IN SINGAPORE

THANKSGIVING

"Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together (Psalms 34:3)."

By the grace of God, I have finished my Master of Divinity from Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in the Philippines by September, 2008. Unfortunately, this time the seminary has no mini graduation. Thus, my graduation will be in April, 2009. I have planned to come back to the Philippines in April, 2009 for my graduation. Thank you very much for your prayer, encouragement and financial support. Without your help and support, my study will not be accomplished. May the good LORD abundantly bless you all!

PREACHING AT BAGUIO MYANMAR CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

Fellowship with Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary Students

TAMBOURINE DANCE, EVANGEL CHURCH, MYANMAR

FATHER'S LOVE LETTER VIDEO

GOOD NEWS

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SEPTEMBER BORN 2008

1. WIN NAING..........................SEPTEMBER 05, 2008
2. SAW MEE KHA......................SEPTEMBER 09, 2008
3. NAW THAN MU....................SEPTEMBER 10, 2008
4. SANDI MO MO SOE..............SEPTEMBER 11, 2008
5. DAW KHIN SANN.................SEPTEMBER 13, 2008
6. SALAI LON...........................SEPTEMBER 14, 2008
7. SAW KA BAW SAE................SEPTEMBER 20, 2008
8. THU YA SOE.........................SEPTEMBER 20, 2008
9. U KHIN MAUNG LWIN.........SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

MAY THE GOOD LORD ABAUNDANTLY BLESS YOU ALL!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AUGUST BORN 2008

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

August 01 Aung Moe Tun
August 09 U Soe Nyunt
August 12 Zaw Lay Thait
August 15 Chrisaenay
August 17 Nein Kyaw Lwin
August 17 Chaw Su Su Htwe
August 18 Zin Thi
August 21 Aye Nandar Kyaw
August 24 Fish Judson
August 26 Soe Moe Kyaw
August 27 Yazar Myo

MAY THE LORD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY ALL THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!

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WORDS FOR STRENGTH

Words for Strength

• The happiest people do not have everything in life. They just make the best of everything God provides. Stay happy.

• Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except those things outside the will of God. May all your days be filled with answered Prayers.

• The work may be difficult, long, and tiring, but continue on because God needs good hands like you to build his kingdom and this nation.

• There is no oil without squeezing the olives, no wine without pressing the grape, no fragrance without crushing the flower, so when things press you down God is taking out the best in you.
  

• It is by tiny steps that we ascend the stairs so lets not give up doing little things that will make us great to the top.

• The earth weighs 6.6 septillion tons do not make it heavier by carrying a heavy heart, so stay light. Life is beautiful. Keep smiling. God loves you.

• God set a place for you in his heart, and not in the world because the world is temporary but in God’s heart you are favored and blessed forever.

COMMUNICATING GOSPEL TO THE SLUM PEOPLE

The slum people have become the most important socially unreached people group in Yangon city. Not less than 95 per cent of these people are Buddhists. They have been overlooked for many years by the church. This paper, I have chosen two slum areas in Yangon city. One is Japantar and another is Insein Myo Thit. Japantar can be reached by taking just a 10 minute walk from my church and Insein Myo Thit can be reached by bus just in 30 minute. Therefore, it is a big challenge for us to reach out to them.

Location of Japantar

Japantar is situated between Baho Street and Thamine Myo Thit street, Manyangon Township, Yangon. It can be reached by taking just a 10 minute walk from my church, Evangel Church, Gyogon, Yangon.

Location of Insein Myo Thit

Insein Myo Thit is situated between Bayint-Naung Main Road and Hlaing River in Insein Township, Yangon Division, and it is illegal slum area.

Living Standard of Slum Areas

The people in these areas are homeless coming from the different places, settling together and have the different ethnics, different status, different life experiences, and living under property. Most, almost they are illiterates and hard labors. Saw Tint Sann Oo, one of the staff pastors of our church says, "Although not illiterate, they lack educational and economic backgrounds that would provide them with at least a normal income and fairly stable social life. But most of them earn their income by doing hard labor works. Many do not have permanent jobs." Some people are in debts because of lottery.

