Uganda Photo Gallery

A team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - are in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. Midland's 2008 Uganda Mission Team is composed of 32 men, women and children, and here are some photos taken on the mission trail in Uganda.

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Audrey and Susan with the Children of Nalubembe Link Grimes and the Altar Call

Lisa Doing Her Testimony at Crusade

Louisa and Page on the Trail

Robert's Sermon
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Please, keep them all in your hearts and on you minds, in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Want to know more about Uganda? You can visit the Uganda entry in 'The World Factbook' maintained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. You can also visit the official Uganda tourism website maintained by the Uganda Tourist Board. And Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas, has a webpage devoted to Mbale Presbyterian Church of Uganda.

Uganda: Update #3

A team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - are in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. Midland's 2008 Uganda Mission Team is composed of 32 men, women and children, and here is their third report from Uganda.
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First Day on the Trail

Today was our first day on the trail at Nalubembe. It couldn’t have been more exciting and rewarding! The church is in a wonderful location, close to a primary school and a trading center. It’s so wonderful to drive up that first morning and see the new church and pastor’s house. But this day was special!! This year we got to drive up and see a beautiful new building alongside the church which will be used for a medical clinic. It far exceeded our expectations. It will be such a blessing to the whole community and special opportunity for the church to witness. To the generous donor who had such a heart for this mission, we thank you and the people of Nalubembe thank you!

Twenty five of the team members were at the church site walking the trail with their interpreters, going hut to hut sharing the gospel. The people in this area were very receptive to invite us to sit down under a tree and share with them. We canvassed the area till around 2:30 and then broke for a wonderful lunch that our Ugandan friends cooked for us at the church. At 4:30 the music of the crusade was calling all those in the area to come and hear sermons, testimonies and lots of Ugandan spiritual music. Today Link Grimes gave the sermon while Jeff Darr, Nelson Grimes and Lisa Zachry gave their testimonies.

Randy Willis, Joey Willis and Pat Hunter went to a prison today. Joey gave the sermon while Randy and Pat gave testimonies and Pat talked to the women of the prison. Randy brought his djembe drum and played along with the prison band (consisting of 6 or 7 inmates and various instruments). After Joey's sermon, he was able to lead a half dozen inmates in the prayer to receive Christ as their Lord. Jesus was praised and both Ugandans and Americans were closer to Him as a result of the day.

Today Jim Longstreet, Elle, Maddie and Debbie Spinks went to two primer schools and one high school. The three girls gave their testimonies and Jim preached to over 2500 kids throughout the day! It was quite an adventure. Each school treated us with great fanfare and ceremony. Several hundred children made decisions for Christ. All four of them were required to sing accapella. One headmaster gave them a 45 minute lecture on world affairs. Debbie was requested to adlib her testimony. She said she thanked God that He provided the words. Jim had to present his sermon with the distraction of a disturbed man wandering through the room! He managed just fine. Elle and Maddie were quite a hit with all the school children. Through the entire day we could feel God’s presence--it was a glorious day.

Robin Darr went with Fred, her interpreter, on the trail. She came across a man, Ismael, who had several questions. His first question was, “I am a witch doctor. If I confess Jesus, what am I going to do (to make a living)? She answered that if he were in her country she might have some suggestions, but she wasn’t familiar enough with Uganda to make those suggestions. She also told him she felt sure that Jesus would provide a way for him to make a living. Then he had another question: “My father and grandfather are Muslim, and I’m afraid that if I confess Jesus they will make me leave.” (Families in Uganda generally live together, with several huts on the same plot of ground.) Once again she told him she believed that Jesus would take care of him. However earlier that morning an interpreter—Bashil—had gotten into the van she was riding in. Bashil shared with us that he had been a Muslim before becoming a Christian. So she told Ismael to come to the crusade and meet with Bashil that he might could better answer his questions. Ismael did come and Bashil did answer some questions and Jeff shared with him the way to become a believer. In the end we decided that they would meet again Wednesday morning and go to his father’s house and try to share Christ with his father, Solomon. Please pray Solomon will have an open heart.

