LHF - The Word at Work; Vol. 26 No. 3

India

Lutheran Heritage Foundation:

Volume 26 Number 3 ■ May/June 2019

THE WORD AT WORK

INDIA: LHF SHARES CPH CATECHISMS WITH THE POOR People living in the slums Dharavi slum in Mumbai of Mumbai, India, are among the poorest in the world. More than a dozen people often crowd into a single room to sleep, and there typically is no indoor plumbing. Public restrooms dump human waste directly into the rivers (pictured at right).

“It is the dream of every Indian parent to get an English eduprovide this English education to the cation for their children,” said Cherub poorest residents in the Mumbai slums.

Sundaram, LHF’s project coordinator In February, students at an eduin India. “Many of the students (shown cational support center run by one above) are the children of laborers of the Lutheran churches received a who migrated from various parts of precious resource: Luther’s Small Catthe country, in search of jobs in Mumechism in the English language. One bai. They are in an everyday struggle hundred thousand catechisms have for their livelihood, and they cannot been sent to India for distribution, provide for their children’s education.” thanks to a gift to LHF from Concordia Lutheran churches and other Publishing House (CPH) in honor of non-profit organizations are helping LHF’s recent 25th anniversary.

“The joy that I had while distributing these catechisms in the last couple of days is still with me, and I keep cherishing the moments. God’s work is marvelous in our eyes!”

Cherub said.

The students have promised to read their catechisms every day, and the instructor is also following up in his teaching.

“The catechism answers many questions that are bothering people, and that’s why it’s a powerful tool for evangelism,” Cherub reflected. “It gives Biblical truths with an order to them. This is a great gift from CPH to LHF, and the book is welcomed and cherished by Indian Lutherans in particular, and Indian Christians in general!”

INSIDE:

TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST PAGESPUBLISHING 2-3: PAGE 4: TERED BOOKS TRANSLATING INTRODUCING TRANSLATING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED As Kachin people flee Myanmar military LCMS pastor’s wife takes creative approach to CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFORMATION BI forces, LHF Bible storybooks bring comfort sharing the Gospel in her workplace.

BLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFOR to persecuted families.

TION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DIST

MYANMAR (BURMA):

GOSPEL BRINGS COMFORT TO P

Imagine mortar shells exploding around your hometown.

The screams of women and children being attacked fill your ears; you and your family must flee – now! – or you’ll be killed. Your elderly grandmother urges you to leave her behind, but you cannot bring yourself to leave her for dead.

So your family throws together what possessions you can carry, and you lift your grandmother onto your back. You dare not travel the main roads, which are blocked by the military; instead, you must move as stealthily and quickly as possible, on foot, through the countryside. The mountains are your only hope for survival, but it will take at least a month to get there. Will you make it? Will your family live?

It’s a horrifying scene that has played out in the lives of tens of thousands of Kachin people in Myanmar (Burma), Southeast Asia.

While nearly 90 percent of Myanmar’s population is Buddhist, those who live in the Kachin State on the northern border, near China, are overwhelmingly Christian.

In a combination of ethnic cleansing and a grab for the rich resources ( jade and amber) found in Kachin State, thousands have been tortured and killed. An estimated 100,000 Kachin people are displaced, living in makeshift camps along the Myanmar-China border.

Since 2011, the Myanmar military has destroyed and

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ransacked an estimated 200 churches, sometimes replacing them with Buddhist pagodas.

Thuza*, LHF’s translation coordinator in Myanmar, hears heart-wrenching stories from the lips of the Kachin people he and his humanitarian care team are serving.

“We are not allowed to enter the war zone,” Thuza explained, “but we are close enough to save people who are running from war. The Burmese military blocks all roads, not allowing victims to get to safe zones. (They are afraid freedom fighters will hide among the villagers.) They are burning the villages, killing villagers. The villagers run at midnight to get to safe areas.

“But some villagers who can’t run – pregnant women, old people and some infants – are left in the village. The military kills the people who are left as punishment.

“I am so sad, with tears...Children lose their families and their future. They don’t have enough food and shelter. I’m so sad to see their hopeless faces,” Thuza said.

BRINGING HOPE TO THE HOPELESS For people who have lost everything, the reminder that Jesus loves them and is with them in every circumstance is priceless.

Through a mission grant from the national Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), LHF has translated and published 3,000 copies of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories in the Jingpho language, spoken by most Kachin people.

