The gospel was proclaimed, and God moved in people’s hearts to bring life to those who believed. During Crossover on New Year’s Eve, one hundred people responded to the call to repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
[Read more…] about Relying On God While Doing Our PartMyanmar
Resolved In Belief Part 2
Director Steve Wheeler guest hosts the David Spoon Experience on KPRZ 1210AM in San Diego, CA. In this second hour of the radio show, Steve shares about Pastor Ruat in Myanmar and Pastor Amjed and the adversity they face pastoring in those difficult places. He also interviews Dr. Jay Grimstead author of the new book Rebuilding Civilization On The Bible.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:05 — 25.7MB)
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PROJECTS
Projects
Our main goal at White Fields is to provide a salary for a national Pastor that will allow a self-sustaining church to be planted. As part of supporting that goal, we seek to have holistic community transformation through various projects that help raise the quality of life of people in the local church. Listed below are several of the projects that our national pastors have identified as helping transform their community.
By joining us you can provide one of these solutions to a community of believers in Uganda, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
Brick Machine
Interlocking Soil Stabilized Bricks (ISSB) machines have transformed brick making efforts across the continent of Africa. ISSB bricks are environmentally friendly and are an economical way to build water tanks and buildings. A cohesive team using a brick machine can produce 700 bricks a day. In 2016 White Fields purchased two brick making machines for our churches in southwest Uganda. These tools empower the congregation with the ability to construct new church buildings and water tanks as the Gospel goes forth into new communities. Read more…
Water Tank
The water tanks we build use gutters to channel rainwater from a house roof into a tank protected from insects and contamination. A water tank made from ISSB bricks is stronger, longer lasting, and one-third the price of a traditional plastic tank imported from southern Uganda. These tanks are produced in both 2,000-liter household sizes, as well as in larger 10,000-liter community sizes. Our churches built their first rainwater harvesting tank in Rukungiri, Uganda in 2015. This tank, strategically placed next to the church of God’s Embassy Kotobo is now the central collection point for water in the community.
Pig Project
In Rukungiri, Uganda we are establishing a piggery project. Through supporters joining White Fields we are able to provide a sow (female pig) to a family in the local church, that sow once impregnated has little piglets which the owners are then able to sell, increasing their income and allowing them to raise their quality of life. Once each family in the church has raised full grown pigs they will be able to sell them as a group in Kampala at full market value. To help restore pride and dignity to a family in Uganda go to our website and get involved. A donation of $45 dollars buys a female piglet which is raised to produce more pigs.
Pastor Jacob
Christmas greetings to all in the name of Jesus Christ. May the peace from the Father rest upon you all. Due to your prayer help, our political situation is a little bit better than in the previous months. The Arakan Army and the Government Army are making temporary ceasefire agreements. Some roads are open but may are still closed so the price of goods is still very high and expensive. People are still encountering hardship. As we were under military control, we were unable to go to many places in the Paletwa township, so we did our best to share the gospel with our immediate neighbors.
Pastor Lunpah is working hard to reach new people with the message of salvation by giving our tracts and sharing the Word of God with neighboring people. Lunpah has been working at the refugee camp in Longkadu, some of our members from Temawa village were shifted to Longkadu as refugees. Pastor Lunpah is sharing the gospel with those who do not know Christ and inviting them to attend worship.
Pastor Jacob’s ministry in Bong Wee Church is doing well. They are not currently increasing in the number of members, but they are increasing in Christian life and their trust in God. Due to the political crisis, we were under such pressure that we could not fulfill our plan for ministry. However, we regularly worship God on Sundays and hold prayer meetings on Saturday mornings. It was amazing that we could conduct Christmas celebrations on Christmas day and the whole village came including non-Christians. I had the opportunity to share the good news that Jesus brought us for the whole world.
In Paletwa Town, David Joy is continuing his ministry. He reports that due to your prayers, the church is increasing in members. Weekly services are occurring regularly, including prayer meetings, worship services on Sundays, and Bible study programs. Christmas celebrations were conducted successfully on Christmas day and eight new people came to join us. They were people reached during the outreach ministry and they received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Praise the Lord!
- Give thanks to God for His goodness in keeping His children safe till the present day.
- Give thanks to God for our Christmas celebrations which were held successfully.
- Pray for more people to come to faith in Christ in this new year.
- Pray for our country Myanmar and pray specifically for freedom and peace.
Water Festival Holidays Camping Event at Bong Wee Church
Pastor Jacob’s Ministry
(Editors Note: Pastor Jacob works in an extremely remote area that lacks basic infrastructure, telecommunications, and roads. War and insurgency in his area continue to complicate matters. Due to these difficulties, updates from Pastor Jacob are posted as they are received.)
Pastor Jacob works in the township of Paletwa deep in the mountains of Chin State. He and a few other pastors diligently go from village to village, sharing the Gospel. Because of Government restrictions, it is difficult to travel in this region, and foreigners are forbidden from even being in the area Jacob works. The villages in this area are incredibly remote located in the Arakan Mountain region. The primary source of travel is by boat, which can take two or three days to reach a village.
In the last year, Muslim rebels from Bangladesh infiltrated areas of Rahkine and southern Chin state, attacking the local populace and battling the police. Myanmar’s Army, in a bid to eradicate the rebels and re-establish peace, entered into the conflict. Widespread violence has taken place, and the farms and villages our pastors work in have become the battlefields. Mines laid on farmland as well as pitched battles have caused both Buddhists and Christians to flee as refugees into neighboring towns and cities.
