Participants: Jaime Jorge
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000052A
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00:02 Welcome to Myanmar.
00:04 I am standing on the bank 00:06 of the Delta region of this country 00:07 and as we look out on to the river, 00:09 this plays an integral part 00:11 in the lives and economy of the people in this country, 00:14 through fishing as well as transportation. 00:18 90% of the people in this country 00:20 practice Buddhism. 00:22 In fact Myanmar is one of the most 00:23 religious Buddhist countries in the world. 00:27 When looking at the proportion amongst the people, 00:30 population as well as the amount of income 00:34 that they spend on religion. 00:37 This presents a great challenge to the mission 00:40 of the Seventh-day Adventist church here in Myanmar. 00:43 But this is beginning to change slowly. 00:45 Adventist education plays a central role 00:50 in the spreading of the gospel in Myanmar. 00:53 But challenge is 00:55 that a decent education is expensive, 00:58 most people can't afford it. 01:00 But this is where an organization like Asian Aid 01:03 has such a great deal of impact. 01:06 They are concerned and committed 01:08 to the welfare of children in need here. 01:11 Join me on a journey as we see what Asian Aid 01:16 is doing to strengthen and further the mission 01:19 of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Myanmar. 01:36 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 01:39 an organization fostering permanent positive change 01:42 in the lives of disadvantaged children 01:44 and their communities, an organization 01:47 that is committed to making a difference 01:49 in the lives of children 01:50 and those who are in need, serving communities in Nepal, 01:54 Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India. 02:06 For the last 40 years, 02:07 Asian Aid has invested in the futures of people 02:10 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 02:14 Driven by their dedication 02:16 to helping those who have the least, 02:18 Asian Aid is an organization 02:20 focused on the welfare of children, 02:23 implementing diverse development projects 02:26 and sponsoring thousands of children. 02:28 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 02:32 to providing an education 02:33 for orphans, deaf and the blind children, 02:37 giving them a sense of place, a home. 02:40 But above all, Asian Aid is an organization giving hope, 02:44 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:48 giving hope to the ones who need it the most. 02:51 This is Hope in Motion. 03:09 Myanmar or Burma as it was used to be called 03:12 is in Southeast Asia. 03:14 It borders China, India, Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand. 03:19 It has naturally absorbed some of the cultural influences 03:22 of these neighbors. 03:24 For years colonial rule was seen here 03:27 but then rampant ethnic strife 03:29 caused a military backed government to take power. 03:34 But more recently civilian rule has come to be established 03:38 and the country has opened up its doors to the outside world. 03:42 There's peace and freedom. 03:45 This is good news for the mission 03:47 of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Myanmar 03:49 and the supporting ministries like Asian Aid. 04:02 Myanmar is predominantly a Buddhist country 04:05 where over 85% of the population 04:08 practices Buddhism. 04:10 Public evangelism is banned, 04:12 but the Adventist message is slowly trickling through. 04:17 The main reason for that is our school system. 04:20 Our Adventist schools are a wonderful place 04:23 for us to introduce Jesus to the children 04:25 at a very early age. 04:28 But being a poor country 04:30 many children struggle to attend school 04:32 and get a good education. 04:35 This is where Asian Aid has its biggest impact. 04:39 Last year at the GC session in San Antonio, 04:42 I was privileged to do a benefit concert for Asian Aid 04:45 so that more children could be sponsored. 04:47 When I heard about the work 04:49 that is also being done here in Myanmar, 04:51 I was naturally curious 04:52 and I wanted to come here and see for myself. 04:55 I wanted to see exactly what Asian Aid is doing 04:58 to bring hope, salvation 05:01 and a future to children in need in Myanmar. 