Our Christian Family

Love For Myanmar Ministries Update

Christ Centered, Servant Hearted, Myanmar Focused

“You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.” A.J. (Adoniram Judson) Gordon

I remember my awe at learning about Jesus Christ as a child, never questioning my worth as one of His children. In the beginning, the simplicity of the relationship comforted my young heart with a love that quieted my need of belonging.

As I aged, my understanding revealed that such a relationship provided a spiritual bridge between all believers that thankfully allows us to reach beyond ourselves to a true place of shared harmony. At the heart of this harmony among Christians is the recognition of our incompleteness, that our characters have limitations, but each in our own way found the missing piece in our search for meaning, God. It is this spiritual bond among Christians that gifts us the courage and patience to face the uncertainties of this world as imperfect but purpose-filled creations.

It is through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we have a portal to connections with other Christians that undergirds our daily lives. It is the divinely-guided power of these connections which helps provide clarity amid confusion and tempers our emotions which periodically try to redefine our faith. Christians are one another’s emissaries, affirming the joy of being a follower of Jesus Christ while encouraging one another to sift through our behaviors to correct those motives we have kept sealed from others.

It is our bond as Christian brothers and sisters that anchors our human fragility to God’s grandeur; that reminds one another that no matter how quickly our circumstances worsen, God can continue to shape our respective lives for His Good through His compassionate, trustworthy networks of followers who He specifically created around each of our lives. Our Christian friends deepen the meaning of our lives and empower our service to God’s Kingdom. It is with a profound sense of grace and joy we should welcome opportunities to engage, empathize, and encourage Christians near and far. Our Christian brothers and sisters in Myanmar are precious members of our Christian family and visible reminders that a distance of 10,000 miles is easily shortened through prayer.

Gary Watkins, LFM Co-founder

• Prayer Request: (Myanmar coup day 1,482)
  Please pray that more parents of Myanmar families will want to know God personally, and their confident faith will provide the peace and assurance that guides their children to God’s loving arms.

1. After the Myanmar military enacted conscription laws in early 2024, tens of thousands of people flooded into Thailand in a matter of months, both in search of better economic opportunities and to escape being arrested and forced to fight in a war against those trying to end military rule. A new Thailand process requires Thai employers or agents hiring Burmese workers to “prepare documents for submission to Myanmar officials” and would require their embassy in Bangkok to “examine and endorse” the documents. This new policy will expose millions of Myanmar workers to conscription risks from their country’s military regime.
2. Last week, junta airstrikes forced more than 5,000 people to flee their homes from villages near the Kale Township in Sagaing Region. The junta’s widespread airstrikes on these villages have caused their residents to take refuge in nearby forests. The displaced villagers must exercise caution whilst they are sheltering in the forest as the junta aircraft will often drop bombs on areas of the forest where they see smoke rising from cooking fires.
3. The Ministry of Defense recently issued the People’s Military Service bylaw which includes a provision that a person who has received an order from the township organization for civil service is not allowed to travel abroad without the permission of the central organization. It is stipulated that if a person who is required to serve in the military service is a member of a political party, he or she shall be deemed to have resigned from the relevant party during the period of serving in the military service. Recently, government employees have been asked to surrender their passports which effectively bans any international travel.
4. Junta troops have burned down about 50 houses in Ahnankwin Village, in Kyar Inn Seik Gyi Township, Karen State in the last several weeks. Landmines have been planted around the area to not only prevent the villagers from returning, but to allow junta helicopters designated areas for landing.
5. The junta began registering women for military service in Taunggyi City in southern Shan State for the first time. The junta is increasingly targeting women for conscription as the pool of young men decreases. Young people are at risk of abduction by junta soldiers in civilian
   clothes who are roaming the city.
6. Myanmar is facing alarming levels of food insecurity and child malnutrition, with 55% of children in the country living in poverty, according to a report by UNICEF Myanmar. Approximately one-third of displaced persons are children, forced to leave their homes and face an uncertain future. In 2024 alone, 750 children were killed or injured due to conflicts, with numbers continuing to rise. Nearly five million children have been deprived of education, losing their right to learn. Many children face extreme dangers, including forced recruitment into armed groups, child labor, early and forced marriages, and even executions.