Myanmar 2018 Lighthouse Farm Part 3

Two days this week were Buddhist holidays, and because of the situation in the surrounding area, we thought it best to lay low for a while and work around the Lighthouse Farm. We dug trenches for star bean and date palm plants, we built stairs, we cemented the shower floor by the well, we built up a couple roads that had been washed out during rainy season, and we helped fortify a small bridge. We did all this work right alongside our Myanmar friends and ministry team. These men and women are hard workers!! Some of them literally worked around the clock to get some of these projects done, others worked themselves into exhaustion in the hot sun (well, for them it’s “cold season”).

We did all this work right alongside our Myanmar friends and ministry team.

The work was ready tough, especially given the conditions. But we did catch a glimpse of the vision of this place… to be an experimental farm, to try new crops that surrounding farmers can learn about and grow themselves. By doing this, they raise their standards of living and break the cycle of poverty they’ve been locked into for generations. They will learn about well being, they’ll learn about agriculture, they’ll make friendships, and Lighthouse Farm will also be a place where people will come to meet Jesus.

Danai is one of the guys who actually lives on the farm. He is a church planter and budding Evangelist. He graduated from the discipleship program and bible school that our Myanmar team partnered with and now works out of the farm. His hope is to share the gospel with people in the communities around the farm and start a church congregation there.

Do you want to hear his story?

Of course you do.

He shared his testimony on one evening and I was able to take a few notes. Here they are:

My family worshipped idols and animal spirits when I was a child. We always were sacrificing to the animist spirits and demons. Until I was 18, I was not free from this kind of worship. Pastor Mo Aung helped deliver me from this demon worship. Since 2006, I began to change as he taught me about the gospel. Little by little I believed in Christ, but I did not tell my family until 2007 when I was baptized. I used to worry about when the devil would come and bring disease and problems to me and my family until I followed Jesus. When I accepted the Lord, Jesus became my love, hope and life. When we believed in Jesus, I was given hope, wisdom, and life. But I was immature and had some wrong thinking! At that time, I thought that when Jesus paid for all my sins, I could go sinning like crazy! Started doing hard drugs and drinking, fighting others until 2012. Then I had no plan and no hope in my life. I believed in Jesus, but I had wrong thinking. In 2012, Pastor Mo Aung went to Thailand and I followed. I waited for the passport for 2.5 months in Myawaddy but it didn’t come. No money, no work, no passport. I gave God an ultimatum… send me to Thailand in two weeks or else I’ll stop believing. Only two days later, I received my passport. It was God answering my prayer.

When we arrived in Mae sot… there were so many Burmese people but they were like prisoners… I was trafficked to Bangkok. We were stacked like sardines in this truck, made for 20 people but 70 people were in it. I could hardly breathe because I was on the bottom of the pile… no hope. Almost unconscious. When I almost died, I remembered what the pastor said… God can change any circumstances. I called to God and he answered me. God delivered me, made me free from all my addictions. Once in Thailand, I was fearful of gangsters but he was spotted by a woman to brought him to a church Dave and Louise were connected to.

The idols never answered any of my prayers, but Jesus is Lord, he can do anything in my life, and he did miracles in my heart. My life and mind was changed in Jesus, and I want to make disciples for the Lord. 2013 I came to Jesus again, he gave me the strength to give up my addictions. I have seen many miracles in my life and it makes me want to serve the Lord even more. I serve at Lighthouse Farm, please pray for me.

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