“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”
Luke 6:21
Myanmar is a nation embedded in trauma and well acquainted with grief. Decades of armed conflict have encompassed whole communities in generational trauma. The military junta’s killing of hundreds of unarmed civilians, plus the arrest and brutal torture of thousands more, have devastated many hearts. COVID has claimed far too many lives and sent countless loved ones into panicked, desperate searches for oxygen, medical supplies, and open hospital beds — hundreds upon hundreds of those searches have ended in grief. This week’s declaration of all-out civil war promises to fill this nation with more sorrow, more death, and more heartache.
In the slums of Yangon, hundreds of families suffer from the fear of violence and the loss of loved ones. One ministry has started cell groups to help grieving families support one another in their loss and heartache, ultimately pointing them to find consolation in Jesus. This season of mourning and hardship in Myanmar has driven dozens of families, aching for hope, to this ministry’s cell groups and house churches. These believers have become refuges of healing and laughter-filled community to these families. Nearly 30 new believers are being baptized every week as they find comfort, hope, and new life in Jesus.
One believer who serves in this ministry recently shared that she and a Buddhist friend were talking about mental health, wondering aloud how anyone could possibly keep a good frame of mind in light of all of the devastation and loss in Myanmar. When the believer shared about the blessing of gathering with her Bible study and prayer groups, her Buddhist friend responded, “Oh, that’s the wonderful thing about Christians. Buddhist people have to meditate alone.” She had seen Christians gathering together in her university days and admired the strength of their community and love for one another, especially in times of hardship and loss. More than ever before, Myanmar needs this kind of healing love and community that can only be found in Christ.
To support this ministry’s work in bringing Christ’s blessing to the grieving, you can give below:
Prayer Requests
- Pray that every one of Myanmar’s grieving hearts would find their sorrow turned to laughter, and would know the blessing of Christ and His Kingdom.
- Pray that believers in Myanmar would fill their communities with the love, healing, and joyful hope that only Jesus can give.