Kathy Schorr had a moving experience the first day in Nalubembe. After she and her interpreter shared with a group and had returned to the trail, a 15-year-old girl named Janet who had accepted Christ came running after them. She was sure that she was having episodes where she was attacked by demons. As she described the episodes, Kathy and her interpreter Michael realized the girl was describing epileptic seizures. She tearfully told them that she had recently fallen into a fire during one of her spells, and showed them the scars on her cheeks and forehead which she said made people not want to look at her. Kathy and Michael prayed for the girl’s healing right then. “It was one of the those times in prayer where I knew I was only delivering what God had to say to her,” Kathy said. Janet attended the crusade that afternoon and will be receiving medical attention at the clinic on Thursday. Thanks be to God, our divine healer.

Vicki Miller and her interpreter took a break under a tree on the trail when a woman approached them and asked Vicki to share with her what she had been telling other people on the trail. After Vicki shared with her about Christ she asked if she was ready to accept Him and the woman replied, “I am more than ready.”

Tonight when we returned to our hotel home for dinner we had several remarks from team members of events of the day. Lisa Zachry commented that it was one of the most incredible days of her life and that it was like walking through the New Testament. That about sums it up for all of us. It’s been a wonderful day, but the team members are extremely tired. Please pray for good rest and renewed strength as we start fresh again tomorrow. Thanks be to God for allowing us this opportunity!

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Please, keep them all in your hearts and on you minds, in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Want to know more about Uganda? You can visit the Uganda entry in 'The World Factbook' maintained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. You can also visit the official Uganda tourism website maintained by the Uganda Tourist Board. And Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas, has a webpage devoted to Mbale Presbyterian Church of Uganda.

Uganda: Update #2

A team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - are in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. Midland's 2008 Uganda Mission Team is composed of 32 men, women and children, and here is their second report from Uganda.
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Amazing First Sunday in Uganda

Before we even begin this e-mail we struggle how to put into words this incredible day. The mission team was divided into eight teams of three or four people per team. They were sent out to churches that had been established in the past few years, four of which were planted by previous First Pres. teams. Each team came back with stories of how they visibly saw the work of the Holy Spirit. All the teams reported that the churches seem to be doing well and the congregations were extremely welcoming.

The Holy Spirit filled the rafters with rejoicing and praise and it was all that we could do to contain ourselves. Why do we, as Americans, worry about containing ourselves when we are surrounded by people who have completely surrendered themselves to the Spirit? There is so much we can learn about worship from our Ugandan brothers and sisters. There is nothing in this world that compares to experiencing the power of Ugandan prayer. Everyone praying uninhibitedly out loud to our Lord, the sound echoing off the rafters and filling every inch of the church. It is the sound of heaven - prayers being lifted up to our Almighty God, prayers that dance around the angels as they sing praises and thanksgiving. It is an experience that can only be understood by being here. And now the new members of our team know why Uganda has become such a part of the rest of us.

Susan Strange, Elizabeth Darr, Louisa Musselman, Randy Willis, Lisa Zachary, Hannah and Thomas Schorr, Maddie, Ellie, Ben and Sam Spinks, Missy and Audrey Grimes, Karen Winkler and Page Price led the Children’s Sunday school at the churches. Stories abounded about the openness and willingness of the children to participate in all the activities planned. Bible stories of the parables, teaching the Hand Prayer, singing songs and puppet plays highlighted the morning.

The Women’s Sunday school classes, most times held under the trees, were amazing and inspiring as well. Robin Darr, Cynthia Howard, Pat Hunter, Vickie Miller, Kathy Schorr and Debbie Spinks enjoyed the interaction with these women of faith as they studied prayer, being joyful, training up children and how to be a Godly woman.

Men’s classes were led by Ralph Green, Link Grimes with help from his sons Nelson and Lewis, Jim Alsup, Joey Willis, Jim Longstreet, Steve Schorr, Al Spinks, and Robert Winkler. They had many exchanges with the men and were so impressed by their knowledge and insight of the scriptures.

