Missionary Mondays - Why Myanmar?

Welcome to week 3 of my August series called 'Missionary Mondays'! This week I'm sharing Why we are going to Myanmar and next week I'll be sharing prayer requests and I'll have a little video for you.

Missionary Mondays are weekly updates on how God is guiding Dave and I to Myanmar & Thailand. We hope these posts will help answer any questions but if you have any other questions please ask! We love questions.

This is a piece of land in Myanmar that the school is hoping to purchase

For previous updates please read the following:

Week 1- A recap on meeting the Holmes who serve in Thailand + an overview of the ministry there.
Week 2 - What are you willing to eat for the sake of the gospel?
Overdue Update - This gives a general overview of our upcoming move and plans.

Pam & Zama in Myanmar - The people we are going to serve with in Myanmar have been so kind as to write a blog post all about the work they are doing over there. I hope you will check it out.

Why Myanmar (Burma)?

I have been asked this question time and time again. I don't mind answering it, I just never realized I'd be asked 'why' so much. I can give an easy truthful answer or the long answer, which isn't so easy to share.

So here it goes....how God led us to Myanmar! It begins with a trip down memory lane. Dave and I both met in elementary school. We didn't like each other at all but that has nothing to do with this post. Anyways, the principal of the school has a daughter and her name is Pam. She taught both Dave and I.

Pam married a Burmese man and they now live in Myanmar. They have opened a school that serves lower-middle income Buddhist children. They are known for their high academics and well behaved students. They also have the opportunity to share Christ with them, which they do often.

Dave's Mom, Carol, visited Myanmar several times. She was a doctor and would set up medical clinics during her visits. Dave also has taken a trip over there to serve and provide short term medical care. Carol had a big dream to one day retire in Myanmar and run a medical clinic. In February of 2013 God called Carol to heaven. Therefore her dream of opening the clinic herself wasn't possible.

Dave and I knew we wanted to serve for a year in missions but we weren't sure of where. During our whole 'wondering where to go process', I got an e-mail from Pam saying that they were still hoping to open a medical clinic and that Dave and I would be a great help over there. I don't know how we finally decided on Myanmar but we had been praying, discussing the needs there and we thought it would be wonderful if we could open up the clinic that Carol had dreamed about for so long. We started planning and e-mailing Pam and now here we are getting ready to go over seas.

Establishing a clinic will be a big challenge as we are starting from ground zero. We have limited finances and facilities but we know with out a doubt that if God wants a clinic in Myanmar He will help us establish that. While we research information about the clinic Dave and I will still serve medically on short term trips within Myanmar and we will also serve at the school.

Dave and I have a small list of what we hope and are trusting God to do while we are there so I'm sharing that with you today:

-To grow spiritually in closeness with God and to have a great knowledge of Him
-To see our marriage grow
-To encourage believers and missionaries
-Lead the lost to Christ
-Meet medical needs
-Hep with education or in other areas as God sees fit
-To have fun (I added that one in but I think it's important)

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I need some feedback: 

1. Are you enjoying these posts?

2. Do you want me to keep writing more Missionary Monday posts? 

3. Do you have any other questions for me? We are pretty much open books so ask away!