Training in Myanmar Answers a Pastor's Prayer
for the Unreached People in His Country

AIMS News: Posted 6/1/2006

Nestled between India and China, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has endured continual warfare since the country gained its freedom from Great Britain in the 1940s. Although Myanmar is primarily Buddhist, the Gospel has successfully spread among minority tribes throughout the country. InMarch 2006, AIMS joined with five leaders from the Chin tribe in Myanmarto train pastors how to more effectively reach the unreached in their country.

After praying about how to reach the unreached in Myanmar, one of the five Chin leaders learned about AIMS. He invited a team to lead a training in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the country's capital city and considered the main gateway to Myanmar. About 150 pastors, students, and laypersons from 15 various tribes attended the week-long training, including one participant from the Burmese people group - the largest unreached people group in the country.

Getting to the conference was a challenge for many of the participants. Several of the Chin pastors who attended traveled for one week from villages on the outskirts of the country to attend the conference. Even the primary coordinator of the conference had to travel three hours every morning to attend.

Although most participants of the conference were from the Chin people group, a couple of representatives from the Karin and Burmese tribes attended as well. However, the Burmese and Chin are much divided. The largest people group in Myanmar, the primarily Buddhist Burmese dominate the political power of the country. Discrimination against minorities who resist the government has left people groups like the Chin impoverished and bitter. This friction hinders Chin Christians from crossing the cultural barriers to share the Gospel with the more than 28 million Burmese within their country.

But the challenges paid off. At the conclusion of the conference, the participants formed partnerships to reach five unreached people groups. Many participants felt God call them to full-time missionary service. The leaders have asked AIMS to return to lead additional training conferences.