We say ‘Jehovah Jireh’ and yes, indeed, He has provided for us! Our 15-year-long prayer has been answered! We thank all the believers in many local churches of America and Canada for freely giving to the brothers and sisters in Myanmar!
It was 11:00 PM on a hot, humid night in Yangon. But rather than preparing for bed, the students at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary (FBTS) were awake and excited as three trucks lumbered up to the building. The trucks were stacked with more than 500 banana boxes of theological books that had completed their voyage from North America across the ocean. The students and staff joyfully unloaded the trucks and passed the boxes from student to student, up the stairs, and into the new library. In total, 30,000 books had just arrived!
A Long Known Need
For the past 15 years, Dr. Do Suan Mung and other believers have been praying for God to provide new theological books, Bibles, and commentaries for the seminary and Bible college. Due to the geo-political state of Myanmar, Christian materials and books are not available for sale or purchase in the country. The only way for believers to get Bibles or Christian books is to get them from other countries.
Live Global shared this request in 2017 and the vision for how the new library books would be used to build up and train believers in Myanmar with solid doctrine. Believers in the United States and Canada heard this call. People shared the need with others and joined Dr. Mung in prayer for God to provide.
Churches across North America began collecting books. Retired pastors donated their library, others donated unused or extra books, others were bought and donated by people who cared, and organizations stepped in as well.
In the end, 30,000 books were gathered and sent from Ontario, Canada, where believers there packaged the books in banana boxes and sent them on their way to Yangon in a shipping container.
A Journey of 7,000 Miles
If only the books could talk and tell us about their long journey from there! The Canadians said “bon voyage” in April 2018. The books were scheduled to arrive at port in Myanmar in July. There were several updated arrival dates and some uncertainty over whether the books would be allowed through customs. In the end, the Lord guided the new library books halfway across the world in His own hands and we praise Him for the books’ arrival at the seminary late on August 21.
Part of the reason this is so significant is the last time a library of books for the seminary arrived in Myanmar, it was 1986 and the books were carried in on horseback led by Dr. Mung himself. Yet even with limited resources, God has continued to use His Word and faithful believers to equip men and women for Gospel work as they disperse to all areas of Myanmar.
The whole community of believers are rejoicing here—Kimpi, seminary professor
Advancing the Gospel Through Partnerships
It’s through this partnership that God worked to provide new library books for the seminary, and it’s through partnerships like this one that God works all across the globe to advance His Kingdom. You, too, can get in a partnership and make a difference.
