Brief Report of the Church Emergency Relief Aid Supported by Asia Focus Australia (24 April - 4 May, 2024)

Our Big Thanks and Appreciations

All praises and glory be to the glorious Name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirt! Bishop Dr. Andrew Mang Lone and all church leaders as well as all congregations from Myanmar Lutheran Church give thanks to the Lord for answering our crises and prayers with faith. We thanked specially to the AFA’s good leadership team who were listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit to stand with the suffering brothers and sisters in Myanmar to show their solidarity towards the suffering communities in Myanmar. We would like thank the AFA’s leadership team for their kind heart to support for our humble appeal. We especially would like to extend our big thanks also to Mr. Ian Kluge (Mission Representative and Assistant to the pastor) and Mrs. Dianne for their tireless efforts and big love in fundraising to talk with many God’s people from the Murray Valley Lutheran Community (MVLC) and pastors and congregations from the Christchurch Lutheran Church in Murray Bridge for their kind hearts to support this project. The generous donations of the donors from AFA enabled us to provide food items, small cash, etc., to the refugee families who moved out from Hmawbi to Taikgyi township in Yangon Division. Many times, we cried out to the Lord in prayer and we earnestly begging God to provide the urgent need of financial support for many refugees in Myanmar Lutheran Church. We thanked God finally that He answered our cries for their need by using the lives of our good friends in AFA.

For Myanmar, we are facing the most challenging time physically, mentally, and pschologically. This year our church stopped organizing the annual National Youth Conference and Discipleship Training because of the fear of the local authorities who are backed up by the coup forces. Many young people are afraid of the Conscription Law that causes a big trouble to the lives of our youth in the church as well. Many youth left Myanmar for seeking a refugee place in other countries such as Malayisa, Thailand, Singapore, and other countries.

Acknowledgement of Funds Received

The Myanmar Lutheran Church received AUD 3,500.00 or MMK 8,155,000.00 with many thanks through the Asia Focus Australia via the Myanmar agents on 23.4.2024. Then, the total amount of MMK 200,000 was contributed to this project by MLC from our Mission reserved funds to cover the additional cost for the transportation during the implementation of the relief aid to the refugee families.

Support for the Church Emergency Refugee families (IDPs) in Yangon Division

In this report, there were three important parts: 1) Support for food items and small cash to 30 refugee families in Taikgyi area, 2) Support cash church relief aid to 12 more new arrival of refugee families to Hmawbi from Paletwa this year, and 3) Support for the medical treatment to an elderly woman due to the explosion. Then, some of the selected photographs from the distributed church emergency relief aid to the targeted families were reported. It is hoped that these meaningful pictures will help the AFA leadership team know how greatly their financial support brought a tremendous difference and a new hope of life to the suffering families in Myanmar. All of them were so thankful to AFA for their amazing love and care for their lives.

Support for food items and small cash to 30 refugee families in Taikgyi area

Indeed, we have planned to distribute the church emergency relief aid to the refugee families who live in the Paletwa refugee camps and some refugee families from Miza. However, our plan does not work for the moment since all kinds of telecommunication systems, banking systems, and even all means of money transfer through local agents are being blocked and strictly controlled by the Arakan Army who seized power control from the military coup in Paletwa township (southern part of Chin State). In Myanmar, it seems like every new morning is God’s grace for us because it is so difficult to tell about tomorrow due to the threatening Civil war. In this regard, Bishop Dr. Andrew Mang Lone, a man of God and a man of prayer wisely advised the church relief team to change our original plan and it was decided to support for the needs of refugee families (IDPs) who are from Yangon Division: Taikgyi and Hmawbi at this time. Rev. Moses Mang and Rev. James San Aung of Myanmar Lutheran Church left the MLC HQ Office at 7:30 AM for Hmawbi on 24th April 2024.

Pastor James distributed the church emergency relief packages (1 bag of rice, 1 bottle of cooking oil, and 1 viss of onions, and MMK50,000) supported by AFA to the family representatives from Taikgyi Refugee camp, Taikgyi township, Yangon, 24th April 2024

Then, they were checked by the military forces while passing at the military check-points on their way to the refugee camps. So, everything is changed now in Myanmar compared to the past. In the past, it was so easy to visit Hmawbi area without facing any very strict check-points. They were distributing the emergency relief packages to the targeted 30 refugee families in Taikgyi and Hmawbi areas. They distributed 30 sets of relief packages (1bag of rice, 1 bottle of cooking oil, 1 viss of onions, and cash of MMK 50,000) to each of 30 church refugee families (IDPs) or 155 people (male: 70 and females: 85). The cost of one relief package for one family was MMK 190,000. So, the total cost of 30 sets of church relief packages were MMK 5,700,000.00. After having done the distributing task, the church relief team safely returned to the MLC HQ Office at 4:25 PM by God’s grace and His protection throughout the trips.

Small cash support for new arrivals - church refugee families from Hmawbi

In this year, 12 more church refugee families or 67 people from Paletwa district of the Myanmar Lutheran Church came down because of the fear of the fighting and unexpected arrest from the armed groups at night. The local civilians have no choice when forced to serve and carry the anmunitions whenever the armed groups came to the villages. As they fled from Paletwa, taking a long journey to come down to Yangon, they had some difficulties to bring their cooking materials, blankets, etc with them. It is also very difficult for them to get a job to earn enough money to buy food for their families. Pastor David from Canaan Lutheran Church shared this great need to Bishop Andrew. So, we decided to give MMK 175,000 to each of 12 refugee families. This money helped them to buy some food and cooking materials for their survival. They received the financial support from AFA with great joy on their faces. They expressed their big thanks to AFA for the financial support which gave them another hope to move forward. Currently, the families rent a house in Hmawbi for their stay.

