An Opportunity in Doom
By Kimberly Rae Thigpen
“They fight every day. They kill every day, killing a lot. All the young people also, the children even, they kill. So we are really afraid to go out anywhere. My area is under martial law. We cannot go out after six o’clock when it gets dark. Better to hide in our house. If we hear gunfire, we hide and turn every light off. Even a candle. Everything off.”
Philip, Myanmar
Myanmar, large compared to neighbors Bangladesh and Laos, comparable to neighboring Thailand and India, and tiny below bordering China, is a country of over 100 ethnic groups and famed for a sixth-century, Shwedagon Pagoda. Beautiful, golden, full of Buddhist relics, the pagoda perhaps symbolizes the country, at least as it once was.
Known as Burma until renamed by the military in 1989, the Myanmar of today is less famed for beauty or religion than the violence that has claimed the land. Its 54 million inhabitants are caught up, by choice or not, in what has become a civil war.
Myanmar is no stranger to invasion or forced rule. After gaining independence from Britain in 1948, it was under rule of its own armed forces from 1962 until 2011. A new government brought new hope, but 2017 saw hopes crushed when the Rohingya minority were killed by the thousands, and nearly a million fled as refugees.
In February of 2021, the military took the country in a coup. Philip*, Source of Light’s DTB Director in Myanmar, is living through what the United States Secretary of State has called a “reign of terror.” During the very limited time of electricity, he had for the day, “thirty minutes… maybe two hours, three hours, then off,” as he said, Philip met with Regional Director Scotte Staab over Zoom. He shared, “The killing is continuing. The military government cannot support the military soldiers and bullies. They cannot get the salary from the government, so they take away the things from the people. Not only do they rob things, but if they see the ladies, they rape, and then not only that, they burn the houses and buildings. A lot of buildings and a lot of houses.”
“Soldiers and police have become terrorists. They should be the protectors of the people in the country; however, they are hurting instead and becoming enemies of the people.”
A documentary would add foreboding music to the background as Philip states, “All these things are going on and going on, till today.”
Schools have been closed for two years. According to Philip, who knows firsthand, “All offices are unable to run properly. The country’s current power is unstable. Many people lost their jobs as most of the big companies could not run properly without electricity.”
And then there’s Covid, which has been infecting and killing along with the military. “Furthermore,” adds Philip, “we are facing one more obvious problem, which is famine.”
The list of tragedies is long, but not over. Civilians rose up in response to the coup and created a militia. “They take up guns and they form a PDF – People Defend Force,” says Philip. “In every village and every town, they form themselves. All the businesses support them. So right now, the situation is the bullies and soldiers are fighting with the people. This is a big problem.”
There’s risk staying home, but more risk going out. The color red represents the democratic party, so they have to be careful not to wear any red, not even on their masks or in their hair, and also not to have any photos on their cell phones that include someone giving the three-finger sign against the government.
How can anyone have any kind of ministry in such a war zone? “Right now, it is not easy to have a ministry in Myanmar,” Philip shares. “Many times, I think to myself to keep quiet and stop ministry by not doing many things. As a human being, I am afraid of going out, sharing the Gospel, and visiting . . . since there are strict restrictions announced by the military and the infection of Omicron.”
“On the other hand,” he continues, “the Lord speaks to me through Scripture: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).”
For a season, Philip and his fellow workers had open doors. In 2015, Myanmar became a democracy, giving them more freedom for missionary work. He shared about an unbeliever, Mala, who hated Christians and was very much against anyone sharing the Gospel with her. But one day she somehow got a Source of Light Bible lesson. She read it, and God changed her heart. Mala came to Christ.
But what about now? Philip shares that people are struggling mentally and physically, and there is much despair. “People are searching for security and peace,” he says, “but they cannot find it in the world and can never be satisfied.” He quotes the words of Jesus, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you (John 14:27).
The Myanmar DTB continues translation work, currently translating A Country Called Heaven, though getting the text onto the computer is a slow process with their limited power. Philip assures us that his family is currently safe. They go out short distances and for short amounts of time. He can contact ministries through the Internet, when and if it is on. “Online we normally share with each other. Sometimes we call by phone to pray and encourage, two to three minutes, and then we pray for them.
“Those I contact [among the lost], they are really blind, so very sad. They just stay at home. They cannot go out at all, so they are much more depressed, more than me, so we can encourage them.
“Before the political crisis and pandemic, the majority of people never liked to listen to the Gospel. However, now people like to listen to the Gospel as they acknowledge that only God can give everlasting life, peace, and joy.”
“Therefore, we should not give up. We may not be preaching to a big crowd but a small group or sharing with personal evangelization. People need the Lord. I just visited a very extreme Buddhist family and shared the Gospel. Before when we visited, they wouldn’t accept anything we said. This time, we sat together, and we shared with them, and they listened carefully and asked about the Lord Jesus Christ. They accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. They have a desire to study more the Word of God. They are taking SLM lessons and studying every night. I am baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19.”
“This is really wonderful. Everybody asks, where is the peace? Who can they ask? They are really scared. That is the Gospel opportunity.”
It is, as Philip terms it, “an opportunity in doom.”
Please pray for Philip, for his family, for all the missionaries continuing on through unimaginable difficulties. They need much courage and much wisdom. Pray for Myanmar, for peace, and for stability in the government. Pray for more open doors, even now, especially now, for the Gospel. Pray for provision for his family and the ministry’s financial needs in this time of crisis.
“I encourage myself; I should not stop,” Philip says, “even though we are facing hardship and difficulties.”
Indeed, greater is He that is in Philip, than he that is overtaking Philip’s country. “All the time,” Philip says, “My stand is on the Word of God. All the time.”
