Hello Brothers and Sisters

After several intense days of short-term mission activities in Yangon, today was our travel day from Yangon to Pyin Oo Lwin, which also served as a rest day in our itinerary.

Since there is only one flight from Yangon to Mandalay each day, and it departs at 6:00 AM, we were worried it would be difficult to find enough taxis that early in the morning. So we agreed to meet in the hotel lobby at 3:45 AM to call taxis together. We only had a few hours of sleep, and most of us didn’t rest well. On top of that, we were concerned about not being able to get enough taxis or having enough space for all our luggage. But to our pleasant surprise, when we gathered in the hotel lobby, Silver Lining had arranged a mid-sized bus for us. Everyone could board together, and there was enough room for all the luggage. The hotel even prepared breakfast for us. We thank God for His abundant provision.

Just as the bus was approaching the airport, armed soldiers suddenly boarded for inspection. Our mood quickly shifted from the joy of a “tour group” to one of unease. But in the end, we passed through safely. Thank God for His protection. Not only did we get through the airport checkpoint smoothly, but we also passed all the checkpoints on the road from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin without issue. Around 10:00 AM, we arrived in Pyin Oo Lwin. After enjoying rice noodles and potstickers at a food-stall-style Chinese restaurant, we visited the market to shop for traditional Burmese skirts and sling bags. We can’t wait to show you these beautiful ethnic outfits!

In the evening, we arrived at Silver Lining Family Center. The staff told us that the children had been eagerly awaiting our arrival and kept asking the “Mother” when the mission team would be coming. We were overjoyed to see their innocent, smiling faces. The peace and joy on their faces helped us deeply understand how blessed their lives are Silver Lining Family Center.

We had dinner at the home of Pastor Cheung, the directory of Silver Lining Family Center. There are about ten such family homes in Yun Tsai, each overseen by a “mother” who cares for 10 to 14 orphans.

Later in the evening, over 100 children from the home gathered with our short-term mission team. Some team members got to meet and take pictures with the children they sponsor. Everyone was so happy. We sang hymns and worshipped God together. The children were fully engaged in worship—singing loudly, raising their hands, and jumping for joy. Their passion was infectious, and we joined them in joyful worship, singing and jumping alongside them. It was a wonderful and touching time spent with the children.

Tomorrow, we will take the children to the park and have lunch together. Please pray for good weather and meaningful interactions with the kids. May God’s love be shared with them through our words and actions. Please also continue to pray for our health. The long journey from North America to Myanmar, the packed schedule of ministry in Yangon, the hot and humid weather, and waking up at 3:00 AM for the flight—all these things have left some of our team members physically exhausted. Yet, we remain emotionally energized and look forward to the upcoming mission work.

We ask you to continue praying for our short-term mission. Our local partners in Myanmar have also asked us to pray for peace in the midst of the civil conflict, recovery from earthquake damage, improvement in the unstable power supply, the people recently affected by flooding, and the ongoing lack of job opportunities in Myanmar.

Philip Shue in behalf of SCAC, SFCAC and PCAC STM team