We learn from them.
Hearing about how poor these people are, or how difficult their lives have been under persecution, may tempt people to feel sorry for them. Spending time with them makes this difficult. Spending more time with them and getting to know them better, makes this impossible. They are not to be pitied; they are to be admired. Seeing how they take the little they have and do so very much and do it so well, is inspirational. This is what birthed this ministry. We don’t have a lot compared to many other churches, but we realized we could do more with what we have. We also found out we could learn from our brothers and sisters in Myanmar.
We pitch in and help with what they already do so well.
Our goal is not to Westernize them or to outfit them with all the things we have. What we are trying to do is help them do what they are already doing, so they can do more. The Apostle Paul told the Galatians we are to “do good unto all men, but especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Our resources go a long way.
Troy Hampton, D.O. is pictured here showing the boys how to mix three types of cream into one potent mixture. Dr. Troy traveled with us to Yangon in January 2014 and has since become our medical director. He is making plans for a return trip in February 2015.
These people are poor, it is true, but the reason we are helping them is because they are our brothers and sisters. They need our help. Many of their people are at the point of starvation. Others have no access to medicine. We were shocked when we learned so many of them languish in fits of Malaria year after year because they don’t have the few dollars it would take to treat them. For the price of one designer coffee, we could treat eight of our brothers and sisters and relieve them from their suffering. In January 2014, we brought a kind doctor who helped us understand these things. Troy Hampton, D.O., is now our medical director. He is working on a plan to bring aid and more professionals next year.
Knowing our brothers and sisters are doing so much good while having to endure so much hardship, has made it difficult to not to try to help. This has to be good.