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Recent visits from Open Doors' partners show the hope of Jesus is still on the move in areas destroyed by an earthquake.
When a massive earthquake struck Myanmar in late March, Open Doors' partners immediately leapt into action thanks to your gifts and prayers. Because of our long-term partnerships in the country, Christians were able to find urgent help right away—and know there would be help and resources to grow in faith that go beyond the initial catastrophe.
But after the immediate needs are taken care of, oftentimes, Christians following Jesus in places where faith in Christ is costly need more personal support. And here, too, your gifts and prayers have made a huge difference! In recent weeks, Open Doors' local partners and volunteers have visited affected regions ... to provide aid, but mostly to sit, pray, cry, and hope with Christians in Myanmar—reminding them they aren't alone.
"No one came to see us; even my relatives who are in another region didn't come. It means a lot to us, and we have received much courage through your visits."
Local Believer
They met with many families affected by the earthquake. They report that the air is still filled with the stench of decaying bodies buried under the debris, making even breathing a constant reminder of the disasters. Some of our partners and volunteers found it hard to keep from crying as they saw the devastation and the conditions people are living in. But they knew that their presence—and their prayers—could help bring hope and healing to so many.
Along the way, they also saw how God worked miracles even in the midst of the pain.
One local pastor, Pastor Nay*, explained the situation he witnessed during and in the aftermath of the earthquake. He knows it's only by God's grace that he and his household are alive—and that this miracle has given his church community the chance to live out the Great Commission.
"If the Lord's hand had not held onto the foundation and the poles of our house, it would have been destroyed, and we all would have been dead," Pastor Nay says. "Whatever aid we are receiving from local churches, we are sharing with people from other faiths, too. We praise God that He gave us the opportunity to serve them."
Another pastor shared that around 40 children were rehearsing for a program the day the earthquake struck. "Usually, they stayed longer after rehearsal, but that day they left early," he says. "The earthquake struck shortly after that, and the roof of the church caved in. God has spared the lives of the children. This reminds us that God is sovereign over our lives."
Pastor Aung*, another church leader who ministers in an area affected by the devastation, says that people are fearful and need trauma counseling, but currently they cannot leave their communities. He helped distribute aid on Palm Sunday and reflected on the opportunity to serve.
"It reminds me that this is the time we serve others with humility just like Jesus, who rode on a donkey with humility on this very day," he says. "It is a God-given opportunity for us."
However, church leaders and their families are also affected by the devastation of the earthquake. "We met many pastor's wives, and they shared with us about how traumatized they were because of the earthquake," says one Open Doors' partner. "They are afraid to sleep inside their homes. Life had been difficult because of the ongoing civil war, and now the earthquake has made it tougher.
"Pastors are often occupied with helping the affected people around their localities, [and] they find it hard to prioritize their own families," he continues. "Their wives, on the other hand, end up having more responsibilities [to meet] the needs of their families, especially their children, which is very challenging. We were able to minister to them, encourage them, and affirm that they have an important role in God's ministry. They began smiling after hearing that."
Additionally, church leaders have shown tremendous courage even as they've been directly impacted by the earthquake. Another local partner, Ma Thiri*, witnessed this reality firsthand. "My heart broke when I saw Christian leader Han's* house, which was destroyed by the earthquake," she says. "The leaders of his church association suggested he move to another location, but he refused, saying, 'I cannot leave other members who are like my family.'"
Open Doors' partners were inspired to see how Christians in Myanmar cared for each other, even as a civil war makes daily life uncertain. One pastor happily explained how his church has been served by a group of young believers.
"These youngsters came from another area that was less affected by the earthquake, though their areas are continuously affected by the civil war," he says. "They stayed with us and helped clean the church."
Open Doors' local partners saw churches coming together and helping people in need; they have noticed an increase of unity among different denominations since the earthquake.
One local partner was delighted that he could see how God's hands are working in the lives of believers affected by the earthquake. "Though this is a difficult time, we feel more blessed because earlier, we were struggling to earn a simple daily meal for our families, but now with churches helping us after the earthquake, we at least have more food on the table, without the regular struggle," shares one believer. "Though we do know this food will not last a long time, we are very grateful to the Lord for His provision."
Even the journey to visit the affected areas had its share of miracles. "God opened the roads for us," shares Win Tin, an Open Doors local partner. "Many people warned about the traffic jams of two or more hours as roads were damaged, but there was no traffic jam for us as we traveled," he says. "We got out of the vehicle we were traveling in so that it could cross a bad spot on the road. Just as we got down [from the vehicle], we felt tremors, and our heads started spinning. Later, we got an earthquake alert on our phones."
Despite the difficulties with logistics and the danger of more earthquakes, these Open Doors partners have been able to reach out to the affected Christians, standing alongside them with relief and the ministry of simple presence.
"No one came to see us; even my relatives who are in another region didn't come," says one local believer about the visits. "It means a lot to us, and we have received much courage through your visits."
And of course, we must continue to stand in prayer with God's people in Myanmar—our family—as they stand for Him in disaster. Here's how you can pray:
*Names changed for security reasons
