We are grateful for your prayers; my family and church members are doing well. During the rainy season, there was an increase in several diseases in our area. Some of my members were sick but they have all recovered. Our weekly programs are continuing regularly, including the worship services on Sundays. Our prayer meetings are every Friday from ten am to two pm. I am also able to evangelize currently.
I conducted a gospel teaching this summer on a Myanmar holiday, martyr’s day. Fifteen people joined us, six of them were non-Christians. I invited pastor Tin Maung Swee and Pastor Van Biak Ceu. They taught the group. I have some new people who are interested in believing in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. I am following up with these new believers to encourage them to have genuine faith and to prepare for baptism.
I would like to give you an update regarding Mgapeotaw church, which was where Pastor Peter Maung Hlaing’s was leading. My overseer and several of us are doing our best to help them and have appointed Pastor Solomon and his wife, Peter’s daughter, Wa Wa. They are working hard to conduct a regular worship service, prayer meetings and Sunday school program. Some new families have been reached with the good news and are interested in Christianity. We are praying and hoping for the ministry of Pastor Solomon and that the small church may stand firm in the faith. Please pray for them too.
- Give thanks to God for the success of our one-day gospel training.
- Give thanks to God for the Ngapeotaw church and pray for them.
- Pray for the daily needs of the believers including my church members and those of Ngapeotaw.
- Pray for our country, and for the difficult political situation.
Personal Testimony of Belief in Jesus Christ:
I was born on January 1, 1969, at Eh Thar Duh Chaung village, Yalun township, Delta Area. My parents were U San Thein and Daw Yin Shwe; there are eight brothers and sisters in my family. I am the fourth son. When I was born, my family was an active Buddhist family. My father was a local pharmacy doctor, and my mother was a gardener. I was taught Buddhism from my childhood, and I became a staunch Buddhist.
I attended government education from Elementary to High School at Hintarah town, Ayawady division (Delta Area). My parents always encouraged me to be a monk. I entered into one monastery and became a monk in 1998. I preached Buddhist beliefs to our people, and I also built one Buddhist Temple. I served as a Buddhist monk for ten years. During this time, I had no peace and no reality in my heart; my confidence for life after death was not there. So I resigned.
After I had resigned, I went to my relatives in Shwe Pyi Thar, Yangon. In the year of two-thousand, I heard a pastor preach from the book of John, he read verse 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” This passage touched my heart deeply, and I believed it. An evangelist named Benjamin shared about Jesus and the salvation story. I was touched and decided to believe in Christ. I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. I was baptized on February 13, 2011. After that, I had joined the Myanmar Power Mission Training School for one year. I was appointed as a church planter on June 1, 2012, by the Myanmar Christian Mission. I attended the Word Bible Seminary from 2013-2014, and I completed a Bachelor of Ministry degree and, after that, a Master of Ministry. My wife’s name is Daw (Mrs.) Saw Si Hlaing (SiSi). We have no children.
I felt in my heart that I have a responsibility for my people, specifically those who do not know the love of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ. The love of God compels me to be a witness for Him throughout my life. Thus, I have been sharing the gospel to non-Christian in Htan Chauk Pyin, Shwepyithar Township, Yangon. The Lord saves souls through my ministry. Praise the Lord. In my area, there are mixed tribes; they are the Karen tribe, which is about twenty percent, Burmese is sixty percent, and the remaining twenty percent are other ethnicities. I rent a house for the worship service and as my family residence. I reach my community by visiting and praying for the people and inviting them to attend the worship service. Presently, I have about thirty to forty attendants every Sunday. Please do continue to pray for me and my ministry. Thank you very much. May God bless you all.