Myanmar

Volume 1

Issue 9

October 2003

Dear brothers and sisters, Greetings to you again in the name of Jesus Christ. It has been a great privilege for us to serve the Lord in such a wonderful way with the many ministry opportunities. We entered into the ministry with assurance and confidence as you are nearby with us. We set goals and they were achieved. We truly believe the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit will lead us step by step for even greater accomplishments in the future. Please remain close to us. Without your partnership, we will be like a car without gas. Thank you very much for choosing us as your co -workers in the spreading of Gods Word and His Kingdom in this part of the world. Yangon Christian College and Seminary The news about YCCS has rapidly spread to the Christians in Myanmar. Many have inquired about our school. This year we are receiving more applications than we can ha ndle. Our plan was to accept 26 more students this coming fall semester, which will start in June 2004, so that the total enrollment would reach a hundred. But to our surprise, we have already received 32 applications not counting those which may be coming in before the 2004 fall semester! We are having a hard time choosing 26 persons out of these many good applicants. Therefore, we have decided to conduct an entrance exam in April 2004. We plan to select the 26 students based on the grades they make at the exam. While many of the colThe second semester is now in session, following a ten day break. During the break, eight of us traveled over 400 miles to the northern Shan state. Our leges and seminaries in Yangon recruit students, we are free from this extra work. PRAISE! PRAISE! Also, two Lisu students from India inquired about our school to see if they can come and study. We are seriously considering them Our literature, radio, video, music recording studio, and church planting ministries are very helpful to the YCCS. They provide opportunities for the students to learn and participate in practical experiences. We give them as many of these ministry opportunities as possible. Our weekly evangelistic program, co ntemporary Christian music, literature, etc. offer great ministry and learning opportunities for the students. We will make sure our students have these experiences during their four years of study with us.

The Fish family

The First Evangelistic Trip of the YCCS to the Northern Shan State mini-van was packed with people, bags, the river from China. It has been reportand the video and music equipment. edly said that 85% of the China prodDue to the space limit inside the van, we could not take the amount of equipment and the number of people that we would have liked. Nevertheless, the few pieces of equipment we had benefited our preaching programs, video, and music presentations. To our surprise, the highway from Mandalay (the second capital city of Myanmar) to the northern Shan state was much smoother than the highway between Yangon and Mandalay. The Our Musicians and Sound Engineers highway goes to Lashu, the capital city On the left: Matthew, Zar Ko, Titus of the northern Shan state and continFish and Z. Silas. ues on to Musay, a border town across

Team members and packages before we left for the northern Shan State.

ucts imported to Myanmar come on this highway. On September 30th, we arrived in Tibaw, the second largest city in the northern Shan state, where the Bible

Picture 4

The church overflowed with people to see our music and video presentation. Many non-believers were present. seminar was conducted. Fifty-six Christian leaders from different denominations attended the seminar. The program

You do not see some people who were watching the video behind the screen. Both sides of the screen were full. was co nducted for only two days despite their requests for more teaching. Unfortunately, our schedule prohibited it, as we had commitments in other places in

Jay Zar Phi, Sarah, Jenevy, Rahel and Moses sang in harmony.

the northern Shan state. We spent another three days nights at three local churches in the city of Lashu. The rains prevented us from conducting an open air service. However, every night the church auditoriums overflowed with people. The night programs involved preaching, contemporary music, and video presentations. The four churches in Lashu and Tibaw are located in the nonbelieving portions of the city. They have large church buildings. Many non-believers were present at our night programs. A short e xplanation accompanied each gospel song we sang. They were not very interested in listening to our formal preaching program but were curious about the meaning of the songs they had just heard. It was a very effective way to tell about Jesus Christ to nonbelievers. Each night the contemporary Christian music program was co nducted from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm and from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight was the video show. The audience wanted to go beyond midnight but we were just too tired. Each night we showed different films but the audience liked to see the Jesus and Genesis films most of all. This is because the Buddhists have no teaching on how the world and living beings came into existence. The Genesis film clearly shows how God created the world and mankind. The audience could hear the Jesus Film in the Burmese language but unfortunately, the Genesis film is still in English so I translated for the audience. We are working on the translation of the Genesis film into Burmese. We are also planning to translate some other Christian films into the Burmese and Lisu languages so that people can hear the films in their own languages. Our video editing system will be very helpful for this. Please pray for this to happen. Each night some unbelievers came to us and asked questions regarding the movies they saw and the music they heard. That was a great opportunity for us to tell them about

Jesus Christ. We also delivered hundreds of gospel tracts to the audience. We will follow up through correspondence with those who are interested to hear more about Jesus.

This is one of the churches in Lashu where we showed Jesus and Genesis films. It is a great blessing for us to have the video projector and the music equip-

I was teaching at the Bible Seminar held in Tibaw.

ment. Thank you, thank you, and thank you very much to those who purchased such wonderful pieces of equipment for us! The videos really touched and moved the hearts of the people. Each night we had an audience ranging from

Jay Zar Phi and Sarah Bee singing at one of our night programs.

1000 to 1500 despite heavy rains. We did month training we will provide, they not anticipate such big crowds of Chris- will be better equipped to be pastors, tians and non-Christians. We could not have held their interest without the equipment. The purpose of our music and video presentations is always to move the hearts of the people and lead

Other News
them towards an understanding of the truth about Jesus Christ. 1. China Border Bible Training Center As we reported to you earlier this year, the training program at the China border was successfully conducted in

$2000 or $3000 that we need. The cost will be more than this but the rest will be taken care of by the Christians there. We just need to help them as much as we can. Isaiah Fish will soon report to us the cost. We will be able to provide you more nformation in our i next report. Please pray for this. 2. Radio and Literature Ministry Our production of the radio program started in September and is now on the air beginning in October. We can hear it clearly. The radio programs include preaching, teaching, song requests, interviews, and drama. Our radio program is the first computerized program ever produced in the Lisu language. This radio program can be tuned in by the one million Lisu who live in Myanmar, China, Thailand, India and Laos.

