Church Planting in Asia

One of the greatest things about being on-site in our ministry areas is the opportunity to sit face-to-face and listen to the reports of what God is doing. Jeff had that opportunity to hear about church planting efforts in Burma. Our desire to train leaders is not about just providing information – it is with the goal that churches will be planted and people will be won to Christ.

Over the past 5+ years, we have partnered with a school that trains church planters. These young people (all under 24 years old) move to a remote area, build a lean to, and begin working in the rice fields developing relationships. As those relationships develop, they share the Good News of Jesus. It is difficult work. Food is scarce. The work is backbreaking. But their joy is complete as they are following the calling of God to win their country to Christ. There are currently 34 church planters (associated with the school) who are working in Burma. At this time, 10 of those have established viable churches. Our national partners define a viable church as one where there are more than 10 baptized believers, where there is a church structure, and weekly worship gatherings. All of the church planters are seeing people won to Christ. But for a Burmese person to take the step of obedience to be baptized is a huge thing. In essence, they are turning away from everything they have known when they follow the Lord in obedience and are baptized. Most often, their families disown them, and they are considered “traitors” to the predominate religion of Buddhism. Imagine leaving everything you have ever known. Pray for our friends as they work under difficult circumstances in order to bring the light of the Good News of Jesus Christ to a very dark place.

Thanks for taking this journey with us through your giving, your encouragement, and your prayer support! Growing leaders…

Giving HOPE!

David

good post from a friend…

Our friend, Dr. Richard Bacon, has several  good posts up on the situation in Burma -

you can read at this SITE

the storage buildings are full!

I had a good friend tell me once that America could be described as a “storage building culture”.

He went on to say that it seemed like we had all of this “stuff” that we didn’t want any more, and yet we paid somebody else to keep it for us in these little “garage communities”.

His conclusion was something like this, “If that doesn’t speak of the affluence we enjoy, I don’t know what would.”

Back to that story in a minute.

This morning I was reading in  1 Thessalonians 2, and in that passage, Paul makes it very clear that he is longing to see the believers in Thessolonica in order to build into their lives – but that Satan is preventing that from happening.

Wow – that’s exactly how I feel!  Our team longs to see our brothers and sisters in Burma, face to face, and continue to build into their lives – but it seems to be such a struggle to make it happen.

Now, I’ve never been “wired” to see a demon behind every bush, and blame Satan for every bad thing that happens – but the Scriptures are clear that his influence is that of a liar, theif, and destroyer.

He is the ultimate de-railer — attempting to get our focus on everything other than the main thing.

I think that’s what is going on in America right now. We, faithful believers, have been de-railed, in a sense.  We have our eyes on so many “what if’s” in regard to bank accounts, 401K balances, and budgets.

Truth is – we are still the most affluent culture in the history of the world.

And, we have enough stuff (that we evidently don’t want) packed into little (or big) storage buildings to prove it.

How about selling some of that stuff and funding the cause of Global missions? I bet there are millions of dollars worth of “treasure” simply rotting away in shed (that we pay somebody else to keep).

Just a thought!

Growing leaders…giving Hope!
David

PS: Would you join me in praying that God would bind Satan from de-railing our effort to be in Burma beginning on Sept. 9th!  Thanks in advance.

We’ve waited long enough….

The past couple of weeks have been an intense spiritual battle for me as I have tried to determine God’s best plan for this ministry for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010.

I have been waiting, but I fear I have been waiting on the wrong thing. I have been waiting on financial provision before committing to a plan. God has convinced me that this is backward thinking.

Despite the economic situation in the States–God is NOT finished with this ministry!!

Scripture has multiple examples of God followers who step out in faith before the provision is realized (Abram with Isaac on that mountain, and Joshua crossing the Jordan river into the promised land just to name two).

I was looking at the attached picture and reminded of the commitment of our National leaders in Burma. Just as they are committed to equipping and encouraging leaders, we must be committed to them. They are counting on us!

So we have scheduled a project to Burma, leaving September 9, 2009.

Pray for God’s complete provision as we step out on faith and seek Him to demonstrate once again that He is the Provider.

I’ll communicate more about the specifics of the project’s financial need in the days to come.

But would you pause now to ask God to make provision for Pastors and church leaders in Burma who desperately need to be equipped and encouraged?

Thanks in advance for your prayers! This is going to be an exciting 4+ weeks!!

