“Hope”… When filled with it you burn brightest when everyone around you is in despair. During my recent trip to Myanmar (Burma), I saw this kind hope shining in the most unlikely of places; an impoverished village of Yangon called Da La.

While in Da La I met Pastor Peter, his family and the 25 believers that meet in his small, wooden house where he has planted a church among a large group of Burmese Buddhists. Peter has been evicted from five other homes because his landlords found out he was bringing Buddhists to faith in Christ. Several times he and his family were forced to live on the streets till another place could be found. Yet, in spite of all this he always has a smile on his face and he exudes hope everywhere he goes. What an honor to minister to him and his congregation!

Through all his suffering Peter has this hope because he looks to Jesus “the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). One of the central themes of our Harvest Connection teaching is the Prophecy of Celebration found in Rev. 7:9-10, where it speaks of a great multitude consisting of all nations, tribes, people and languages which will stand before the throne in front of the Lamb of God. This is the hope that the God who created humankind for relationship with Himself will finish the work that He started and gather every nation around the throne. This is the reason why we go. This is the reason why that dear pastor can endure his persecution -- for the joy set before him, the joy of worshiping around the throne with the Burmese Buddhists to whom he ministers. We who know Him will worship the Lamb who paid the price that we all might be there – that’s our hope!

In addition to ministering with Peter, we had the amazing privilege of presenting the AIMS Equipping for the Harvest training to 142 Myanmese pastors and church leaders. As the week of training drew to a close it was thrilling to watch them form 12 Unreached People Group partnerships and raise $1,500 in Faith Promises to minister to these unreached groups. It was a successful venture by any standards and I am excited at the prospect of helping lead a follow-up training next year.