Salt and Light and Chicken Rice Soup

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16

Last week, thanks to your generosity, we fed over 700 hungry people in the area near the construction site of the Glory Community Center in Myanmar. 

Over 20 members of the congregation cooked food in the newly constructed kitchen, while the youth/young adult group managed the food distribution. 

Pastor David writes:

“First, our team gathered for prayer at our construction site. Then we started to share the food as soon as the rain stopped. We distributed meals in three places near our building, in the poorest areas. Our neighbors were grateful and joyful as they received their meal. Most of them struggle to have daily food and rarely ever have a protein like chicken in these times of COVID shutdown. 

Our fellowship is growing. We invited them to visit the center when it opens. Some of them invited us to visit their homes. I see with my spiritual eyes that some will be in my flock in the days to come.

Thank you to Firefall friends who make these provisions possible through your prayers and giving.”

“A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” -Proverbs 22:9

If you’re interested in helping House of Glory finish the construction project with painting and other needs, use the button below.

A Miracle in Myanmar!

“Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.” -Psalm 66:5

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary, Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!” -Psalm 150:1-2

In the midst of personal sorrows and repentance over our nation, we want to lift our heads and share the great wonders the Lord did for our brothers and sisters at House of Glory in Myanmar. Many of you joined their local fellowship in prayer over the need to finish the concrete work for the third floor of Glory Community Center in the face of devastating storms.

Here is the account of Pastor David: 

“I just would like to share what a miracle happened through prayer at our construction site of Glory Community Center!

The rains started to fall heavily when we prepared for the slab between the second and third floor. Though 80 workers came to work from Mandalay, half of them returned home because of rains. But half of them could start to work at 9 a.m. on May 28, as the rains stopped after prayer. They could only finish half of the roof. We had to finish the rest on the next day. So, we requested the workers to continue on the next day by providing their dinner and lodging that night. Though they had another appointment on the next day, they accepted our request as the Lord worked in their hearts through our constant prayer. (There is no team or group of workers in our hometown for making concrete slabs, as it is the hardest and most difficult part of the construction.)

To make things worse, the weather forecast told us that there would be even heavier rains on May 29! Our engineer told us that we could not not finish the slab if the rains fell heavily. But I told him to wait on the situation, as we were praying and we sent a prayer request to our Firefall friends. We experienced both faith and despair as the rains fell very heavily that night (it was the record amount of rain for our hometown for one day in May). But we did not cease our prayer!

On May 29, the rains continued until 8 a.m. All the workers prepared to go back home. We requested to wait for one more hour. The Lord gave the brightest sunshine by stopping the heavy rains at 8:20 a.m. Hallelujah! The Lord answered our prayer. We all shouted “Yay” and could continue on the rest of that day. Though our enemy attacked us with two breakdowns of the machine making concrete and the truck slipping which carried stones, we could finish the slab well at 5:45 p.m. 

The engineer told us the slab is safe if there is no rain within two hours. The sky grew dark again at 6 p.m. So we dedicated it in prayer unto the mighty hand of our Lord (and talked about renting plastic to cover the slab if the rains fell). We learned that there is no place to rent plastic because of the large size. The rains did not resume until 8:40 p.m., thanks be to God! When I phoned our engineer about the slab and concrete, he assured me that it was totally safe and that rain after the two hours will make the concrete stronger! Hallelujah!

Thank you, Firefall friends, for your part in prayer and partnership as we celebrate this great miracle.” 

-Pastor David

We pray this testimony encourages you in faith, perseverance and joining with others in prayer. The God who held back the rain in Myanmar is the same God who hears and answers prayer wherever we may live. Let us give Him our cares, trust Him fully and praise Him always.

Gratefully,

Nancy

Quenching Thirst in Myanmar

“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3

Isaiah 12 is a messianic hymn of praise anticipating the fullness of salvation through the Anointed One of David’s house. This verse was quickened to me by the Holy Spirit as Pastor David shared good news and photos yesterday. We are excited to share with you, our friends, who pray and invest in the work of God through Firefall International. 