Zeyar Myo Tun, Sundady school teacher says, "Scolding, quarreling, gambling and playing cards are their daily normal life and habits. Most men are drunkard. They greet with one another by using harsh words unbearable to hear." Marital status and characters are very corrupt. Marriage and divorce for them are easily matters like drinking water and eating food.

Most their houses are huts and just 10 feet square wide where 4 or 5 people sleep at night. Some rented the house and at least they pay 3,000 Kyat (Myanmar currency) per monthly. They have no toilet. Flooded water or tide water can be found under their huts.

Khin Hnaung, Sunday School Teacher says, "They are poor, uneducated, without knowledge, only concerned with their daily living, unsatisfied, and not diligent in work. Their lives are full of jealousy and selfishness. Physically, they are dirty and some of them have some kind of sickness. They have no discipline and never take care of other people. Also they have no chance to finish their education, but start working in young age, find rubbish in prohibited area so police caught them and sometimes stayed 2, 3 weeks in the police station."

Ni Ni Swe, Children Ministry Director says, "The 25% of families can send at least 2 out of 3 children to school. And another 25% of families can send one out of 3 children to school. And the rest cannot send their children to school."

Biblical Foundation

Love

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our life for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth(1 John 3:16-18 NIV).

Indeed, Jesus came down from heaven and laid down his life for us because of love. The reason why Jesus left heaven's glory came to our world and died on the cross is to save all of us to give eternal life. As Jesus loved us, all believers should love one another, especially those who are difficult to love. According to the Galatians 5:22 and Romans 5:5, this love of God has now dwelt in our hearts like the first fruit of the Holy Spirit.

If I want to minister to a group of people, I must have genuine love for them. Without love, all of our efforts will be in vain (1 Cor. 13:3). The Scripture clearly teaches us that the greatest commandment in the law is to love our God with all our hearts as well as to love our neighbor as I love myself. By the parable of good Samaritan, Jesus teaches all believers that they must demonstrate their love by helping the needy even if they are their enemies (Lk. 10:25-37). To refuse to give our food, clothing or money to help others in real need is to close our hearts to them (Dt 15:7-11). Therefore, Let us demonstrate our love to the poor and needy as God Himself demonstrates His own love for us.

Ministry to the Poor

God's promise of the blessing for all people of the World was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. (Gen. 12:1-3; Mat. 11:2-6). When we read the term, "all nations," we surely understand that the poor and the needy are also among them. In the beginning of His ministry, Jesus went into the synagogue and declared, by quoting Isa. 61:1,2, that He was the one who had been anointed to preach the good news to the poor, to the prisoners, to the blind, and to the oppressed (Lk. 4:18-20). Every human being, whether rich or poor, is created by God and He wants all of them to be accountable to Him.[1] God wants not only rich people to be saved, but also the poor people to receive His eternal blessing.

Moreover, most of the slum people are poor and some of the families cannot provide themselves with sufficient daily meal. So if Christians plan to evangelize these people, besides preaching the Gospel, they will need to provide them with their physical and social needs.

According to the Mosaic law, I can plainly see that God has been concerned about the poor since the Old Testament time (Lev. 19:9; 25:35; Deu. 24:12-15; 26:12). Jesus also teaches all believers to share their passions with the poor people (Mat. 19:21; Lk. 12:33; 18:22). Humans are created by God to share in God's control over nature and to take care of creation (Gen. 1:28; 2:15). This has the important implication for believers to bring all of the poor people to Christ and to take a good care of them.[2]

Special Service

In my Church, there is a special service at 10:00am to 12:00noon every Sunday for new converts who come from the slum areas. It started two years ago. As they have low self-esteem, uneducated and very poor, they are afraid to approach the societies of educated or wealthy people. It is also true that sometimes, some wealthy and educated Church members look down on them and do not want to fellowship with them. If the Church provides a special service for them, they become more confident in themselves, and they feel free in worship because all the people who are worshipping the Lord are same status and same situation. Gradually, they can learn how to fellowship with each other among the community of God's people. After the service, the Church provides lunch for them on every Sunday.

Bible Study

After lunch, the Church provides one hour Bible Study for them. The new converts and non-believers can add in the Bible teaching. They can ask questions, they can report their prayer requests, and they can share their testimonies during Bible Study. This kind of Bible teaching is beneficial to them in the area of spiritual maturity. The Church will teach them the fundamental truth of the Bible to solve their problems.

