - and to present them with copies of Richardson's book.

Subtitled, "Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World." the book offers compelling stories of how missionaries spread the Word to the far corners of the globe ..... only to find that the Word, somehow, had preceded them.

"The year is 1795, and deep in Burma's jungle hundreds of tribesmen rush to greet a light-skinned stranger. Is he bringing the book their forefathers lost centuries ago---the book that tells about Y'Wa, the Supreme God?" With this and other case studies from around the world, Richardson shows how God has prepared the way for the gospel by setting, as Ecclesiastes said he would. ''eternity in the hearts of men.'

The pages devoted to Burma were of special interest to our mission team. While on the Thailand/Burma (Myanmar) border we worked and prayed with many refugees from that troubled country. They were Karen, the descendants of those who greeted American Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson, and heard the Word from Ko Thah-byu, "The Karen Apostle." More than 200 years later, when we worshipped with the Karen, whether it was in a migrant workers' village or a refugee camp, it was in a sanctuary of the Karen Baptist Church.

Steve has long since returned to Thailand, where his group is part of relief efforts for those struck by the devastating cyclone in Burma. Please give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to helping Steve and the people at Partners in those efforts.

Burma Cyclone Relief: Update

We received the following Tuesday from one of our Friends In Mission in Thailand, Partners Relief & Development, regarding relief efforts for those struck by the devastating cyclone in Burma. Please read it, and please give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to helping Steve and the people at Partners.

This afternoon our first shipment of food and shelter materials reached Rangoon. That means that 7 tons of rice and enough plastic sheeting to get 100 households under shelter from the monsoon rains will be distributed. In light of the need, this is a small drop in an ocean of suffering. But in light of the complications, the regimes blockades, and the inability of the world's governments to negotiate with the generals of Burma, it represents a miracle.

Another miracle happened today. One of our staff members was granted a visa to join the efforts in Rangoon. She is a trained tropical medicine practitioner who will join with our local partners in Rangoon to get aid through to those in desperate need. Praise God.

Staff Member Chris Dolan wrote the following article today. I hope that it moves you as it did me. More than anything else, I want to thank you for your prayers, your financial support, and for the encouragement so many of you have sent along to us as we struggle to make God's compassion a physical reality in Burma.

By Grace,
Steve Gumaer
Director, Partners Relief & Development

Swept Away
By Chris Dolan
Partners Team Coordinator and Development Specialist

Imagine seeing the ones you care most for in the world gradually tire, sink lower into the water and eventually lose the strength to hold on and be swept away. Envision in your mind's eye for a moment, watching your child's lungs fill with dirty, salty water and not being able to do anything to help. To add insult to injury, you have been cut off from the rest of the country (and the world, for that matter) by your own government, and forced to wait as food supplies get shorter, water more scarce, and the stench of decay stronger.

We received a report yesterday about a man just like this, who hung on to a tree in the floodwaters and watched helplessly as his wife and children were swept away.

On May 2, Burma, a country mired in poverty, oppression, and corruption, ruled by a brutal military regime, was hit by a Category 4 cyclone (hurricane) with winds of over 130 mph in it's Irrawaddy delta region, the country's rice bowl. Cyclone Nargis ravaged this farming region, and the devastation has been compounded by the slow, inefficient, and negligent response of the military regime. Local NGOs on the ground in Rangoon are reporting numbers now of over 150,000 dead, with the toll from disease and unrest rising higher and higher every day.

Soon after the cyclone hit, Partners was already sending in relief supplies, funds and communications equipment for the initial response. Since then, we have sent in tens of thousands of dollars donated by generous people like you and we have received substantiated reports that desperately needed food, shelter, water, and medicine have been purchased and distributed to those in the greatest need. However, the situation is getting worse as the Burmese government stonewalls while their people continue to suffer and die.

Please consider helping us help the people of Burma directly by donating today through our secure online donation site. As you are well aware, the situation is urgent and Partners has set up networks in both the delta region and Rangoon to provide immediate relief items. We need your help in order to see this through.

For every single story we receive, there are 200 more that never reach the light of day. For every survivor, there are 20 more who didn't survive. Visit our Partners blog for regular updates on what is happening on the ground and Partners ongoing response to this tragedy.

The Legacy of Pentecost

Today was Pentecost Sunday. Our worship at First Presbyterian Church of Midland included the following Scripture ...

"... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NIV)

Also ...

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

Pentecost is a special day for Christian missioners. It is a reminder for all of us who seek to follow, as best we can, in the huge footsteps left by those who set out from Jerusalem after that very first Pentecost, and spoke in other tongues, as witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is up to us to maintain and 'grow' the legacy of Pentecost.

Missioners from West Texas have done just that, and are continuing to do that ..... in English, both here and overseas; in Spanish - again, here and overseas; Ugandan, Lugandan, Swahili, Thai, Burmese, Karen, Chin ... and so many more.

Cause for Hope and Joy

It also provides a wonderful opportunity to introduce you to another of our Friends In Mission in Thailand. Welcome to the Jungle is a weblog maintained by Brett and Shelly, mission co-workers living in Chiang Mai Thailand as HIV/AIDS regional consultants. Brett is a nurse and amateur photographer. Shelly, a literacy specialist and ESL teacher. They are joined in mission by their two wonderful children, Acacia and Annapurna.

We had a chance to meet Brett and Shelly in February, when our mission team was invited to join a gathering at the home of Reverend Dr. William J. Yoder, Dean Emeritus of the McGilvray College of Divinity in Chiang Mai, for dinner and fellowship with men and women, young and old, who have devoted years of their lives to education and Christian mission in Thailand.

Which brings us to this post by Brett and Shelly about a wedding they attended for Jeem, their friend and helper. Jeem is from the Karen tribe, which is one of the many 'Hill Tribes' that occupy northern Thailand and eastern Burma. Jeem and her new husband Somchai were dressed in traditional Karen wedding attire, and photos of the event provide a wonderful and especially colorful look at the people who have become an indelible part of our lives since our mission to Thailand. A majority of the Karen are Christian and provided us many places and opportunities for service, prayer, fellowship and worship while we were there.

Best wishes, and prayers of hope and joy for Jeem and Somchai, for Brett and Shelly, and for so many others committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in southeast Asia.

Prayer Requests: Back to School

As the school year comes to an end here, in West Texas, it's just getting started in Thailand. The Askren family, house parents for the Mae Kha Chan Children's Home, one of our Friends In Mission, has sent the following prayer request ...

"Right now the kids are at a Bible camp for a week. The new school year starts in the middle of May so there are TONS of things that have to be taken care of before then. Please keep the children and the staff in your prayers. We're asking for wisdom and discernment as they work on next year's budget as well as God's direction and provision."

Burma Cyclone Relief: Update

We received the following Wednesday from one of our Friends In Mission in Thailand, Partners Relief & Development, regarding relief efforts for those struck by the devastating cyclone in Burma. Please read it, and please give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to helping Steve and the people at Partners.

On Friday May 2nd, cyclone Nargis crushed the southern delta region of Burma. The winds flattened homes, displacing as many as 1 million people and immediately killing more than 22,980 people. Every time I check the news that number increases. The victims of this disaster need your help now.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2: 14-17)

Imagine how you would feel if you were one of the survivors. Shari Villarosa, charge d'affaires of the U.S. embassy in Burma, said, "The information that we're receiving indicates that there may well be over 100,000 deaths in the delta area." For them the story is over. But the men, women, and children of southern Burma who lost their homes, livelihood, and in many cases, their loved ones, need help now. With just $80.00 we can feed and provide temporary shelter for a family of five for one month!

Our attempts to go into the disaster area have been frustrated by a regime that has no regard for their own population. They have rejected our visa applications and have denied the world's aid organizations access to the people who suffer. In fact, they appear to be deliberately keeping aid efforts from the victims in order to further weaken the largely Karen and Mon populations the cyclone ravaged. Does this make you mad? Knowing the cyclone was approaching, they didn't even warn the population of the danger. It's unjust, and it makes me angry.

In spite of the regime's blockades, we have partnered with our coworkers in the delta region. Tonight a truck loaded with supplies including 7 tons of rice and grain along with 100 rolls of plastic to serve as temporary shelter will make the overland trip to Rangoon for distribution. We are also arranging the delivery of water purification systems, medical aid, and people to be on the ground as ministers of love and healing.

We are able to get supplies into the Delta area, and coworkers to oversee distribution, but we need funds to keep the artery of relief functioning. It is my hope that you will join with us during this crisis to keep this lifeline of aid alive. Please pray and if you can, please donate now and help the people of Burma today.

