Relief efforts in Myanmar/Burma

Contact with a Lutheran church body in Myanmar (also called Burma) was established late 2020 when a pastor there reached out to a WELS pastor in Wisconsin after seeing online Bible studies and sermons. This pastor (“Pastor L”) along with four congregations in western Myanmar had recently broken away from the Lutheran Church of Myanmar because of its alignment with the Lutheran World Federation and the doctrinal corruption that was taking place. Their initial conversations led to the WELS pastor teaching Bible and doctrine to a group of leaders from the newly formed Myanmar Lutheran Evangelical Church (MLEC). After several months of teaching and building relationships, this WELS pastor reached out to the Asia One Team and they contacted Pastor L and other church leaders.

Plans were being made to take teaching to the next level and begin conversations about fellowship, but in January 2021 the Myanmar military staged a coup, jailed and killed elected leaders, and began attacking various ethnic populations throughout the country. Over the past year, fighting intensified and spread across the country. The region where the MLEC is located started to see intense fighting on Christmas Eve 2021. The area continues to have the most intense fighting in the country. Some MLEC members have died, many have fled to neighboring India, others have fled to mountain encampments, and many have lost homes and all but the clothes on their backs.

Due to ongoing fighting, a Christian Aid and Relief (CAR) grant was requested to alleviate dire physical and medical needs of members of a national church body and members of their communities affected or displaced by the violence. Fighting and atrocities have escalated since April 2022, especially in the past 8 to 10 weeks. This has made the project very timely, but the violence has also made things logistically difficult.

Christian Aid and Relief granted $10,000 to help with relief efforts. Approximately $4,500 was sent to India to purchase medical supplies and transport them into Myanmar. Another $5,500 was sent directly to Myanmar to purchase non-medical relief supplies locally.

Pastor L’s hometown, which had been a safe haven, is now the center of intense fighting, artillery fire, and atrocities. Several members of his own family have been seriously injured, and his own house was mostly destroyed by an artillery blast in June. Several church members have also died in the past two months. In spite of this, and at great risk to themselves, Pastor L and church members have bravely purchased, received, and distributed relief items and medical supplies to those in need. About 40 families (or 200+ people) received support in some way. Almost every contact allowed the opportunity to pray, read scripture, lead worship, or distribute communion. Many non-members also were able to hear the gospel and encouraged with God’s Word through the teams that were sent to distribute relief items.

The need for relief, physical and spiritual support, and encouragement will be ongoing. Plans to consider moving forward are:

1. Keep praying regularly for the church body and for Myanmar/Burma.
2. Continue to provide basic relief as the needs arise. The items identified as the most needed now continue to be rice, charcoal, oil, mosquito nets, tarps, blankets, and clothing.
3. Continue to provide medical supplies. They are desperately needed, and a special request was made for more medical supplies if possible.

Thank you for your continued prayers for this church body and nation!

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