Pastor James distributed the church emergency relief package of MMK 175,000 supported by AFA to the family representatives from Hmawbi, Yangon Division. The family representative received it with many thanks and appreciation, 24th April 2024

Support medical treatment to a patient

The AFA’s church emergency relief aid enabled us to support the total amount of MMK 355,000 to a woman whose right hand was badly injured due to the past airstrikes when she and her family stayed in Paletwa township in Chin State. The Civil war has caused endless suffering, deaths, and loss of hope for life. All people in Myanmar are seeking a better future by joining hands in prayer. In addition to the Civil war with fighting against the military junta by all armed groups in Myanmar; there is also another big problem which is ethnic conflict. This happens when one group shoots and kills members of another ethnic group. It is a critical issue and is happening among the Chin people today.

The spirit of Colonialism remains in the hearts of many ethnic armed groups today, particularly with the Chin armed groups. Pastor James prayed with this lady and gave her and her family inspiring and encouraging words. He reminded them that they are not alone because God is always with them, in the times of joy or trouble. Besides this, their good brothers and sisters from AFA are always praying for her and her family. She said that she cannot say enough thanks to all brothers and sisters from AFA for their incredible love and amazing support for her life and her family as well. She feels a big worry and cried when she received an envelope. She said this word with a heavy heart: she wishes her right hand to be fully recovered again one day. Unless her right hand is recovered, it will be impossible to look after and care for her family members.

Pastor James distributed the church emergency relief package (medical treatment) in the total amount of MMK 355,000 supported by AFA to a patient who is currently receiving the medical treatment for her right hand due to the past airstrikes in Paletwa, Canaan Lutheran Church, Hmawbi township, Yangon Division, 23th April 2024.

Seeking the Presence of the Almighty God and His Guidance Through Praise and Worship

The church refugee families and their children are praising God even in the midst of the most challenging time of their lives in Myanmar. The bishop and pastors of the Myanmar Lutheran Church are encouraging them to keep their faith in Jesus. Pastor David from the Canaan Lutheran Church always urges all congregations not to forget God’s many blessings in the past. We all are called to face both good times and bad times as we are living now in the end time of this world. By looking at the present suffering, we are not to be discouraged but to stand firm in faith in Christ alone and praise the glorious name of the Lord in the highest.

Please be assured that they are not alone because God is always with them and our good brothers and sisters in Christ from Asia Focus Australia are also with them through prayers. The children from Taikgyi refugee camps are so happy and praising the holy Name of the Almighty God at their new location. The children performed an inspiring Gospel action song. The title of the Sunday song was “I will praise You and Worship You, O Lord Long as I Live.” Their Sunday School song encouraged all families who attended the first Sunday worship. One of Sunday school teachers stood up and said, “Our God is greater than our problems and our enemies. We suffer for a short time on the earth, but our joy in Heaven will be forever. We need your prayer and support for our Sunday ministry. We will keep you all in our hearts and prayers with tears. We believe that God will answer our strong desire to have musical instruments to worship Him in the future.”

Sharing the Words of Heartfelt Thanks by the Families’ Representative

I thank God for giving a great opportunity to share our big thanks and deepest appreciations to AFA on behalf of other families. My name is Mrs. Mani and I have four children. I am thankful to the Lord for blessing me and my family to be members of the Myanmar Lutheran Church. I am the second elder sister to Pastor James who loves God very much, as our late mother did. He is also a man of God, a faithful servant for Christ, and a humble person. He and his wife have a big heart to help other people. My family migrated to Yangon in the end of December 2023 since we couldn’t stay in our village. There was a severe fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army. After the military coup, it was so difficult for the local civilians in Paletwa for everything. We couldn’t do our regular shifting cultivation. There was a danger of land mines and many Khumi people were killed by stepping on the land mines when they went to their farm. It is so difficult for all refugee families because they’re living at a new location. Each day, I have no idea how to find a good job to earn some money. The language barrier is once again a problem for me.

Mrs. Mani extended her deep gratitude and big thanks to the leadership team and generous donors from Asia Focus Australia for their great care in actions for the great need of refugee families who came down from Paletwa to Hmawbi, Yangon Division, 24th April 2024

I only speak Khumi (Chin) language which is my native dialect. I cannot communicate with people in Burmese fluently. So, it is very difficult to get a job now. I feel worried about getting enough money to feed my own children. My husband and I pray to the Lord every night with faith and ask Him about our needs, as our pastors told us. But God knew our cries and need for food. In the morning of 24th March 2024, the church emergency relief team led by Pastor Moses and Pastor James came to our place. Then, they invited me to receive the church relief aid supported by their brothers and sisters from Asia Focus Australia. When I received the relief packages from Pastor James, I wept for a while by thanking God with all my heart and my soul. I realized that God knows what we need for our family and all hungers of food. I will never forget my brothers and sisters from Asia Focus Australia. I cannot express enough how much I thank you, and my sincere prayer is that may God richly bless you and your family as well as your ministry forever! Amen.

Concluding Remark:

On behalf the whole church community of the Myanmar Lutheran Church, the Church emergency relief team would like to express our heartiest thanks to the President, Vice-President, all management team, Myanmar mission representatives of Asia Focus Australia for their financial support and showing their incredible solidarity towards the suffering and difficult conditions of the life of refugee families. May God also bless those who contributed their precious financial resources for this project. Amen.

Reported by:
Rev. James San Aung
Mission Director, Mission Department
Yangon
Date: 4th May 2024

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