Prayer

Prayer is the first and most important step in mission. It is the submission of ourselves to God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, Christians can intercede with God for the people they are going to evangelize. The power of prayer brakes all of the Satan's strongholds that hinder the people from accepting Christ.

Prayer is one of the effective tools for Evangelism. After preaching the Gospel to unbeliever, prayer is one of the miracles for him to become Christian. For instance, when I preach the Gospel to someone who is suffering from cancer, I would say, "Dear brother, if you give me an opportunity, I would like to pray for you, I am not able to heal you, but Lord Jesus can heal you whatever diseases you have." There are many testimonies of those who converted to Christianity touched by Jesus through healing or miracles.

Goal

Although I cannot and much not deal with every slum area at the same time in the beginning, the church goal must be "to win all slum areas in the whole city of Yangon for Christ." Donald A. McGavran gives us clear insight about goal setting:

The goal is not one single conglomerate church in a city or a region…That must be a cluster of growing, indigenous congregations every member of which remains in close contact with his kindred.[3]

After goal setting, the church must then choose one single segment of slum area which the church is going to concentrate. Also, the Church objective for evangelizing that particular segment must be to win the whole community so that the church can establish a congregation in which the converts can feel at home.

Child Care Ministry

Every slum community in Yangon city is characterized by a large number of children. Saw Tint Sann Oo says, "In one of the slums the Church is ministering especially to children. The Church has a children club every Saturday for them. Through them the Church can approach the parents, grandparents, etc. The Church provides them with their needs as long as the church has resources. These resources come from the members of our Church." The Church has two Children Ministry Buses to carry over 300 children from slum areas to the Church on every Saturday and Sunday.

Teaching and Feeding

Every Saturday 7:30-9:30 in the morning the Children Ministry provides 10 classes for children. There they teach Bible stories, Scripture passages, songs and preach the Gospel. Every Saturday Children Ministry feeds all children with nourishment food after the class. Phaw Phaw and Nge Nge says, "Every month the Church gives 2 Kg of rice per child to over 300 children who came to Sunday School. The Church sells rice and second hand clothes in low price for them." Regularly, Children Ministry conducts Children Camp during summer holidays.

Community Service Program

Micro Loan

This program has started Evangel Church Gyogon, Yangon since 1998. The purpose is to help the poor people by giving micro loans to start their small business. The Church gives micro loans for pig farming, small house shop, vegetable planting, tri-cycle business, and sewing machine and so on. They will pay back the loan with one year. They do not need to pay interest, but they must give tithes to the church from their profit. This program is one of the effective tools for evangelism. It can meet the felt needs of the poor people and they can survive without struggle for their daily meal.

Supporting Educational Fees

When Schools open, Ni Ni Swe says, "Children Ministry helps the children by providing their school fees; especially for those who cannot able to pay their school fees for their children and donors give stationery for children every year." However, Children Ministry cannot help every child for their school fees, but for primary students.

Free Clinic

Free Clinic opens every Friday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the evening at Evangel Church, Gyogon for poor people. The volunteer doctor who loves God provides medical treatment for them. The church and some believers contribute funds to buy all medicines needed for the clinic.

Renovation of Their Houses

Before the raining season, the Church renovates their huts. Senior Pastor, all ministers, deacons and youths are work together to fit their huts.

Reaching Out to the Families Home

Visitation and Home Cell

When the Church is ready to reach out to their homes, we must carefully plan for the visitations to all of their families. The main objective of visitation is to share with them the Gospel of Christ and to provide them with their needs such as rice, clothes, and health care. Then, at least once a month a minister will invite them to the preaching point to have fellowship with them, to share the Gospel with them and to eat the food with them. At the same time, a minister must do person-to-person witnessing so that our evangelism will be more effective. In Myanmar context, if the minister win the head of the household, it is almost certain that he will win the whole family.

Funerals

People in the slum area people are very poor. Consequently, if one of their family members dies, they have do not have any money to bury him or her. This is an opportunity for the Church and ministers to show the love of God in time of need. If the Church offers them what they need for the funeral, it will become an opportunity for us to preach the Gospel to them.

