Greetings

Hope you are doing well. Please accept our greetings from BLC.

We would like to share with you our ministry updates for the months of April to July 2024. I am writing this news update from Yangon. I came here to get connected with all of you and the outside world, and to let you know how God is working in us and through us. The internet and phone lines are out in Myitkyina, causing all sorts of problems. All emails, online communications, and online payment systems have stopped working. Currently, most local banks and many businesses are closed due to the lack of internet connectivity

In the past, I thought fuel shortage could cause significant problems for people. However, after experiencing an internet outage for three weeks, I now believe it is much more difficult to live without the internet than without fuel.

Anyway, God is so great and faithful to us. As usual, we are all safe and doing well. BLC continues to serve local churches and language communities through translation work and various training programs.

In this news update I shared brief about the following topics-

• Trauma healing ministry updates
• Bible Translation progress
• Servant leadership workshops
• Progress update of Rada (B) Church of Christ construction
• Family evacuation plan
• and Final greetings

We hope you can join us praising the Lord for all the things He has done in Myanmar.

Trauma healing ministry updates.

Hakha and Tedim translation- first draft completed. Tedim Chin, translation is also going well, and it is near completion. Hakha TH facilitators are so ready for advanced equipping training. We are aiming to provide additional training ‘Advanced equipping training’ both Hakha and Tedim Chin leaders within the next few months. Once the training is completed, we plan to run over 40 healing groups among these language groups. We are planning to run one advanced workshop in Myitkyina in late Aug and we are planning to bringing several Hakah and Tedim facilitators to Myitkyina.

Catholic Team- Catholics trauma healing team continue to run more workshops. The team is now ready to run an advanced equipping training more Catholic leaders and Nuns. We are planning to run one or two advanced equipping workshops (perhaps one in Mandalay and one in Yangon). After that we expect the program will grow even stronger among the Catholic Churches in Myanmar

Despite many challenges, God is enabling us to continue this ministry. And it is still growing, particularly, we are seeing the program growing among several Churches in Yangon area, and also several large mission organizations, (including YWAM and CBN) are taking up the ministry keenly. Our ministry partner, DAI, continue training many Christian leaders not only in Myanmar but also across neighboring country-Thailand. We are so thankful for their dedication and involvement in Trauma healing ministry in Myanmar.

DAI and Yangon Trauma Healing team; I plan to visit DAI-Myanmar office today, 8th Aug, to visit a workshop happening this week there. I hope to catch up with several active facilitators. Yangon Trauma healing team is going very strong and they are planning to run one advanced training themselves in September.

Kachin State team- Trauma healing ministry has somewhat slowed down in Kachin state. The main reason being-civil war! However many equipping/healing workshops are still happening at BLC and in and around Myitkyina. But due to internet and phone connection outage, it become much more difficult to communicate and continue the ministry.

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Prayer request for Trauma Healing ministry in Myanmar

1. Ongoing translation work on Trauma healing material into Hakha Chin Language. The team conducted more than 5 healing sessions already and the translation- first draft completed.
2. To be able to start the translation of Trauma healing material into Tedim Chin Language. The translation has started and it is going so well and near completion of the first draft.
3. We run out of Trauma healing funds in March (completely). We need funds immediately and pray that two trauma healing proposals we submitted foundations in US will be approved soon. We will need funds to continue Trauma healing ministry starting from May. Praise the Lord, God has answered our prayers and both foundations in US have granted fundings.
4. We are planning to run Myanmar-Trauma healing celebration event either in 7-11 or 21-25 OCT this year. During the celebration we will certify 15 Master facilitators for adults’ program, 5-6 Master facilitators for Children’s program. We are planning to run an advance training for 10-14 Teens’ Facilitators before or after the celebration. Please pray for this work-plan and God’s provision. Due to current political situation in Myanmar, we are considering the conduct these training in Thailand. We maybe brining several TH trainers and funding partners from US and several other key leaders from US and Australia to participate in the events. This is still an ongoing prayer needs.
5. We want to run two advanced training workshops in Aug, please pray that David will have time to organize and will be able to train more new facilitators. One advanced workshop will take place during 29 Aug to 2nd Sept at BLC, Myitkyina.

Record-breaking children and teen Trauma healing workshops (Kachin State)

Trauma healing programs for Children and teens are growing rapidly. Several local children ministry centers are requesting help to train children and teens at the respective centers. The news about how effective and transformational the Trauma healing program continues spread and we are getting more request from children centers.