PERSECUTED KACHIN FAMILIES As they deliver care to Kachin refugees, Thuza and his team are distributing the Bible storybooks to families and reminding them of God’s love for them.

“This book is a best friend for children, especially for those who live with fear and loneliness in civil war areas,” Thuza said. “The book is their companion and their inspiration. They find peace and security, knowing about God’s love and care by reading it as they run from place to place.

“These children won’t exchange the book for a ton of gold or toys as it’s a very precious gift for them. They lost everything in the war, but they have hope through the Word of God.” The books are proving especially useful for sharing the Gospel in regions controlled by the military.

“We can’t enter the civil war area to spread the Gospel, but the books can pass through to get into those areas for children in need,” Thuza explained. “The books share the Gospel, even when we are not able to do so in those places.”

Photos: (top) San Myit Htwe and her two sisters. Thuza writes, “Their family is very poor; their mother died from a viper bite recently. San is a very bright student who loves reading her Bible storybook and telling her sisters the stories every day.” (middle) Kachin children hide in the mountain, having heard the military is approaching. (bottom) A Kachin girl in traditional dress reads her Bible storybook.

* Not his real name. For his personal safety, Thuza’s identity must be concealed.

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SHARING THE GOSPEL WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED:

PASTOR’S WIFE SHARES GOOD NEWS IN WORKPLACE Anyone who’s ever gone to an LWML, LEA or LCMS they are open to learning about American holidays.” district convention has seen exhibitor tables, where comSo in December, Becky led the class in reading A Child’s panies and organizations distribute brochures and free Garden of Bible Stories in English, so they could learn how giveaway items like pens, keychains or stress balls. and why the celebration of Christmas began. Then, as a Chances are, the stress ball you pick up might be from an gift, Becky presented them with LHF translations of the imprinting company called Ariel Premium Supply, headsame book, in their own languages. quartered in St. Louis, Mo. And the logo printed on that While the classes are language-focused, questions about stress ball might have been placed there by one of Ariel’s the content have come up. “Hopefully, our study whets English-language their appetite. Last students – who week, one [of my are being introstudents] asked duced to Jesus what ‘sin’ meant. So Christ by huI had a chance to man resources explain,” she said. employee Becky “This week’s lesson Shaw, through is on the promise of LHF’s translathe Savior to Adam tions of A Child’s and Eve after their Garden of Bible fall into sin.”

Stories.

Becky said she be“Many of the lieves anyone who people in Arihas basic teaching el’s production skills should keep Becky Shaw, at right, leads her co-workers through studying A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories in the English language. Because she’s given them LHF’s Chinese and Vietnamese translations of department are their eyes open for the same book, the students can read for better understanding at home, in their own languages. new immigrants,” opportunities like explained Becky, hers. an LCMS pastor’s wife who has worked at Ariel since late “The first step would be finding out if there an interest [for last summer. “One of the bonuses of their employment is a program like this] among the associates [in the workthe opportunity to learn English during their lunch periods. place],” she said. “It can be advertised as ‘English class’ or So I teach more than 30 students in six different classes, ‘English class using the Bible.” We do not want to trick them plus one-on-one classes.” into coming so we can share the Gospel, but we hope that As she searched for good teaching materials for her what they hear in English or their native language would students, Becky recalled that LHF provides easy-to-read produce reception to the Holy Spirit’s call.”

Bible storybooks in the Chinese and Vietnamese languagNow that her husband has retired from active ministry, es. Fortunately, the company president and majority of the Becky is thankful for the many blessings God has given her managers are Christian, and they didn’t mind that Becky through her new position. would be sharing the faith as part of her teaching.

“I love this job because God has transferred my ‘mission’ “Some of the students are Christian, including Catholic, from our church members and visitors to the immigrants at but the majority have no religion at all,” Becky said. “But this company,” she concluded.

LUTHERAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION 51474 Romeo Plank Rd. ■ Macomb, MI 48042 ■ 1-800-554-0723 ■ info@LHFmissions.org ■ www.LHFmissions.org

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“The Word at Work” is the official publication of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Permission is hereby granted to excerpt from this publication for not-for-profit purposes. The Lutheran Heritage Foundation is a Recognized Service Organization of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces confessional Lutheran materials throughout the world so that people can be brought to Christ. LHF is not subsidized by the LCMS or any other church body. It is entirely supported by individual donations and grants. (“Word at Work” staff: Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise, executive editor; Jennifer Bagnall, managing editor and graphic design)