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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, November 14, 1979
Page 7
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Burma
First of all, this week we want to share with you excerpts from a per
sonal letter to John Halford from Saw Lay Beh, our elder in Burma.
This year for the first time, the majority of the Burmese brethren were
able to keep the Feast in one location. The 50 members in Burma are
mainly located in two geographic locations--the Irrawaddy River delta
in the south and the Chin Hills in the north. Saw Lay Beh writes:
I'm continuously thankful to God for making it possible for us in
Burma to be able to keep the great Feast of Tabernacles together in
the same place through the loving and kind helps of Mr. Wilson and
Mr. Chris Hunting.
We left Delta in two groups: One group with 14 persons, including
myself, left home on the 24th of September, travelled the whole
long way by motor launch from Sa Khan Gyi to Rangoon; by train on
26 September evening from Rangoon to Mandalay; by motor bus on 27
morning from Mandalay to Monywa where we spent the night.
That night my second daughter, 19 years old (not yet a member) fell
quite ill having high temperature, became very weak. I totally
trusted God to heal her. I anointed and prayed fervently over her
for healing and God mercifully heard me. At dawn she became well
and we were able to continue our arduous journey in an overcrowded
motor launch, stopping two nights on the way to Kalewa.
We arrived in Kalewa after three days, on Atonement Day. As we had
no proper place to rest that Sabbath day with fasting, we continued
to Kalemyo by bus and by row boat, as the motor road was overflowed
by the flood waters coming down from the distant mountains. Before
arriving in Kalemyo, we had to walk on foot for over one hour before
we reached Kalemyo. God's mighty hands led us without anyone collaps
ing on the road in spite of our fasting the whole day and the hot sun
over our heads and the flowing flood water under us! How merciful,
loving and gracious is our God!
We boarded the bus at Kalemyo that day at 3:30 p.m. reaching Hya In
at five p.m., meeting our 12 Kya In brethren with happiness and
smiling faces. I was tremendously thankful to God for His leading
and protection, and I'll never forget His love and His ever-present
help!
Well, Mr. Halford, I think you would want to know why I had chosen
this kind of journey, which was very strait and arduous. I did this
because I was to be very careful to help expenses and to make the
financial aid sufficient enough for our members traveling to and from
the Delta and the Chin Hills to the Kya In Feast site....
For this great Feast, I was happy and thankful to God for having our
deacon Mr. Zam Hei and our very useful and able assistant, Mr. Thomas
Hoe, together with us throughout the eight days. Without these two
important men the Feast could hardly be a success! ....