Recently we got a request from Agape Children center, run by Chinese Christians in Myitkyina. For us it was like a full-scale operation- we sent 20 facilitators, running 11 healing sessions (4 Teens and 7 children healing camps) for over 166 children. What truly amazing and which I am thanking God for is that facilitators came together from 8 Christians denominations/churches coming together for the week and joining in the service of the Lord. This is so beautiful, and I am thankful for the way God is bringing different denominations to work and partner together for building God’s kingdom together.

There were many challenges running these workshops- the weather was so hot during the week, but the team worked so hard. You may see one of the workshop pictures, that one teens group using the shade to continue their lessons. Initially, they were assigned to one the rooms in top floor of the building, but the heat became unbearable on that day, they decided to run the class under the trees. Our facilitators are using every opportunity they had in order to reach out to many precious children. We are thankful for such dedication from our facilitators.

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Bible Translation.

Consultant checking; Due to a heavy flooding in JULY we cancelled our trip to Thailand to do a consultant checking of 1st Corinthians. But we were able to check via Zoom for a week (8-12 JULY), got to meet a new Consultant two CIT (consultant in training). We were able to work through up to chapters 10 during our online session. We found the book of 1st Corinthians so interesting and many new things to learn. The Duru team enjoyed so much checking through the book of 1st Corinthians. We spent another week (15-19 JuL) working through all the remaining consultant notes from chapters 1-10. Soon after we sent our answers to the consultant there was complete internet outage and we can no longer do the checking using online system.

The Consultant has sent us her questions from chapters 11-16 as well and we were able to sit and work through them during 22 JULY to 6th AUG (two weeks). Since we are so used to internet and internet base systems, even for the work of Bible Translation, it was probably the most difficult week for us, as a team, to work through all these questions. We can no longer do send/receive program, all changes need to be copy and paste from computer to computer. And also we were completely cut off from social media, war news and phone connection with friends and relatives as well. But we are thankful for God’s strength and support, we were able to check consultant’s notes from 1st Corinthians Chapters 11-15. Indeed we want to finish (chapter 16) all the chapters before my trip to Yangon, but due to many work related activities and trip plannings- we were unable to work on the last chapter of 1st Corinthians. We have now sent our answers to consultant, it made me feel so great!

Prayer request; Please continue to prayer for Duru translation team. It has become more difficult to focus on the work due to fighting that are taking place in many places. Please pray for David particularly. It is his desire to finish it as soon as possible (may be in the next 3 years’ time) and move on to other ministries God has for him.

Servant Leadership workshops (with DAI)

We thankful to the Lord that we can continue to serve local churches by offering the ‘Servant Leadership’ Training. DAI international has been so supportive and continue to provide financial support toward this ministry. BLC is so grateful to the partnership of DAI.

Our plan for this year 2024 is to run 18 servant leadership workshops, all these workshops are financially supported by DAI. BLC is able to partner with DAI, by providing leadership, facilities at BLC and overseeing various workshops and facilitators. All these workshops are happening as planned. We will try to send you workshops update soon.

From May to August- we were able to conduct 5 Servant leadership workshops- two workshops at the Kachin Theological seminary and three workshops (including one part-2 workshop) at BLC. I didn’t have time to look at the feedback and testimonies from the leaders, but here are some workshop pictures.

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Construction of Rada (B) church of Christ

We can now call an END to this project. We are so thankful and how God has provided the need for the Church. Rada B- Church of Christ leadership are so thankful to all the donors and people who were involved with raising funds.

With your generous donations- we were able to purchase a brand-new generator, all the brick works, interior work (such as new stage), aluminum windows, main entrance door and four side large doors, and also the front part of the building. The church looks much nicer now. On the 28th of July, a church pastor donated a large pig, and we had a thanksgiving lunch after worship service. The Church made special prayers for the all the donors and people who were involved in this construction project. We were able to raise approximately about 56000USD (20000$ from outside donors and 36000$ from local donors), with the exchange rate of 1$ to 3350K.

The Church construction is not 100% completed yet, what remain are road construction inside the compound, ceiling work, painting, and interior electrical wire installation. But we want the construction work at this phase because we run out of funds to continue. We also want to encourage the church to continue by their own offering the remaining parts. We want to thank God and thank you for your love and support toward this need. We want to thank DAI for their leadership, friendship and all of their wonderful supports which made this project so successful. May God bless you all.

