Dr. Bruce's Final Post for 2019

This is another of my Burmese friends.  Meet Issaiah Mayaanlam.   I have watched him over the last 5 weeks. He is the strong and quiet type and it is very apparent that he is a leader, by example.   He isn’t flashy, but he is strong, solid, and unwavering.  He is a pastor of a church in Northern Myanmar, near the Indian border.  

There are 370 families in his village and only 7 families are Christian.   He has 2 children and his wife is due with their 3^rd child on May 6^th.  There is no electricity in his village.  Nor are there any doctors or a hospital in his village.  The nearest hospital is in Dani, 12 miles away, where his wife will have their baby. 

Their community is in a valley and most people are rice farmers.  There is also a mine near-by.   He had been praying for the last 11 years to have the opportunity to attend the Barefoot Doctor school.  He was finally given the opportunity last year.  He is completing the second year of study with us.

There is much fighting in his region.   There are a lot of land mines and unfortunately, civilians are injured by the land mines all too often.   2 months ago, airplanes dropped bombs quite near his village.  The armies have taken many of the young men from his community and forced them to work in the mines without pay, carry ammunition for the army, and even fight on the front lines.  Many of the young men do not return.

I asked Issaiah how he would want us to pray for him.  He replied, “Pray for a stop to the fighting and pray for our church building project.”  The church has put the building project on hold, waiting for Issaiah to return from the Barefoot Doctor program.  Issaiah is anxious to return and give health care to his village and to continue his work as a pastor. 

Please join me in praying for peace and for revival in his village.  Pray also for the delivery of a strong and healthy baby.

This will be my last blog for this year.  Thank you for praying for our students.  The balance of eternity has been changed for those villagers that our Barefoot Doctors will be treating as patients in the years to come.  We will not know, until we get to heaven, just how large of an impact has been made through this program, but I am confident that our students will make the most of this opportunity to share their faith in a war torn, dark, and spiritually bankrupt country.  

Pray with me that the spirit of God will permeate Myanmar and draw souls into the kingdom.  Let's pray for revival in Myanmar.

Dr. Bruce Gross