This is how they study at the training center. There is no desk to write on. They write the lessons on their knees.

missionaries, Bible school teachers, youth ministers, and evangelists. . More people from China are already making plans to attend the coming training program in July-September, 2004. We regrettably have to limit the number from China so as not to exceed 30 students. That is due to This is what a Lisu house looks like at the border. an insufficiency of funds. This family accommodated six students at their home. It costs at least $20 for us to bring one student from China. [Currently the majority of trainees are from July and August. We are planning to con- Myanmar.] duct a three month program starting Note, presently we do not have next year, i.e., from July to September. classroom and dormitories buildings. The trainees will be required to attend We have been using the church audithe program three months a year for torium at Lo Bu village as a classthree years. Afterwards they will be pre- roomjust one class session for all sented with a certificate. With the three- trainees! Over 100 students attended the program this year. As for housing, the families in the village usually helped us accommodate the students. The trainees slept on bamboo floors. There is no privacy. No place of solitude for study. There are no comfortable hotels, hot showers, etc., yet people come who are hungry for spiritual teaching. Our urgent need is two dormitoThis was how Isaiah and his co-workers ries: one for the men and one for the taught at the training center; inside the women. We need to help them build church building with all the trainees in two small dormitories. Hence, we one class setting. need funds for this. We do not yet know about the cost. It could be

I was recording a sermon. I do not have much time to spend here but I preach on the air occasionally. Many Lisu preachers come to our studio in Yangon, upon my request, and record their sermons. This week three preachers, Isaiah Fish, Ezra and He Yet Si, will come to Yangon to re-

Three of our YCCS singers were recording the Christmas album.

cord their sermons. PRAISE ! PRAISE ! Each one has prepared at least 60 serfor recording. The necessary Christian music for the radio program is produced at our studio. Currently, we are recording a Christian album in the Burmese language which will be released before November. Currently, our literature ministry is preparing textbooks for our border training center so that they will be available for the next training program in July. Next year every student will be presented a textbook for each course they take. Many other Bible study tools have been typed in the computer. Whenever the funds are available, they are ready to be published. In the future we will focus on producing more gospel tracts for distribution. This fits very well with our music and Jesus Film ministry. Khi Khi and Moses are working very hard in these areas of the ministry.

them about Jesus. The Saturday gathering will provide this opportunity. There are many unreached national groups in the Kachin state, such as

Currently, the new church gathered at a home for worshipping. The church was planted based on 23 new converts.

Maru, Lashi, Lawah and Lisu. Isaiah and Steve have visited different areas in the Kachin state where the Bible is not yet preached. As a result of preaching there a number of times, four churches 3. Church Planting are ready to be established in the KaChurch planting is also our top pri- chin state. The first church was ded iority. To this point, we have planted cated in October and a young Lisu three churches in Yangon, Kachin state preacher, by the name of Joe, preaches and China. We are also planning to plant at that new church. We plan to start the rest of the three new churches in the Kachin state as soon as possible. I have discovered that church planting in the rural areas costs less than in the urban areas. We will provide more information regarding these new churches in the Kachin state in the future. There are many new areas open to us for church planting. This includes Isaiah baptized six converts at the new China and India as well. In October a church planted in Kachin in October. Lisu Christian leader from India came to Myanmar to meet me. He shared a great deal of information regarding the another church in Yangon through Tin new harvest in India. It was very interMaung Win, a Burmese convert who esting. The fact is that the Lisu Chrisstudies at our seminary. We offer a tui- tians in northeast India are reaching tion-free class to the Buddhist children other national groups in that part of the in that community. The community country and seeing tremendous success gladly accepts our expression of the love for God's Kingdom. They want us to of Christ to them. The YCCS students be involved with them. It is another advolunteer in the teaching of the tuition- venture if the Lord willing. The leader free classes. Starting this semester, we also asked me if some students from also plan to conduct a Bible class for the India can come to study at our school children who attend our free tuition in Yangon. There are many challenges classes. That will be on every Saturday. to which we could respond in some We look for various opportunities to tell

possible way. 4. Conference From October 13th to 18th, I attended the Christian church conference in Myitkyina, Kachin state. Over sixty Christian leaders from all over the country participated. We discussed many important church issues and also drew up a church constitution at the request of the government. I will fly back to Myitkyina again on November 3rd to conduct a two day Bible seminar at the request of the Christian leaders there. I plan to return to Yangon by train on November 7th. Please pray for this. I will be teaching on the same subject: Crosscultural Ministry. Dear brothers and sisters, we thank you so much for being such a wonderful blessing to us. As you are always behind us, we are always in high spirits in all circumstances. Your

It was a great privilege to have an opportunity to speak at the Christian church conference in Myitkyina. love will be honored and the Lord's money will be faithfully handled. Last month our income went down more than $2000, but to your credit, you caught up with your regular giving so we will receive in full this month. Thank you very much for this! We promise you that we continue pressing onward to achieving the goals that
In His Service, Lazarus & Acha Fish MACM Yangon, Myanmar
Roger & Sandy Bossingham, MACM Forwarding Agents 1103 N. State St., Bloomington, IL 61701 309.827.6620 rsboss@gte.net