05:22 I was first taken to Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary 05:25 or MUAS, as it is commonly known here. 05:29 Now MUAS is the only Adventist institution 05:33 of higher learning in Myanmar. 05:36 And it plays a very important role 05:39 in developing young minds 05:41 to be future torchbearers for the church. 05:45 We have one, only one Adventist College in Myanmar 05:49 and it is very important 05:51 because all youths of Adventist church in Myanmar, 05:56 they come here to study. 06:00 It helps them to get education for their life 06:04 and also their spiritual education 06:07 to prepare for testimony 06:10 to others about the love of God. 06:14 Right now we have over 600 students this semester. 06:19 And most of our students 06:22 come from financially poor background 06:26 and our members scattered all over Myanmar 06:32 from different regions and states, 06:35 so, in my union mission, 06:39 the church have a good anticipation 06:43 on these young people. 06:45 They are the future of the church. 06:47 And they have solid Adventist education 06:52 in this institution only. 06:58 The seminary is a beautiful campus. 07:01 As I was given a quick tour, 07:03 I heard music coming from the auditorium. 07:06 Intrigued by the sound of violin filling the air, 07:10 I went to the auditorium 07:11 to find beautiful young ladies practicing. 07:16 Using and developing your talents 07:19 for God's honor and glory. 08:46 All right, fantastic. 08:49 I have been here to seminary for just a few hours, 08:51 but one of the things that has brought me the most joy 08:54 was to hear them practicing. 08:56 We were walking around the campus 08:58 but we could hear this wonderful beautiful music. 09:01 You know, these young people come from different places 09:04 and different backgrounds 09:06 but something has brought them together, 09:09 music and Jesus Christ. 09:11 You see some of these songs to praise the Lord 09:14 are the first exposure that they have to Jesus. 09:18 But this is a way in which they are coming 09:20 to learn about Jesus Christ. 09:22 Asian Aid is making it possible 09:24 for these young people and many others, 09:27 to be able to dedicate their talents and their lives 09:30 to share the love of Jesus with others. 09:35 Young people using their talents 09:37 for the glory of God and witnessing it 09:40 on one of the frontier mission fields 09:42 of the church is a true blessing. 09:45 In fact the spirituality that emits 09:47 from the students and staff a like 09:49 is very encouraging to me and many other visitors 09:53 who have visited this campus over the years. 09:56 It reinforced my belief in the Adventist school system 09:59 and the role education plays in witnessing 10:03 for our Lord and savior. 10:06 I believe that in the country of Myanmar probably more 10:10 so than in many other countries in the world, 10:12 education is vital. 10:14 And I believe so because education seems to be 10:19 the platform in which many non-Adventists 10:23 or Christians get to know about Jesus Christ. 10:27 And so from my particular perspective, 10:29 education is vital in this country. 10:31 It is important that we subsidize it, 10:34 it is important that we, 10:36 that we really create the environment 10:39 in which children have an opportunity 10:41 to learn about Christ. 10:45 But a good education is not easy to get, 10:48 particularly in rural areas, 10:51 especially in a poor country like Myanmar, 10:54 where obtaining a good Adventist education 10:56 is not within reach 10:58 of a majority of Adventist families. 11:02 As you know Asian Aid operates in six countries in Asia 11:06 and recently entered Myanmar. 11:08 Now traditionally Asian Aid takes a child by its own need 11:13 and places someone in Adventist school. 11:16 Poverty is a vicious cycle 11:18 and in Myanmar there is a lot of poverty 11:22 and the great thing about education is that 11:24 it helps break that cycle. 11:27 That cycle that has an impact 11:29 not just on the child but on the family, 11:32 and this is why sponsorship in a country like Myanmar 11:36 is very, very significant for the total population. 11:41 Not just on the child but on the family 11:44 and on the village they come from. 11:47 I truly believe that our Adventist schools 11:49 and seminaries not only serve as an educational institution 11:53 but also as a beacon of light to the community it serves. 