Thanks to your prayers and giving, the construction of the Glory Community Center is proceeding with great speed and favor. This is amazing in a time of COVID-19 work stoppage and also a worse than usual drought before the monsoon season, which starts around mid-June. 

David’s focus has been completing the building project, but his heart of compassion was gripped with the suffering of his neighbors as the drought persists in their area. The closure of shops and businesses is bad enough, but a compounding factor is the lack of clean water access for most of the area. Large bodies of water are bone dry, something rare there.

Realizing that Firefall had installed a deep and strong well at the building site, David joined with youth leader Pho Chan and conscripted his 3-wheel taxi to deliver clean water to the neighborhood. This began over a week ago and will continue. We hope the photos of the joy of receiving the water touches your hearts like it does ours. David related that during this exhausting work, they are strangely refreshed and invigorated as they see the happiness of the people. 

For Jim and me, it is symbolic and prophetic of what is to come with the completion of the Glory Community Center. Not just drinking water but living water through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst.

We thank God for financial giving over the years which has enabled us to dig four wells in Myanmar. A fifth one will be dug very soon as an outreach tool in another part of the nation where a church planter awaits to administer the water freely as a bridge of God’s love. 

Please pray with us in agreement over these specific requests:

1. Continued favor with neighbors and officials (majority Buddhist) as we get to know them better through water distribution.

2. Approval from authorities to allow the 80 workers needed to pour the final slab for the 3rd floor this week! The rains will come soon. 

3. Pray for the lockdown in the nation to lift by June 1 so work and provision can resume for families. 

Opportunities to Give

1. Any gift is appreciated to help us finish the building project. We are $2,000 away from our goal! 

2. Gifts to supply food for hungry children and adults in Myanmar 

Love In Action During COVID-19

It’s one thing to say “Jesus loves you” to someone, and quite another thing to demonstrate that love by action.

Thanks to your prayers and giving, love in the form of eggs, noodles, rice, fruit and cooking oil has been distributed to hundreds of hungry people under the direction of Minh in Vietnam and Pastor David in Myanmar. 

One of the construction workers goes home with food today

These photos tell the story of how your dollars became food donations distributed by believers to families with no hope of food for the next two weeks. Most had subsisted on one or two bowls of rice soup per day, due to COVID-19 lockdowns and inability to work. 

In Vietnam, Minh and youth teams from the church (where he serves as elder) purchased and packaged food to give to 60 families. Priority was given to families with elderly and with young children. 

In Myanmar, Pastor David and the House of Glory team visited the local Buddhist monastery serving as a quarantine center for Covid-19. They supplied masks and food and met with the chief monk who welcomed them gladly. They were the first Christians to help with the needs of the center. The monastery expressed their gratitude on their Facebook page. How amazing that the Lord is using your gift to ease tension between Christians and majority Buddhists!

A warm reception at the Buddhist Monastery/COVID-19 Center

Three young men from House of Glory decided to dedicate their time by serving for three weeks at the quarantine center. Please pray for their safety and the influence of their lives as they serve. 

These three youth group members will serve for 3 weeks at the COVID-19 center

We also shared masks and a cooked meal for fifty social workers and those in charge of controlling the pandemic. In addition, Pastor David has shared a supply of food with some of the poorest of the construction workers at the House of Glory building site. David is already seeing them (by faith) as his eventual “sheep” and himself as their shepherd. 

Pastor David shares how the Glory Community Center (foreground) will bless the neighborhood

Thank you for responding to the financial need to finish the Glory Community Center. At present we are $14,900 away from having the funds we need to complete the center.  Hear from David about the progress in the below video.

“Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.’” -Matthew 24:40, The Message

As you look at these touching photos, we pray you will enter into the joy of your Father, knowing lives are being touched by His love and our small acts of giving and sacrifice. 

With grateful hearts,

Jim and Nancy and Firefall Board Members

Happy International Women's Day!

It’s International Women’s Day!

This is a day that we keep on our calendar every year at Firefall International because we love celebrating women, their accomplishments and their strength. Many of our outreaches touch women across the world, and we believe empowerment is a wonderful thing!