Growing Leaders…Giving HOPE1

David Robbins

Pray for Burma!

The following story is from the BBC:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is set to hold a second meeting with Burma’s top military leaders.

Mr Ban has asked to meet jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and says he is awaiting a reply while he remains in the country.

In his first meeting with General Than Shwe, Mr Ban asked for the release of all Burma’s political prisoners.

Ms Suu Kyi’s trial on charges of breaking the terms of her house arrest was postponed again on Friday.

A BBC correspondent says these delays suggest Burma’s military rulers may be having second thoughts about the trial.

Two-hour meeting

Mr Ban’s two-hour meeting with Gen Than Shwe took place in the remote administrative capital Nay Pyi Taw on Friday.

A LIFE IN DETENTION 1988: Junta comes to power after crushing pro-democracy uprising 1989: Martial law declared; opposition NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi put under house arrest 1990: NLD wins elections; result rejected by the ruling junta 1995: Suu Kyi freed from house arrest; movements restricted Sept 2000: Under house arrest for trying to defy travel curbs May 2002: Released unconditionally May 2003: Detained after clash between NLD and junta forces Sep 2003: Home after surgery, under effective house arrest UN chief’s big gamble Why is junta afraid of Suu Kyi?

“I told him [Gen Than Shwe] that I wanted to meet her [Aung San Suu Kyi], but he told me that she is on trial,” Mr Ban later told reporters.

“I told him that this is my proposal, and this is important, and I am waiting for their reply.”

Mr Ban said he had been assured that elections planned for 2010 would be “held in a fair, free and transparent manner”.

The UN chief’s second meeting with the Burmese leader is scheduled for Saturday morning and later he is due to make a speech outlining his vision for Burma.

If Mr Ban is allowed to meet Ms Suu Kyi, he would be the first UN secretary general to do so.

Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, has spent much of the past two decades in prison or under house arrest.

She was transferred from house arrest to prison in May after an American man swam to her lakeside house. She faces up to five years in jail if convicted.

Next year’s elections are part of the military government’s “roadmap to democracy,” but critics say they will be a sham designed to strengthen the generals’ four-decade grip on power.

Opposition activists say Ms Suu Kyi’s trial is designed to keep her out of the way until after the elections.

Happy Birthday

Please pray today for Aung San Suu Kyi,  today is her 64th birthday and her 14th under arrest in Myanmar.  She is a solemn reminder that not all progressive, democratic movements succeed…

Update on “the Lady”…

I thought you might like an update on the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi.  The trial has been delayed, but experts say the decision is already made and a guilty verdict will be handed down.

However, defense lawyers requested and received permission to include additional witness(es) on the June 26th resumption of proceedings. Article here.

The military-led governement is expressing its displeasure over the worlds negative response by cracking down on Suu Kyi’s political party – many arrests and harrassments.  Article here

Also the military is flexing its muscle in the ongoing battle with Kayin rebels in an attempt to make the country ’safe’.  More here

In the midst of all of these struggles the church is attempting to speak peace and hope in the lives of people.  Pray for the church planters that we have equipped and encouraged – that they will be bold in the face of opposition, and that they will use this opportunity (the government’s distraction to thwart democracy) to do all they can to boldly reach people for Christ.

Growing leaders…giving hope,
David

Today’s Quote

“If you give God the right to yourself, he will make a holy experiment out of you. God’s experiment’s always succeed.”
Oswald Chambers

The Lady by the Lake…

The trial of 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced Awng-Sawn-Sue-Chee) is coming to a close. The Burmese government has done everything in its power to attempt to continue the arrest of this pro-democracy leader. She has been in prison or under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.

The military-led dictatorship has intimidated witnesses, and stripped lawyers who are working on this case of their law liscense.

The military government fears this woman–her influence, her presence, and her leadership.  They are so afraid of her that it is illegal to say her name aloud in public – so the Burmese simply refer to her as “the Lady”.

Pray that God’s grace would be evident in the life of “the Lady”, and that justice would prevail. Pray for our friends and the church in Burma -  times are very difficult right now.

You can read a current full story on this situation by clicking HERE.

Growing leaders…giving hope,

David Robbins
The Aquila Project

Incendiary Quote of the Day…

“A tiny group of believers who have the Gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves.  Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story.”

- K.P. Yohannon, Gospel for Asia