Sermons were given by Jeff Darr, Link Grimes, Jim Alsup, Randy Willis, Jim Longstreet, Steve Schorr, Al Spinks and Robert Winkler. Listening to the sermons in both English and Ugandan brought the Gospel to a whole new light.

Highlights of the day:

* Definitely – the veterans watching the “Newbies” experience their first Ugandan worship service!
* Comments from Newbies:
• Overwhelming
• Surreal
• Moved by the realness of their faith and their passion
• Indescribable
• If I had to leave Uganda tonight, the whole trip was worth this day
* Handing out the stuffed bears that Chrissy Mee and the children made to share with the Ugandan children.
* The churches expressing such gratitude for the spiritual and financial support of our church
* Singing out of a Ugandan Hymnal with Ugandan lyrics and feeling the presence of God overcoming all barriers
* The remarkable sounds of the choirs, the prayers and the praises being lifted up simultaneously

Today was about worshipping with established churches and believers. Tomorrow begins the mission work where we will reach out to the un-churched and begin building a congregation for the new church at Nalumbembe. Please continue praying for good health, safety and boldness as we hit the trails in the morning.

P.S. We are experiencing internet difficulties and updates may be delayed. You may receive two updates at a time if we can’t get through daily. We will also try and send pictures in separate e-mail.
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Please, keep them all in your hearts and on you minds, in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Want to know more about Uganda? You can visit the Uganda entry in 'The World Factbook' maintained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. You can also visit the official Uganda tourism website maintained by the Uganda Tourist Board. And Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas, has a webpage devoted to Mbale Presbyterian Church of Uganda.

Uganda: Update #1

After a long journey, a team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - have arrived in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. Midland's 2008 Uganda Mission Team is composed of 32 men, women and children, and here is their first report from Uganda.

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Greetings from Mbale!

After many miles of traveling by van the team arrived at our "home away from home" - Mt. Elgon Hotel. We met up with the team from Oklahoma (combined FPC Oklahoma City and FPC Edmond) and renewed old friendships and made new ones.

We unpacked the many suitcases we brought and had our first devotional under the open air cabana with a wonderful, refreshing rain coming down. Each day we will be doing a devotional based on the book "Humility" by Andrew Murray. After dinner everyone went to the rooms to prepare for Sunday services that eight different teams will conduct at 8 of the churches that have been planted in previous years. Each team will be responsible for the sermon, men's Sunday school, women's Sunday school and children's Sunday school lessons and present individual testimonies to the congregations.

We are very anxious to visit the churches we've planted in recent years to see how they have flourished. Please keep the team in your prayers as they step out into new adventures with Christ. Hopefully we will have pictures to send tomorrow.

The team would like to say "Thank You" to our many supporters who have allowed us the opportunity to share the Gospel. We feel both blessed and excited.

More to come . . . Webale (Good Bye)

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Please, keep them all in your hearts and on you minds, in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Want to know more about Uganda? You can visit the Uganda entry in 'The World Factbook' maintained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. You can also visit the official Uganda tourism website maintained by the Uganda Tourist Board. And Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas, has a webpage devoted to Mbale Presbyterian Church of Uganda.

Uganda: Goodbye, Godspeed

Today is THE DAY when a team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children - 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.

Midland's 2008 Uganda Mission Team - 32 men, women and children, some of whom are making return visits to Uganda to continue the mission and the ministry they began in past years - depart today for the eastern African nation, where they will link up with other Christian missioners from other parts of America.

Please, keep them all in your hearts and on you minds, in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Want to know more about Uganda? You can visit the Uganda entry in 'The World Factbook' maintained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. You can also visit the official Uganda tourism website maintained by the Uganda Tourist Board. And Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas, has a webpage devoted to Mbale Presbyterian Church of Uganda.

