I was honored to be asked to represent American Baptist International Ministries at the recent Roundtable talks concerning ways Baptists from around the world could aid both Burma and China in the recent disasters which have hit both countries within the last month.  It was heartwarming to see the amount of support being offered from so many countries and organizations.

I have especially been concerned for Burma and our Karen brothers and sisters who are suffering from the devastation of their homes.  I have also been praying for many families which have lost loved ones as a result of the storm and the lack of help which has been given them from their own government.

As I sat and listened to a report on what the Myanmar Baptist Convention has already done to help its people, I was awed by the faith and humility in the face of such loss.  As I looked at the pictures shown of bodies lining the river, families huddled under bamboo shelters which were so small that no more than one or two of the ten to twelve people were sheltered from the rain, the lack of clean water and food, the vast devastation of the entire countryside, I couldn’t help but weep at such sorrow.  Even worse is the news that the government is unwilling to give sufficient aid to those who were suffering.  It is incomprehensible that apparently some of the small amount of aid getting through was being taken from the people and given to the soldiers who have terrorized the Karen people for decades.

How can we help?  What can we do?  The most important thing we can do is to continue to pray that God will work in the hearts of the Junta military government of Myanmar, that He will touch their hearts and open their eyes to the pain and suffering around them.  Pray for our brothers and sisters in Burma who have lost sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands and wives, pray that God will comfort them in their loss.

But we need to do more than pray, we need to support our brothers and sisters of the Myanmar Baptist Convention by giving whatever we can to help them rebuild their homes, their schools and their churches.  You can contact International Ministries to see how to best contribute funds effectively. It will take many years of hard work and sacrifice for these people to regain even a small portion of what it takes for them to live.  We must stand beside them in this work and do all we can to help the least among them.

Peace In Him,

Pat and LaMon Brown

American Baptist International Ministries Missionaries to Thailand