“I hate the military. They kill. They rape. They torture. But if they come to my house I will offer them something to eat. Not because I like them. But because we must have forgiveness in my country. There is no peace possible if we do not choose what is best for all of us,…
Category: MCC in Southeast Asia
COVID-19: Myanmar Update
The situation in Myanmar is very sad and desperate. We had calls with our partners there last week and wanted to share their updates (with all identifying information removed). • People are dying everyday from COVID and numbers of cases and deaths are increasing at a rapid pace. (One partner Director) said that it is…
Pray for Myanmar, Pray for India
Please continue lifting up Myanmar and India in your prayers. The situation in both countries continues to grow worse and our hearts ache for the people there. Myanmar There’s been less communication from Myanmar not because things have improved but because the Tatmadaw has heavily censored the internet and cut back on communication access. We…
The Holy Week Meditation: Jesus’ Journey to Calvary, thence to the Empty Tomb.
This reflection was written by one of the pastors we work with in Myanmar. Name and identifying details withheld for security reasons. The Holy Week, also known as the Passion Week, began on Palm Sunday, and will end on Easter Sunday. Christians all over the world commemorate in their own church’s tradition—fasting, praying, contemplating, meditating,…
Myanmar coup
On Monday morning, Myanmar’s military took control of the country in a coup and declared a state of emergency, following disputed election results. Government officials have been detained and communications channels interrupted. The people of Myanmar already are suffering extreme hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For information on the coup and its impact, follow…
Holding Grief, Holding Hope
The last weeks have been sad ones for me. I haven’t been able to talk publicly on why until now. MCC is, like the rest of the world, weathering the economic impact of COVID-19. This has forced MCC to make significant program changes. It’s important to note that MCC is celebrating its 100th anniversary this…
First Program Review
Last week we had the pleasure of going through our first country program review with our Area Directors. Arthur and Phyllis Mann are multi-term MCCers who live in Chiang Mai and supervise programs in Southeast Asia. Their wealth of experience in MCC, in international living and in transitions and living abroad with kids is so…
Juniper Tree
Two weeks ago we stayed at Juniper Tree, a Christian retreat center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Shockingly green with grass and trees and wood colors after the red-dusted grey of Phnom Penh, the center contains multiple tree-houses, a dining hall, library, prayer room, meeting room and pool. It’s easy to guess which of these the…