Training Lay People

The enormous task is laid before believers and so they will need more fellow workers in order to fulfill this task. Lay people in our Churches are valuable resources for the ministry. They can do many things that the pastors and other full time ministers cannot do.

McGavran says,

….effective evangelization is carried on by a joint effort by pastor and people. In it the pastor performs a small and very important percentage of the total work. The denomination or congregation today wishes to become effective in its proclamation of the gospel, it must inspire become ardent and well trained lay evangelists.

Therefore, Ministers must train the lay people in their Church so that they will be able to use their talent in the ministry and become the soul winners for Christ.

Weakness and Strengths

U Khin Maung Lwin, Secretary of the Evangel Church, Gyogon says, "There are 29 men and women, young and old converted from slum area between the years 2004 to 2007 in my Church." However, until now the church does not have a specific program to preach the good news to adults, although their Children learn the Bible Stories and even some of them have accepted Jesus. The Church needs a strategic evangelistic program to preach the Gospel to the adults without causing confusion. As far as the social service is concerned, the church need to be more focused with our target people group. For example, rather than distributing aids to 1000 people, it will be more effective to concentrate on 100 people in one place. Otherwise The church's help to them will not be effective. The church should be careful in engaging ourselves in social services and in preaching the gospel. Non-Christians should not see our social services as manipulation - buying converts.

Conclusion

As I discussed, there were some strengths and weaknesses in reaching out slum people. My Church can reach Children for Christ, but the church is not able to reach their family as a whole effectively. I understand that the successful ministry to slum people will depend upon our commitment to God and our love for the people. Our fervent intercessory prayer also plays an important role in the ministry. The power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the key for effective ministry. In addition, believers must know the worldview, the religious belief, the culture, and the felt needs of the people whom they are going to evangelize. Above all believers must totally submit themselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit in their ministry. May the good LORD richly blessed you all!

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[1] David S. Lim, Transforming Communities (Manila: OMF Literature Inc., 1992), 8.

[2] Ibid., 15-16.

[3] Donald A. McGavran, "A Church in Every People: Plain Talk About a Difficult Subject," in Perspective on the World Christian Movement, D 102.

Asia Pacific Theological Seminary

http://www.apts.edu/index.htm

Rev. U Myo Chit's Sermon

Rev. U Myo Chit's Sermon

Rev. U Myo Chit's Sermon

APTS LIBRARY

JESUS LOVES YOU!!!

APTS

MY VISIONS

1. Plant Churches

I have a vision to expand Evangelism based on the local Church according to the will of God. Especially, I have a burden for Myanmar People to receive the Salvation through Jesus Christ. The Union of Myanmar is one of the strongest Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is often referred to as the land of Pagodas because on every hill or mountain, in the cities or towns or villages, pagodas have been built by the pious Myanmar Buddhists. The main major religions in the country are Buddhism (82.90%), Christianity (8.7%), Islam (3.8%), Chinese (ancestor worshippers) (3%), traditional ethnic religions or other (0.4%) (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001:462). I have also a vision to plant Churches where there is no Christians Churches according to what Jesus said, “I will built my Church.”

2. Train Young People for the Ministry.

I feel God is calling me to do youth ministry. I have a vision to bring juvenile delinquents to Christ and I have also a vision to build up and equip the young people in my Church to grow physically, spiritually, and mentally in their lives.

3. Open a Library for Young People to improve their knowledge and wisdom in both secular and spiritual areas.

BIBLE TEACHING AT SUMMER CAMP 2008

I had an opportunity to go back to Myanmar during my summer holidays as God provided my travel fees. It was a good time to fellowship with my wife, my relatives, my friends, and my church members. I had an opportunity to teach the young peoples at Summer Thingyan Camp which conducted by my church during April 11 to17, 2008. I had also an opportunity to preach at Hlaing Thar Yar AG church, Word of Hope AG church and my church. This summer break was a great blessing for me and also my wife, my relatives, my co-workers and my church members. During that time, I had also completed my summer course of Exegesis of Ruth. I really thank God for giving me such a wonderful blessings.