Thank you for standing with us to help save the lives of suffering people and demonstrate God's love to the victims of this disaster. You are a crucial link in making history today for God's kingdom and the people of Burma.

Pressing On,
Steve Gumaer, Director
Partners Relief & Development

Pray for the People of Burma

YANGON, MYANMAR (BURMA) - The cyclone death toll soared above 22,000 and more than 41,000 others were missing as the international community prepared to rush in aid after Asia's deadliest storm since 1991, state radio reported. Up to 1-million people may be homeless. The complete report - plus related stories, photos and video - can be found HERE, on msnbc.com

An Addition to Our Bookshelves

A copy of "Displaced Reflections," a new book by Oddny Gumaer, is being added to the library shelves at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, in celebration of the First Thailand Mission Team, 2008. Oddny Gumaer is co-founder of Partners Relief & Development with her husband, Steve, who recently appeared in the Tall City as part of a speaking tour of the western United States.

Open this book - we are told - and meet the peoples of Burma. They are beaten, displaced and victimized by their own government. Yet they are beautiful, full of grit and humor, and deeply rooted in a rich history of faith. In this book of photos and reflections, Oddny Gumaer and Brent Madison do more than tell stories. They open a door for us to live in the shoes of people who define what it means to demonstrate grace under pressure.

You can visit the Partners Store HERE to order your own copy of "Displaced Reflections" online.

Christ on the Bangkok Road

During our mission to Thailand, we often found ourselves seeking connections ...... between here and there, between west and east, between Christian and Buddhist. One never knew what connection we might make, or what might result from it ..... and that was part of the excitement of mission.

It could be through a traditional American children's tune, adapted for young Asian ears ..... or it might be the realization that there are few places in this world where one can go without meeting another Manchester-United fan .....

..... or it could be discovering the art of Sawai Chinnawong ..... which is exactly what happened to our mission team during a visit to the McGilvary College of Divinity, part of the International College at Payap University.

According to the Overseas Ministry Study Center, "Sawai Chinnawong, of Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, is known for portraying Christianity through a Thai graphic idiom. Sawai is an ethnic Mon whose Buddhist ancestors migrated to Thailand from Myanmar. His drawings and paintings, inspired by traditional art from central Thailand, reflect a deep Christian faith."
The book, "Christ on the Bangkok Road: The Art of Sawai Chinnawong" is available from OMSC for $19.95, and can be ordered online HERE.

Reporting on "The Christian Story: Five Asian Artists Today,” a 2007 exhibit at of New York City’s Museum of Biblical Art, the Religion News Service said, "Thailand's Sawai Chinnawong is perhaps the most literal of the five artists, portraying specific biblical scenes ranging from the Garden of Eden to the Nativity." RNS went on to suggest that, while the five artists featured in that exhibit were not household names in the Western art world, "they are still better known in the West than in their own countries. These five contemporary Asian artists are all Christians, working as members of a minority religious tradition on a continent where Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam command the largest share of loyalty. That has not stopped these artists from producing biblically inspired art that expresses deeply held religious beliefs."

"My work represents influences from many styles," he explains in an online introduction to his work, Art at the OMSC. "I believe Jesus Christ is present in every culture, and I have chosen to celebrate his presence in our lives through Thai traditional cultural forms."

"My belief is that Jesus did not choose just one people to hear his Word, but chose to make his home in every human heart. And just as his Word may be spoken in every language, so the visual message can be shared in the beauty of the many styles of artistry around the world."

It's Not Just Those People, Over There

The problems of human trafficking and child exploitation. The Thailand Mission Team gained an unprecedented perspective into these problems - and possible solutions - during our mission to southeast Asia. But let's get one thing straight ..... these problems are NOT just among 'those people,' over there.

This reminder comes from Kelli, a Midland member of our mission team, who urged us to watch this video from Fox Network's The Morning Show. Featuring an interview with reporter/producer Lisa Ling, it highlights the problem with teen prostitution in the United States ..... including Dallas, Texas.

While we're on the subject of video, this is a good opportunity to spread the word about the SOLD Project, a grassroots movement dedicated to exposing the truth behind child prostitution through multi-media and the collaborative response of individuals striving to make a change.