After all, when I think of famous women in the Bible, like Mary, Esther, Rahab, Deborah, they were women who were bold, confident and fearless in their identities in Christ. And they accomplished some amazing things for their community and the kingdom.

It is rewarding to see how Firefall is growing similar strengths in women we partner with.

Like Eliz, the librarian at our Reading Room/community library.

Hear from Eliz

Liz is a mother of two and manager of the Glory Reading Room, where she helps teach children and assists the 1,000+ community members find books. (Learn more about Eliz in this Q&A.)

I love how she talks about being able to manage her home and children, as well as the library, as a working mom. As women, we are no strangers to multi-tasking. How inspiring that Eliz is balancing family with sowing into the education and eternal destiny of the children and adults around her.

Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day and all of the women across the world who are multitaskers, mothers, sisters, wives, friends, aunts, teachers, preachers, leaders and passionate followers of Jesus.

Maybe today would be a good time to tell the women in your life how much you support and appreciate them?! Or maybe you would even like to seek out a nonprofit (ours or others) who help empower women and volunteer or give to their efforts.

The Outreach Center Rises!

So many of you have prayed and given generously to see the vision of an outreach center in Myanmar become a reality. When complete, this center will be a hub of the community providing offices for the winning soccer team, a community library and meeting place.

Renderings of the new center

Community leaders who once persecuted Christians now support the building of this center, even donating funds themselves because they recognize and appreciate its value to the people in the area.

The concrete for the second floor is now complete. There were 70 workers pouring and working the concrete at the critical time. What a beehive of construction activity!

See a short video of the building process

The project has not been without challenges. Because of the coronavirus and curtailing of shipments of building materials from China, costs have increased.

Still, Pastor David and House of Glory are remaining steadfast in the vision of serving their community and bringing glory to God.

Thanks for your continued prayer. Like Nehimiah, who would not come down from the wall, together we continue to trust the Lord until the job is complete and the vision is a reality!

May the Lord also bless and provide in the challenges you face today, and may He use each one for His glory. (Romans 8:18, 28)

Christmas Outreaches & Ways You Can Help

In Myanmar, planting seeds of the gospel and the harvest of souls to eternal life can be a long process requiring extensive teaching of God’s word and watering of the Holy Spirit. Many of these seeds are planted through Christmas outreaches. Christians are allowed to celebrate their “annual festival” and invite whole villages to attend.

A few weeks ago, we received this testimony from Pastor David about the harvest of seeds planted a year ago in a Christmas outreach.

We followed up with eight Buddhists by teaching them for three whole days. They had been touched with the gospel since last Christmas outreaches. Our cell leaders continue to share with them personally as the Holy Spirit opens their heart day after day.

Eight of them (two men and six women) accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord on the last day of our teaching. Then five of them decided to take water baptism as they decided to follow only Jesus all the rest of their lives. Some of them are from very strong Buddhist families.

The group at the baptism

Though they asked many questions of creation and salvation, we could explain through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Holy Scriptures. Now, we continue to follow up every night by teaching more Bible and about the Holy Spirit.

Thanks a lot for your support in prayer for this harvest. We could invest more of our time to share the gospel and teach the Word of God as you support us for our daily needs. We will reap together here and in heaven too. We could not implement this harvest without your partnership!

We are preparing and praying for the upcoming Christmas outreaches in December, too.

Let’s surround these outreaches with prayer

Planned Christmas Outreaches

1. Women’s group outreach to Single Mother’s Home (30-35 mothers and children) — Eliz, the Reading Room Director has been building relationships with these women by lending books for the children. The House of Glory (HoG) women’s ministry will provide a meal, presents, a fun celebration and presentation of the gospel. Cost $500

2. Reading Room Students, Families & Friends — Food, presents, decorations and presentation of the gospel to the needy families in the community around the Reading Room. Cost $300

3. Visitation to 50 homes by the HoG Women’s Ministry — This outreach would target individual homes of widows, the very poor and sick providing a special meal and presents while opening hearts to the gospel. Cost $250

4. Village Outreach — This is a village where there is a Firefall sponsored well, there have been soccer outreaches, a ministry to children and a church plant. There will be a festive celebration with decorations, songs, skits, a meal, presents and gospel presentation. Cost $200

5. Nepali Village Outreach — One of HoG’s first church plants in a village of workers from Nepal where there is a Firefall sponsored clean water well. House of Glory has been collecting offerings in their Wednesday night cell meetings and will pay for the cost of this outreach.

