Shalom! Greetings of peace in the love of the Lord!
Since late December, three rounds of elections have been held, concluding this past Sunday. Fortunately, there were no major security threats, but the public's response has been cold. Most of the international community has also labeled these elections a "sham" and is raising its voice to reject the results.
Tomorrow, February 1st, marks the 5th anniversary of the military coup. Fierce fighting between the military and resistance forces continues, especially around strategic military zones in the north. Please pray earnestly that the "Spring of Democracy" will soon arrive in this land, so that all ethnic groups can live with dignity and coexist in peace.
Ramadan, the month of fasting, begins on February 18th and runs through March 19th. You can join us in praying for East Asian Muslims through the prayer guide provided below. Also, a 30-day prayer guide for the R-people is currently in the works—Coming soon!
From February 18th to March 19th, we observe the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. We ask you to join your hearts with us in prayer for East Asian Muslims using the guide shared below. We are also preparing a special 30-day prayer guide for the R-people, so please stay tuned for that as well.
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.- Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV)
In odd-numbered months, we share stories of the R-people, and in even-numbered months, we provide updates on our own journey. (These stories are collected through the R-people workers' network: pray4rohingya.org)
God is Not Stingy
“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong & mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!” – Psalm 24:7-8, 10
One morning, my very first thought upon awakening, before my feet even hit the ground, was “God is not stingy. In fact, He pours Himself out freely.” I had been in and out of the hospital all week with *Nurria and *Mina, feeling stressed & exhausted, but simultaneously feeling so blessed that they trusted me enough to welcome me into very vulnerable spaces. Both women expressed how, apart from their husbands, they and their children felt most comfortable with me – praise God.
This week spent at the hospital opened my eyes to the injustices our Rohingya friends navigate daily. Mina, after having an emergency C-section, was ignored for 2 days when she asked to meet her baby. She didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl, and didn’t know where her baby was. “I keep asking, but they are ignoring me”, she said through tears in her eyes. There is a great need for advocacy, translation, and midwives/doulas who speak the language.
The same day I woke up with this thought, God unexpectedly discharged Mina and her baby from the hospital 3 days earlier than expected, made the bill less than we expected, and provided the additional funds needed.
God is not stingy. He is strong and mighty in battle. Even more than His providence physically, He has provided spiritually. May our Rohingya friends see His provision not only physically but spiritually. He has poured it all out, that they may ask & receive– that the King of glory may come in!
NEWS & PRAYER
Noor Mentoring Center
The R-people teenagers we connected with during our Christmas gathering have been visiting the Noor Center to learn English. Beyond simply teaching the language, we are incorporating activities such as HTP (House-Tree-Person) drawing tests to support their emotional well-being. Through this process, we are gradually learning about their inner hearts and difficult family situations, allowing us to empathize with them more deeply.
However, maintaining consistent meetings is a challenge, as many of these children often have to leave for work to help support their families or move away suddenly. Please pray with us that our meetings will continue uninterrupted and that we can build lasting, meaningful relationships. We pray that the Lord’s love, felt through these warm connections, will gently open the doors of their hearts.
Starting in February, we plan to renovate the center into a small library in collaboration with an NGO. Our vision is to run reading coaching programs that naturally share a Christian worldview and to train coaches to become disciples of the Lord. Please pray for wisdom as we select the necessary books, work on translations, and prepare the physical space. Above all, we ask for your prayers that the human and material resources needed to carry out this ministry will be provided abundantly.
Prayer