SUMMER CAMP, APRIL 2008

SUMMER CAMP, APRIL 2008

2007 CHILDREN CHRISTMAS

CHILDREN FROM THE SLUM AREA

Friends from Manila

My Birthday, August 01,2008

My M.A in Ministry

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PRAYER REQUEST

1. Finish well my M. Div by September, 2008.
2. Visit to Singapore when going back to Myanmar
3. My Future Ministry

After Cyclone Nagis

Cyclone Nagis

Cyclone Nagis

Violent Cyclone Nagis Hit in in Myanmar

Violent Cyclone Nagis hit in in Myanmar

MAY 03,2008

Most people in Yangon did not believe the weather forecast news about Cyclone because they had no experience on it. They only saw and knew concerning the violent storm in TV, movies, photos and news papers. Before the cyclone, the government TV was announced the weather news. However, everybody did not think that cyclone would be strong. They thought it is just a blowing wind. Consequently, there were severely damaged in Two divisions and Three States in Myanmar after the cyclone. Nearly 20 millions people experienced the difficult situations in their lives. Even though, the cyclone hit only 12 hours, the devastation was so big in the cyclone effected areas. After the cyclone, every view points in that areas were totally changed. So many people were missing, many people were died, many tree were blocked the houses and roads, many houses were became roofless and even the advertisement sign boards were fell down.

Historically, this cyclone was very strong in Myanmar over100 years . Approximately over 70,000 people were died and over 1.5 millions people in Irrayawady Division have urgently needed shelters, foods, clothes, and clean water.
Half of my church, and our four stores multipurpose building's roofs with beams were flew away by Cyclone Nagis. Over 20 churches under our denomination in the cyclone effected areas were almost totally destroyed by it. Now, we are helping those churches by praying, encouraging, and supporting finances.

Please pray for our relief and development program and reconstruction of the collapsed churches in the cyclone effected areas. Thank you very much for your prayer and partnership for this mission projects.

My Testimony and Vision for My Future Ministry

My Testimony and Vision for My Future Ministry

I was born on the 1^st of August, 1971 in Yangon, Myanmar. Since my parents and all my close relative were Buddhists, I was raised in Buddhist family. In 1981, my father and mother accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through the ministry of an evangelist. When my parents became Christians, we, all the children, also joined them in attending Church on Sunday morning. However, I had not had an assurance of Salvation until I was 15 year old.

In 1985, the unexpected dead of my father in his immature age brought a financial crisis to our family. Furthermore, because of being Christian, we also experienced rejection from all of our close relatives. In the midst of those hardships, our house was bunt down when the fire broke out in our quarter. The fire consumed everything we had in our house including all my text books. It was the time I was about to take the Eight Standard Examination. At that time, I prayed to my Lord, Jesus, “Help me Oh! God, if you are alive, answer my prayer so that I may pass this exam with distinction.” God answered my prayer and I passed the exam with mathematics distinction. I saw what the Lord had done for me, I began to realize that Jesus Christ is a true God. At that moment, I knelt down and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.

After our house was bunt down, we took refuge in our intimate friends’ houses. My mother, sister and youngest brother took refuge in one house, my younger brother took refuge in another house and I took refuge in my Pastor’s house. Since we had no other help, we had to trust in God alone for our survival. God miraculously provided all our needs.

In 1989, I heard the calling of God to become a minister and I went to Evangel Bible Institute in Myitkyina to be equipped for my future ministry. After finishing my diploma in Theology courses I served as an associate pastor at Evangel Church, Gyogon. I also served as a treasurer of No.1, Yangon Section that is under D.C.3 from 1996 to 1998. Then I was elected as a treasurer of D.C.3 from 1999 to 2007. While ministering at Evangel Church, Gyogon, I had the opportunity to do my Bachelor of Science and M.A in Ministry. After finishing my M.A, and having served at the Church for 15 years, my General Council endorsed me to continue my M.Div. in Asia Pacific Theological Seminary so that I may be equipped to become more effective in my future ministry. Upon completion of my M.Div., I plan to return to Myanmar, and to plant Churches in Buddhist areas. I also have a plan to train young people for the ministry.

Your faithful prayer and partnership for my future ministry is deeply appreciated.

Thank you very much.

May the Lord richly bless you all!!!

Rev. Myo Chit and Myanmar Students

My Wife and I