11:59 Talking about community, 12:01 I was anxious to visit some of the neighboring villages 12:04 and see for myself some of the circumstances 12:08 that these students come from. 12:13 You are so cute. 12:16 Jesus. 12:39 I am in a small poor village deep in the heart of Myanmar. 12:43 You wouldn't know it 12:45 but our school is actually not too far away. 12:48 In our western comfortable cultures and countries 12:51 we've probably heard about poverty, we've read about it, 12:54 we've seen pictures, but unless you're here, 12:58 it's hard to fully grasp and understand what it's like. 13:02 The children you see behind me live in this village. 13:06 Their parents go out 13:07 and work under backbreaking conditions all day. 13:11 That means that these children stay here. 13:13 They don't have the chance to go to school. 13:16 And when they grow up, the cycle is perpetuated. 13:20 They can only go to work 13:21 where their parents worked and this continues. 13:24 But Asian Aid is making it possible 13:27 for these young people to be able to go 13:29 to a Christian school, get an education, love Jesus, 13:33 and then serve others and God. 13:37 Come with me after the break 13:39 and I'm going to show you a prime example 13:42 of how this sponsorship program is changing the lives. 13:46 It's breaking the cycle of poverty 13:48 and bringing hope, salvation, and a future to many. 13:59 A few years ago I had the privilege 14:00 of visiting India to see how the Asian Aid projects 14:04 are transforming lives in that country. 14:06 Especially the lives of abandoned children, 14:09 tribal children, orphan children, 14:12 children being raised without the advantages 14:14 we have here in America. 14:16 Sometimes things that we take for granted 14:18 are not there in that country. 14:20 And I discovered one very important thing 14:22 because of sponsors like you, these lives are being changed 14:26 and the future is being made bright. 14:29 Now these children have good clothing, 14:31 good nutritious food, 14:33 and they are able now to propel themselves 14:35 to a brighter tomorrow with good education 14:38 because of your sponsorship, 14:39 and your prayers, and your financial support. 14:41 And so on behalf of Asian Aid, 14:43 I want to thank you for what you do 14:45 because of what you have done and what you continue to do 14:48 not only in India but in other countries, 14:50 these children have hope, hope for a brighter future. 15:09 You know, couple of years ago 15:10 my daughters and I had a wonderful opportunity 15:13 to travel to India and there we met 15:15 another part of our family 15:17 and that was our sponsor daughter Sheela. 15:19 You know we've been sponsoring Sheela 15:21 through Asian Aid for a couple of years now 15:23 and it's been an incredible privilege. 15:26 While we were spending time with Sheela at her home 15:28 and at her school there in India, 15:30 we learnt that her dream was to become a nurse 15:33 and it's a wonderful blessing now to know that 15:36 she has realized that dream. 15:38 Sheela is now studying to become a nurse, 15:40 she's a vet at college and we could not be more proud 15:44 or happier for her. 15:46 You know, sponsoring Sheela 15:47 has made an incredible difference to our family 15:50 and I believe it can make a difference for you. 15:52 And most importantly, 15:53 sponsoring a child makes a difference 15:55 in the life of a child each and everyday. 16:20 Visiting a village that day was a revelation. 16:24 It opened my eyes to the struggles 16:26 and hardships of the poor in a way 16:29 that you can only understand by being there. 16:33 It gave me a new insight 16:35 into the role our schools play in the mission field 16:38 and the impact organizations like Asian Aid 16:42 has in supporting the church in its mission. 16:46 Even though the church work started 16:48 over a 100 years ago in Myanmar, 16:50 the past 50 years have been a huge challenge for the church 16:54 because of unfavorable political situations 16:57 that prevailed here 16:59 and the churches had great challenges 17:01 in promoting Christian education 17:03 across this Buddhist country. 17:05 But the situation has changed and the Lord has opened doors 17:09 and opportunities for us to expand His work in Myanmar. 