September - October 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel
Leon Sexton Visits Kachin Brethren
(courtesy of The Legacy Institute)
August 31, 1999
Bangkok, Thailand
Dear Friends,
I have in front of me several clippings from the Bangkok Post.
Things are heating up inside Burma. August 8, 1988, now over 11
years ago, marked the height of the pro-democracy demonstrations
against the military junta that runs Burma. Thousands of
protesters were killed in a ruthless crackdown. That date was
8-8-88.
Pro-democracy demonstrators want to organize another protest on
September 9, 1999 which is 9-9-99 (2 days before Trumpets.) The
Burmese people are very superstitious and place a lot of value
on numerology. The government has already begun arresting
certain key individuals and is warning the populous not to
create a disturbance they will regret.
Recently, several thousand Christian Nagas (a minority tribal
group) from Eastern Burma fled across the border into India
reporting persecution by the military and the Buddhist clergy.
Reports of religious persecutions against Christians are on the
increase. Burma is a seething pot that may blow up around the
Feast of Trumpets.
But what does this have to do with the Work of God? Well, we
have hundreds, if not thousands of brethren living in very
difficult conditions in this country. Many of the roads are
right out of the dark ages. The police or the military controls
communications, where it exists. If there is a pro-democracy
uprising of any kind in Burma, the military could shut down the
whole country. Having a Feast of Tabernacles there would prove
to be almost impossible. So far, the last two trips I have
taken into Burma to visit the brethren there have been peaceful
and somewhat uneventful. This could change overnight. The
spreading of the gospel message needs relative peace to go
forth. This was the case in the first century when the
"Pax Romana" combined with a network of well built
Roman roads and pirate-free shipping lanes allowed the Good News
to spread rapidly and freely throughout the empire.
We are just beginning to be able to provide support for the
Church of God in Asia to really start to expand its mission of
spreading the Gospel message in Northern Burma, Northern
Thailand and the border regions of China and India.
Several days ago I purchased 2 well-made mountain bikes for
Kachinland pastor Lazum Brang and his assistant to be able to
travel more readily over mountain trails. Thaw Thi Ko, a Karen
refugee church member recently moved to Raleigh, North Carolina
has translated our Annual Feasts literature into the Karen
language. Lazum Brang is doing the same in the Kachin language.
Jack Ang Min, a Karen church member living in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, will computer typeset the translations and we will
then print booklets in these two languages. These booklets can
be put together very cheaply by the local people themselves and
will be distributed throughout Northern Thailand and Burma. The
first Karen language booklet should be complete by Feast of
Trumpets. We have other translations in the works. So things
are really beginning to happen.
Brethren from England, America, Australia and even Spain are
starting to send their support to Legacy Institute for these
projects. With all of us pulling together, we can do a lot.
But if Burma erupts into another bloodbath like it did in
September 1988, it will most assuredly affect travel and
communications. Gloria and I probably would not be permitted to
enter Burma, let alone go to Kachinland for the feast. So, the
bottom line is this- it is up to God what He wants. We are
ready and willing to go. We wait for God to show us His will.
Please pray that a peaceful atmosphere will prevail in Burma.
Please pray that God will work things out for us to go. Please
pray that God's Work will not be impeded. The effectual fervent
prayer of God's people accomplishes much. Collective prayer is
the power of God's people. Gloria and I rely on all of you and
your prayers. And please pray for the protection of our
scattered brethren so far away.
Letter From Lazum Brang
I received a letter from Lazum Brang with updated news. Here
are some excerpts from that letter. He talks about the church
hymnal we will help him to print and the general health and news
of the Kachin brethren:
"Regarding of church hymnal in Kachin-Jinpho, we will
select the most suitable songs for the church for 100 numbers
first. We aim to print 100 copies for the first edition."
He goes on . . . "Now in Kachinland, it is
heavy rained every day. So many children and adults are died by
the fever of malaria. But, by the blessings of God our family
and church members all are very quite well now. My mother,
Shadan (Princess) Htu Shan is now living in Myitkyina. She
stays with my younger brother family since last week ago.
Pastor David (COG7 Pastor who was in jail for debt) and his wife
are now at home in Yangon. They arrived home on July 7. They
are released from jail on the first week of July. Yesterday, I
received a letter from him."
So, the Work of God continues under difficult circumstances. I
will meet Pastor Brang in Mae Sot on the border. It will take
him about 5 days of travel from his home village to the border
region. He will meet our Karen brethren living in that area and
we will confer about the situation inside Burma. Please pray
for Brang's safety when he travels. We will also discuss future
plans for the Kachinland Church of God's evangelistic efforts.
Karen Brothers & Sisters Now In America
Two Karen families left Bangkok for America last week. I saw
them all off at the airport. Several days before their
departure, they were released from the detention camp and came
to Bangkok. We got together in a little one-room apartment in
Bangkok and had a going away party. One family is Thaw Thi Ko,
his wife Ester and their 5 children; Josiah, Magnolia, Michelle,
Melissa and little Joseph Eric. They are now in Raleigh, North
Carolina. Hillier Bellock, his wife Thi Mu, and their two
teenage children; Washington and Daffodil are being settled in
Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
They were so excited. They had many questions about life in the
USA. America is not the kingdom of God. It is not paradise.
But it's still the land of freedoms and opportunities unheard of
in many parts of the world, especially for these families who
have lived most of their lives as refugees. They will miss
friends and relatives they must leave behind, but they are
excited about meeting new friends, especially those of the
household of faith.
This is about all for this letter. Because of the Feast, we
will not be sending out a letter at the end of September. I
look forward to writing you once again in October when I hope to
have many more exciting and encouraging things to talk about
after, God willing, our trip into Burma.
As always, we need your prayers for God's guidance and
protection. Best wishes to all for a happy and safe Fall
Festival Season,
In Our Lord's Holy and Gracious Name,
Leon Sexton
LEGACY INSTITUTE is not a church, nor is it
affiliated with any human church organization and seeks to serve
and help mankind in the spirit and example of our Lord Jesus
Christ. His instructions were to freely give. This means
without discrimination and without prejudice. Your donations to
Legacy Institute are tax deductible in the USA. You may contact
them at: Legacy Institute, PO Box 130632 Dallas, Texas 75313 www.legacyinstitute.org
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TSS
September - October 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel
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