Blog

It is now Friday morning and I am getting ready for the hour-long ride to the airport from where we will fly to Bangkok.

Yesterday, we saw the spacious and magnificent ancient palace of the King of Burma. It is in a lush 4 square mile compound right in the center of the city. Today, it is a tourist site and a military compound. We saw a few other sights as well.

But the highlights were the pre-school and the Bible College, both a part of Pastor Andrew’s church.

The pre-school has 36 children and 2 teachers! All but 2 of the kids are from Buddhist families. It is a Christian pre-school and many of the parents send their children there because, in their words, the children are loved.  I have included a couple of photos of the school.

The Bible College is directed by a young man who grew up in a Bhuddist home. When he became a Christian, his family disowned him. He then went through the 2-year program at the college and now directs it. The school has 2 buildings with several classroom. The students were in class, and I have included some photos, of the school and the director.

So, this great adventure is soon coming to a close. There is so much more to tell and show. I’ll just say that God has truly blessed this trip and I believe we will be returning to Myanmar before too long.

Now, your prayers have been the key factor, no question. But, now I need for you to pray me home safe and healthy.

Love to you all!

David

 

It is Thursday morning here. Yesterday we finished the seminars. I believe it was all a source of instruction, encouragement, and inspiration to all in attendance. I am glad that I replied to the initial email inquiry from Pastor Andrew over a year ago. He found the MTI website by searching for ways to train pastors and leaders. I hope that I can return someday.

Today, Pastor Andrew and his wife Marilyn will take us around to some of the areas in and around Mandalay. It is a beautiful day and I am looking forward to exploring a bit.

I have included 2 photos. One shows 2 of the young women who are students at the Bible School. You will notice a kind of cosmetic on their faces. It is called Thanaka. It is a cosmetic paste made from the ground bark of certain trees here in Myanmar. The women and girls use it for smoother skin, healthy skin, sun protection, and as a facial design. I would say that the majority of the Burmese women I have seen are wearing it.

The other photo is of the students ready to leave at the end of the day yesterday.

Thanks again for the prayers. Please continue to pray for health and safety!

David

 

Monday and Tuesday have been full days of teaching and spending time with the leaders and students. They are such an eager, energetic group! It has been a delight to teach them. Tomorrow, Wednesday, will conclude the conference. Pastor Andrew has been tireless in doing virtually all the translating each day. He is the kind of translator that I like working with, in that he incorporates the voice inflections, gestures, and movements seamlessly.

i am looking forward to tomorrow’s sessions but I am also kind of sad that the time has flown by so quickly. My prayer is that what we’ve taught will make a difference in their lives and prepare them all for future Christian service.

We have been able to see a bit of Mandalay as well. Pastor Andrew and his wife Marilyn took us yesterday to a famous wooden bridge. There were hundreds of people there and it was a rich experience, but difficult to put into words. I have included a photo of it. If you look closely, you can see many people walking on it. Then this evening Ed and I walked for over an hour looking for a particular restaurant where we could have dinner. There is a fort surrounded by a moat and wall, 2 miles square that we walked by and I’ve included a pic of that as well. Tomorrow I will include more pics of the students.

Having a great time and thanking you for the prayers.

David