"The facts surrounding the child sex trade horrify most every person I have a conversation with," Rachel Sparks, Founder and Chairman of the SOLD Project, writes. "People are shocked by the rate at which it occurs, the fact that it exists in America, and that adult men & women are actually paying for sex with children. This is one social injustice that leaves no room for debate. Nothing justifies it, and there is no excuse to let it continue."

"The SOLD Project is a documentary designed to educate people about the haunting reality of the child sex trade in Southeast Asia & the World, and to give them the tools to halt these atrocities. I founded The SOLD Project after learning about the brutal sexual exploitation of society’s most vulnerable people – children." (CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the documentary)

"We at The SOLD Project have faith that the hope for positive change lives within all people. We can each be a part of restoring innocence and freedom back into the devastated lives of these child victims."

"While we do not pretend to have all of the answers - we are on a journey toward finding them and with your involvement we can. Your comments and questions are welcome. Post your ideas. Share your dreams. We are in this together. We need you, but more importantly these children need you." (CLICK HERE to learn how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to the SOLD Project)

Prayer Requests

The Thailand Mission Team, and Faces of Children, ask that you add the following to your prayers .....

Intercede with Prayer - Garden of Hope
Please pray for:

• Please be in prayer for the ethnic hill tribe children taken to jail late last month who are frightened and confused. Pray for their safety and that God will comfort them when they cry.

• Give thanks to God for the young woman, a street ministry outreach worker, who visits these children often and brings them food, medicine and clothing. Pray that God will give her wisdom and strength as she ministers to them and deals with the authorities.

• Give God thanks and praise for the children’s drop-in center that recently opened. Please pray for the children who come there, that they will find a safe place to visit while their mothers work in the bars or brothels. Pray for the children who sell flowers and trinkets—that they also might find a safe haven in this center.

• Pray that God will encourage and support the staff and volunteers of the center and that they will build good relationships with their neighbors.

Steve's Blogcast - "The Holy Hand Grenade"

Steve Gumaer co-founded Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This audio-blog, maintained by Steve, is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than the organization's newsletters and email updates allow for. "Here you will find unpolished writing, a raw and undeveloped pen, one that brings you into the core of what Partners is all about," it is stressed. "The writing here is meant to be unedited. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development."

CLICK HERE to listen to "The Holy Hand Grenade" .....

If you have questions or wish to contact Partners you can send an email in to info@partnersworld.org and let them know what you think.

Sawasdee Krub, and Happy New Year

From a friend in Thailand, Hong Pirojh Chew, who had been our guide ever since our arrival in Chiang Mai, in the early days of our mission. Hong was a hard-working and caring individual, and showed incredible patience with the many, many questions and requests that were asked of him over the course of our mission.

"Happy Thai New Year to you. ( Thai New year take place from 13 - 15 April )," Hong writes. "Very Glad to hear from You. Hope You are Well and Hope all friends of you happy and healthy."

Khob khun krub, Hong!

CLICK HERE for more on Songkran (วันสงกรานต์), or Thai New Year, from Asia Source

Prayer Requests

The Thailand Mission Team asks that you add the following to your prayers .....

Intercede with Prayer - Refugee Children
Please pray for:

• Children to be given an identity if they do not have one
• More health workers and medical care in refugee camps
• Registration of non-registered refugees so they can leave the camp
• Children who are orphaned or separated from their parents and siblings
• Refugees to be welcomes in destination countries (United States, Australia, Canada, etc.) where they have been resettled
• Organizations helping refugees resettle - that they will have the financial resources, staff, skills and love needed to assist refugees in adapting to a new life in a new land
• Churches to get involved in resettlement and help refugees integrate in new surroundings
• The Gospel to be shared with refugees in the camps, and with those who are resettled
• Peace in Burma - that refugees might return to their land where their homes and villages once stood
• The transformation of the hearts of the military regime in Burma

Steve's Blogcast - "Essence"

Steve Gumaer co-founded Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This audio-blog, maintained by Steve, is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than the organization's newsletters and email updates allow for. "Here you will find unpolished writing, a raw and undeveloped pen, one that brings you into the core of what Partners is all about," it is stressed. "The writing here is meant to be unedited. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development."

CLICK HERE to listen to "Essence" .....

If you have questions or wish to contact Partners you can send an email in to info@partnersworld.org and let them know what you think.

Prayer Requests

The Thailand Mission Team asks that you add the following to your prayers .....