6. Vietnam House of Hope Children’s Outreach — We also will sponsor a Christmas outreach in Vietnam through Minh’s House of Hope ministry to children and their families. Cost $500

Give online or send in a gift and note the specific need if you would like to sponsor one (or more) of these outreaches where seeds of the eternal gospel are planted in the hearts of people who have never heard the good news of salvation in Jesus.

You can also see the impact of last year’s outreach.

We love you and thank you for our partnership in the harvest!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

Jim & Nancy

Reading Room Hosts Discussion for Youth

While Pastor David was visiting in the USA this summer, the good work of the Glory Reading Room was ongoing.

In the photo above, you get a glimpse of a literary discussion group led by an outstanding young man and follower of Jesus Christ. He trained to be a lawyer and currently heads his own private academy. Through fellowship with the football team, he grew in his hunger to learn of God’s love displayed to the world through Jesus. A convert from the Muslim faith, he is standing strong and serving with a zeal that touches my heart each time I am around him. 

The strategy for these scheduled interactions is simple. A topic is announced and those who are interested will gather for learning and discussion. Pastor David or Eliz, our director, often lead the groups. The Burmese people are readers and love to discuss their thoughts over tea and conversation...one of the things I admire about their culture. 

Learn more about Director Eliz and her family

Eliz shared that she would like to enhance the children’s book collection at the Reading Room. She would like to purchase 75 books at a cost of $300. 

If you would care to give to this cause or ongoing book needs, we are happy to receive your donation (of any amount). There are currently 1,200 members of the Reading Room.

Thank you, Firefall Friends, for reaching and lifting this community through literature and love. 

Q&A with Eliz

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

Eliz with her son, husband and daughter

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.

Read more about Elizabeth’s miraculous story in this Cuppa with Nancy.

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."

A Life Transformed

When I first met Brother A (shortened for security purposes) a few years ago, he was shy and reserved to the point of not making eye contact when we conversed. His faith journey from Buddhist monk to follower of Jesus was punctuated by a powerful heavenly vision, surrender to Jesus and subsequent baptism followed by speedy transport to a new city for his protection. Soon after this, persecution and bodily harm came his way from former religious leaders and his own family. Brother A remained steadfast in his resolve to follow only Jesus Christ, whatever the cost.

Pastor David and others mentored him over the years, pouring in time, encouragement and prayer for healing in both body and soul. Brother A began to find joy and meaning in serving others in the local church. He shared his testimony when asked and grew in relationship with young and old in the local fellowship. 

Brother A on his new (used) motorbike given by Firefall support. Learn more in this blog article!

Last year, House of Glory commissioned Brother A and sent him to a village nearby to establish a place to share the love of Jesus Christ where there were no believers. Church members give sacrificially each month to meet the rent and expenses for Brother A to serve the community in the love of God. Brother A is undergirded by House of Glory in prayer as well as ministry teams who come out to serve in various forms of outreach.

Brother A's village will be sending a football team to compete in the Firefall Football Challenge #5 at the end of this month. There is hunger to compete in the tournament and to hear more about the One who walked out of his own grave and offers eternal life to those who believe in Him.

This video above shows Brother A joyfully leading village children in singing as they gathered for a summer Bible school program two weeks ago. When I see the changes God is making both in and through this brother's life, my heart swells with gratitude and worship at the work of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives to transform us from glory to glory. 

"Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours." Isaiah 61:7

Thank you, Firefall friends, for your prayers as we ask the Lord of the harvest to send out and bless workers to share the love of Jesus Christ.  

Find out how you can help with the last 31 of our sponsorships for the upcoming Firefall Challenge Cup #5.