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Family Evacuation plan

We are all doing well by the grace of God. We are happy that all our children can continue their education in Myitkyina. All of them are improving their English proficiency, and most importantly, they love the school so much. Though the high inflation rate is not good for the local economy, it has been helpful for us in covering our school fees. Although there is high inflation, the exchange rate from US dollars to Myanmar kyats has changed significantly before and after the military coup. Three years ago, the exchange rate was 1 USD to over 1,000 K, but now it is over 4,000 K per dollar (as of today, the exchange rate is 1 USD = 5,500 K). I am sharing this to let you know how God is helping us and how something good is coming out of such a difficult situation for our own good.

Move to Yangon for a year or two? The situation in Myitkyina is not getting better, as in many other parts of the country. We are noticing war building up near Myitkyina. Some news is spreading that the town may be attacked by October. We hope this is just false news, but we need to be alarmed and start preparing for the worst possible situations. Local churches are constructing temporary tents and camps outside of the town. The problem we are facing in Myitkyina seems to be the unpredictability of the future and not knowing what to do or what to prepare for.

Internet outage in all of Kachin State: Another factor adding to our existing unpredictable situation (and people’s anxiety) is the complete internet outage since July 21st. All three phone lines have also stopped working. This week, the MPT phone line was partially restored, which means there is phone connectivity in one or two areas in Myitkyina. However, it is still difficult for calls to go through; you normally have to dial several times for your call to connect. If the situation continues, it will become difficult for us to continue all our ministry activities in Myitkyina.

Therefore, we are considering whether we should move to Yangon for a year or two. This will allow us to stay with peace of mind, continue our translation work, oversee all the trauma healing workshops, and enable our children to continue their studies with full concentration. My wife favors this plan and has been praying earnestly about it. However, moving to Yangon is not easy for us. Safety-wise, it would be a good decision, but the cost of living would be challenging for us. After much consideration and prayer, I also would like to consider living in Yangon for one or two years. Once the situation improves in Myitkyina, we can easily move back anytime. By doing so, we can have peace of mind, regular internet access, and our children can experience living in a large city like Yangon. There are several ILBC schools in Yangon. We hope that moving the kids from Myitkyina to Yangon or vice versa shouldn’t be too difficult, since all ILBC schools use the same curriculum throughout the country.

One major concern with the plan to move to Yangon is the cost of house rent. Since we are planning for a temporary stay (one year), it would be good to get a furnished apartment or condo, so we only need to buy essential household items. After talking to a few friends, some suggested that we may need to prepare $700-$1,000 per month for rent alone to get a three-bedroom apartment or condo. The rent needs to be paid upfront for 12 months. For local transportation in Yangon, we can use local taxis or buses. However, if we need a car for convenience and cost-cutting, I am thinking of selling the truck in Myitkyina so that we can purchase a smaller car here in Yangon.

[This section was added after the newsletter of sent out. This information provides how much financial gifts have been received so far.]
We now have 450USD (from three different donors)- promised to support for 12 months. As more funds come in, I will keep one updating it here.

Initially, I planned to return to Myitkyina on the 10th, but I have extended my stay in Yangon until the 13th (Wednesday). I have many emails to catch up on and many things to discuss with our ministry partners in Yangon and other parts of the world. I would also like to start sharing this family’s needs and wait a few more days to see how God answers our prayers for this particular need. Please let us know in any way you want to support for our family needs. If we think, we would be able to raise enough fund in near future, I plan to go ahead and starting planning to move my family to Yangon soon, perhaps in August or September.

Final greetings

Due to often internet outage and very unstable political situation, we may be slow in communicating with you. But we will still appreciate your regular prayer support.

Despite the many difficulties and fighting around us, God is keeping us safe. We have become accustomed to the sounds of bombings and occasional gunfire. Our daily conversations now revolve around how many military posts have been taken, how many villages have been burned down, and how many people have been killed. It is a very worrying situation, but no matter what, our God is in control. We have slowed down some of our workshops’ activities at BLC due to difficulties in communication and travel, but we are still continuing with our translation work. Please continue to pray for God’s protection and direction for our family and BLC ministries. Pray that we and BLC would be agents of change and channels of blessings for many churches and communities in Myanmar. We are so thankful for your partnership and prayers. Thank you also for reading this newsletter and remembering us in your prayers. We are able to serve God in this way because of His unending mercy and grace. It is also very special that God has called us and given us a purpose to serve Him. Thank you once again for serving the Lord alongside us.

Due to frequent internet outages and the very unstable political situation, our communication with you may be slow. However, we still greatly appreciate your regular prayer support.

Please accept our warmest regards for you and your family.

Yours in Christ,
BLC and Sangdong’s family
August 2024.