West Texas Seeds Sprout in Thailand

Seeds gathered in Midland were planted early this year in the northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai. We have now learned that those seeds have taken root, sprouted and begun bearing fruit.

Those seeds come from a special initiative in 2007 called "Midland 35" where 35 Midland churches were asked to make a one-time donation of towards opening a Drop-In Center in the Thai city of Chiang Mai where at-risk and sexually-enslaved children, youth, and women can find the hope and help they need to escape or avoid such exploitation. $35,000 is a large contribution for any single church, it was acknowledged, but $1,000 was within easier reach. It was hoped that that by coming together in unity the “Church of Midland” could make a one-time contribution that promises a significant on-going and eternal impact.













The doors of the Chiang Mai drop-in center are now open, following a lot of the official efforts that usually accompany the assessment and acquisition of property, and the reworking of that property for its new use. Our mission team visited the site in February, discussing the final stages of the process with the Garden of Hope leadership, and praying for them, for the property, and for the success of their ministry. In the weeks following our visit, the property was secured and the process of decorating and outfitting the building for its new use began. Many of the children who will will be served by the center have been a part of these efforts.















Among those hard at work directing these efforts is Faa Sumitra Choemue, a Hill Tribe woman of Thailand and a member of the GOH staff. Many in the Tall City will remember Faa, her enthusiasm and her spirit, from a visit she made to Midland late last year. She is one of our favorite people, and a blessing to all who have come to know her.

"We are constantly learning more about the kids and the families we serve," it has been reported. "We are appreciative of all you have done to make it happen."

The center's outreach continues to grow ... we have learned that this coming Sunday they will begin "Children's Church" services at the Center from nine in the morning until twelve noon. "Please pray," we have been asked, "that the kids' hearts and lives would be touched."

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Over the course of two weeks we spent in Thailand, earlier this year, our Mission Team learned a great deal about faith-based ministries among victims of human trafficking, displaced persons, and those fleeing persecution in Myanmar (Burma). We were also committed to aiding and supporting existing ministries among those people; and sharing the Gospel and encouraging leaders who are ministering there.

One of those ministries is

Garden of Hope. Established in 2005, Garden of Hope reaches out to women, children, and youth involved in, at risk of, or affected by prostitution, sexual exploitation and/or trafficking by developing Christ-centered relationships and offering alternative livelihoods and resources for personal development so they may experience a life of restoration, dignity, and hope that will lead to the transformation of Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand for God’s glory.

On the international level, Garden of Hope equips national leaders with training, logistical, and financial support to address human-trafficking in their communities. The Garden of Hope International team conducts outreach in border areas and works to secure safe living situations for each individual.

At the local level, participants in Garden of Hope programs are taught marketable skills such as baking, cooking, sewing, customer service, English and computer training, as well as provided opportunities for income generation through small business opportunities.

How do these participants come to Garden of Hope? Volunteers builds relationships with women in the bars of Chiang Mai, who are involved in prostitution or are at-risk of entering prostitution. It is hoped that, through these contacts, the women might choose new options in life. Volunteers also conduct outreach to children who spend time in the bar areas selling flowers or trinkets to provide income for their families. These children are vulnerable to trafficking, prostitution, and child pedophilia.

For more information about Garden of hope, you can visit their website, or e-mail them at info@justfoodinc.org

Uganda: Commissioning

In just four days, 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.

Today, we commissioned our 2008 Uganda Mission Team - 32 men, women and children, some of whom are making return visits to Uganda to continue the mission and the ministry they began in past years. It was a time for celebration, for prayer and for music. Among the hymns we sang today was "The Summons," an especially-appropriate, contemporary hymn by John Bell. The first verse begins with Christ's call ...

"Will you come and follow me
If I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
And never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
Will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown
In you and you in me?"

In the fifth verse, the people respond to Christ's call ...

"Lord, your summons echoes true
When you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
And never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
Where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
In you and you in me."

If you would like more information about the Uganda Mission, or if you would like to contribute to their programs - providing treated mosquito nets to combat malaria, for example - you can contact 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.

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.