Intercede with Prayer - Trafficking
Please pray for:

• Victims and those vulnerable to trafficking and prostitution
• The staff at Nightlight and Garden of Hope, and their ministries to victims of prostitution and trafficking
• Churches to open hearts and eyes to victims of trafficking
• Clean-up pornography on the Internet and in the movies
• The repentance of those who engage in trafficking, and profit from prostitution
• The work of Homeland Security Investigator Gary Phillips and his partners working in Thailand to combat trafficking
• Gary's successor, who will be replacing him sometime this year
• Additional Homeland Security officers for Thailand
• Congress to call those working in Homeland Security and non-governmental organizations working in Thailand, to testify when legislation about trafficking is being considered
• More government and law-enforcement officers to participate in combating trafficking
• Cooperation among all who work to combat trafficking and child exploitation

'On the Road with Steve' Coming to Midland

Steve Gumaer talks with Mission Team members during a meeting in Chiang Mai,Thailand

The following arrived in the e-mail this week, sent to us by Steve Gumaer, one of many, many friends that we met while on mission in Thailand (to the right, Steve talks with Mission Team members during a meeting in Chiang Mai) . Steve and his wife, Oddny, started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma.

This email is to invite you to visit one of the churches I'll be speaking at over the next six weeks. The internally displaced people of Burma, numbering over a million, are some of the most dignified, tenacious, brave, and good hearted people I have ever met. One of my favorite stories you may remember from a previous update, summarizes what I mean. It was sent to me by a Free Burma Rangers relief team leader last year. They were assisting a community whose villages were attacked in Nangblyn district, Karen State, Burma. Pastor Ner Payaw led a service in the rain for the 300 people who were fleeing the Burma Army. They all arrived at the river in a downpour and had to huddle under pieces of plastic or banana leaves as the rain came down.

On the second day at this hide site, the pastor organized a prayer service. The next day a powerful wind storm (from a typhoon in the Bay of Bengal) caused many trees to fall. He got his family and two other families out of three shelters just before a giant tree snapped and crashed down on his and the other two families' shelters. He had painstakingly built his shelter out of bamboo and had just finished the thatch roof, which took two days to construct. Now the hut and all his families' possessions lay under the fallen tree. What was his reaction to this new calamity? He looked at the mess as he stood in the wind and rain, then he turned to the team and laughed and said, "Look, God just sent me firewood!" He then set about making another shelter for his family. "Look, God just sent me firewood!" I wouldn't be making a joke at that point. I doubt I would be thanking God either. But he did, and so often in my experience, the people of Burma who are beat up, oppressed, displaced, and in hiding act with tremendous character. They go about the joyful business of life in the midst of terrible tragedy and conflict.

As I visit churches over the next six weeks I'll be speaking about people like Pastor Ner Payaw. I'll do my best to paint a picture of the people we work with who are vulnerable and abused, yet a powerful symbol of faith, real freedom, and a willingness to live out the words of Christ, not just talk about them. If you want to hear more, grab a seat up front in the middle row. On The Road, Steve Gumaer, Director Partners Relief & Development Where to Get The Best Seat... Sunday, April 3, Harvest Bible Church, Elizabeth, CO Sunday, April 20, Life Church Reno, Reno, NV Sunday, April 27, Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain, Las Vegas, NV Wednesday, April 30, Calvary Chapel St. George, St. George, UT Sunday, May 4, First Presbyterian Church, Midland, TX Sunday, May 11, Good Church, Kansas City, MO

Word From Thailand: Soccer Donations

As reported in this post from February 6, one of many Friends In Mission that we met while in Thailand was Asia Athletic Institute, a Christian ministry that reaches out to the youth of northern Thailand through sports, English language instruction and health care.

Contact with Astrid Sebert, who heads AAI, had just been made a few weeks earlier in January. Our meeting with Astrid included the transfer of a large bundle of soccer (in Thailand, we say football) gear – both new and used – that had been donated by the Dallas Texans Soccer Club of Midland. The donated gear included shirts, socks, shin guards, cleats, goalkeepers’ gloves, and equipment for coaches.

"I brought some of the soccer balls to a refugee camp last week," Astrid wrote to us earlier this month. "The kids were very happy with them. They do need to clear some land, though to play soccer in the camp. God bless, Astrid" 

AAI also plans to use donated gear to equip a new soccer team being formed at a school in Mae Hong Son, a small town in northern Thailand, near the border with Myanmar (Burma). In February, Astrid also discussed plans for expanding existing programs and introducing new programs as part of AAI’s continuing mission to bring more people to Christ. At that time, she also provided our mission team with Scripture and lessons used by AAI, which will be used as devotionals for the Upward Basketball program, here in Midland.

