BLOG
Our team just returned from Myanmar and had an awesome visit. We are happy to report that the children are doing well. They are growing and gaining weight and were really quite healthy. We have lots of pictures to share as we get them organized and will post them here and in our media section soon. Stay tuned….
Ruth, Sharon, Anna and Peter
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Charles Bauss, one of our founding partners, dear friend to Living Hope, and "grandfather" to the children of our ministry has gone home to be with the Lord. Charlie was a spiritual mentor and generous donor to Living Hope Myanmar. His faith in Jesus Christ was a testimony to all who met him, and his wise counsel to this ministry can never be replaced. He was quick with a joke or an encouraging word to his friends and family, and was a devoted student of scripture. He will be missed dearly by his four children and their spouses, his fifteen grandchildren, and his two great grandchildren, but especially by his wife of 60 years, Dorothy. Thank you Charlie for a life well lived! Well done good and faithful servant.
Abraham, Charlie, Dorothy, and Esther in the US in June 2018
Esther and Abraham are here in the US and are enjoying a time of refreshing and blessing. Their 10 day visit has been highlighted by meeting many of you, seeing some sites, planning for the ministry, and sharing their stories and their hearts with us. Please pray for them to be recharged, refreshed, and filled with encouragement as they enjoy this opportunity to be poured into by so many who love them!
We were recently blessed with a donation from Mark Rice of "Rice's Shoes of Battle Creek". Mark gave us a huge box of brand new tennis shoes, hiking shoes, and sandals for the children!! There is enough for each child to get al least a pair and the sizes were perfect. Shout out to Mark and his heart for the children. Please thank him if you shop there or see him in church!
The children started back at school this past week. The summer break flew by, but they were excited to see their friends again and try out their new backpacks. Please keep them in your prayers as they launch into a new year of challenges. They take their studies seriously and work hard. The picture shows Phillip, James, and Benjamin.
Thank you, Dress a Girl Around the World! The girls of Bethlehem Children’s Home were the happy recipients of beautiful dresses made by this 501(c)3 organization. It is a ministry of women who share a passion for sewing and sharing God’s love by creating dresses for girls all over the globe that may not otherwise have one. As their website states, “We dream of a world in which every girl has at least one new dress. We want girls to know that they are worthy of respect, and that they are loved by God.” This talented group of women hope to send the message that each dress is made with extravagant love and care and is as unique as the child who will ultimately own it. That message came across loud and clear as you can see by the girls’ smiles and sense of joy as they modeled their brand new dresses. Dress a Girl Around the World, sharing the love of Jesus in Myanmar, one dress at a time.
Just to refresh your memory, the old dining hall was a small thatched hut that nearly collapsed at the end of the last rainy season. Cooking was done over an open fire and the building often flooded. Construction began last summer on a replacement and the the project is now finished!
Through the generous donations of several of our faithful partners, we were able to complete the dining room project and provide good quality appliances, cupboards, screens, lighting and fans. This building will serve nearly 100 meals per day and provide a place to study in in the evenings. What a blessing!
Breaking News.....Abraham is now married! Sui Pi, a family friend, and Abraham were married in the Chin state on April 21st. The couple travelled back to the Children's Home this past weekend, where a celebration was held for family, friends, and the children. They will reside there in a renovated portion of the boy's dorm and both will be part of our ministry team. We welcome Sui Pi to our family and celebrate "what God has joined together". We can't wait to meet her in January.
105 degrees and 100% humidity. Oh yeah, and 8 feet of rain in the next 5 months! That's summer in Myanmar. The garden is in full bloom and fresh veggies and herbs are on the menu at Bethlehem Home. Shout out to Uncle David for his suggestions and consultation with Abraham to modify the protective covering of the garden to limit the sun and rain damage. Check out the results!
Summer break has officially started in Myanmar. While school has finished for three months, the learning for the kids is pressing ahead. English school at Bethlehem Home has officially started. Three days a week for 2 hours each session the children are breaking into groups by ability and learning English. Two teachers from Cetana (a US based ministry for English instruction) are being assisted by Esther and Abraham, who have been certified in the Cetana method. The children are very excited to learn English and will eventually possess a skill that is highly valued in Myanmar. Thank you for your support and please pray for the children as they do the hard work to learn a new language.
