On July 17-18, we helped sponsor a quiz bowl and speech/debate competition at the Glory Library.

Here is Pastor David’s report of the event:

“First of all, we would like to express our gratitude and heartfelt thankfulness to all the Firefall friends who helped in prayer and supported in finance to accomplish the vision of Glory Reading Room during the student competition. The Lord is working beyond our imagination!

Though we hoped to host about 200-250 people, on the first day, more than 400 people came to participate in our event. That day 48 high school students from 16 different government and private high schools competed in general knowledge and quizzes. Each school brought 10 students and 5 teachers to observe and cheer for their schools. Some of their parents came. Their school administrators were there, too.

I greeted the crowd and introduced our library for 10 minutes, sharing the goodness of God as a testimony of the history of our reading room for another 10 minutes. Everyone listened very carefully. The competition was lively and intense with everyone giving their best. We fed all of them lunch with rice, chicken curry, beans and chilies. Our funds for two days were exhausted on the first day.

We were in an awkward position and prayed together for the second day with the library team. When I checked my Messenger after prayer, I saw a message from Nancy asking about the situation. Jehovah Jireh provided for the second day through Firefall - on time. Hallelujah!

There were about 500 on the second day, including military officers and leaders from the local authorities. Thirty-two students from 16 schools competed with impromptu speeches (take an unseen topic from judges and talk about it for seven minutes). We included this competition so that the students would read more (at the library). We fed everyone lunch like we did on the first day. I got another 15 minutes to share a testimony!

The Glory Kids led by my daughter also presented three gospel songs and dramas during those two days. They performed twice when the people requested them to. We gave presents to all competitors. We gave small cash gifts, trophies, medals and presents to all winners who won first, second and third place. They all were very excited and happy to receive them.

The most exciting news is that 127 people registered as new members of our reading room after the competition. Most of them are the brightest students from each school, teachers and military officers, too!

We made an effective bridge during these two days beyond what we could imagine! Many of the students had not laughed, enjoyed life, or felt free like this for quite a long time because of our political and economic situation. We saw how much they enjoyed and loved this event by the joy in their faces.”

Support the library

Meet the Hostess of Our Reading Room (Glory Library) in Myanmar

1. How long have you been serving as Hostess of the Reading Room and how did God direct your path to be here?

I have been serving for three years as Hostess of the Reading Room. As I love reading and teaching since my childhood and I have a burning desire to share about Jesus since I got saved, those two fires made me to be a hostess because I could implement this vision in the Reading Room.

2. What do you love most about your work? What is your greatest challenge?

I love to make more new friends from the community and hopefully introduce them to the Living God by talking to them about literature and blessing them through their children by teaching them. Sometimes some people in the community oppose us by lying about us in the community where we serve, saying we are only helping people to make them convert to Christianity.

3. How is the Reading Room impacting the area?

At least 30-40 people come to the reading room for reading and borrowing books daily as the current membership is more than 1000. I can communicate with them regularly like very good friends as this is a very first step to share with them about Jesus. Some of them are police and military officers, medical doctors, government school teachers, educated workers and Buddhist monks.

Then, I can make friends with the poorest people in our community by teaching their children every evening, those who could not attend any tuition class. I can communicate with their parents, too, as I share about Jesus little by little.

4. What are the services offered?

We engage the people who like to read in our library by talking about the literature that they are interested in. Then, I can search for the books that they would like to read.

Then, I frequently moderate the groups for literature discussion in accordance with the topics that they are interested in. I lend some books to the people who would like to read at their home for two days. I teach some poor students (especially English and Mathematics) every evening for two hours. We have hosted some competitions of quizzes, storytelling and debates with more than 200 students with the government schools.

5. Tell us about the educational training you and your husband are offering. How can we help?

Both of us were trained at the university in Mandalay city for four years each after we finished the high school in our hometown. Now my husband attends some short courses of teaching kids and educational training. I intend to study some courses in library science and teaching methods when my daughter is older.

6. Were you raised a Christian? Please share your testimony & the recent brush with death you had

I was born into a Buddhist family. I was raised up in a traditional Buddhism home. Actually, I was mostly an atheist before I met Jesus. I started to hear about Jesus when I married with my husband, Kogyi. He always shared with me about Jesus for three years. Though I could not believe Jesus when he began to share with me, I started to taste His love and power when we prayed together and as the Lord healed my uterus problem. I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord in 2009. My life was totally changed since I believed in Him. Even though my parents and relatives rejected me because of my conversion, I followed only Him all the rest of my life as I found the eternal life only in Jesus.

I walked through the valley of death when I delivered my second child, Rachel, in 2018. The physician told my husband about my heart problem as the situation was 50-50. I thought that I would not see my husband and my two kids anymore as I could not breathe and fainted for some minutes. But the Lord allowed me to overcome that shadow of darkness as many people were praying for me. The doctors also commented that it was a miracle! As for me, I learned that the Lord let my life continue because He would like me to shine more in my community by serving them from the Reading Room so that more people might know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

7. What are your interests & hobbies? What kind of reader are you? How did you learn English?

My hobbies are reading, teaching, photography and listening to songs. I love to read fiction, novels and translation writings. I learned English in school and through self study.

8. What is your vision for the Reading Room?

I would like to communicate between the church and more people in our community through the Reading Room by blessing them in various ways so that this unreached and untouched people group might receive the unfailing love and eternal life of our Lord Jesus.

9. Is it difficult to live onsite?

By the grace of God, we could handle in His way though everything is not easy.

10. How can we pray for you and your family?

The Lord might give us wisdom from above to communicate with unbelievers and to teach poor students. Our two children might receive the assurance of salvation and might grow physically, mentally and spiritually. The protection of our Lord - because some do not like us, many love us. Wisdom from the Holy Spirit to share about Jesus with people as they open their hearts. For our heath, too!

11. What else do we need to know?

I just would like to say words of thanks to God firstly for this opportunity of participating for His Kingdom and righteousness in a small part. Then, I am really thankful to Firefall International and all supporters of our family and this reading room as we could continue our vision through your support in prayer and finance. I pray for you and your families often as this is the greatest thing that I could do for you. It is true that we could not implement our vision through this Reading Room without your help.

12. Would you mind sharing your age and birth date? Ages of your family, too?

My birthdate is June 9, 1987 (32 years old). Kogyi, my husband, is 36. Son Daniel is 13 and baby Rachel is 9 1/2 months old.

13. Favorite verses?

Psalm 30:5 "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Luke 18:27 "Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’"
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

help support reading room

Bright Minds & Intense Competition at Glory Library