Friends in Mission:Mae Kha Chan Children's Home

A new addition to the "Friends of Mission" links on our weblog is the Mae Kha Chan Children's Home, a place in northern Thailand where orphaned Hill Tribe children may come to live and grow in body, mind and spirit. The home represents a remarkable coming-together of many caring groups and individuals, guided by the Holy Spirit, and it left an indelible impression on our hearts when our Mission Team visited the home in February. 

 The home houses 65-70 Hill Tribe children, ages 6-17, and is preparing to house 55 more in the beginning of May (which is the start of the new school year in Thailand). "Our goal is nurture their given talents while allowing them to study in many various fields and teaching them valuable skills they can use to better not only themselves, but also their community," they explain. "We encourage them to pray for God’s direction in their futures and teach them how to study the Bible and follow Jesus." 

The children have come to the home for various reasons, such as the death of one or more parents to AIDS, and/or extreme poverty. It is noted that many children their age are sold into prostitution or forced labor to pay for family expenses. The home began through the love of a single woman ..... "while visiting a Hill Tribe village which, like most, had no electricity, bathrooms, or schools; Lawan Promwongsak, a Thai Christian woman, met five children that desperately wanted to study the Bible but had no education to speak of. God gave her a vision to work for these disadvantaged children and give them the education that was necessary to develop their communities." She brought these children to live with her in an abandoned house in the town of Mae Kha Chan, which she was allowed to rent free-of-charge because the owner and other members of the local community believed it was haunted by ghosts. 

The building may have been small and dilapidated, but the mission continued to grow - but so did the surrounding community. As the area began to develop, the owner of the house began asking for rent. They prayed for help and guidance - and that prayer was answered through the Manna Foundation. The result was a large piece of land very close to town and a brand new building, which opened in November, 2006. A roof over their heads, and food on the table is just part of the operations of the home. The children have planted a large garden, which they are extending throughout the property, and are raising pigs and catfish. It is stressed that they focus on doing activities that involve all of the children and reach out to the local Buddhist children as well. You are also asked to visit their Prayer Projects to see what they are planning to add. 

The children all have chores in the home, they wash and iron their clothes, do their own dishes, and other various duties. Providing guidance for the children are the house parents - actually, an entire family ... the Askrens. James and Katie, Celeste Josh and Jerrah were our hosts when we visited the home, early in our mission trip. The Askrens also have a website of their own, which is also being added to our "Friends in Mission" list. "The Lord opened the doors for us to come to the Mae Kha Chan Children's Home and we are excited to see how He is providing the means for this journey," they write. "We praise God for His love and for His kindness, and we look forward to serving Him in Thailand."

Spreading the Word: Midland

This coming Sunday, April 6, members of the Thailand Mission Team will present a report on their activities earlier this year in southeast Asia. The presentation will be hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Midland, on the corner of A Street and Texas Avenue, on the west edge of downtown Midland. Admission is free, and the public is cordially invited.

From 9:15-9:45 a.m., the church offers coffee, fellowship, and light breakfast items in Lynn Hall. The Mission Team's presentation will follow. After prayer and words of welcome and introduction, there will be a program of words and pictures, music and video, which has been prepared by team member Karen Winkler.

Following the program, team members will answer questions from the audience ..... and not just about the recently-concluded mission. The audience may also ask about activities now under way - in both Thailand and the United States - and about ideas for future efforts

New Mission for the Old Blog?

It has been almost two months since our mission team returned home from Thailand. It's also been almost two months since the last post on this weblog. The first few weeks were devoted to returning, unpacking and restoring our lives to something resembling the routine that we knew here, in West Texas.

But not all the way. There is no absolute return, and our sense of 'normal' has changed a little as a result of our experiences in southeast Asia.

This weblog was intended to be an online component of our mission team, our preparations and our experiences. But those experiences have not ended with our return to the United States - and maybe the weblog shouldn't end, either.

Why not build and expand upon the weblog, the way so many of us are building and expanding upon what we experienced, and what we learned in Thailand?

So, look for some changes in the weeks ahead - some adjustments to our links, our features and our content that reflect a new mission for the old blog.