The step that follows

Love For Myanmar Ministries Update

Christ Centered, Servant Hearted, Myanmar Focused

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still helping His children. (Hebrews 6:10)

THE ENVELOPE

Her circumstance cast a lengthening shadow over her young life. Disfigured by an unfortunate accident as a child, she found herself in a state of perpetual sadness, feeling her heart harden, and blinded to her blessings.

Gradually, she focused on the needs of others and left her concern about her appearance in the hands of God. The more she helped others, the more ways her kindness and tenderness would express themselves, which led her to discover her servant’s heart and the desire to attend seminary.

It was at a seminary where the founder heard her story. She was just three years old when a jackfruit (the largest tree-borne fruit, 80 pounds, 20 inches in diameter) fell on her face. Because of the remote location of her village, coupled with her family’s extreme poverty, her injury went untreated. Over time, a tumor-like growth swelled to cover a notable portion of the right side of her forehead. As a young woman, the condition was now causing her to withdraw at just the wrong time in her life.

Recognizing the connection between her physical anomaly and her spiritual growth, the seminary founder was moved to try and help her, so he reached out to Love For Myanmar. He advised us that his student’s surgery would cost several thousand dollars. As a small non-profit, we simply could not afford such an expense and let him know.

We were leaving shortly for Myanmar and, although we knew we could not cover the entire amount of the surgery, we took with us what we thought would be a good start towards helping him reach his financial goal.

In our meeting with him, he told us that he had located a surgical team who would handle the surgery for much less than he had originally shared with us. As it turned out, the amount we had placed in an envelope in front of him (which he had not opened yet) was the exact amount now required for his student’s surgery scheduled to happen the following week.

When our faith cools off and causes us to drift from God, please know that you can count on the Lord to take notice of your efforts to help others.Take that next step with the trust that God will provide you with enough light for the step that follows.

God is faithful! He keeps His word and will reward your heartfelt service accordingly.

Gary Watkins, LFM Co-founder

It is our prayer that when your heart is burdened with what seems like an insurmountable challenge that God blesses you with His presence, His peace, and His guidance. May His unfailing love sustain you through your trial of faith.

Myanmar coup day: 1,958

Kim Aris, the son of jailed Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, has launched a global fitness and solidarity campaign called the “81 for 81” challenge as a part of the growing global demand for Myanmar to provide “proof of life” that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate is still alive.

Aris’ new initiative calls on participants worldwide to walk, cycle, run, or move in honor of his mother’s upcoming 81st birthday on June 19. Aris has not been permitted to speak to his mother since she was initially detained during the military coup on February 1, 2021.

1. The junta has taken another step toward its goal of winning international acceptance, with the recent visit to India by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. And in a further show of its growing confidence, it has finally reopened a major gateway to trade with Thailand. So even as it continues to inflict suffering on its own citizens, the junta appears to be well on its way to becoming a trusted partner of foreigners willing to turn a blind eye to its atrocities.
2. Since the coup, the junta has lost control of 81 towns, while successfully reclaiming 21. Currently, 39.34% of the nation’s total landmass (266,147.9 square kilometers) remains out of the junta’s control.
3. In Myanmar, China has used its regional influence, trade leverage, and security cooperation mechanisms to compel both the junta and ethnic armed groups to de-escalate hostilities. China’s interventions are not neutral peacebuilding efforts but calculated strategies to safeguard its national interests, especially projects such as its oil-gas pipelines running through northern Shan State and Rakhine State.
4. A prominent Buddhist monk has publicly urged the junta’s leader, Min Aung Hlaing, to end his regime’s attacks on villages across Myanmar, saying “Peace cannot be achieved simply by burning villages. Political problems should be solved through political means.” Many influential Buddhist monks in Myanmar have remained silent about widespread military abuses since the 2021 coup, including airstrikes, massacres, and systematic arson attacks targeting civilian areas.
5. At a recent U.S. Senate Appropriations hearing, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) questioned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about delays in Burma Act funding. Secretary Rubio responded by reaffirming the Administration’s support for democratic civilian rule in Burma over continued military control backed by Beijing. He also said the Administration is working to identify democratic partners who can help shape Burma’s future.

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