17:15 For us to move forward in Myanmar in a positive way, 17:18 we established the Asian Aid Educate Myanmar Fund. 17:23 The purpose of this fund is to help sponsor 17:26 the 600 children that we've taken. 17:29 We don't have sponsors for them. 17:31 So stage one of the Educate Myanmar Fund 17:34 is to help sponsor those 600 children 17:37 where we find sponsors. 17:40 The second way is obviously to sponsor 17:42 one or more Myanmar children which you can do 17:46 through the Asian Aid sponsorship system. 17:49 The other need is that these mission schools 17:52 need resources in the classroom. 17:55 They are growing so fast. 17:56 So the Asian Aid Myanmar Fund would be totally committed 18:01 to helping the Adventist schools in Myanmar 18:05 and the critical thing is that 100% of the money 18:09 sent to Myanmar goes direct to these needy schools 18:14 mainly for sponsorship 18:16 but also to help develop these schools. 18:19 The Educate Myanmar Fund that Asian Aid operates 18:23 to sponsor children addresses another important issue 18:27 and that is the issue of congestion in the dorms 18:30 and other infrastructural needs. 18:33 Visiting one of the girls' dorm that day, 18:36 it was very evident to me 18:38 that the boarding facilities lacked 18:40 a conducive living environment. 18:51 Yes, we need more rooms. 18:53 Okay. 18:55 Thank you very much. 18:57 Mm-hmm. Good. 19:04 I just finished the tour of the girls' dorm. 19:07 But the segment that I walked around 19:09 is pretty crowded. 19:11 In fact there are 51 girls that are rooming in that area. 19:16 They sleep on a hard surface 19:18 and so we want to make it possible for them 19:21 to have improved conditions. 19:23 Now where they come from is a lot more disadvantaged. 19:27 So they are really excited and happy to be here. 19:30 We want to be able to get more of those young people 19:33 from those villages into here 19:35 so that they can study and learn. 19:53 Jim led me to the Adventist high school 19:55 that was situated right across the road 19:58 from the seminary. 20:00 As we went around, 20:01 I came across the same infrastructural needs 20:04 that prevailed in the seminary. 20:07 But to me what was encouraging was the fact that 20:10 in spite of the difficult circumstances and situations, 20:14 children were sitting in classrooms learning, 20:17 receiving an education, a Christian education. 20:22 How exciting it is to witness and participate 20:25 in the development of a child's future. 20:28 Going around the campus 20:30 and talking to students and staff, 20:32 I saw the role Asian Aid and more importantly you, 20:36 the sponsors, are playing in the lives of these children 20:40 that come from such impoverished backgrounds. 20:45 They say that seeing is believing. 20:47 Well, you know what? 20:49 This is it right here. It's very exciting. 20:52 Behind me beautiful, wonderful young people learning. 20:56 If you're a sponsor, I want you to check this out. 21:00 And if you're not, I want you to look at these young people 21:03 and perhaps catch the joy, 21:06 the spark and the spirit to be able to do the same 21:09 and make a difference in the lives 21:11 of one of these young people. 21:24 Students who received scholarship 21:27 and obtain the Adventist education, 21:30 now they are prospering in their ministry 21:35 as well as in outside jobs. 21:37 For instance some are now working 21:42 in the institution. 21:44 Some are in the mission field. 21:46 So I really thank God for this sponsorship program. 21:54 The sponsorship for the children 21:57 is very important 21:58 because when we look Adventist family 22:02 average of the families 22:05 are trying for their daily foods. 22:10 So that it is very difficult to send their children 22:15 to the college and sponsor their children. 22:18 So when the children get sponsorship, 22:22 they continue to their education 22:26 and when they, they got the sponsorship, 22:32 they study and when they finish they can, 22:36 some can work in the denomination 22:38 and some work outside and at the same time 22:43 they can be a good witness and testimonies to other. 22:47 They can tell about the love of Jesus. 22:51 This was important for me. 22:53 The fact that Asian Aid 22:54 was contributing to the growth of the church in Myanmar, 22:58 a frontier mission filed is good news. 23:01 As I mentioned earlier, 23:03 public evangelism in Myanmar is banned 23:06 and so Asian Aids involvement in our schools plays a key role 23:10 in the growth of the church. 