On top of this, a plague of mice destroyed the rice crops of several towns in this area, making a challenging situation even worse. Still, Pastor Jacob and others like him continue to pastor in their villages and go out and share the Gospel.
Joy David
Greetings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ from the Paleta area, Myanmar. Due to your prayer help, God has protected us from all kinds of evils and keeps us safe. Our political problems in the country are limiting our weekly ministries and outreach ministries. However, we are continuing to proclaim the gospel to the people around us. The fighting has been happening everywhere. We need your prayers for peace in Myanmar.
Last month, we had a meeting with our co-workers in the Paletwa township and discussed our future ministry. We came to two decisions. The first is that if God gives us a good situation regarding safety and travel options in light of the current political issues, we will have leadership training in the fall of this year at Bong Wee village. The second is for Evangelist Thein Kyaw who joined our church this summer and has shown his dedication to ministry with us. We have appointed him to serve the Lord at Singsan village, where there are a few believers currently. He is serving there at this time with a salary, but with a monthly gift. Pray for Thein Kyaw’s church planting work in the Singsan village of Paletwa township.
Pastor Jacob and his church members are actively doing the weekly ministry and evangelizing among the non-Christians in the village. I am thankful to report that one family, U (Mr.) Tun Lyin and his family members were converted to Christ and joined Pastor Jacob’s church.
We have been unable to make contact with the believers in the villages of Pyi Chaung, Yitakhun, and Misa village. There are currently no internet, phone, or landlines because of the heavy rains. Many roads have been blocked by landslides. We have been out of contact for a few weeks now but are praying for the believers in these villages.
All my members are facing a difficult situation due to the floods, landslides, and limited or non-existent food supplies. In Paleta town, we have students from the countryside villages, and their parents were unable to send food for them for over a month. We had tried our best to provide for these students. We are asking for your prayer help for our daily food and for rental housing for these students because their current lodging was almost completely destroyed by the landslides.
- Give thanks to God for our weekly ministry and the success of our meetings during the summer with all of the co-workers in Paletwa town.
- Pray for the students and members who were affected by the flood and landslide; they need urgent prayer help.
- Pray for our new church building in Paleta, we have the land and need to build a two-story building.
- Pray for our country to have peace and freedom.
Pastor Joy David’s Ministry
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” It is a wonderful blessing that God has prepared me to be a church planter in Paletwa to the extension of His Kingdom. It is a great encouragement for me to learn that many men of God around the world are praying for our ministry.
I started a house church in 2013; our weekly programs consist of Bible studies, worship times, prayer, and evangelism. Though we are few in numbers, we conducted all of our weekly programs regularly. Some young people from nearby villages come and study at the local university and trade schools in Paletwa; I try my best to reach them with the gospel. If we can reach them with the Gospel, they will go and teach their parents and villages what they believe.
Solomon Phun
Myanmar has been plagued by violence since the military coup that deposed the civilian democratic government. Our churches remain focused on proclaiming the gospel. As a result, people continue to come to faith and follow the Lord in Baptism. Our pastors live in challenging situations, including the lack of electricity, schools, and food. The churches become the source for the members to help them overcome these struggles. You can help by donating to our Gift Catalog. We send funds to support the churches, so the believers have food and to provide scholarships to our pastors’ children to gather in co-op education groups.
The Psalmist said, May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
Psalm 20:1
At this time, we are in danger simply living in our homes. Many people in our area are running for their lives to safer places and fleeing our town. The fighting has been building and increasing in our area since the beginning of last month. The Lord is with us and has been keeping us safe until now. Praise the Lord for His safety. We are grateful for your prayers.
My ministry and church plant are struggling due to the political instability. We were not able to meet for regular services or weekly events. The fighting has been severe, and several houses have been burned and completely destroyed. People in Sawmyo are fleeing, including many of my church members. My family is one of the few remaining. At this time, we are meeting for family prayers and Bible reading time every night.
- Pray for the believers.
- Pray for the end of the fighting and for our country to have peace.
Baby Dedication:
A new believer receiving a Bible: Give a Bible.
Distribution of relief goods:
Pastor Solomon’s Testimony
Pastor Solomon serves as a national church planter in the northern Chin State of Myanmar. He is the son of Pastor Tha Khup, the regional evangelist and coordinator for this region. Solomon grew up in a small village in the mountains of Chin, far from the big city. He came from a Christian family and grew up as a pastor’s son while Tha Khup was planting a church with White Fields. He was raised in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
When he was in his teens, he told his father that he desired to have a relationship with Jesus and surrendered his life to Christ. He knew he wanted to become a Pastor, and as he entered his 20s, he applied to the Evangelical School of Theology in Andhra Pradesh, India. To attend, Solomon learned English and saved money to pay for his education. While there, he met his future wife, Cing Bawi, a Burmese woman studying child development at the same seminary Solomon attended. After graduating, they married and moved to town to help Solomon’s father with church ministry and evangelism in remote villages.
During this time, our Director Steve Wheeler met Solomon on an accountability and stewardship trip through Myanmar. Steve saw Solomon’s dedication, humbleness, and knowledge of the scriptures. More than this, Solomon’s ability to interpret the scriptures using proper hermeneutics and his heart for the Lord left an impression on those around him. Solomon graduated from seminary in 2017 and proved to be an energetic evangelist leading others to faith. He also led teams into new villages where there were no Christians. He proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has now become the pastor in this church. There are many years in the future for ministry in this village.
