Last year the Partners in Mission resource material highlighted the ministry of the Salvation Army in Myanmar. Formerly known as Burma, the country is one of our partner territories, relying on us for both financial and prayer support. We are grateful for the generous response to the fund-raising campaign but would now call on all Salvationists to uphold the country in prayer.
The people of Myanmar live a hand to mouth existence. When fuel prices suddenly rocketed beyond the income of the average citizen a small protest began; a protest that has grown to thousands and gained international attention. Led by the maroon clad monks, crowds in the thousands have joined the protest calling for democracy and the end of the military repression. There are growing fears that the military junta will respond as they did during the 1988 uprising that left more than 3,000 dead.
The Salvation Army has had a presence in Myanmar since 1915 faithfully witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ. During the past decade the Salvation Army has seen significant growth despite the fact that Christianity is a minority and the decision to be a follower of Jesus comes at tremendous personal cost.
We do not know the extent to which our Salvationists friends in Myanmar have been affected or involved by the protests of the past month. We do know that it is at such a time as this that we are called to prayer trusting that God is at work in ways we may not understand or perceive.
General Clifton has called the Army internationally to pray for victims of Human Trafficking. Myanmar is considered a source country for men, women and children to be sold to countries in Asia for both the sexual exploitation as well as forced labor and also a transit country, moving trafficked victims through from China. You may want to take time to once again view the DVD received last year in the resource package. Should you no longer have the DVD from the 2007 Partners in Mission resource package available the video is available on You Tube (search for pim07).
As you enter into prayer this weekend we ask that you remember our friends in Myanmar. They are relying on our prayers; let us not let them down.