23:13 I do believe that Asian Aid is in tune 23:15 with the mission of the church. 23:17 The mission of the church is to prepare men and women 23:21 and to prepare the people 23:23 that believe in God for soul winning, 23:26 and Asian Aid is offering that particular opportunity. 23:30 There are 100% in tune 23:33 with the mission of this church. 23:36 All right, here she is. 23:41 Hi there, it's nice to meet you. 23:43 Nice to meet you. 23:45 I have heard a lot about this young lady. 23:56 She also has the interest in teaching. 23:58 We're working here 24:00 and also it's the calling from God 24:02 and she felt that calling from God, 24:05 so that is the reason why she is here. 24:07 Okay, fantastic. 24:09 Well, I shared with you that we had a special story 24:13 before the break and here she is Mia. 24:15 Mia is a recipient of our sponsorship program 24:19 for Asian Aid. 24:21 She was able to come to the school, 24:23 she finished her education, 24:25 then she felt the calling from God to go into teaching. 24:29 And that's why she is here 24:30 teaching these precious children. 24:33 This is what it's all about. 24:35 This is the story of hope. 24:36 This is the story of Asian Aid. 24:38 And you can be a part of that as we make it possible 24:42 for children to have an education, 24:45 come to know Jesus, and share with the world. 24:50 Mia's real name is May Thuzar Tun 24:54 but she preferred to be called Mia. 24:56 She is a 24-year-old Bachelor of Arts graduate 25:00 from the seminary. 25:01 Mia is a fine example 25:03 of what a simple gesture of sponsoring 25:05 a child's education can achieve. 25:08 It achieves far beyond its intended purpose 25:11 of providing a children's education. 25:13 It gives them hope for the future. 25:17 Meeting Mia that day also made me realize 25:20 that she was one of the lucky few. 25:23 Many children across Myanmar especially in rural areas 25:27 do not have this opportunity. 25:41 Being in this place a Christian school 25:44 in the heart of Myanmar reminds me 25:47 of when I was a little boy. 25:49 You see, I lived in a communist country 25:52 and it was impossible to have Christian schools there. 25:55 My parents dreamed of taking my sister and me to a place 26:00 where we should not only be able to worship God freely 26:03 but also have a Christian education. 26:06 Well, Asian Aid is making it possible 26:08 for hundreds of young people here in Myanmar 26:11 to have just that. 26:12 Would you consider partnering with us 26:15 to make a huge difference in the life of a young person 26:18 so that they can come to know Jesus, 26:21 have a Christian education, and share his love with others? 26:25 I was encouraged by Asian Aid's plans for Myanmar. 26:30 Asian Aid is an organization 26:31 that wants to make a significant contribution 26:34 in the lives of needy children. 26:37 Today Asian Aid is making it possible 26:39 to give them this opportunity 26:42 to not just receive an education 26:44 but an opportunity towards eternal life. 26:50 Children and their future are very important to me. 26:53 Those are things that are close to my heart. 26:55 And two years ago, 26:57 Asian Aid invited me 26:58 to go on a life changing trip to India. 27:01 Well, this time I have joined them 27:03 on a trip to Myanmar. 27:06 During our time here, 27:07 we have visited all kinds of interesting places. 27:10 We've been to pagodas, we've also been to villages 27:14 where poverty is visible everywhere. 27:17 I've also been on the campus of some of our schools. 27:21 I had the opportunity to play 27:22 with the group of beautiful young ladies 27:24 who play the violin. 27:26 I am seeing these young people whose lives are being changed 27:30 because of the sponsorship program. 27:33 They have a Christian education, 27:35 they have hope, and they will have a future. 27:37 In fact I met a young lady 27:39 who's now the teacher at a pre-school. 27:41 She went through our program, she was sponsored, 27:44 she graduated, and now she is a teacher. 27:47 What a joy it is to be able to make an impact in the lives 27:51 of so many young people. 27:53 Would you be willing to partner with us? 27:55 Would you be willing to help change a life 27:57 and bring future and Jesus to a young person in Myanmar? |
Revised 2017-03-02