Today I'm sharing about the ministries already established in Burma, what we will be doing and the great need that exists.
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?
Week 3 - Why Myanmar (Burma)
Week 4 - Prayer Requests & Our Upcoming Travel Plans
Week 5 - Our Prayer Cards
Week 6 - Fashion & Safety
Overdue Update - This gives a general overview of our upcoming move and plans.
Week 2 - What are you willing to eat for the sake of the gospel?
Week 3 - Why Myanmar (Burma)
Week 4 - Prayer Requests & Our Upcoming Travel Plans
Week 5 - Our Prayer Cards
Week 6 - Fashion & Safety
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.
The School + Medical Clinic
Our friends in Burma, that we will be working with, have established a school called Step Centre for Academics and currently have 267 students. Many of the students attending are Buddhist kids. They receive a great education and are presented with the gospel throughout their education. The school is known for their excellent academics and strict standards. They are so well respected in the area that they have 150 kids on the waiting list. That's a lot of kids waiting!
Pam and Zama, the ones who run the school, currently rent a building for the school and a house next door, which they live in. The original desire for the school property was to run the school and establish a medical clinic there as well. However, with 267 students and 150 more on the waiting list every space is being utilized for classes right now. Even Pam & Zama convert some of the rooms in their house for school during the day.
The Economics + The Need
Due to the US lifting sanctions on Burma the price of land has sky rocketed! Pam and Zama are paying astronomical rent prices! Their desire is to purchase land where they can build a large school, a medical clinic and housing. They were looking at land near the current school location and the original cost was $1+ million dollars. Today? Well, that same piece of land is over $16million. Little expensive, eh?
Recently one of the student's parents offered a piece of land to Pam and Zama (see picture above). It is 4 acres, has been surveyed to build upon and has 2 electric poles. Apparently getting land surveyed with electric poles there is miraculous. The land would be a perfect place to establish a school, clinic and house. What is the cost of this piece of land? ... $500,000 aka pocket change to God! I know that number is huge but I know if God wants the school to have that land He will provide! No doubts about it.
I really have a big heart to somehow get the word out about this need. It isn't because of the building, it isn't because of the clinic, and it isn't about housing - it's about the 150 kids on the waiting list. It's about the people who could be cared for medically. See, each person represents a soul. Those 150 kids need to hear the gospel and right now they can't because there isn't room and that breaks my heart. Would you pray that God would provide so these people can hear about Jesus and the gospel?
What Dave and I will be Doing
Our big goal and desire is to set up a medical clinic. However, with space limited, we don't know how that will all work out. We might just 'set up' clinic, serve people, and tear it down. We also might go into villages and provide medical care to people who desperately need it. Dave told me that some people in villages have never seen a nurse or doctor! We also want to go to some orphanages and do clinics there. #MeltMyHeart #WontWantToLeave
Another area we will be helping in is at the school: training the teachers, cleaning, teaching, whatever they need done! I'm just really excited to serve there and help where needed. To be honest, we don't know everything we will be doing and that is ok. We know we are called to go there and God will open and close doors for us - day by day.
You
I'm not going to write and beg anyone to give but if you do feel led to give or want to help me pray and get the word out about the work in Myanmar please let me know. My head is spinning with ideas. =)
The School + Medical Clinic
Our friends in Burma, that we will be working with, have established a school called Step Centre for Academics and currently have 267 students. Many of the students attending are Buddhist kids. They receive a great education and are presented with the gospel throughout their education. The school is known for their excellent academics and strict standards. They are so well respected in the area that they have 150 kids on the waiting list. That's a lot of kids waiting!
Pam and Zama, the ones who run the school, currently rent a building for the school and a house next door, which they live in. The original desire for the school property was to run the school and establish a medical clinic there as well. However, with 267 students and 150 more on the waiting list every space is being utilized for classes right now. Even Pam & Zama convert some of the rooms in their house for school during the day.
The Economics + The Need
Due to the US lifting sanctions on Burma the price of land has sky rocketed! Pam and Zama are paying astronomical rent prices! Their desire is to purchase land where they can build a large school, a medical clinic and housing. They were looking at land near the current school location and the original cost was $1+ million dollars. Today? Well, that same piece of land is over $16million. Little expensive, eh?
Recently one of the student's parents offered a piece of land to Pam and Zama (see picture above). It is 4 acres, has been surveyed to build upon and has 2 electric poles. Apparently getting land surveyed with electric poles there is miraculous. The land would be a perfect place to establish a school, clinic and house. What is the cost of this piece of land? ... $500,000 aka pocket change to God! I know that number is huge but I know if God wants the school to have that land He will provide! No doubts about it.
I really have a big heart to somehow get the word out about this need. It isn't because of the building, it isn't because of the clinic, and it isn't about housing - it's about the 150 kids on the waiting list. It's about the people who could be cared for medically. See, each person represents a soul. Those 150 kids need to hear the gospel and right now they can't because there isn't room and that breaks my heart. Would you pray that God would provide so these people can hear about Jesus and the gospel?
What Dave and I will be Doing
Our big goal and desire is to set up a medical clinic. However, with space limited, we don't know how that will all work out. We might just 'set up' clinic, serve people, and tear it down. We also might go into villages and provide medical care to people who desperately need it. Dave told me that some people in villages have never seen a nurse or doctor! We also want to go to some orphanages and do clinics there. #MeltMyHeart #WontWantToLeave
Another area we will be helping in is at the school: training the teachers, cleaning, teaching, whatever they need done! I'm just really excited to serve there and help where needed. To be honest, we don't know everything we will be doing and that is ok. We know we are called to go there and God will open and close doors for us - day by day.
You
I'm not going to write and beg anyone to give but if you do feel led to give or want to help me pray and get the word out about the work in Myanmar please let me know. My head is spinning with ideas. =)
I believe that going there with the attitude of being willing to serve in whatever opportunities present themselves is exactly the sort of attitude that will be most helpful to the Kingdom!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe land costs that much! I never ever would have guessed that it was that expensive! Your medical clinic idea sounds awesome and I'm excited to see what form it lands up being and hearing about it!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is awesome that Pam and Zama convert rooms in their house so that they can be used as classrooms. I love the pictures of the kids at the end of this post, everyone looks so happy!
ReplyDeleteI also think that you are brave to be willing to help wherever there is a need, even if you don't know what you will be doing.
I have a question: How do you feel about providing medical care to people? The reason I ask is because I know a lot of people (me included) who get squirmy around blood, needles, medical supplies, and....basically a lot of medical stuff. Just curious! :)
We hope so too! So many people have been asking us what our plans are for over there and we just have to be honest and say that we don't really know.
ReplyDeleteIt used to not be that expensive! It's only been recently that the cost of living has sky rocketed. We are excited about the clinic too.
ReplyDeleteI'm biased because I used to live in Asia but I think Asian kids are extra cute! =)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question about medical care. My husband is PA so he will do the treatments, etc. Me? All that used to never bother me but the older I get the more my stomach flops when I'm around it. So, I'm not 100% sure. I've been telling myself that I'll get used to it the more I'm around it. Plus, I've also thought that this medical care is extra important to people so I can either suck it up or deny them care. I'll try and share how my stomach does when that time comes. =)